Discussion 5c

• Math ~ Amanda LaTurner I typed in Integrating Math with the Arts and found many good sites. One of the sites I liked was www.edutopia.org. It clarified some key concepts about integration and why it could be helpful to the learning process. Some good quotes are: The products created are naturally richer and more extensive than from a "traditional" approach. The importance of shifting our focus from products to processes can be found within the Common Core Math Practices -- most of which are aligned with the Artist's Habits of Mind. I appreciated the comment that almost everyone has one art form (visual art, music, dance or drama) with which they connect and use to make sense of the world. By weaving the arts into and through our content in naturally aligned ways, we are providing relevance to student learning, and giving them an opportunity to connect their world to our classrooms. The emphasis on process-based learning and using access points that are relevant to every child makes teaching and learning an equitable opportunity for everyone in the classroom. By using Arts Integration, teachers and leaders can ensure that students are learning in a way that meets their own unique cultural, social, emotional and intellectual needs. When studying any piece of art, composition, drama or dance, one must be able to analyze the components that create the whole. Additionally, the ability to synthesize these parts into a whole work is critical to making meaning for each audience member. Common Core Reading and Math Standards have both identified the need for this critical practice, and many teachers are struggling with implementing it in the classroom. Arts Integration may be a pathway to providing those opportunities. This site lead me to www.educationcloset.com which has a multitude of lessons plans, many of which included a good integration component. I found this quote but I am not sure which web site gave it. It summed up the main points of Arts Integration well. Arts Integration seems to be hidden from view because teachers are nervous about their own artistic abilities, and also their ability to effectively facilitate a lesson that includes authentic arts standards. Yet Arts Integration strategies have a variety of levels, and many can be implemented quite quickly in classrooms. The keys to using Arts Integration successfully are: o Collaboration between arts and classroom teachers to find naturally-aligned objectives o Using an arts area in which the classroom teacher is comfortable (for many, this starts with visual arts) o Creating a lesson that truly teaches to both standards o Assessing both areas equitably Some other sites I liked were: v www.philtulga.com for music integration. v Eforexploreblog.com v www.shoat.net v www.valleyperformingartscenter.org