Why is math important? Why is science important? Why is art important? These are questions that teachers have to answer on a daily basis if students, parents, principals, and the list goes on and on ask you. But unlike science and math the answer of why art is important may not be as direct or as easy to see. But I am here to tell you why art is important and how it impacts students.
While I was researching why art is important in schools I came across an article "Does Experience in the arts boost academic achievement?" In this article it discussed several articles that studied the effects the arts had on other subjects in school and also what students learn from art. I found it very interesting because most of the articles came to the same conclusion that the arts did have an impact. The hardest value to come up with is how much the arts can raise scores on tests because every art teacher is different and every students arrives at answers in a different way especially in art because there is no right way to do something. But what the article did say was that arts made a definite impact in: Creative thinking, development of cognitive skills, effective, and psychomotor skills, learning styles, communication skills, cultural literacy, individual-choice making, group decision making, and an increase in self-esteem and self-worth. These are all skills that any teacher is working towards in their classroom everyday and art just encapsulates them all.Why art education? Why is it important? Art is an important subject for all students because it allows all students to create something that interests them at the same time teaching them life long skills. What other subject in day in one class period can teach about culture, self expression, self esteem, problem solving, and promote communication along with skills? Employers are always looking for creative people who can work together and solve problems and art is the place where it all starts. Try and name something where art isn't involved in the world.
I used this same argument in my blog and I think it is so important! Everyone is so worried about other subjects and students doing well. This, and along with test scores, are what all faculty and parents are worried about nowadays. If people started to realize the correlation between improvement in these areas and involvement in the arts they would take arts more seriously.
ReplyDeleteThese advantages you listed (Creative thinking, development of cognitive skills, effective, and psychomotor skills, learning styles, communication skills, cultural literacy, individual-choice making, group decision making, and an increase in self-esteem and self-worth) are great reasons why art is so important! We just need to make others see how much art can influence others.
ReplyDeleteThe article you chose by Elliot Eisner is a great choice. Eisner was a strong advocate for the arts and the author of 10 lessons That the Arts Teach https://www.arteducators.org/advocacy/articles/116-10-lessons-the-arts-teach
ReplyDeleteI would share that resource with parents every year at the beginning of the school year. It is difficult to demonstrate through quantitative measures how art impacts others, but the importance is clear through the ideas you stated especially in creative thinking and cultural sensitivity. Good work!