One letter could make a big difference in the classroom By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com
F
or years, educators focused on bringing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts into K-12 classrooms, hoping to prepare students for the future. But now, adding one letter to STEM, could make a difference in how a child learns, develops and builds confidence. The STEAM concept integrates music, visual arts, theater and dance into elementary school activities and introduces creative learning opportunities. Shanda Stenger is the fine arts supervisor for Davis School District and oversees the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program in the district. “I believe fine arts instruction is vital for a student’s education,” Stenger said. “It helps them gain real understanding of concepts and helps develop creativity.” BTS Arts is an arts integration program subsidized by the state that provides specialists to create curriculum based on the arts. There are three BTS Arts instructional coaches in the district, with the goal to add more. A visual arts coach, music coach and integration coach devise activities that include visual learning, music education, manual dexterity, hands-on learning, teamwork and creativity. DSD Arts Integration Instructional Coach Bethany Struthers pilots a BTS Arts program with half of her time spent at Fremont Elemen-
tary. Recently, she worked with second graders to help them understand the vocabulary of the water cycle. Struthers talked to the students about movement and how they could make their bodies describe words like evaporation and precipitation. “They created dances to help them remember the concepts,” Struthers said. “The kids were not getting the vocabulary and now they know it because they learned the movement for it.” A third grade program uses music and movement to teach fractions, and fourth graders make prehistoric art on clay tablets. In fifth grade, students learn choreography that helps them remember the branches of government. “We start in elementary and we reach students that doubt they have the understanding or experience,” Stenger said. “It doesn’t have to be talent. It’s usually constant effort and putting in a little each day. There is much healing through the arts. You can really feel and work through experiences.” During COVID, students spent a lot of time learning in front of screens, without having a way to learn as a group through movement and interaction. Now that kids are back in the classroom, Struthers said teachers want to get kids away from screens and moving more. With every aspect of learning, from math
to reading, integrated with the arts, this type of teaching reaches students who might be auditory learners where they can assimilate information easier when it’s accompanied by sound. It also provides tactile learners opportunities for hands-on activities. And visual learners have a variety of ways to process new concepts through drawing or designing. Students have shown an increase in reading comprehension when paired with the arts. “Reading fluency and music pair so well together and fluency is a huge skill they’re learning in these grades,” Struthers said. “They just need to have fun learning. They have been very successful.” With more than 80 arts teachers in DSD, there are many opportunities for students to participate, whether that’s through musical theater, dance programs, or the holiday arts competition that selects a student’s art for the district’s holiday cards. This year, Syracuse High School Sophomore Class Officer Jacob Pulley’s design was chosen. “Any art that comes from the district is created by students in the district,” Stenger said. In a partnership with Weber State University, an internship program brings future arts integration coaches into DSD classrooms for real-world experience. Struthers also coaches teachers interested in adding more arts to their
This award-winning design created by Syracuse High School Sophomore Class Officer Jacob Pulley, was used for this year’s Davis School District’s holiday cards.
curriculum. “The pendulum of funding and what is necessary swung too far toward technology and math,” Struthers said. “Not that there’s anything wrong with those programs, but we need the arts and it’s being reinvigorated.” l
Colohan named National Soccer Player of the year
T
he honors just keep coming for Davis High graduate and BYU soccer superstar Mikayla Colohan. Just a week after she led the Cougars to the NCAA Championship final where the team finished second, its highest finish ever, Colohan was named Top Drawer Soccer’s National Player of the Year. It’s been a busy last few weeks for Colohan, who is getting married to Washington Nationals baseball player Jackson Cluff in January before heading to camp for the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League, who drafted her in early 2021. She scored 18 goals this past season, second most in the country, and had 16 assists. In her years at BYU, Colohan scored 53 goals, the second most in school history. — Tom Haraldsen
Mikayla Colohan earns the National Player of the Year award. Image courtesy of BYU Graphics
DavisJournal.com
February 2022 | Page 5
