Teaching methods - visual and performing arts - Essay Example

Teaching Methods - Visual and Performing Arts Mostly the s of arts are not given preference, when the schools are under constant pressure toimprove the academic performance in the subjects of science and math. Arts education makes up an important dimension of life so getting acquainted with the basic and specialized knowledge regarding the four disciplines i.e. dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, is vital for the students. This discussion is based on how each one of these disciplines can be taught armed with latest research studies.

Description: Dance is the area in arts education that allows students to express their feelings and emotions through body language. Dance, on one hand, helps them stay physically active and, on the other hand, enhances their “motor skills and coordination” (McDoniel, 2009). Music is also a very strong form of arts that help students learn how to play instruments and teaches them the significance and playing technique of melody. Theatre is the form of arts that teaches students how to enact their emotions, feelings and beliefs in front of a group of people.

It makes them learn how to control their feelings like happiness, anger and shock. Visual art creates confidence in students as they are allowed to create anything they are better at. It brings out their creative talent as they feel free to bring to form their ideas in something physical. What should be taught in art education? Content to be taught in dance is the alignment, balance, landing, fall and recovery. In case of music, the student should be taught how to sing and play in groups and alone.

They should be made familiar with pitch, rhythm, timbre, tempo, diction, lyrics and melody. Students should be taught theatre excerpts available from past literature to help them develop the basic understanding of the theatre and how it is presented. Students should be taught various forms of visual arts including movies and cartoon of their interest. It would be best if the theatres they are made to read from the books are shown to them played in movies. Shakespeare’s plays would be the most appropriate selection for this purpose.

How should it be taught? Experts of arts teaching strongly recommend the application of locomotor and non-locomotor skills while teaching dance, especially. In order to teach music, students must be made to do exercises that enhance their breath control. According to latest research, it is strongly recommended to follow the seven-part plan of questions that can produce miraculous results, if applied while teaching arts. “Wiggins and McTighe refer to this plan as "W.H.E.R.E.T.O.” (cited in Brown, 2008).

W stands for what are the students expected to comprehend, H for how to hold students’ interest, E for equipping students for success in the areas of arts, R for instilling the abilities of revisiting and refining in the students, E for how to encourage students to evaluate their talents, T for tailoring teaching methods to relate individually to each student’s interest and O for how to organize students’ learning processes in regard to arts. The success in visual and performing arts teaching depends upon whether teachers address all the questions or not.

References Brown, J.L. (2008). Designing Teaching and Learning Activities. ArtsEdge. Retrieved 26 July, 2010, from http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3649/ McDoniel, M. (2009). Four Art Disciplines. Retrieved 26 July, 2010, form http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1357910/four_art_disciplines.html