| Many people understand the importance of exposure | | | | the arts into their programs. Following an "A+" model |
| to the arts. We love art; it is a necessary part of our | | | | originally begun in North Carolina, Oklahoma City |
| society. In fact, for every culture and every society, | | | | Schools are instituting their own arts integration |
| art in some form or another is critical to how we live. | | | | programs. Originally a project of the DaVinci Institute, |
| For many, many years, arts programs have been cut | | | | it is currently administered by the University of |
| in Oklahoma City Schools in efforts to divert funds to | | | | Central Oklahoma. |
| "more pressing" subject areas like reading and | | | | The model being used by Oklahoma City Schools |
| mathematics. While these are indeed necessary | | | | looks at 8 different areas to improve arts integration |
| subjects for Oklahoma City Schools students to | | | | in their schools: |
| master, including an arts education in a student's | | | | 1) Arts; |
| learning experiences can do nothing but improve their | | | | 2) Curriculum; |
| time attending Oklahoma City Schools, as well as | | | | 3) Multiple intelligences; |
| contribute to the amount of success they see as a | | | | 4) Experiential learning; |
| whole. | | | | 5) Enriched assessment; |
| Most Oklahoma City Public Schools concentrate on | | | | 6) Collaboration; |
| teaching students in three ways; by showing them | | | | 7) Infrastructure; and |
| how to do things, by telling them the information | | | | 8) Climate |
| they need, or by giving them opportunities to try | | | | For teachers employed with Oklahoma City Schools, |
| things themselves (also known as visual, auditory, and | | | | the program has been a godsend. All educators strive |
| kinesthetic learning styles). | | | | to "light the spark" and desperately want to reach all |
| There are, in fact, many learning styles as identified | | | | - 100% - of their students. For the instructional staff, |
| by Howard Gardner, psychologist and noted | | | | of the Oklahoma City Schools using this model, |
| pedagogical theorist: | | | | discovering how to appeal to the different ways |
| - Linguistic - "word-smart" | | | | children learn has been exactly what they have been |
| - Interpersonal - "people smart" | | | | looking for. |
| - Bodily-kinesthetic - "body smart" | | | | Another impressive aspect of the program is the |
| - Logical-mathematical - "math smart" | | | | Oklahoma City Schools professional development that |
| - Naturalist - "nature smart" | | | | goes along with it. Instead of giving newly trained |
| - Spatial - "picture smart" | | | | teaches the manual with the expectation that they |
| - Musical - "music smart" | | | | follow the model, the A+ model provides extensive |
| - Intrapersonal - "self smart" | | | | and ongoing training and support to all teachers new |
| More than ever, schools are realizing the importance | | | | to the program. Oklahoma City Schools' teachers |
| of addressing all of these learning styles. Students | | | | focus on learning to work together, using |
| attending certain Oklahoma City Schools are reaping | | | | research-based practices to establish curriculum that |
| the benefits of the commitment to providing | | | | includes interdisciplinary themes that foster arts |
| educational experiences via these learning styles. | | | | integration across classes as well as use Gardner's |
| In efforts to give more and more students an | | | | various learning styles. |
| education that addresses their specific learning | | | | Clearly, Oklahoma City Schools are working to |
| style(s), some Oklahoma City Schools are integrating | | | | improve learning, one style at a time. |