Cindy Chenh

Art 133
Unit Paper 1
2/2/2017
Unit Paper 1

One learning theory that is introduced is constructivism. According to Franco, Ward, and

Unrath (2015), constructivism is learning-constructed--it values student input and considers a

learners interests and needs. With constructivism, children are allowed to think and reflect upon

themselves. Similarly, meaning and understanding is what the integrated curriculum is about.

Parsons (2004) brings up the thoughtful integrated curriculum that aims at understanding the

world, and, more importantly, encourages students to think about important ideas and to interpret

and relate them to themselves. Meaning-making, which focuses on our understanding, includes

the big idea. With a focus on art, Walker (2001) mentions that the big idea can engage students in

deeper levels of thinking. By incorporating art into our curricula, students will be able to get the

big idea to which they would understand the world more in depth, and themselves, their identity.

I believe that both the integrated curriculum and constructivism should be adopted to our

educational society. By allowing children to think for themselves and to freely express

themselves, they will have a more positive outlook towards education. Learning requires time,

and as we are short on time, integrating art with other school subjects would be a considerable

solution to the problems we face in our educational world today.

References
Franco, M. J., Ward, A., & Unrath, K. (2015). Artmaking as Meaning-Making: New Model for
Preservice Elementary Generalists. Art Education, 68(5), 28-33).
Parsons, M. (2004). Art and Integrated Curriculum. In E.W. Eisner & M.D. Day (Eds.),
Handbook of Research and Policy in Art Education (pp.775-794). Yahweh, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
Walker, S. (2001). Teaching meaning in artmaking. Worchester, MA: Davis.