The Art of Experiential Learning
It is a Science class at Shiv Nadar School, and students are working on a project to ponder upon the formation of Universe. They express through art how they perceive the birth of elements, stars and planets, using bright colours and shapes. In another class studying world History, students act as artefacts in a technique called Museum, to understand events and characters through acting.
Art is to express our emotions through all our faculties. We paint, sing, dance, act, play and create to give shape to our thoughts and feelings. As a mode of expression and communication, Art has always been an integral part of education. We believe that children learn Kinaesthetically, engaging with spaces, sights and sounds. We give them an opportunity to feel, explore and learn by engaging the mind, body and soul. During these times when our physical spaces are curtailed by the pandemic, such artistic freedom and tools to discover self become all the more essential for students.
Art – A part of Core Curriculum
The New Education Policy mandates integration of art with other subjects, and brings all art related subjects at equal footing with the so-called mainstream subjects.
Since its inception, Shiv Nadar School has believed that art is an integral part of the teaching-learning experience and has invested heavily in the right people and resources to bring the belief to fruition. Shiv Nadar School’s AHA program enables students to explore various art forms, discover their area of interest and master it through constant expert guidance. We not only make the co-scholastic aspects a vital part of our everyday learning, but also integrate the arts in our pedagogy. Arts Integrated Learning has been at the core of our curriculum.
Be it dramatics and theatre techniques, paintings, sculptures, poetry, or any other form of expression, they all assimilate to make our teaching methods complete and complementing. As Ms. Manjima Chatterjee, accomplished playwright and Head of Arts Curriculum at the Shiv Nadar School says, “Science teachers are making diagrams every day, and in literature we teach poetry. So, is it practicing Art, Science or English? You cannot segregate Art from other subjects.” Hence, a seamless chemistry exists between Art and STEAM education. Students experiment and experience concepts of maths and science with the help of creative visualisation, leading them towards SMART Learning- Science and Maths with ART Tools.
Another valuable aspect of having Arts Integrated Learning as a part of our core methodology is that it makes classes interesting and impactful. Students not only learn things in a more engaging way, they also like to explore many aspects of a topic that may otherwise be dry and difficult. Art, in all its forms, adds spice to bland chapters, colours to the bleak pages and excitement to the solemn faces. Through Dramatics, students imagine situations, do roleplays, and grasp difficult concepts with ease.
Aristotle said, “The Aim of Art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
We try and achieve this aim of art everyday in our classes as students reveal the secrets of science, decipher numbers, interpret novels and unveil history. Art enables them to see everything with a creative lens. It also helps teachers to understand the perspective of students, and guide them pertinently. With Art Integrated Learning, we seek to break the boundaries, and make thinking out of the box a norm, leading to Education for Life.
Apr 22, 2021 by Shiv Nadar School Noida