EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
Module 3: Visual Arts Integration Week
Chapter 6 Integrating the Visual Arts Throughout the Curriculum
Learning Journal Module 3 Due October 21, 2017
Date/Reading Quote Response
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
"The Arts," as a term, has an This was an Uh-huh? think it over
Esaak, Shelley. (2017, August 4). interesting history. During
What Are the Visual Arts?
for a moment and then an Ahhh-
the Middle Ages, The Arts were very Ha! Oh, now I get it! moment for
Retrieved from
scholarly, limited to seven categories me. I never really understood the
[Link] and they did not involve creating
hat-are-the-visual-arts-182706 connection between Arts and
anything for people to look at. They
were grammar, rhetoric, dialectic
Science until this moment. Several
logic, arithmetic, geometry, years ago, I participated in an
astronomy, and music. organization called the Society for
(unnumbered) Creative Anachronism (SCA). Because
I considered myself crafty, as in arts
and crafts, I became the Minister
(Mistress) of Arts and Science for the
group in which I participated. (Think
reenactment and a 4H club from
medieval times.) It was lots of fun. I
participated in some basic arts
classes: Spanish blackwork, knitting
and crocheting, garb (costume)
design and production; illumination
(scroll decorating) and calligraphy,
storytelling and poetry recitation,
and a few other things, but never
understood why Science was part of
the title. What I did did not seem to
sciencey to me. Now it makes
complete sense to me. I guess the
science part makes more sense now
when I think of the SCA brewers and
mullers (is that a word?). Some SCA
participants would brew beer or mull
wine, based on tools and methods of
the middle ages. One can consider
brewing and mulling crafting, I
guess. So, brewing and mulling
needed knowledge of chemical
reactions in the alcohol OK, now it
is becoming clearer.
Wednesday, October 11, Everything about your life This quote struck me as quite
2017 experience has potential as a profound. So often, I look back on
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
Visual Journals Move piece of art. my day and think, Another day in the
Teachers and Students (unnumbered) life of Shannon, but never reflect on
Beyond Traditional Learning. what was special about it. I have said
(n.d.). Retrieved from for some time, You learn something
[Link] new every day. The day you stop
s/Articles/Article- learning is the day you die, but
Detail/ArticleId/213/Visual- never really think about what it was I
Journals-Move-Teachers- learned that day. When you consider
and-Students-Beyond- our past presidents and the journals
Traditional-Learning they meticulously kept, there are
some mundane passages, but they
are a window into the lives of people
during those times. As humans, we
want our existence to count for
something. We want to leave our
mark on the world. As teachers, we
do by pouring ourselves into our
students. Everything about [our] life
experience has potential as a piece
of art. Hmmm I wonder what
people will see (and say) when they
look at my lifes art? Will they see
something special or will it just be
more materials that fill up dusty old
shelves?
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 Indeed, if AI were an arch, This quote gave me a dj vu when I
Cornett, C.E. educational philosophy would be read it. As a Spanish teacher, we
(2015). Creative meaning its keystone, without which the discuss architecture during the first
through literature and the construction is unstable. chapter. Over the years, I have
arts: Arts integration for learned many facts about arches.
classroom teachers (Fifth (p.222)
First and foremost is that without
Edition). Boston, MA: the keystone on the top, the entire
Pearson. structure is unstable. So much so
that it will collapse. If you look at the
Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and if you
have ever watched the movie of the
building of the arch, the technology
it entailed was phenomenal, but it
was not modern. As engineers built
the two legs, they required a brace
to keep them upright. When they
finally placed the keystone, they
could remove the braces, AND IT
REMAINED STANDING! The same is
true about the Aqueduct of Segovia,
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
Spain, and the arches in La Mezquita
de Crdoba, Spain. Without the
keystone, the layers and layers of
architecture would come crashing
down. Supposedly, they built La
Mezquita without mortar between
the stones; the keystone supplied
the necessary resistance to keep the
arches standing.
So, in regards to the post, if
educational philosophy is the
keystone in AI, then without it, the
only result will be a weakened
approach to teaching the whole
child.
So, in regards to the post, if
educational philosophy is the
keystone in AI, then without it, the
only result will be a weakened
approach to teaching not only
the whole child, but also EVERY child.
I think of STEM (Good start). I know
there is a STEAM philosophy as well
(Better yet). I like the idea of
STREAM (Science, Technology,
Reading, Engineering, Arts, and
Math) (The Best!). It "flows" more
smoothly. (Sorry, no pun intended
originally, but... I like it now).
Nothing new under the sun.
Education has come full circle. Isn't
that what educating children is all
about. No one aspect is more
important than another is. In order
for it to flow smoothly, ALL areas
need to be taught and integrated.
How is it that there are some
"experts" who eliminate, or at
least undervalue, the importance of
the Arts in education?
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 Images that enter the brain Most of our homes include items
Cornett, C.E. become the basis for the images that are special to us individually or if
(2015). Creative meaning we create and the people we you have a family, are important to
through literature and the become. Children need to see the family. School is a childs home
arts: Arts integration for
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
classroom teachers (Fifth and feel beauty. The same away from home, so to speak. To live
Edition). Boston, MA: consideration given to design in six hours a day in a sterile
Pearson. our homes needs to be afforded environment, leaves a childs
to the classroom. (p.247) imagination floundering. In order for
children to be able to imagine
something creative, they must see
that the something can be done, not
to copy, but to see its possible to do
it.
Tuesday, October 19, 2017 Bulletin board space should As a teacher I LOVE bulletin boards,
Cornett, C.E. primarily be used to display but I HATE making them. So often I
(2015). Creative meaning student work. Students should be would just put necessary stuff on my
through literature and the involved in planning the design. bulletin boards or if I did decorate, I
arts: Arts integration for Make interactive displays by would decorate it at the beginning of
classroom teachers (Fifth adding speech bubbles, questions the year so it didnt look naked and
Edition). Boston, MA: and flip cards (lift for answers). leave it for the rest of the year.
Pearson. (p.282) When I began to teach, I had some
great ideas of what I could do for my
bulletin boards, but then reality
struck. Theres only 24 hours in a
day. Doing bulletin boards take time.
Therefore, my bulletin boards
became an afterthought. This quote
suggests using student art for the
design. I love the idea of adding
speech bubbles for questions or flip
cards. This interactivity would make
the bulletin boards more lively for
sure.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 Teachers need to be constantly I like this quote. It gives teachers
Cornett, C.E. borrowing ideas to transform permission to use other peoples
(2015). Creative meaning humdrum lessons into ideas (of course giving credit to who
through literature and the instructional art. (p. 301) credit is due). We do not have to
arts: Arts integration for reinvent the wheel every time. Some
classroom teachers (Fifth things are tried and true. If they
Edition). Boston, MA: work, use them. If they dont work,
Pearson. cross them off and move on to plan
B. When the quote speaks to
humdrum lessons, I do not
necessarily think it is talking about
humdrum just for students. I get
bored doing the same thing year in
and year out. I think variety is one of
the reasons I like to teach. Every day
is a different day. The same students
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
may be there, but every day there is
something that causes a change. Mix
it up a little. Be brave. Take a risk
and try something new, you never
know, the teacher may become the
learner at any given point.
In this Meaning Mosaic I used math and the quote, Indeed, if AI were an arch, educational
philosophy would be its keystone, without which the construction is unstable (Cornett, 2015). I
created an arch of Styrofoam with a keystone on top and put the first two pillars in place as the
foundational base. The stones in the arch represent the other pillars with the Educational
Philosophy are the keystone at the top. See what happens to the arch when you remove the
keystone? It tumbled down.