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Day 1 Article Review

Please select one article from the following list. (Copy/paste the link - if they aren't clickable=])  In your response, please include the title and author and your reflection of the article.

Inseparable” by Grace Rubenstein – Edutopia.org

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/humanities-twenty-first-century-bill-smoot “Humanities in the Twenty-First Century” by Bill Smoot – Edutopia.org

http://www.kentuckyteacher.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Integrating-Social-Studies-Arts.pdf “Integrating Social Studies and the Arts: Why, When & How by Judy Sizemore – KentuckyTeacher.org


http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/how-to/arts-integration-beta/arts-integration-in-practice-beta/social-studies-beta.aspx “What are Some Arts Integration Connections to History and Social Studies?” – KennedyCenter.org

http://www.soundpiper.com/mln/historical.htm  “Historical and Cultural Context” by Carla Piper – Soundpiper.com

 

http://www.edsource.org/today/2013/you-reach-more-kids-when-you-use-the-arts-to-teach/31943  By John Schwartz “You Reach More Kids When You Use the Arts to Teach” – EdSource Today.org

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Replies

  • This is a response to Mr. Smoot's "Humanities in the 21st Century"

    Although I didn't find any particular fault with those that took jubilation in the death of a monster, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Smoot's stance that the humanities are especially important now.   In fact more now then maybe ever before.   Advancements in Science demand it.  Humans are so much more then anything they can invent or develop. Computers can't make morale judgements, but we have to.  Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.  Those questions and decisions are of huge importance especially now that our capabilities to manipulate and alter life continue to increase at alarming speed.  The responsibility of citizenship must not be underestimated in our quest for knowledge.

  • http://www.soundpiper.com/mln/historical.htm

    "Historical and Cultural Context" by Carla Piper

    This article highlighted the importance of including art instruction into our classroom instruction.  She pointed out that even with schools cutting funding to art, this important instruction can still be integrated through the teaching of social studies.  She cites several people's views on education and art instruction.  The one that resonated most with me was one from John Dewey who said, "The progress is not in the succession of studies but in the development of new attitudes towards, and new interests in, experience."  This struck a cord with me because I see the learning process as something that is ongoing and ever evolving as we go through life.  This also ties into teaching students to appreciate art because as you grow the way you see things and what you pick up on changes.  We need to teach students how to look at something and not just see a picture, but to truly try to understand what the person was trying to represent or portray.

    I use some of these ideas in my class already.  We have done photo analysis using pictures from the dust bowl and great depression.  This is something that I do feel is important and want to incorporate more into my instruction.  I want students not just to learn history, but to truly put themselves into the era and recognize what life was like to live then.  I believe the way you can do that is through the integration of the arts.  

    Unit Five
  • http://www.edsource.org/today/2013/you-reach-more-kids-when-you-use...  By John Schwartz “You Reach More Kids When You Use the Arts to Teach” – EdSource Today.org

    It was nice to read an article from a general education teacher about the importance of integrating arts into the curriculum. I've heard lots of calls from my side of the fence (music teachers) about the validity of incorporating the arts into general education, so it's refreshing to see we have allies.

    I think the most important part Schwartz brings up is that this integration is a way to boost student engagement in the classroom. Kids will "buy into" a lesson more when it becomes more participatory, instead of just being "taught at". Music, art, and theater all have the proven capability of not only enriching a child's education, but making it more exciting and more effective. 

  • http://edsource.org/2013/you-reach-more-kids-when-you-use-the-arts-... 

    You Reach More Kids When You Use Arts To Teach byJon Schwartz

    I enjoyed this article because it focuses on a general education teacher who uses the arts to reach students in a different format.  He stresses that bringing arts into the classroom unifies the different strands of academic learning into one easily digested theme.  I agree with this idea because music teachers do it all the time.  Culturally rich songs can be a great tool for memorization.  Thats why we teach the ABC's in a song format.  It would be very difficult to learn all those letters without something to connect each letter to the next in the proper order.  Putting them into a song does just that.  I think think the reason that this works so well is because it boosts engagement and become something fun for the students.  The bottom line is that combining the arts with academic learning is not a waste of time and is actually very productive. 

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