Why Arts-Integration Matters
This week, my residencies for the season began in earnest. The planning process leading up to these residencies has been a challenging one, as I have had to integrate topics in science that did not at first seem to lend themselves to an obvious visual art connection. Forcing myself to find authentic connections between disparate disciplines is challenging but also so rewarding, and really lets me apply the creative problem-solving skills I cultivated during art school. Some of the residencies seemed daunting at first — how would I integrate genetics or movement with visual art? — but through collaboration, research, and experimentation I was eventually able to develop project sequences that I know will provide our students with rich learning experiences. I rely on my colleagues at Progressive Arts Alliance and on the classroom teachers with whom we work to help me shape lessons that will tap into our students’ innate curiosity about the world.
The problem-solving strategies I apply in developing my residencies are the kind of 21st century skills that our students will need to be successful in our rapidly changing world. Through arts-integration, students learn how to embrace the interconnectedness of disparate subjects, exploring ideas through language, imagery, and actions. They also discover that there is often more than one solution to a problem, and that they can solve problems independently as well as collaboratively by communicating, reflecting, experimenting, and asking questions.
One of the most important things I get to teach my students through arts-integration is the value of bold experimentation and the willingness to make mistakes (and push through to resolve them). Students are so acclimated to lessons that have one correct solution, and often become disheartened when they don’t immediately meet their goals. In our residencies, however, students are given freedom to experiment within a framework, and if they are initially unhappy with their outcomes, I provide them with feedback and redirection that helps them persevere and resolve the issues in their work. I feel that this type of creative practice prepares children to be lifelong learners and original thinkers, able to make lasting change in their communities and in the world.
