Dive Brief:
- Many schools recognize the value arts education can bring to students and have begun to integrate it into other subjects, but MindShift highlights the value of keeping it separate and taught by trained arts teachers.
- The New Mexico School for the Arts statewide charter school presents one example, as it is organized around critique, self-reflection and learning from failure — all skills that help students outside of a particular artistic discipline.
- Students learn how to evaluate their own work, they learn communication and tactfulness skills as they offer constructive critiques to others, and they internalize a growth mindset that can be applied to every other learning experience for the rest of their lives.
Dive Insight:
Many districts have spent the last decade training students how to memorize information they’ll need on standardized tests. These districts often teach the nation’s poorest students, while their wealthier counterparts have helped students develop critical thinking skills on top of their content knowledge. With the backlash to standardized testing has come a focus on educating well-rounded students. Skills like grit and perseverance are considered critical for student success in college and career.
Makerspaces have created opportunities for students to practice these skills. Project-based learning has also become more popular for its ability to engage students in academic content while giving them a chance to practice communication skills, persistence and goal-setting. Schools, districts and even entire states have made commitments to social-emotional learning, which emphasizes similar skills. And the Every Student Succeeds Act is expected to catalyze this focus for an even broader range of schools.