Finding Art in the Places I Least Expect

Arts Integration Across Cultures helped me understand arts integration better but quickly spiralled into an intense journey of immersion and exploration to the unknown: the arts in Malaysia, a place very dear to me.  A paper that was very emotionally and passionately driven--something I was very eager to do justice to, as if I had some sort of obligation to write it right as someone who is Malaysian and grew up in the very education system of my home (no pressure).  So much feelings I can't begin to tell you.

Perhaps I will share this paper next time. Perhaps.

October 2014

The arts-integrated reading responses have been very liberating and sometimes, more attuned to how I would react to the readings as opposed to just writing about it. I am getting many ideas on how I would further inform my knowledge on how to design learning environments. Always straddling with the arts integration techniques in terms of practicality for all types of learners (including logical thinkers) and finding a balance with the inevitable need to consider work performance on assessment, sometimes, standardised testing. I hope to have more critical discussions not just on the benefits of arts integration but whether there are any downsides to it, are there times where they are more needed than others, and how to tackle these issues in the coming classes.

December 2014

My intentions of taking this course, in the beginning, came from my occasional research on the use of the arts in my previous education and psychology classes—endeavours in finding the power of art in adolescent psychopathology or as a tool for social-emotional learning excited me. I thought this class would provide me a more comprehensive overview and understanding of arts integration instead of just studying art on the sidelines. As my exposure in arts integration increased, the more I saw it as a powerful tool to engage the community of learners that don’t experience the optimal learning environments they deserved. This class made me more intent to always think about the different kinds of learners in the classroom and find art as a possible tool to aid in learning. This was also a result of my enjoyment in the different approach of presenting reading responses in this class. Moving forward, I hope to find more tools that can accommodate different kinds of learners in the classroom.

On the other hand, this class also made me realise the challenges of arts integration and the risk of just using art as an aesthetic piece without going further into a subject matter. As much as I tried to put in effort on my reading responses, I did occasionally feel that I could have explored the content in deeper ways beyond just a visual representation. Thus, this has made me more critically concerned of ensuring that the content material is not lost and strive for critical thinking when arts is integrated into the classroom.

Overall, I felt I worked hard in completing all the work on time and just one or two asssignments that I had to ask for extensions due to a very heavy workload and technical problems on my computer. I found most discussions very interesting and easy to contribute, especially looking through the lens of an international student, I felt more sensitive to different cultures. Though, I felt the discussions and my comments could have been more critical towards the arts instead of just plainly stating the benefits of arts integration. This seems to be the best step forward if we want to convince the larger community of the integration of the arts: by effectively integrating content and art with a child’s critical learning at the core of it.

The most significant assignment for me would definitely be the final paper in which I researched the arts scene and education in my home country, Malaysia. I think it was obvious in the presentation and perhaps in my final paper that there was a lot of information and aspects I was excited to talk about and explicate—sometimes, more than time or space permitted. This made me rediscover my deep connection to my home and the strong stance I have towards education equity, quality, and pride towards our multiculturalism. Uncertain about the arts in my country, the connections I made from this class with my experience was more than I had anticipated. The final paper pushed me to dig deep into intersections in Malaysia and in art that I was not aware of—supporting my interest in creating optimal learning environments for different kinds of learners, and now, allowing me to draw a connection with my experience with multiculturalism in Malaysia.

Overall, this class has surely informed my journey in clarifying the passions I wish to pursue and grow in during my studies here at Hampshire. I have developed a greater understanding in how arts can be integrated into the classroom along with the benefits and challenges it presents. It has also provided me a clearer direction of how I can tie the education and the arts back to my home. I hope to develop the ideas that this class has sparked by next, exploring comparative and/or multicultural education and taking a class that explores how dance can be used to engage a community. Hopefully, expanding my education toolbox to other great ways that supports all learners.