The Brain and the ArtsSousa Ch. 6

“We have never discovered a culture on this planet-past or present-that doesn’t have music, art and dance (Sousa p. 214).”

Why teach the arts?

•Learning songs, rhymes, drawing and painting can help enhance cognitive development.

•Dancing and playing can help develop gross motor skills.

Impact/Research of the Arts in Schools

SAT Scores•Higher Math, Verbal and composite SAT Scores•More art classes taken, higher scores became•4 + years of art correlated with higher SAT scores

Disaffected Students•Many students that are not academically inclined stay in school because of their interests in arts courses.

Different Learning Styles•Students bored with typical teaching styles may find outlets in the arts that allow expression of pent up feelings creating better self concept and help with classroom disposition.

Personal and Interpersonal Connections•Forces a deeper connection with feelings and emotions•Allows creativity, positive attitudes and academic self-concept

Impact/Research of the Arts in Schools (cont.)

Working World•Challenges people to think outside of the box and come up withnew and innovative ideas necessary in the business world.

Gifted and Talented Students•Provides a challenge for students that are labeled gifted due toacademic success in core content areas.

School and Classroom Climate•Can improve culture of the school•Can integrate subject areas•Can make the school a more aesthetically pleasing place to work and learn

Music

Listening vs. Creating

Listening

•Both sides of the brain respond to music, but the right has areas specifically devoted to music

•Cochlea auditory cortex frontal lobe (inner ear) (pitch, melody,harmony) (emotions/past experiences)

Music

Listening (cont.)

•Therapeutic Benefits•Reported effects:

•Relieve stress, help with pain, boost immunity of children•Research

•Influence blood pressure, pulse and muscle activity•Strengthen brain cell an cortex connections (rehabilitation)

•Educational Benefits•Stimulates recall sections and visual imagery parts of the brain. •Creates more efficient workers •Mozart Effect – Is it True???

•Mozart sonata – activated auditory and frontal cortex•Helps with spatial and temporal reasoning (sequencing mental images and reassembling objects)

Music

Creating Music

•Auditory Cortex, motor cortex, cerebellum and corpus callosum are larger in musicians.

•Benefits•Studies

•music increase in spatial temporal reasoning – Primarily in non-electronic instruments•Increase verbal memory skills (Broca and Wernicke’s areas) even after dropping out of music classes.•Increase in standardized test scores•Increased self-esteem, discipline and parental involvement

Music

Creating Music

•Music and Math relations

•Patterns Counting Geometry Sequencing Ratios Proportions Fractions

•Activate same parts of the brain when creating music and math processing

•Music and Reading relations

•Strong relationship between music and reading scores

•Both need decoding and comprehension skills

•Assists phonological awareness and reading development

Visual Arts

•Imaging vs. Imagining

•Imagery is a survival skill

•Creating mental images can be taught and help with retention and Learning

•Electronics diminish the ability to practice imagery skills

•Sports Imagery can enhance performance

•Visual imagery can also be related to creativity

Movement

•Old Version vs. New VersionOld – Cerebellum only involves movementNew – Cerebellum involves movement and supports limbic

system (impulse control and attention), cognitive function, long-term memory and spatial perception

•Physical Exercise•Assists blood movement and oxygen in the blood•Increase brain function and learning

•Implications•Kids need to move more, especially in secondary schools

•Increase cognitive functions•Get out energy•Get attention and keep interest

Research Article 1The Impact of the Arts on Learning

•1st Study– More broad stud of 2500 students comparing low SES students to higher SES students to see impact of arts classes

Dr. Catrell – UCLA Arts than music and theater in grades 8-12

Results Low SES showed significant increases Instrumental music and math relationship Low SES scored higher than non music Low SES and average students Can’t say this causes improvements, but there is a reason to suspect that it helps “children are more engaged and cognitively involved in schools when arts are integrated into curriculum”

Research Article 1The Impact of the Arts on Learning

•2nd Study - Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (CAPE)

Dr. Catrell - UCLAProfessional local artists help plan lessons in core content to include arts in 37 schools

Results6th grade Math and Reading scores came out higher than other schools with same economic and structural backgrounds 9th graders achieved a full grade level of proficiency above non CAPE schools Enrichment program, not substitute for regular arts program Can’t replace core content with the arts and can’t replace normal arts classes just by integrating into core subjects as this program does.

Research Article 1The Impact of the Arts on Learning

•3rd Study - Learning in and Through the Arts Columbia University

Basic intellectual processes, personal attributes that are foundations to cognitive development and result in enhanced test scores Arts effect on teachers and student interactions Standardized, creative thinking, self concept and school atmosphere tests and tests on the teacher view of the students

ResultsBenefits in all areas (thinking abilities, approaches to problems, attitudes toward learning, perception of themselves, school climates, teacher involvement in all subjects with significant finding in Low SES students not higher SES students)

Research Article 2Learning in and Through the Arts:

The Question of Transfer•Pre-Study Information

More effect of arts on other subjects than other subjects on artContents share core elements necessary for learning and achieving Improvements in everything from creativity to critical thinking and elaborate and express ideas Cross discipline learning is most effective in transferOutside artists help create more excitementRelieve social issues such as prejudices in students

Teachers are more of expertise do to excitement in work and new insights on students

•Remaining QuestionsResearchers give incomplete pictures of effects, how they occur and circumstances in schoolsQuestions of transfer and direct relationship

Research Article 2Learning in and Through the Arts:

The Question of Transfer

•Purpose of the Study

•Determine cognitive skills developed by art

•Assuming relationship between arts and core content based on transfer due to interactive relationship between the areas

•Examine relationship with social issues and everyday occurrences

•12 diff types of schools with over 200 students

Research Article 2Learning in and Through the Arts:

The Question of Transfer

• Phases 1 and 2 – Choosing Schools

Reviewed methods of teaching, arts programs, and potential positive effects

28 schools observed and interviewed

Invited 18 schools to participate that varied in:1. Forms of art taught2. Teaching approaches3. Who taught art (outside pros or inside art

teachers) 4. Whether integrated or focused separately

5. Art rich and art poor schools

Research Article 2Learning in and Through the Arts:

The Question of Transfer

•Phase 4 and 5 - Quantitative AnalysisCreated tests to measure potential areas of achievement with the artsRealized a lot of things may not be measurable by quantitative tests

Students•Creativity tests•Self concept test•Questionnaire of arts experience

Teachers•Rating scale of their perception of students improvements•Index of school climate•Arts teaching and learning inventory questionnaire

Research Article 2Learning in and Through the Arts:

The Question of Transfer

•Phase 5 – Qualitative Analysis

Only looked at existing programs and did not introduce new programs

Interviews and observation transcripts

•Phase 6 – Results

Arts rich schools and students had much higher scores in all areas

Shows relationship between arts and other disciplines