A Whole School Approach to Integrated Arts Education

Inquiry Questions

How can music help us build fluency and to what extent does fluency contribute to reading comprehension for the beginning and transition reader?

How can composing music enhance student’s understanding of character through the use of elements of music?

The inquiry questions above were common threads of interest on many grade levels and central to classwork throughout the school. Additionally, the following question was used as a guide to develop and refine professional learning opportunities to inform the work taking place in the classroom.

How can the implementation of a thoughtful professional learning program, steeped in the needs of faculty and students, inform and document the integrated music teaching and learning taking place throughout the school?

Project Background

The partnership was designed to develop the skills and build appreciation for the arts in both the students and teachers. It sought to improve students’ verbal skills (such as expansion of vocabulary and word usage), provide measurable improvement in students’ social and emotional skills (assessed through teacher observation, pre- and post- evaluations, etc.), and continuously refine and redefine the entire school’s curriculum map.

Partnership Overview

The aim of this partnership was to grow and sustain a whole-school collaboration between the Metropolitan Opera Guild and PS 10, designed to reach every child from Pre-K through Grade 5.  Throughout the year every teacher in the school incorporated some element of opera into his or her classroom at a level appropriate to both each class’s comfort and ability. As a result the partnership was able to incorporate every student in the school. It was also important for the collaboratation to take into account PS 10’s dedication as an inclusive, barrier-free school.  It was important to meet the needs of all the students, and it was therefore necessary to make modifications to the curriculum to accommodate the entire school body, ensuring that all could actively contribute and participate.

To ensure that all students had a meaningful experience during the program, the Guild and PS 10 provided several professional learning opportunities to meet the needs of both novice and experienced teachers, providing support to all related service providers and other staff members. In addition, the auditorium was used as a school-wide performance “space” for teachers, students, administrators, parents, staff, teaching artists and visitors.

The Metropolitan Opera Guild’s PS 10 partnership strives to connect all arts experience to the creation and understanding of the arts; sustain an arena of program creators and audience to include the entire community; connect to the NYC Department of Education Arts Blueprints; and document and assess work in participating classrooms.

Within these categories, the partnership with PS 10 aimed to; observe an atmosphere of performance energy within the whole building and in all subject areas; identify PS10 as a place to see and hear art and a place where creating art is as important as test preparation; observe students describing connections to what they are learning and creating and ask questions about this work; create small and large arts performances and exhibits; work through, identify and make connections; cultivate partnerships; learn to create documentation (videotape, portfolio, exhibits, reflection and questioning, student journals, etc . .); and observe the work of others on a regular basis.