The Importance of Fine Arts in Education

Education in the arts is an integral part of the development of each human

being. Those who have studied learning processes throughout the ages, beginning
with Plato, have emphasized the importance of the arts in the education process.
Education and engagement in the fine arts are an essential part of the school
curriculum and an important component in the educational program of every
student. Study in the arts is integral to our society; they are a part of the cultural
heritage of every American. The arts are what make us most human, most complete
as people. The arts cannot be learned through occasional or random exposure any
more than math or science can.
Sufficient data exists to overwhelmingly support the belief that study and
participation in the fine arts is a key component in improving learning throughout
all academic areas. Evidence of its effectiveness in reducing student dropout,
raising student attendance, developing better team players, fostering a love for
learning, improving greater student dignity, enhancing student creativity, and
producing a more prepared citizen for the workplace for tomorrow can be found
documented in studies held in many varied settings, from school campuses, to
corporate America.
Evidence from brain research is only one of many reasons education and
engagement in fine arts is beneficial to the educational process. The arts develop
neural systems that produce a broad spectrum of benefits ranging from fine motor
skills to creativity and improved emotional balance. One must realize that these
systems often take months and even years to fine-tune. In a study conducted by
Judith Burton, Columbia University, research evidenced that subjects such as
mathematics, science, and language require complex cognitive and creative
capacities typical of arts learning (Burton, Horowitz, & Abeles, 1999). The arts
enhance the process of learning. The systems they nourish, which include our
integrated sensory, attentional, cognitive, emotional, and motor capacities, are, in
fact, the driving forces behind all other learning (Jensen, 2001).

Why The Arts are Important

1.They are languages that all people speak that cut across racial, cultural, social,
educational, and economic barriers and enhance cultural appreciation and
awareness.
2.They are symbol systems as important as letters and numbers.
3.They integrate mind, body, and spirit.
4.They provide opportunities for self-expression, bringing the inner world into the
outer world of concrete reality.
5.They offer the avenue to "flow states" and peak experiences.
6.They create a seamless connection between motivation, instruction, assessment,
and practical application--leading to deep understanding.
7.They are an opportunity to experience processes from beginning to end.
8.They develop both independence and collaboration.

9.They provide immediate feedback and opportunities for reflection.

10.They make it possible to use personal strengths in meaningful ways and to
bridge into understanding sometimes difficult abstractions through these strengths.
11.They merge the learning of process and content.
12.They improve academic achievement -- enhancing test scores, attitudes, social
skills, critical and creative thinking.
13.They exercise and develop higher order thinking skills including analysis,
synthesis, evaluation, and "problem-finding."
14.They are essential components of any alternative assessment program.
15.They provide the means for every student to learn.
By: Dee Dickinson