This week was pretty cool as far as arts in the classroom. We got to teach our lessons and we integrated the arts for two of them. It was really fun to watch how the students reacted.
For our first integration we created a song about the Native Americans. We wanted the song to be a review for the assessment we were doing the next day. We taught it to them using the Whole to Part, and they really enjoyed it! The students that aren't normally engaged really seemed to connect to the song. It was so fun to hear them singing it even after we were done, and during the assessment. It really showed me that music is a powerful learning tool. It was pretty simple creating the song, and it really inspired me to want to use that tool in my classroom.
The second lesson we did that was integrated was as a final experience. We wanted the kids to connect to the legends that Native Americans teach so we found a book called Night Dancer. It is about a spirit that plays flute music in the night and all of the animals of the desert join him in his song. We wanted to integrate drama so we played flute music in the background and had the students visualize themselves in the story. We wanted to do more dramatic activities, but there just wasn't enough time. It was harder to fully get into the drama, but the little we were able to do seemed to connect well with the students. It was a great experience, and I hope in my next field experience I will be able to continue to integrate the arts.
The chance I got to use the arts in the classroom really showed me how powerful they are. The students remember the material better, and I could tell they loved the variety it brought to their day. I loved the arts as a kid, and so it is not surprise to me that students today still love them. I really like the integration movement and can see that it will really be more beneficial then the random frilly projects I did in elementary school. I cannot wait to learn more about the arts as I prepare for my own classroom and students.
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