The removal of arts classes in public schools is affecting affecting students’ overall education

Shrinking public school budgets are forcing schools to make the difficult decision of removing arts classes from the curriculum. Principals are attempting to maintain a well-rounded curriculum that includes arts education, however, it is proving complicated to preserve. For decades arts education has been diminishing in importance in schools as a result of budget cuts and the sense that the arts classes are not an essential part of curriculum. However, years of research have proven that the presence of arts classes is linked to all other aspects of a student’s education such as academic achievement and social development.

The Connection Between Arts Education and Academic Achievement

Students’ involvement in the arts is proven to be associated with improvement in math, reading, critical thinking, and verbal skills. Many of these research models are based on findings in brain research and cognitive development. They state that art is used as a learning tool, for example, musical notes teach fractions, writing/performing a play teaches about the historical topic of the performance, learning about Mozart to enrich the school environment. Each of these examples are creating impressive results in schools, sending the message that arts classes improve upon subjects such as reading and math and enhance a student’s academia overall. 

In some schools the arts have suffered severely due to budget cuts, and it would take investments and time in order to change the curriculum. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has attempted to make arts a priority in schools and wants to make the city’s cultural resources available to students. Although many schools in NYC offers some sort of arts instruction, in 2007-2008 only 45 percent of elementary schools and 33 percent of middle schools provide instruction in all four of the required art forms. Also, only 34 percent of high schools offered students the change to exceed the graduation requirement of credits. Therefore, students are not being given the necessary arts outlets that they should be receiving from private schools, even though it has been researched and proven that arts education enhances students’ grades in other aspects of their academic education.

Arts classes makes students more cultured and well rounded

 For students, learning about math, reading, and history is not enough to make them a well rounded young adult. In elementary school art classes, students learn to recognize famous historical works of art by artists such as Leonardo daVinci and Claude Monet. They also learn about more contemporary artists like Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol. Students also learn basics such as the color wheel and learning the relationships between the colors. They are also learning how to use various mediums including three dimensional ones like clay. Middle school art classes begin to introduce more complex elements of art such as photography, which are used in creating things such as the school year book. Building on the knowledge from elementary and secondary school, high schools allow students more freedom in their artwork to develop their own style and creativity. Some high schools are even introducing the study of computer software such as Photoshop and Illustrator. 

Although some may be skeptical, the subjects that students learn about in their art courses can be used in other classes such as reading and history. Learning about famous artists and their works can be crucial in the study of history as well. Knowing about the art of the time period being studied can give the student important insight into the time period and the lives of the people of that century. Having knowledge on topics such as music and art allows students to be involved in different social circles and allows them to engage in conversations regarding multiple topics, besides those taught in schools such as reading and math.

Teachers’ opinions and experiences prove the benefits of art classes for students

In my experience as an art teacher at a private art school, I have seen firsthand the advantages of students being enrolled in an art class. Firstly, having an art class in schools gives students a break from the challenging courses such as math and reading that take up the rest of their day. Art classes are an outlet for students to relax and communicate their ideas and feelings in a different way than the usual academic methods. These art classes teach students how to express those ideas and identify their artistic skills through mediums such as pastels, paint, and graphite. 

Students in my classes have shown immense improvement in their handwriting skills, as well as showing more control and steadiness in their hands. As well as improving their handwriting, often students come out of their shell and develop their social skills by being involved in an art class and engaging with the other students. These classes give students an outlet to be themselves and be creative in a school curriculum that is mostly structured and inflexible. 

Lillian Hoover, Professor of studio art at the University of Maryland, agrees that schools that have an art curriculum benefits students in various ways. Hoover believes that art helps to "discover the world around them" by experimenting and playing with art in order to get different results. Having art classes relieves the pressure on students of doing something the way that a teacher wants them to do it, and allows them to instead have an outlet to do things the way that they want to do them. It enables students to relieve stress by taking pressure off of them and allowing students to have an outlet for creativity and fun.

Success in art classes in public schools can potentially begin a career course of study that will prepare the student for a career in illustration, graphic design, and web design. Without the art classes in schools, students that are interested in art or have talent that they are unaware of, will never be able to realize their full potential and prepare for a future career. The arts classes in schools are where a students’ art career really begins because the artwork produced in these classes are what students use in their portfolio when applying for colleges. Therefore, taking engaging and challenging art classes in public school encourages students to pursue these art degrees. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment in the graphic design field to grow immensely due to jobs such as website design and animation, and since these positions require a bachelor's degree in graphic design

My interview with Professor Hoover

 I interviewed Emily, a non expert on the topic, who gave me her thoughts on removing art classes. 

listen to ‘Emily's thoughts ’ on Audioboo

Budget Cuts Remove Arts Classes From Public Schools

In Public Schools, Arts Classes are the First to Go

I would begin my story about the removal of art classes from public schools by first speaking about the benefits of students having art classes. By allowing students to use their creativity and imagination, they are able to express themselves through a different medium. Art classes allow students to explore their artistic skills and gives them a break from the other intensive classes that they are enrolled in. Also, if a student is particularly talented, art classes give them an outlet to practice their artwork and build a portfolio that will be used for college applications, if art is the major that they would like to pursue. I will use my own views and experiences as an teacher at a private art school to back up points made about the benefits of art classes. For example, during art classes younger children learn and practice how to correctly hold a pencil and write and draw with confidence. Another example of a benefit that I witnessed personally is children being able to take a project and completely make it their own and when they are finished they are proud of what they have accomplished. By taking all of this away from children by removing art classes, schools are depriving students of skills that could potentially have a long term benefit for them. Next, I would discuss my interview with my art professor and her views on the matter as an art teacher and compare my own opinions with hers. I will give specific examples of public schools that are either considering removing art classes from the curriculum, or already have, and discuss how the removal has effected students of that school, as well as the school curriculum as a whole. 

The Benefits of Art Classes in Public Schools 

My Experiences as an Art Teacher

Schools Removing Art Classes

How the Removal is Affecting Students

Jen's response to art classes being removed from schools

listen to ‘Jen's response’ on Audioboo

Shirin's response to art classes being removed from schools

listen to ‘Shirin's response’ on Audioboo

Passing the Bill for Privacy

Now that Facebook, twitter, and other social medias are such a prevalent part of people’s social lives, employers have begun a trend of asking for future and present employee’s Facebook login and password information. Employers are attempting to investigate the employee  and observe what they are doing in their free time and how they are interacting with friends and family. But how does this future employee’s interactions with friends and family have any relevance to their work ethic and professional life? Employers should not be allowed to take away employees freedom of expression as well as their personal privacy and some states are taking action against this injustice.

If you have ever been asked for your Facebook login information at a job interview, you know how uncomfortable it is to give out such private information and have your social media site be examined by a potential employer. However, states such as Illinois, California, Minnesota, Michigan, and Massachusetts all have pending bills that will prohibit employers from doing just this. The state of Maryland has already passed the bill that prohibits employers from asking for Facebook passwords of job applicants and employees. Melissa Goemann, Legislative Director of ACLU of Maryland states, "We are proud of Maryland for standing up for the online privacy of employees and the friends and family members they stay in touch with online." At least one state has decided to protect the rights of their citizens and pass a bill that will benefit employees now and in the future. The bill that Maryland has passed is definitely a model for other states to follow in order to protect the privacy rights of potential and present employees. We can only hope that eventually all states will pass the same law so that citizens can be in control of their privacy and freedom of expression. 

In this video, former security guard Robert Collins returns from leave and is shocked when asked for his login and password information for his Facebook page. After finding out about the bill that passed prohibiting this, Collins stated, "I am excited to know that our esteemed policymakers in Maryland found it important to protect the privacy of Maryland's citizens." 

I understand why an employer would want to have access to a future employees Facebook page. They want to get better insight into who you really are and what kind of activities you are engaging in outside of the workplace. However, I think that what an employee is doing outside of the work office is no business of the boss. One’s Facebook page is irrelevant to how you work or act in the workplace, therefore, the interviewer should have no reason to look at your personal pictures, wall posts, and messages. Some interviewers may even ask you to bring up your Facebook page right there during the interview! In a situation like this I think anyone would feel extremely uncomfortable showing a future employer insight into their social life. 

Some ways to avoid this confrontation with a future or present employer regarding your Facebook page are to instead suggest looking at a more professional social media page such as LinkedIn. In a site such as this one, an employer can see professional aspects of your life instead of a Facebook page which is strictly social and personal. If an employer does not ask for your Facebook password, chances are they are still going to search for your profile. In order to prevent an employer from searching for your page is to disable public search on your profile. You can also change your name to something like a nickname and removing your last name. If they cannot find you on Facebook, then they cannot look into your private social world. In the case that the employer can still find your page, you should set your privacy settings so that pictures are hidden and you should always monitor the comments and photos on your timeline by removing anything that you would not want an employer to see. 

What Are You Really Doing While Watching Television?

The Nielsen Company can maximize cross platform strategies

The Nielsen ratings is a type of audience measurement system that is able to determine the amount of people watching television, as well as what they are watching. It is now able to monitor television and internet behavior using a single source measurement panel. It is therefore also able to monitor the ways in which the two are connected. This maximized cross platform strategies because people are able to see if their commercials or website ads are successful. The Nielsen Company can record a users simultaneous television and internet usage as well in order to see a single rating for multiple screens. This allows the company to know what and how people are watching, whether it is on their television or computer. This also allows them to see what websites people are accessing after watching a television show or commercial ad. 

ABC’s Once Upon a Time goes down in ratings and viewers

The television show Once Upon a Time, a drama series on ABC, is down 5% in ratings from its series premiere on October 23, 2011.  Its first season premiered as the top-rated drama series on ABC and it was the season's highest-rated drama debut among Adults 18–49 and ABC's biggest debut in five years. However, the ratings for the television show went down the second season, in ratings as well as in viewers.  The season premiere went from a 4.0 adults 18-49 rating to a 3.8 adults 18-49 rating for the following episode. The amount of viewers dropped from 11.01 million viewers to 6 million by the second episode as well. Click here to see the ratings for yourself! 

Pew Research Center monitors multi-screen viewing

The Pew Research Center has discovered what people are actually doing while watching their favorite television shows. Studies show that 52% of people use their phone while watching television. This could be to interact with other people, as a diversion from the television show, or just because the viewer is bored. However, it is intriguing how many people engage in multiple activities while watching television. These studies show that most viewers using their cell phones in order to keep themselves occupied during commercial breaks, the second largest group of viewers is checking if something they saw on television was true or false and the smallest amount voting for a reality show contestant. These statistics show that most viewers and cell phone owners are constantly distracted by their phones and must constantly be connected by either talking with other people, checking email, or just mindlessly playing games or surfing the web. 

Controlling the Use of Digital Content

What is Digital Rights Management?

Throughout most of history, the piracy of music was never really an issue, however, not that we have entered the digital age, consumers are able to copy and share music with friends very easily. People were then able to burn CDs and duplicate them as they pleased. With the illegal downloading of music being so easy and accessible these days, Digital Rights Management (DRM) aims to control the piracy of music. Copyright holders aim to control the distribution of this music so that it cannot be easily digitized and passed around without charge. DRM refers to the ways that companies plan to control this distribution using technology.

How does DRM work to stop the piracy of music?

DRM works to stop the passing around of free music by using technological means such as movie studios that include a software on their DVDs that limits the number of copies that could be make of that disc. CD companies have a similar tactic in which they include software that confuses piracy software in order to protect the music from being duplicated and shared multiple times. Websites such as bearshare.com avoids these copyright issues by using a peer to peer method which allows users to share a song with one person. This is completely legal and does not violate any copyright laws. However, many people use illegal websites instead of these peer to peer ones because they might find it to be simpler to use. Therefore, every time someone illegally downloads music, that record label and artist loses money.

How DRM effects my daily life

Digital Rights Movement does not particularly effect my life, however, it does effect the lives of people who rely on illegally downloading music in order to have their songs on an iPod or mp3 player. These consumers would think that the DRM should not be able to have total control over music download. I personally do not use illegal websites in order to download my music because I know people who have been caught doing this and have been fined a lot of money. Therefore, I stick to buying my music off iTunes, legally, to avoid getting involved with sites that might get me into a lot of trouble with record labels or production companies.