CLASSROOM SPACES
Maximizing the Arts
through the Studio/Lab Design
Susan M. Riley
If the road to integrating the arts sounds a bit daunting or overwhelming, you’re not alone. We know that
integrating the arts with integrity is SO important for reaching and teaching all of our students, but how can we do
that when there are so many other demands on our plates?
Between Common Core, Teacher Evaluation, Classroom Management, Grading and our LIVES, the demands are
endless. Integration can easily start to feel like the dreaded “one more thing.”
But if we are smart about our approach, arts integration and STEAM can actually make our lives easier! If we use
a thought-out plan for integrating the arts, we can actually teach more standards in less time, improve our
assessment practices and classroom management becomes easier because students want to participate.
One of the strategies that I love for STEAM lessons is using a Studio/Lab classroom design. It takes the elements
of studio time in the arts and merges them with the practical application of an analytical lab experience. The result
is that students are learning explicit skills and techniques and then applying them to solve a real-world problem.
STEAMed Magazine
48
October 2016 Edition