Putting the Arts and Education on Display

From TEACHING Exceptional Children

By Juliann B. Dorff

The January/February issue of TEACHING Exceptional Children covered a very special, and underserved topic: the importance of visual and performing arts in education. Research has shown arts education can help improve cognitive, emotional, and social development for students with disabilities, among other benefits. This issue of TEC presents practical, real world applications for how teachers can better integrate arts education into their classroom.

I had the pleasure of speaking with the special issue guest editor and past-president of the CEC’s Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education, Juliann B. Dorff, about this topic:

1.      What motivated you to organize this special issue on the arts and special education?

Former Executive Director, Alex Graham, approached us about putting together an issue of Teaching Exceptional Children in the fall of 2018. He believed that as the newest division this would be a good way to reach out to the full membership and share our work. The Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education (DARTS) embraced the idea and we have been thrilled to have the opportunity to work on this issue. Since we were incorporated in 2015, CEC has welcomed and supported us. This issue demonstrates the organization’s belief in our mission statement

• To promote a professional community of educators in the fields of visual and performing arts education, arts therapy and community organizations who work with individuals with exceptionalities;

• To encourage research about and disseminate information related to exemplary arts education for individuals with exceptionalities;

• To foster collaboration among special educators, arts therapists, and the national arts

• education organizations;

• To advocate for arts education for individuals with exceptionalities; and

• To maintain a website to provide information about arts education/special education organizations references, and resources that focus on the arts for students with exceptionalities.

2.      What are some of the benefits of integrating visual and performing arts into the classroom?

The benefits to arts integration cannot be overstated. Each of us learn in varied ways and the reasons for this are varied as well. Certainly, disability can provide individuals with challenges to access academic content. The Arts provide a variety of strategies and approaches providing all learners with a way into the content. Of particular note is the potential for involving sensory experiences that can enhance learning.  The rhythm of music, the social interaction and movement required in dance, the tactile nature of many art media, and the emotional responses to theater provide unique opportunities for all students.

And there are excellent examples of this in the issue. Kathleen Farrand and Megan Troxel Deeg explores the use of dramatic inquiry and roll play to expand understanding of concepts in an engaging manner. Taylor Walkup-Amos shares strategies to use Peer-Assisted Learning strategies in the music classroom. Providing insight into arts-based strategies to enhance children’s writing, Mary F. Rice and Michael Dunn highlight the potential for creating fully inclusive learning spaces encouraging students to learn and work together.  Kelly M. Gross adapts the Before-During-After Model in the visual art classroom to support visual literacy. Using an interdisciplinary, literature-based approach, Patricia A. Becker demonstrates how language and literacy can be taught through the Visual Arts. And Donald D. McMahon, Amanda K. McMahon, Katie Hirschfelder and Mykala Anglin remind us of the technology available to assist our students in creating in the visual arts. That’s a lot of valuable information to all of us in improving our teaching practice.

3.      What were some surprising things you learned from the research presented in this issue?

I don’t think I would use the word surprised, as I have been well aware of the amazing work being done in schools and universities by our DARTS members. But I will admit that seeing all the work represented in one issue reinforces the power of what it is we do and the myriad ways we do it.

4.      What kind of impact do you hope this issue will have on the field?

My biggest take away from this issue is to be reminded of the power of collaboration. Each one of us does amazing work that impacts the lives of all our students. We approach our work with energy, creativity and determination. This issue should make us all aware of what can happen if we open our classroom doors and walk down the hall, share an idea, reach out, and work together to solve a problem facing our student(s).

To learn more, check out the January/February issue of TEACHING Exceptional Children or the CEC’s Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education.

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