What Is Arts Integration,? Shawna Longo

Shawna longo Hopatcong Middle School shawnalongo@gmail.com

Arts Integration is not a new initiative, but it has grown in practice throughout New Jersey over the past 4 years. The definition of arts integration has varied over the years, but fortunately a codified definition has developed into commonplace within our state. Arts integration is “a teaching strategy in which the arts are integrated with the non-arts curriculum to deepen students’ understanding of both.”

Arts integration is different from another term used in education: arts enhancement. Arts enhancement is commonly defined as the arts being used to increase student engagement and make learning “stick” within another content area. By definition, these two terms are quite different. This graphic from Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland gives a succinct explanation. With authentic, natural arts integration, if you take the arts component or content out, the non-arts component/ content will not “look” the same. It will be affected and change. With arts enhancement, students might listen to a song or draw a picture, but no true connection is made between the contents. The learning in the non-arts content can occur if you take out the arts component.

The foundation for arts integration is in the intention. Educators: • Intentionally select standards from both content areas. • Purposefully teach both of these standards throughout the lesson. • Deliberately assess both content areas.

In order for arts integration to occur naturally and authentically there are a few key components.

• Students must be taught the specific content in

When integrating the music concept of pitch with the science concept of sound waves, students need to be taught, or at least introduced to pitch - higher and lower, consonant and dissonant, and any other pitch-related content to the lesson – by a music teacher. A science teacher lays the foundation for sound waves – frequency, amplitude, waveform, etc. The foundation of knowledge in both content areas needs to occur before you integrate them and deepen the students’ learning. • Both content areas (arts and non-arts) must be taught equitably! When choosing the standards to align, make sure that the arts and non-arts standards occur throughout the lesson. I suggest using the National Core Arts Standards for arts integration lessons. The verbs included in the anchor standards align naturally with other content standards (NGSS, Common Core E/LA & Math, Social Studies, ISTE, and the New Jersey Student Learning Standards). Adding an arts-related introductory activity (or strategy), such as, listening to a song or drawing a picture, does not equate to an arts integration lesson. • Both content areas (arts and non-arts) must be assessed equitably! I suggest listing the arts and non-arts

standards on each assessment piece (rubrics, checklists, etc.). This way you can reference the standards as you are drafting the elements included in the assessment. I also encourage you to think objectively, not subjectively. Too many times I see arts integration rubrics that have a “creativity” or “neatness” category. These topics are subjective. How can you truly measure them? Be very specific about what you are looking for in both contents. For example, an objective category might be “pitch”: Students will label two consonant and two dissonant pitches/harmonies.

Where does STEAM fit into all of this? STEAM falls under the umbrella of arts integration. With STEAM, you are focusing on integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and/or mathematics. You can integrate any two, or more, of these contents and it will still be STEAM. STEAM lessons are grounded in inquiry, problem-solving, and process-based learning, while focusing on discovery. STEAM encourages a student-centered classroom with teachers serving as guides, or facilitators, along the way. I adapted the following graphic from Education Closet to breakdown the similarities and differences between arts enhancement, arts integration, and STEAM.

Arts integration is also about building relationships with colleagues and students. It has provided an opportunity to work along side of my fellow teachers in my district, gaining a better understanding of what their classrooms look like and feel like. My colleagues gain a better appreciation of the music curriculum, as well as my fellow arts teachers’ curriculums. Arts Integration and STEAM allow the students to use the skills they are learning in their fine arts classes to create connections to content within the classroom. Students are immediately more engaged, on task, and excited to learn! Gone are the questions, “When will I ever use this?” “Why do I have to learn this?” Use arts integration as an approach to transform the things that we don’t like and to support the things that we already do well! I have found that arts integration can be an excellent advocacy tool. The more your non-arts colleagues, administrators, and community understand the importance of what we as arts teachers teach in our classrooms, the more likely that they will see how crucial and integral the arts are to a well-rounded curricular program. Make sure you promote your work with arts integration! Write a quick, brief press release. Create a bulletin board. Set up a gallery to showcase student work at your next concert.

In case arts integration still makes you a little nervous, here are a few final thoughts: • Arts Integration isn’t possible unless the students have learned the arts skills first. By definition, it cannot be used to replace arts teachers. • Arts Integration will not decrease the integrity of the arts. By actively working with classroom teachers, you can correct poor implementation…align the standards and work together! • Arts Integration provides us with more opportunities to showcase the importance of the arts and advocate for our own efforts. • As arts teachers, we never have enough time with our students. Arts integration can help increase our time as we are reinforcing our arts content and standards, while making deeper connections for our students, in their non-arts content classrooms.

Check out www.educationcloset.com for more information and resources surrounding arts integration and STEAM.

Shawna E. Longo is the General Music (Music Technology) teacher at Hopatcong Middle School. She also serves as the Arts Integration & STEAM Specialist for TMI Education. She is a clinician and consultant for music education, arts integration, and STEAM. She is also a recipient of the 2018 NJMEA Master Music Teacher Award and 2016 Governor’s Educator of the Year for Hopatcong Middle School.