Write a case study of an innovative learning practice—a method, a resource or a technology, for instance. This could be a reflection practice you have already used, or a new or unfamiliar practice which you would like to explore. Analyze an educational practice, or an ensemble of practices, as applied in a clearly specified a learning context. Use theory concepts introduced in this course. We encourage you to use theory concepts defined by members of the group in their published Work 1, with references and links to the published works of the other course participants.
Word limit: at least 2000 words
Media: Include images, diagrams, infographics, tables, embedded videos, (either uploaded into CGScholar, or embedded from other sites), web links, PDFs, datasets or other digital media. Be sure to caption media sources and connect them explicitly with the text, with an introduction before and discussion afterwards.
References: Include a References “element” or section with at least five scholarly articles or books that you have used and referred to in the text, and all the added media, plus any other necessary or relevant references, including websites.
Rubric: The educational practice rubric is the same as for Work 1, against which others will review your work, and against which you will do your self-review at the completion of your final draft.
Go to Creator => Feedback => Reviews => Rubric to see rubric against which others will review your work, and against which you will do your self-review at the completion of your final draft. The rubric explores four main knowledge processes, the background and rationale for which is described in the papers at this page.
A storyteller visits a kindergarten classroom for a week-long residency. She tells them stories and the students repeat them individually and in small groups. The storyteller reinforces the idea of story structure and the children work in small groups to create their own storyboards and perform them in a storytelling festival.
A musical theatre company partners with a 4th grade classroom to explore the science of sound. Students then apply the engineering design cycle to develop their own instruments and perform a concert.
An 8th grade math teacher integrates dance in a math lesson to help students learn about rotation, reflection, and translation. The move through a traditional square dance and then describe and graph the pattern through the lens of rotation, reflection, and translation. They then partner with classmates to choreograph a dance via a graph and perform their dance for the class (PBS Learning Media, 2019). At the four minute mark in the video below, Edutopia reveals the above-mentioned lesson in action:
Despite the wide-range of ages and activities, these lessons share a common thread: the integration of arts into school curriculum or "arts integration."
I was first exposed to arts integration by way of being a teaching artist myself. I had been teaching in theatres across the country; mostly acting and improvisation, but also creative drama. Creative drama is defined by Davis and Behm (1987) as “an improvisational, non-exhibitional, process-centered form of drama in which participants are guided by a leader to imagine, enact, and reflect upon human experience” (p. 262). In other words, I would teach to pre-k through first grade, usually using a children's picture book, such as Where the Wild Things are or The Grouchy Ladybug, as a springboard to discuss and act out the concepts of the book without using a script. This type of work led to working in classrooms, where I linked creative drama to school curriculum in the areas of literacy and writing, eventually becoming an administrator for an arts integration-focused non-profit organization.
Arts Integration, is defined by Silverstein & Layne (2010), as “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both" (p. 1). To that end, according to Etim (as cited by Bautista, Tan, Ponnusamy, & Yau, 2015), curriculum integration can be defined as a "pedagogical approach that is student-centered and focuses on a theme organized around real life issues and problems drawn from several subject areas" (p. 611). Erickson (2010) discusses arts integration as a form of curriculum integration. She notes arts integration helps students make connections across the curriculum, which then creates understanding.
The integration of arts allows students to go beyond the test or report to demonstrate their understanding of concepts. Arts integration provides students with the opportunity to present their learning through their projects, such as video game design, writing a play, or through the creation of a visual art piece (Silverstein & Layne, 2010).
It should also be noted that arts integration is different than arts education, which Arts North Carolina (2019) defines as core academic subjects, such as dance, drama, music and art, taught by a licensed teacher. Arts integration is also different than arts exposure which is defined as experiences offered during and outside of school such as artists-in-residence, visits to galleries, concerts, and performances (Arts North Carolina, 2019).
Silverstein & Layne (2010) note the distinguishing element of arts integration is its interdisciplinary connections; in that the connection is between a specific art form and a specific curriculum area. Additionally, the art form can be connected to a school need such as anti-bullying.
When thinking about integrating arts with curriculum areas or specific concerns and needs, Burnaford, Doherty, & McLaughlin (2007) suggest starting with a "big idea" or a "shared concept," such as bullying as mentioned above. Their literature review also reveals the language associated with the art form should be utilized so students can conceptually understand the art form. Further, they state the importance of defining clear objectives and outcomes in both the art area and subject or curricular area.
Ludwig, Boyle, & Lindsay's (2017) examination of evidence-based student achievement via arts integration reveals that researchers often use different terms for the same processes. In an effort to clarify the multiple terms used regarding arts integration interventions, they developed a list of key components as well as a logic model for how arts integration is intended to "work" (p. 13).
Silverstein & Layne (2010), note that classrooms across the country are now more economically and culturally diverse. As a result, teachers are being encouraged to engage students via multiple learning modalities, so that students can actively process what they are learning. Marchetti and Cullen (2016) define modalities as "visual, audio, text or speech, and movement channels used in a classroom situation" (p. 40). Silverstein & Layne (2010) suggest that using the arts is a natural way of integrating modalities into learning in that they engage students through observing, listening, and moving. Maneen (2016) notes several studies indicating arts integration can close the achievement gap for English language learners, students with special needs, and student from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Further, the arts also allow for differentiation of instruction, which Kalantzis and Cope (2015) describe as allowing more space for student voice, interest, experienced and localized relevance. For example, a class of 4th grade students may all be instructed to create their own video games; how each student designs and implements their game will depend on the individual's own unique experience and knowledge.
Ludwig, Boyle, & Lindsay (2017) compile the results from over 1000 reports and 27 studies conducted after year 2000, and examine evidence-based student achievement via arts integration. They note, their evidence tiers are based on the U.S. Department of Education document that provides non-regulatory guidance to states and school districts on how they might interpret the four evidence tiers (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). They define the evidence tiers using the criteria below:
While most results fell into the "tier IV" category, the graph below reveals a strong body of evidence of the effects of arts Integration interventions on student outcomes:
Further, they examine the effects of students who are English language learners and come from from lower income backgrounds. The results below reveal a significant shift in confidence from students who might be considered disadvantaged vs. affluent white populations:
In addition to the growing diversity in the classroom, Cope and Kalantzis (2009) note a change in the “balance of agency” in that our society is no longer content being an audience member but rather an active user, creator, and player. They use gaming as an example of a trend in this shift and write: “They are content with being no less than the actors rather than audiences, players rather than spectators, agents rather than voyeurs and users rather than readers of narrative” (p. 172). Arts Integration allows students to take an active role as creator, user, and player via various opportunities, such as writing and acting a play, creating a work of art, or designing code for a video game.
Gerstein (2017) addresses this as she documents her process for integrating storytelling with video game design. The students begin by watching the following Khan Academy video to think about character creation:
They then create storyboards for their video games using the platform "Storyboard That," which is an affordable, easy to use platform that allows students to create strong characters, plot, and settings. Students are then provided options for video game platforms to create their game. The example below was created by a 4th grade girl who used the Bloxel video game platform:
When integrating the arts into the curriculum it is important to note two items:
Another option for integration is to foster a partnership between the classroom and an arts organization. Often, arts organizations receive grant funding to provide free programs to schools, especially those that are underserved. Edutopia (2014) documents a partnership between Glenview Elementary in Oakland, CA and a local theatre company. Glenview faculty suggest finding the right organization to address the need of the classroom or school. They use the example of reducing conflict through theatre. In small groups, students dramatize conflict and role-play several characters and situations to build empathy through character education while creating their own tactics to work through conflict.
An example of a partnership I had the opportunity to participate in was the WiseWrite program, a collaboration between my former arts organization, Springboard to Learning and the Repretory Theatre of St. Louis. In this program, I matched Springboard teaching artists to fifth grade classrooms in two St. Louis area schools to increase written communication skills through playwriting. I also recruited volunteer writing coaches to provide one-on-one assistance to students who were English language learners and/or had special needs. Students were then exposed to all aspects of the creative writing process and introduced to the theatre through performances by the Repertory's Imaginary Theatre company. At the end of the program, each student playwright received a published copy of his or her own play. The most exciting part of this program was the culminating event, a playwriting festival that featured the works of the fifth grade playwrights and were performed by professional actors on the Repertory theatre stage.
The most critical piece of this experience was that every student wrote a play while building up their writing confidence. An article by Reilly (2011) features WiseWrite. He quotes teaching artist Susan Agniel, who states: "In the beginning the kids don't know how to write dialog—they don't even have an idea...We read a story and then adapt it into a play. We talk about all the elements of the stories" (p. 11). A fifth-grade playwright says: "It's helped me be a writer... I can get confused with my stories, but this is giving me practice and confidence. It's my favorite class" (p. 18).
One of the main reasons arts integration isn't a part of more schools' curriculum is due to the fact that many teachers and administrators place a high degree of importance on standards and can be reluctant to buy into arts integration if they don’t feel they are competent artists. Further, despite the call for more arts in schools, artistic ability isn’t recognized as a skill equal to those in fields of technology or engineering. Schwartz (2015) writes, “until arts are held in high esteem, they will always come second in traditional schools." Additionally, having adequate space and materials as well as administrator buy-in is crucial to the success of integration. From my own personal experience, I can attest that school administrators would often refuse free opportunities for arts integration and embedded professional development due to the lack of instructional time and bandwidth needed to prepare for testing.
Ludwig, Boyle, & Lindsay (2017) discuss the need for additional research after their comprehensive 2017 study. They note that in order to fully understand how students from different backgrounds can benefit from arts integration, researchers should plan future studies to "include systematic comparisons of arts integration effects on different student subgroups, such as students who are economically disadvantaged, English learners, and students with disabilities" (p. 47). It is also important to note they suggest more "tier I" research that is more rigorous to provide stronger evidence for arts integration. They suggest that "researchers use a randomized controlled trial study design, documenting the attrition of study participants, and providing sufficient details of analyses and findings in report appendices" (p. 10). Robinson (2013) also notes there are few qualitative studies that have a clear summary of findings and very few displayed graphs and charts revealing the results.
At the beginning of this study, we meet a storyteller visiting a kindergarten classroom, a musical theatre company collaborating with a 4th grade classroom teacher on the science of sound and engineering design process, and a math teacher integrating dance into math. All three of these examples are very different and yet they are all arts integration. These vignettes represent the variety of opportunities available to educators.
Dewsbury-White (2015) describes a partnership in Mid-Michigan where teachers are learning how to integrate arts into students’ everyday experiences, via a partnership between their school district and the MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity at Wharton Center for the Performing Arts. Teachers are offered a three-day summer institute where they are exposed to four art forms and are provided instructional strategies and create integrated curricula. Then, based on the curricular need, they are matched with a teaching artist who provides professional development workshops for teachers prior to providing their residencies for students.
In the spring of 2015, over 30 teachers were surveyed and revealed that 6,000 students in Michigan were instructed via arts integrated approaches. The survey also provided the following feedback from teachers including the qoute below from Colleen Martell, a 5th grade teacher from Eaton Rapids Public Schools:
“The biggest benefit, in my opinion, is that my students' voices are heard and honored. They are creating original, authentic work that addresses many of the multiple intelligences and varying learning styles. They are actively engaged in 21st century skills and they are having fun” (p. 8).
While the empirical evidence needs more data to back evidence-based outcomes, the testimonials coming from schools and classroom teachers speak volumes about the impact the arts can have on student meaning-making of curriculum content. Hopefully more schools will identify partnership opportunities and resources to adopt this way of teaching, which will encourage additional research and create more buy-in from administrators and parents across the country.
Arts North Carolina (2019). Comprehensive Arts Education. Retrieved from https://artsnc.org/arts-education/
Bautista, A., Tan, L. S., Ponnusamy, L. D., & Yau, X. (2016). Curriculum integration in arts education: connecting multiple art forms through the idea of ‘space’. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 48(5), 610-629. doi:10.1080/00220272.2015.1089940
Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2009). “Multiliteracies”: new literacies, new learning. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4(3), 164-195. doi:10.1080/15544800903076044
Davis, J. H., & Behm, T. (1987). Appendix 1: Terminology of drama/theatre with and for children: A redefinition. In J. H. Davis & M. J. Evans (Eds.), Theatre, children and youth (pp. 265–269). New Orleans, LA: Anchorage.
Dewsbury-White, K. (2015). Arts integration deepens learning. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.inspiredmichigan.com/features/10.15artsintegration.aspx
Burnaford, G., Doherty, P., & McLaughlin, S. (2007). Arts integration frameworks, research & practice: A literature review.
Edutopia. (2012, August 12). Arts integration for deeper learning in middle school. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/video/arts-integration-deeper-learning-middle-school
Edutopia. (2014). Art and social-emotional learning. See a school that partners with local artists to foster positive communication skills in students. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/practice/stw-glenview-practice-arts-partnerships-video
Etim, J. S. (2005). Curriculum integration: The why and how. In J. S. Etim (Ed.), Curriculum integration K-12: Theory and practice (pp. 3–11). Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Erickson, K. ( 2010, December 17). What is arts integration. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/8d9r7duU_Cc
Gerstein, J. (2017, May 4.) Mariah's save Mom video game. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfs6Jih7pf4&feature=youtu.be
Gertsein, J. (2017) Video game design with elementary learners. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/video-game-design-with-elementary-learners/
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Khan Academy Labs (2017, February 15). Video 4: world & character. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tREPH6hJsYg&feature=youtu.be
Ludwig, M., Boyle, A., & Lindsay, J. J. (2017). Review of evidence: Arts integration through the lens of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Marchetti, L., & Cullen, P. (2016). A multimodal approach in the classroom for creative learning and teaching. Psychological and creative approaches to language teaching 5(1), 39-51
Maneen, C. A. (2016). A case study of arts integration practices in developing the 21st Century skills of critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Education Dissertations and Projects. 182. https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/education_etd/182
PBS Learning Media. (2019). Math + Arts: Rotation, Reflection, and Translation in Dance. Retrieved from https://ninenet.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ket-8dance/rotation-reflection-translation/
Reilly, Christopher. (2011). Festival helps little playwrights stage big productions. Retrieved from: https://patch.com/missouri/kirkwood/festival-helps-little-playwrights-stage-big-productions
Robinson, A. H. (2013). Arts integration and the success of disadvantaged students: A research evaluation. Arts Education Policy Review, 114(4), 191-204. doi:10.1080/10632913.2013.826050
Schwartz, K. (2015). How integrating arts into other subjects makes learning come alive. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/38576/how-integrating-arts-into-other-subjects-makes-learning-come-alive
Silverstein, L. B., Layne, S., (2010). Defining Arts Integration. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Retrieved from https://www.kennedycenter.org/education/partners/defining_arts_integration.pdf