Arts Education Research

Hello BTSALP Arts Educators,   We find ourselves in a new year with a renewed hope for a return to some sense of normalcy in our lives and in our classrooms.  I hope you had a wonderful Holiday Season and that you are all well, happy, and thriving.   Realizing that many of our circumstances are…

Hello BTSALP Team, I am amazed each day at how you are all working to make this situation as successful as possible for your students.  We are battling changing environments, internet struggles, supply shortages, and on top of that, the worries that come with a worldwide pandemic.  I want to express how much I champion…

Greetings BTSALP Specialists! We are excited to roll out a series of interesting and pertinent research articles each month throughout the school year. We hope you find them exciting and informative. When we take into consideration the most current research, it can help inform our best practices and feed our need for continued education.  …

BTSALP Visual Art Specialist, Paul Heath had his Newman Elementary and M Lynn Bennion (SLCSD) students create color pencil drawings on toned paper. Each grade level at both schools worked with a different media. 4th Grade did foam block prints over an abstract watercolor base. 5th Grade did watercolor paintings while 6th Grade made color…

Arts inclusion research project at Mill Creek Elementary incorporates mural textures for visually impaired students Photo by Master of Fine Arts Teaching Candidate Robert Plumb How do we effectively create inclusive arts integrated learning spaces for all students? On Tuesday, January 14th at the Arts Education Research Symposium, the College of Fine Arts alongside principals, district…

This Fall, 2019 the Artsbridge Honors course at Weber State University will design and co-create a new faux-stained glass installation called Utah Birds & Ecosystems. This is a course designed for Weber State University students to work closely with professors and BTSALP Visual Arts Specialist, Brent Rhodes, and his 4th graders at James Madison Elementary. Through this…

"It’s long been known that drawing something helps a person remember it. A new study shows that drawing is superior to activities such as reading or writing because it forces the person to process information in multiple ways: visually, kinesthetically, and semantically. Across a series of experiments, researchers found drawing information to be a powerful way to…

BTSALP has known this for a long time!! Glad the rest of the world is catching on! Here's an article from INC.  The Benefits of Playing Music. Music helps your brain more than any other activity, and learning an instrument increases resilience to age-related decline in hearing. Find out what Chalkbeat has to say -…

Here is an excellent excerpt from the book, You, Your Child and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica. Share with parents, principals, colleagues, and community members to advocate for the benefits of Art Education in schools. Click here to read more. Just for fun - a bit of Doodling. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/QrJRgoNsIdU

Here is a good video clip and news article to share with parents, principals, colleagues, and community members on WHY Music Education is so important for children. CBC News Article: From musician to physician: Why medical schools are recruiting for musical ability Interesting research based Ted Talk and video clip https://youtu.be/R0JKCYZ8hng

Two of our BTSALP Visual Arts specialists in the University of Utah region have concluded and published some exciting research. Read about Jonathan Hale's joint project between Sprucewood Elementary School and Jordan Valley School (Canyons School District, Salt Lake City, Utah) in VSA INTERNATIONAL: The Kennedy Center Office of VSA and Accessibility blog post below.…