Arts- ED698

3. A teacher knows the teacher’s content area and how to teach it.
Arts Integration

Candidates engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication to

address authentic local and global issues using the arts (music, dance, theater, media arts,
and/or visual arts).

Over the past 10 years, prominent theorists have begun to argue that the arts are

integral to the education of the “whole child”. These theorists have recognized and

supported the lifelong benefits that the arts have provided students as they became

adults (Gullatt, 2008). In 2019, I wrote this research project “Canta conmigo: How

Using Music Videos in the World Language Classroom Affects Vocabulary Acquisition”.

This was a 3-week study that used popular Spanish music videos to increase

engagement and enhance language acquisition. Locura de Marzo (March Madness)- a

tournament style bracket of music videos, is my students’ favorite unit of the year. The

music stays with them not only throughout the unit, but throughout the years. They are

forever asking me to play their favorite songs from prior years and these Spanish

language songs can be heard throughout the halls, during basketball warmups, and on

students’ social media platforms. I even get positive comments from parents noticing

Latin music being played in their homes throughout the month of March.

Pop music videos, a genre that students identify with, can open doors to

language acquisition that other forms of input cannot. Musical styles and textual

themes, along with pronunciation variations and dialects among countries speaking the

same language, allow an opportunity for students to glimpse other societies

representative of the target language. Students react to the music from other cultures,

and they can talk or write about their impressions, explain how it is different or similar to
music with which they are familiar (Failoni,1993). And it doesn’t end in the classroom.

(Rodesiler, 2009) studies indicate that over one-third of those who download music

between the ages of 12 and 24 say they are extremely interested in viewing music on

their portable devices.

Researchers over the last twenty years have made astounding advances in the

theory of language acquisition. Many like Kao & Oxford (2014) find the instructional

union of language and music compelling. But music education is not only an academic

tool for improving vocabulary. Music is shown to be beneficial to students in four major

categories: success in society, success in school, success in developing intelligence,

and success in life. It is advocated that music be included, to some extent, in all school

curricula (Petress, 2005). Also, music has so many ways to enrich the classroom

experience and can be incorporated throughout the day. It can be used for classroom

transitions, to teach multiplication facts, to hook students on new content, for brain

breaks and movement, or for calming and meditative practices.

Arts can also promote a sense of community. Connecting on the classroom level

is vital, but teachers in the arts (music, dance, visual arts) can do even more.

Connection is essential to developing a lifelong learner/creator, and music and art

teachers are good at facilitating group connections. Unlike most classroom teachers,

many art and music teachers have known every student in a school for multiple years.

This gives them the opportunity to nurture the arts, and the students, in school—to sing

songs and create projects, routines, and ceremonies that amplify school culture for

years on end. This is where students' memories are truly made.

 Lastly, integrating the arts helps students see the world from multiple angles, and

multiple cultures. A change in point-of-view often leads to students taking a different

approach in finding solutions. Teaching young people to be careful and deliberate

observers can go a long way toward expanding their worldview. This type of critical

thinking is what 21st-century learners need to thrive in today’s world.

To me, music sparks joy in my classroom. It is not only fun but also has a

profound effect on my mood and that of my students. Using music to teach language is

simple, effective, and most of all, engaging for all!

References

Failoni, J.W. (1993). Music as a means to enhance cultural awareness and literacy in

the foreign language classroom. Mid Atlantic Journal of Foreign-Language

Pedagogy, (1)97-108.

Gullatt, D. E. (2008). Enhancing student learning through arts integration: Implications

for the profession. The High School Journal, 91(4), 12-25. doi:10.1353/hsj.0.0001

Kao, T. & Oxford, R. (2014) Learning language through music: A strategy for building

inspiration and motivation. System: The International Journal of Educational

Technology and Applied Linguistics 43, 114-120.

Petress K. The importance of music education. Education. 2005;126(1):112-115.

Accessed March 14, 2021. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=aph&AN=18360663&site=eds-live
Rodesiler, L. (2009). Turn it on and turn it up: Incorporating music videos in the ELA

classroom. English Journal, 98(6), 45-48.