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Ashley Panagiotides
Professor Darlene Leifson, PhD
CTAR 300
18 November 2015

Arts Advocacy Paper

Students should have access to teachers who think creatively about how
learning in their classrooms can go beyond the textbook and dip right into the real world
(Burnaford, 5). It is crucial that teachers take the time to incorporate teaching art into
their students daily lives as well as immerse art integration into multiple curricular areas.
Many teachers have to take the time to understand that just because not all children
learn the same way does not mean that they should stick to a textbook when it comes to
teaching their students. Some students learn better when they have the opportunity to
read a book and answer questions based on the reading, however, it is important to
understand that some students will learn better in a more hands on, art integrated way.
Although teachers should learn to find ways to incorporate art integration into
classrooms it is important to understand that teachers must still face the challenges of
meeting district standards and state regulations for teaching a structured curriculum.
They are still held accountable for students test scores and feel the pressure of

covering everything that is expected for the child to learn so that he/she can move onto
the next grade level when the time comes. The arts help to prepare students for
success in school. It boosts literacy, English Language Arts, and Math skills. It helps
engage students in school and motivates them to do well. It develops critical thinking as
well as improve school culture (Arts Education Partnership). Art integration in a
classroom makes connections between what you are learning and what you are living.
The No Child Left Behind Act has forced many American schools to become
language driven and text-oriented (Making meaning many ways). Schools that are
choosing to integrate the arts into their curriculum as apart of a comprehensive
education strategy are showing positive changes within the students performance and
all around student environment. In the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the arts share
equal billing with reading, math, science, and other disciplines as core academic
subjects, which can contribute to improved student learning outcomes. Forty-nine states
have established content standards that outline what students should know and be able
to do in one or more art forms; forty-three states require schools or districts to provide
arts instruction (Critical Evidence). This is a huge deal when it comes to proving that
the majority of schools are beginning to learn the benefits of learning different forms of
art in a classroom.

When it comes time for parents to find a school district for their child to attend
they should look into the curriculum that is taught inside the classroom. It is important
for parents to realize the benefits of their child learning beyond a textbook and being
able to be creative while they learn. As tightly structured as the drama is for the teacher,
it is actually an open structure for the students, inviting them to become co-creators
(Miller, 6). When students have the opportunity to help the teacher come up with
different ideas for a lesson plan or a project they become more interested in learning
about the lesson at hand. A lot of students enjoy being hands on and when they are
interested in a topic they are more likely to pay attention and take away something from
the lesson.
After going through a variety of different articles and books it was refreshing to
see how many people agree that art integration in the classroom is crucial to the
success of students. Art Integration makes schooling more rigorous, real, and creative
for young people (Burnaford, 6). When it is time to create a curriculum for my own
classroom I will be sure to include a variety of different forms of art in my classroom to
give students a chance to learn different subject areas from different perspectives.

Works Cited

Burnaford, Gail E. Renaissance in the Classroom: Arts Integration and

Meaningful Learning. Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Print.
Lynch, Patricia. "Making meaning many ways: An exploratory look at integrating the arts
with classroom curriculum." Art Education 60.4 (2007): 33.
Miller, Carole S., and Juliana Saxton. Into the Story: Language in Action
through
Drama. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2004. Print.
Ruppert, Sandra S. "Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student
Achievement."
Crtical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student

Achievement (2006): n. pag. Web.

<http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED529766.pdf>.
Stevenson, Lauren, Ph. D. "Arts Education Partnership Create, Learn,
Achieve." Arts
Education Partnership (2013): n. pag. Web.