Creative connections: Technology and the arts

A group of fi rst graders use fi nger painting to make colorful creations. A secondgrade girl sits at an easel, using a brush and paint to depict a scene from a story read by the teacher. A class of third grade students examines the works of a children’s book illustrator and uses the illustrator’s medium to create their own original works of art. A group of sixth graders create a song and dance routine to display their feelings about an environmental issue. Kindergarteners use salt dough to fashion their favorite animals. After reading a story, a group of fi rst graders create a dramatization of the plot. The arts in the classroom can be seen in many ways. As stated in National Core Arts Standards: A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (2013), “the arts are used by and have shaped every culture and individual on earth. They continue to infuse our lives on nearly all levels–generating a signifi cant part of the creative and intellectual capital that drives our economy. The arts inform our lives with meaning every time we experience the joy of a well-remembered song, experience the fl ash of inspiration that comes with immersing ourselves in an artist’s sculpture, enjoying a sublime dance, learning from an exciting animation, or being moved by a captivating play” (p. 2). This same document identifi es fi ve philosophical foundations and lifelong goals as common values in arts education.