Integrating the Arts into Rural Classrooms
Researchers found that learners attain higher levels of achievement through their engagement in the arts. Also, learning in and through the arts can help level the playing field for youngsters from disadvantaged circumstances. (The Arts Education Partnership and the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities).

Listening to a webinar today from a current rural school district superintendent, she mentioned that her district has not offered any of the arts for years, in any grade level…due to budget restraints. Wow, so sad! Children are missing out on many opportunities for growth in the arts and in all subject areas. And teachers and students alike are missing out on chances to connect in fun and exciting ways.

What would I do to help this school district? Teach teachers how to integrate fine arts into their content areas. Teachers can teach WITH the arts by having students explore subjects with the arts. Teachers can teach THROUGH the arts by having students express their learning in the arts. And finally, teachers can teach ABOUT the arts for students to add depth to learning.

The arts give teachers an expanded repertoire of activities, ideas, inspiration, and exercises for growth and development in all classes. During my dissertation research I had a high school algebra teacher add music to his classroom as the students entered each day. He found out that the majority of the students liked country music the best! The music helped set the mood and the students looked forward to coming to class. In this case, music was an important teaching tool. The teacher also had fun choosing the music for the classes.

MATH IN NATURE: Math, nature, visual art

Take the students outside and look at plants, especially flowers. Count the petals. Count the number of flowers in each group. Count the number of groups on each stem. Look for patterns. Compare flowers. Connect the numerical patterns of the plants with algebraic equations. Have students, with great observation and concentration, sketch a flower or plant. They will need to focus on drawing exactly what they see, in proportion. This can be challenging. Then they can color the drawings in with crayons, pastels, paint, etc. For extra fun, while outside, all students can count how many blades of grass are in one square inch. Then average the answers for the class with more math! Then the students can calculate/estimate how many blades of grass are in the entire area! The possibilities for this activity are endless!

The arts add so much to learning!

Rural ED Consulting is available to assist rural schools and school districts with providing the highest quality teaching and learning services. The firm specializes in educator recruitment, retention, and turnaround practice for low-performing schools and districts. Please find us at http://ruraledconsulting.com/.
['Dr. Susan Hammack']
['Ruraleducation', 'Fine Arts Consultants', 'Teaching And Learning']