{"id":1934,"date":"2019-02-26T00:38:57","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T00:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorationscamp.ca\/?p=1934"},"modified":"2022-09-05T16:14:44","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T16:14:44","slug":"where-science-art-collide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorationslearning.com\/fr\/2019\/02\/26\/where-science-art-collide\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Science and Art Collide"},"content":{"rendered":"

For generations of parents and educators, proficiency and even interest in Science or in the Arts were seen to be mutually exclusive.\u00a0 <\/span>Science was deemed to be rational and analytical (left side of the brain) and the Arts were described as creative, whimsical and expressive (right side of the brain).\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Until recently, it had been accepted as <\/span>\u201ccommon\u00a0knowledge\u201d that analytical\u00a0scientists\u00a0and creative\u00a0artists\u00a0were on opposite sides of a spectrum. (Art Institute of Vancouver)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

However, more recent research and commentary indicates that Artists and Scientists have much more in common than previously thought<\/span>. <\/span>Artists and scientists\u00a0both\u00a0have\u00a0to be creative: they both have<\/b>\u00a0to develop original ideas and push frontiers.<\/span> An un-creative scientist is not going to solve many problems before getting stuck on a problem that requires the integration of many different ideas and creative solutions.\u00a0(OdysseyOnline)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

There is now known to be, in fact, a deep relationship between Science and the Arts \u2013 they need each other. Both types of intelligence should be fostered in our\u00a0children <\/b>equally and we need to integrate where Science and Art collide. <\/i>Exposure to both Science\u00a0and the Visual\u00a0Arts\u00a0offers\u00a0children\u00a0the latitude to think, discover, and make\u00a0connections with an empathetic disposition\u00a0<\/b>(Alberts, 2011)<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Da Vinci Genome initiative \u2013 \u201cHow Science Drives Art and Art Drives Science\u201d<\/a>. **** further challenges the supposition that analytical\u00a0scientists\u00a0and creative\u00a0artists\u00a0are on opposite sides of a spectrum. But are they so different?\u00a0Artists and scientists\u00a0both\u00a0have\u00a0to be creative: they both have\u00a0to develop original ideas and push frontiers. <\/span>The \u201cLeonardo Project\u201d continues to explore the\u00a0<\/span>interface between scientific<\/span>\u00a0research and artistic expression. <\/span><\/p>\n

At Michigan State University, <\/b><\/span>Kittie Butcher,\u00a0Robert Root-Bernstein<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0Michele Root<\/span> have furthered this inquiry. As a result of their research <\/span>into<\/span> the links between the two disciplines, they believe that<\/span> Art experiences help children develop skills used in science, technology, engineering and math.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the last several years, educators have been charged with preparing children for the current and future job market. The focus has been well-paying jobs related to fields, otherwise referred to in the acronym STEM<\/b> (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). As a result, greater emphasis has been given to Science, Math and Technology, perhaps to the detriment (and resourcing) of the arts. Some educators have struggled with this narrow focus, lamenting the implied depreciation of Arts education and opportunities for children to practice creative skills. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, research is now supporting the need for enhanced Arts education. As such, The acronym STEM <\/b>has been rebranded STEAM<\/b>, with the insertion of the \u201cA<\/b>\u201d referring to the Arts.<\/span><\/p>\n

In their jointly- authored book, \u201cSparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World\u2019s Most Creative People<\/i>,\u201d\u00a0Michigan<\/span> State University<\/span><\/span>\u00a0professors\u00a0Robert Root-Bernstein<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0Michele Root-Bernstein<\/span><\/span>\u00a0highlight several strategies that all creative people use to problem-solve and innovate. A careful review of these \u201ctools\u201d reveals <\/span>they can all be practiced during art activities.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, the <\/span>Root-Bernstein\u2019s <\/span>talk about \u201cimagining\u201d as one of the tools all creative people use.\u00a0\u201c<\/b>Through visualization, we create mental images that can be translated into other mediums\u2014words, music, movements, models, paintings, diagrams, films, sculptures or <\/span>mathematical treatises<\/span>.\u201d Art activities support mathematical thinking by providing an opportunity to develop the skill of imagining. Mathematical and scientific skills are part of the cognitive domain of development (imagining).<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Root-Bernstein\u2019s <\/span>are among the increasing number of researchers, scientists and educators who have found that grounding in the STEM disciplines is <\/span>not enough<\/span> if we want to prepare our children to face a complex world.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an\u00a0interview on YouTube<\/span><\/a><\/span>, the Root-Bernstein\u2019s <\/span>make a case that links the arts and sciences. Put simply, \u201cArt + Science = Innovation<\/span><\/a><\/span>.\u201d <\/span>Isn\u2019t innovation one of the major goals of education?<\/span><\/p>\n

If you would like to explore more information about the benefits of art experiences as they support the study of Science, please refer to the following book and websites as listed on the University of Michigan website:<\/span><\/p>\n