I thought it was very interesting to learn more about art in education. I feel as though teachers all need to become more familiar with this because it is something that really needs to be included in all classrooms. I thought the article about media literacy was very interesting. I had never thought about the fact that the arts does not just make students more well rounded but actually caters a whole different part of their brains. I want to make sure I add these aspects to my classroom after reading this article. I thought it was great that it mentioned that each side is important to stimulate. I want to make sure I learn more about how to be able to do this through this class.
I also really loved the first hand account of the man that stayed in school because of the arts. I really was able to see how much it can mean to students to be involved in it. It is true when he says that that is one of the biggest arguments for arts education. It has always baffled me as to why people would not want to have it in schools. It is great to see the many reasons why it should be there. It was interesting that this same man brought up the point that it helps with critical thinking skills. He makes the point that many projects with deep content knowledge can be done using art and creative outlets. He mentions that almost any subject can incorporate art into learning of that.
I loved watching the video on this as well. The arts integration is great and I think it is so interesting how this school has put this in place. This hands on approach is a beautiful thing. I know as a learner that I learn better when I am able to do something and learn it through doing. I loved the task where the kid looked at a picture and had to decide if it was the beginning, middle or end of the story. This gives kids the freedom of creativity. I loved the dancing as well. The student that says that when he works with the arts the information sticks with him. It is always great to hear from a student and his words were very encouraging about this type of learning. I loved getting to know more about the arts in the classroom.
A Million Little Pieces 
Good stuff. What type of arts do you think allow the best learning strategies? Do you think coloring is better than making a clay sculpture or something like that? I definitely think anything with “hand on” activities is going to allow kids to learn a lot better than book work or lecture.