Week 3 Journal Arts and Education

Do you feel the arts being embedded in the classroom benefits curriculum?
Yes I believe that arts should be imbedded in the curriculum. There are so many benefits to arts
in education. Visual arts such as drawing, painting, photography and ceramics not only use
creativity, critical thinking skills, improve fine motor skills and visual learning skills they also
boost attention, working memory, and visual spatial skills (Jensen, n.d). Performing art as
dance, theater and drama not only build gross motor skills, confidence and self-esteem they also
work to boost social skills, empathy, timing, patience, verbal memory and other transferable life
skills (Jensen, n.d). Music has been proven to increase math and language development
(Sosnowski). And while Physical fitness is not an art it is also very important to education and
should be included as part of the curriculum because exercise is important for physical and
emotional wellbeing. Exercise decreases the stress response and increases chemicals in the brain
that increase focus, learning and memory (noradrenaline, dopamine and cortisol) (Jensen, n.d).
Sports and games also increase social skills, problem solving skills, gross motor skills and
support disciplines such as science and math with use of distance, velocity and angles
(Sosnowski).

Discuss the specific brain areas and cognitive benefits of the arts.
Visual Arts increase creativity, critical thinking, fine motor skills, visual learning skills, boost
attention, working memory, and visual spatial skills. The process of imagining and being able to
manipulate images uses many areas of the brain. However the primary areas used are the
occipital cortex, the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), the posterior precuneus and the dorsolateral
prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (Lewis, 2013) These areas of the brain are also used in memory,
visual learning skills, attention and critical thinking skills as they are used for visual processing,

attention and executive functions (Lewis, 2013). Fine motor skills would use the cerebrum and
cerebellum (Princeton Brain & Spine, n.d.).
Performing Arts build gross motor skills, confidence and self-esteem they also work to boost
social skills, empathy, timing, patience, verbal memory (Jensen, n.d). Performing art student
showed more use of the medial fusiform gyri than non-performing art student as well as the two
frontal areas: the left inferior frontal gyrus and in the left superior frontal gyrus, prefrontal
cortex, and frontal polar cortex (Dunbar, 2008).These areas are responsible for accessing me
memory specifically in the area of language and conceptual thought (Dunbar, 2008).
Physical fitness decreases stress response and increases chemicals in the brain that increases
noradrenaline, dopamine and cortisol in the brain (Jensen, n.d) Sports and games use the
occipital lobe, temporal lobes and parietal lobes for visual, audial sensory and somatosensory
input. P.E. would also access the cerebrum for movement, body temperature, touch, vision,
hearing, judgment, reasoning, problem solving and emotions as well as using the brain stem for
automatic controls of vital functions and the cerebellum for voluntary muscle movements,
maintaining balance, posture, and equilibrium (Princeton Brain & Spine, n.d.).
What can you do in your classroom or professional role to facilitate the arts? If not, why not?
In the program for individuals with mental, emotional and cognitive disorders that I work for we
have a program called NOVA that I am heavily involved with. This program encourages
individuals to be involved with visual and performing arts as well as incorporating physical
fitness through exercise and language skills through reading and sign language class. I work
with individuals to make different forms of visual sellable art in order to make money. This
includes paper mache, painting, working with clay and sewing. When not in the NOVA
department we work with individuals on crafts and they do karaoke and dance.

References
Dunbar, K. N. (2008, March). Arts and Cognition Monograph: Arts Education, the Brain, and
Language. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from
http://www.dana.org/Publications/ReportDetails.aspx?id=44249
Jensen, E. (n.d.). What is Brain-Based Learning? Brain-Based Education is the purposeful
engagement of strategies that apply to how our brain works in the context of education.
Retrieved April 24, 2016, from https://feaweb.org/brain-based-learning-strategies
Lewis, T. (2013, September 16). The Roots of Creativity Found in the Brain. Retrieved April 24,
2016, from
http://www.livescience.com/39671-roots-of-creativity-found-in-brain.html
Sosnowski, J. (n.d.). The Importance of Art, Music & Phys Ed in Elementary School. Retrieved
April 24, 2016, from http://education.seattlepi.com/importance-art-music-phys-edelementary-school 3272.html
Princeton Brain & Spine. (n.d.). Brain Anatomy. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from
http://www.princetonbrainandspine.com/subject.php?pn=brain-anatomy-066