Arts Education: Sink or Swim

Integrating the Arts: A Bridge across Subject Areas

Wednesday, October 15, 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Juniper, M2/International Ballroom Level

Organized by Moy Eng, performing arts program director, and Julie Fry, program officer, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Facilitated by Frances Phillips, senior program officer, Walter and Elise Haas Fund. Presented by Moy Eng, Julie Fry, Arnie Aprill, creative director, Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (CAPE), and Nancy Carr, visual and performing arts consultant, California Department of Education.

National research and experience has demonstrated that utilizing the arts to teach other non-arts subject areas can build greater learning success and help to close the achievement gap for underperforming students. With arts education generally provided by a mosaic of generalist classroom teachers, arts specialists and teaching artists, integration can be a formalized system of using the arts to deepen the understanding of concepts that cross disciplines. On the other hand, the arts can be a natural way to supplement curriculum and engage students in their own learning. This session will look at whether arts integration provides a connection to other subject areas in an effective manner, whether teachers typically under-trained in the arts have the facility or time to include them in the classroom, or whether integration diminishes teaching the arts for its own sake.