The Ontario Arts Curriculum

My Infographic of the Ontario Visual Arts Curriculum

According to the Magazine of the Elementary Teacher's Federation of Ontario, the arts enrich the lives of students, providing them with an outlet for creative and self expression, and the tools to develop aesthetic sense (Giles, 2022). But it's more than just aesthetics.

In addition to the technical execution of art forms (visual, drama, and music) the Ontario art curriculum integrates social issues with the arts where teachers are to deliver lessons in which students can analyze the cultural/social context of an artwork and not just the aesthetics. In turn, it encourages students to respond to these introduced issues through artistic expression. This is reflected in the second and third overall expectation in the Ontario art curriculum (the "Arts"): D2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: apply the critical analysis process to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of art works and art experiences; D3.Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of art forms, styles, and techniques from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts. With this in mind, how does this prepare our students for the future?

Though an aesthetic sense is believed to be the primary skill a student acquires in the arts, the arts also provides the necessary skills that can be performed in a variety of careers. The Ontario arts curriculum guide teachers to help students develop the skill to be critical thinkers. While creativity is key to innovation, it's also synonymous with reflective and independent thinking. Students will be able to analyze challenges in the workplace to find creative solutions. In addition the arts' integration of race and cultural studies/contexts (overall expectation, D3) will help students understand challenges in cultural and belief systems and question them to make transformative change that benefits society as a whole.

Sources:

Giles, J. (2022). Making the Case for Arts Education. Elementary Teachers'

Federation of Ontario. https://etfovoice.ca/feature/making-case-lor-arts-education