The Integrated Arts at Del Mar Heights: Creating a new year together!

Integrated Arts?

The Integrated Arts is a model designed to offer support, extension, and supplementary experiences in content areas through interdisciplinary arts activities. The Common Core Standards' emphasis on developing depth and rigor in thought and the ability to communicate relevant information with increasing skill provides the necessary impetus for this model. Content will be viewed through many lenses, allowing the entirety of relevant ideas to be processed and applied broadly and with added depth. Work with visual arts, music, drama, literature, writing, technology, and design will be incorporated and collaboration with classroom teachers will be ongoing. As Yeats wrote, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire". The Integrated Arts is an opportunity to light a very purposeful, very directed fire.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Creating a new year together!

Welcome back to school creative and cool kids!

We started our first week of Art together with a review of class expectations and a bit of inspiration to set us on our way.

It is so challenging to try your very best in art because there is not a specific "right" answer to your work. This uncertainty can create anxiety for some students. They wonder how they compare with others and whether they meet expectations with their artwork. However, the ambiguity of the arts opens doors to freedom and individuality. It allows us to meet challenges and problem-solve actively to a chosen end.

WIth younger children, I used the book "Beautiful Oops" to highlight the opportunity that lies in effort. With older students, I introduced the art and story of the fantastically accessible Janet Echelman. A snippet of the video below was shown and we discussed how her evolution as an artist was stimulated by perceived challenges. What an important life lesson.