Encouraging Creativity and Supporting Student Success

Teaching Arts and Humanities in the classroom can not only enrich your students’ learning, it can also feed their souls by tapping into their creative sides! Here are several tips and tools to help enhance your students’ experiences with the Arts.

TIPS

Tip #1
Create a safe environment, both physically and emotionally, where students feel secure to explore their creativity. High, clear expectations will shape positive relationships and foster individuality.

Tip #2
Work with students to gather new information and reflect on learning through a process that will inform instruction. There are a number of excellent ways to do this—conduct a class survey, have open discussions or invite your students to suggest project topics that pique their interests.

Tip #3
Support, encourage and motivate students to initiate and complete complex, inquiry-based learning that requires critical and creative thinking. With your support, students can gain confidence and knowledge through their own artistic explorations.

Tip #4
Facilitate learning experiences that are meaningful to students and will help prepare them for their futures. Students can prepare cognitively for college and career readiness while undertaking creative projects that incorporate the visual, media and performing arts, including music, dance and theater.

Tip #5
Understand and apply current theories, principles, concepts and abilities in the arts. Your students can become visionary thinkers with advanced skills in effective communication. They’ll also learn innovative ways to use technology to help express their own thoughts and ideas.

TOOLS

Tool #1
Google Art Project – Imagine taking a trip to New York to visit The Museum of Modern Art. Now you can, right in your classroom! With the Google Art Project, your students can access high resolution images of artwork from 151 museums in 40 countries.

Tool #2
iTunesU – If you want to provide your students with additional resources to learn a new language or gain new knowledge about European art and history, iTunesU gives access to complete courses from top universities and other schools.

Tool #3
iMovie – Students who are interested in producing movies can put their imaginations to work with iMovie. This app allows students to download images, choose music and create a script to produce their very own movies and trailers.

Tool #4
Garageband – Do you have students who are passionate about music but may not be able to afford an instrument? The Garageband app provides students with the opportunity to learn and practice on a variety of virtual instruments.

Amber Countiss
A+ Certified Presenter

Tags: art education, Arts, Humanities, teaching art, Teaching Tools, Tips, Tips and Tools, Tools