The
arts are an important part of education. They foster creativity and
help students to develop in many other areas. Some of these areas will
be explored.
CreativityThe arts help students explore a skill that is not used that often in school, that of creativity. There is creative writing but that is about the extent of creativity in schools outside of the arts. There are only so many ways to do a math problem correctly. Some of these solutions may be more interesting than others but it is hard to call a math solution creative.
Even though creativity is not that important in grade school it is a vital part of college and life in the real world. Research performed at universities is all about being creative. The ability to think differently is what enables research to be carried out. Every great product or company, from Google to Facebook to the Ipod, required creativity to start. The arts help develop this trait and therefore must be supported by educational systems so that students can enhance this skill and be able to use it to expand the digital world.
Athleticism
To the dismay of some, an important part of the educational system is sports. From middle school, through high school, and into college, sports play a major role in education today. Dance, in particular ballet, has been used to help athletes excel in their sports. The techniques taught in ballet develop balance, coordination, speed, agility, dexterity, and muscle flexibility (source). These skills are important parts of all sports therefore the arts help athletes to learn and grow. So the arts should be supported in order to help students to excel in this aspect of the educational system,
The Brain & The Arts
To the dismay of some, an important part of the educational system is sports. From middle school, through high school, and into college, sports play a major role in education today. Dance, in particular ballet, has been used to help athletes excel in their sports. The techniques taught in ballet develop balance, coordination, speed, agility, dexterity, and muscle flexibility (source). These skills are important parts of all sports therefore the arts help athletes to learn and grow. So the arts should be supported in order to help students to excel in this aspect of the educational system,
The Brain & The Arts
The educational system has seen a shift in focus and funding
from the arts to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This
shift is very logical. The economy is growing the STEM directions and not in
the arts direction. The USA is not selling artwork masterpieces of to other
countries it is selling planes.
Nevertheless the arts do have a place in the educational
system and are important of it. Even if the focus is solely of STEM the arts
not only complement them but help improve them. An article titled “Musical Training Shapes Structural Brain Development” by Hyde published in the Journal
of Neuroscience, shows evidence, after only 15 months of musical training in
early childhood, of structural brain changes.
These brain developments are helping children with other parts of schools and quite possibly supporting some needs required for STEM.
Apart from increased dexterity and hand eye coordination the study found an increase in the size of the frontal and temporal brain areas. The frontal lobe regulates decision-making and problem solving and the temporal lobe regulates learning (source). Therefore the arts help expand students minds in ways that promote learning in other subjects.
These brain developments are helping children with other parts of schools and quite possibly supporting some needs required for STEM.
Apart from increased dexterity and hand eye coordination the study found an increase in the size of the frontal and temporal brain areas. The frontal lobe regulates decision-making and problem solving and the temporal lobe regulates learning (source). Therefore the arts help expand students minds in ways that promote learning in other subjects.
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