Arts in Society

Most people would agree that the arts (music, dance, visual arts, and theatre arts) are important in today’s society. They provide a way for people to express themselves and are a way of entertainment. Most importantly they provide these things for children and adolescence. They provide great skills and opportunities for children and adolescence but are they applied enough to where kids in the Kindergarten through 12th grade realize there importance?
In today’s classroom it is very important for kids to be taught how to do their school work efficiently and in a timely manner and many may not be informed that creativity is a great thing also. What I’m looking at is whether or not kids are being taught the opportunities they have inside the artistic world and whether or not there is enough of it included into a school’s curriculum that allows teachers to productively teach it. I believe that the arts are not included into the basic core classes (Math, English, History, and Science) enough to provide students with the knowledge of its importance.
Many confuse arts educations with going to a performance, knowing how to do an activity, knowing how to create a performance, and so on. Many do not realize that arts education is understanding the historical background and not just understanding the physical activity or performance. Although that is a great part of learning about the arts it is not the only thing. Many people believe the arts are not taught enough in public schools. Some teachers even claim there is “so little time for the arts, which allow kids to express themselves individually in a creative way.”
With so many standards teachers find that it’s hard to fit in the arts. Many teachers have to sacrifice two to three weeks a semester just for testing. They also have to make sure the kids understand all they need to know before advancing to the next grade. Art education has suffered a great amount due to increased standards in Math, Social Studies, Science, and English.
Many schools, like North Carolina schools, believe it is important to not only have a class that teaches the in-depth knowledge of the subject but to also have it emerged into a child’s favorite subject or into most of the subjects so they can connect it with everyday things. Mixing arts and the common core classes will allow students to express their creativity and allow connections to be made that assures that the work will become relevant to the student and have a deeper meaning.
If schools found some way to incorporate the arts into every subject, little by little kids will gain a greater understanding of the arts. These should include the historical backgrounds of the art form whenever they are incorporated and like it was state above, they should be made relevant to the child’s interest to allow connections to be made. Providing the ability for kids to learn about the arts will help them realize how many opportunities they have inside the artistic spectrum.

Works Cited
Posnick-Goodwin, S. (2012). Is it curtains for the arts in California schools? Retrieved from Children 's Music Workshop: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/curtainsforcalifornia.html
Ward, M. (n.d.). Arts Education K-12. Retrieved October 13, 2012, from Arts Education K-12: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/publicationsmaterial/html/is131/is131_content.htm

Cited: Posnick-Goodwin, S. (2012). Is it curtains for the arts in California schools? Retrieved from Children 's Music Workshop: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/curtainsforcalifornia.html Ward, M. (n.d.). Arts Education K-12. Retrieved October 13, 2012, from Arts Education K-12: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/publicationsmaterial/html/is131/is131_content.htm