Art instruction as a component of education is often overlooked despite evidence of it helping support motor skills and language skills, improve decision-making and inventiveness, and boost social skills. The Huffington Post article by Sánchez and the Brookings article by Kisia and Bowen offer evidence of the benefits of arts education, showing that giving children an opportunity to get creative can help strengthen both academic and social development. Undoubtedly, the articles changed the way one may think about arts education by showing that the development of younger generations should be well-rounded and abundant, allowing for flexibility and creativity.
Interesting findings were presented in the article on practicing social justice through arts education published in Huffington Post. In their article, Sánchez stated that art as a subject could give students an opportunity to express and explore their cultural and ethnic identity as well as share their experiences with others through art. This facilitates a discussion of the personal and communal narratives, which are highly important for practicing social justice in the educational context. Important findings by Kisia and Bowen suggest that arts instruction must not be ignored in the educational curriculum. Its integration has a positive impact on student’s academic, social, and emotional outcomes while also helping create an environment buzzing with creativity and respect for the players of the educational process. For the future practice of educators, it is essential to consider the integration of arts instruction into the curriculum. By doing so, teachers can expect to build trusting relationships with their students by facilitating open communication and the expression of opinions, values, and feelings through art. Therefore, the role of art education should not be overlooked and underestimated.
Works Cited
Kisida, Brian, and Daniel H. Bowen. “New evidence of the benefits of arts education.” Brookings, Web.
Sánchez, Nathalie. “Practicing Social Justice Through Arts Education.” HuffPost, Web.