Sensory Lessons in the Arts

This month, I attended the French play, an opera called The Mikado, and a dance group called Diavolo. Very different emotions were caused by each distinct performance. While I watched them, I was reminded of the importance of exposing students to the arts whenever possible! Each of these would be excellent motivation for students, since they are not classic ways of learning. While watching the French play, I found myself starting to lose interest since it was all French, even though I've taken French for five years. It was very hard for me to recall translations when they weren't fresh in my mind. Even though it was in a different language, the expressions, actions, and voices of the actresses gave it meaning, even when I couldn't understand the words. Learning did not take place through listening, but watching closely. I think this translates into very different ways to teach. Instead of just saying what you want to teach, use actions and expressions to convey a message! The opera was the same type of learning, but through song. I couldn't understand some of the words, but the songs were catchy and energetic. In addition, the costumes made it extremely visually interesting. The Japanese culture was used in that way, even though the words were English. The most exciting of all was Diavolo. I would only imagine the types of responses that children would have to this show, because even the college students were shocked and impressed by the stunts we saw! Attention is key in learning, and when students feel involved in an activity, they are more likely to learn. I know that my attention was heightened and these were memorable learning experiences because of that.