Image by Skylar Chui
Throughout the world, many students have struggled with staying focused and engaged while participating in online learning. It is much easier to become distracted or inattentive while staring into a screen than it is while participating in in-person classes. However, there is a tool that can be used by teachers to help students learn – online or in person – that is scientifically proven to be effective: art. When incorporated into other subjects, art is a fun, efficient way to not only help students stay engaged and interested, but also to boost creativity and have fun.
What counts as art? Plays, movies, music, dancing, sketching, painting, sculpting, and everything in between; there are infinite possibilities.
“[In] chemistry class, the teacher sometimes draws diagrams of concepts instead of just explaining [them]... it helps me visualize things better,” a Pinewood student said.
“In 8th grade, we [drew] main themes and characters for [literature] class,” another Pinewood high schooler said.
In my experience at Upper Campus, there has been lots of art to assist my learning over the years. For example, in Spanish class, we created art projects to better understand and participate in the cultures of the other countries, and in history class, we listened to Hamilton to help us remember facts about the Revolutionary War. Though many don’t realize the art that assists them when it’s hidden in unrecognizable forms, it is nonetheless there to encourage and excite them.
Integrating art into other subjects is scientifically proven to benefit students.
“A few schools are taking the research to heart, weaving the arts into everything they do and finding that the approach not only boosts academic achievement but also promotes creativity, self-confidence and school pride...Arts integration seems to be the best form of differentiation out there because it taps into so many different interests and abilities and forms of learning,” a KQED article from 2015 said.
Illustrated by: Skylar Chui
The article said that when a school focused on teaching with art, the percentage of students who demonstrated proficiency on their standardized test went up 49 percent in just five years. The article also mentioned that artistic ability often isn’t recognized by society as a skill equal to computer coding or engineering. In addition, many parents want their kids to study things that clearly lead to future jobs. These are two of the reasons why some people are hesitant to spend time with art in classes dedicated to other subjects.
While wanting their children to learn skills to help them in future jobs is a valid and understandable concern, those who believe art cannot be relevant in jobs are actually incorrect. Art is used in even the most prestigious jobs such as being a doctor, engineer, and more. It is used to simplify complicated things and ideas, and it is extremely useful even in the world outside of school.
PowerPoint presentations, for example, are easier to understand with visuals and are much more memorable. In addition, artistic skills have proven to be very beneficial, if not necessary, in the making and designing of an extraordinarily wide range of products, devices, and other items such as phones, water bottles, cars, buildings, software, and more.
Incorporated into the classroom, art is a guaranteed way to aid students’ learning of not only art, but also the other subject, because everyone is a visual learner whether classified as one or not. Art makes lessons interesting, fun, exciting, and memorable, and it is a very useful skill outside of school and in even the most esteemed jobs.
There are a plethora of examples of art in other subjects at Pinewood, but considering how much there is to gain, there should be more. So many schools saw incredible results while experimenting with art when the coronavirus did not yet exist. If something so simple could be so beneficial even in normal circumstances, it is crucial to incorporate more art into other subjects at our school—especially during times where learning is particularly challenging in the remote world.