In this chapter we will discuss the important role of the Arts in addressing the cross-curriculum priorities of the Australian Curriculum. The cross-curriculum priorities serve a number of functions, including fostering intercultural understanding. We will also explore ways the Arts can be used to respond to issues of sustainability. The chapter includes innovative and practical suggestions for developing continuous and sequential cross-curriculum learning in the Arts.

This chapter will explore the diverse technologies that can be used to purposefully communicate ideas, stories and information to an audience. The skills and knowledge involved in using and viewing media will be discussed in a way that will guide educators in their planning for quality media arts education, regardless of availability of equipment and technical support.

This chapter explores much of the current research concerning the value and effect of Arts education and aims to assist you as you develop your own thinking about the importance of the Arts in education. This research is framed by an understanding of developing modes of engagement in Arts education, and a discussion of the importance of personal agency and Arts education as ‘praxis’ (see Chapter 1). Finally, the notions of learning ‘in’ and ‘through’ the Arts are explored so that you understand the types of learning in which your students engage.

In this chapter we will explore the unique nature of the Arts along with what the Arts ‘do’ for people. The differences between Arts education policy and its actual provision will be presented with particular reference to the need for broad access to, and equity in, Arts education in primary and early childhood settings. The importance of an approach to Arts education that encourages and embeds learner agency and cultural diversity is discussed, and the benefits of sustained ‘quality’ Arts education are presented. Your role in the provision of the Arts in early childhood and primary education is discussed and a ‘praxial’ vision for the Arts in education is presented.

In this chapter we situate music education as ‘praxis’ (Alperson, 1991; Elliott, 1995; Regelski, 1998), encouraging personal agency and allowing children to become composers, performers and audiences as part of their daily lives. The importance of this approach is that musical learning and musical understanding occur in many ways: through listening, sharing, discussing, reflecting, performing, composing and recording. All of these processes should be conceived of culturally, socially and holistically in ways that enable children to explore connections between concepts, skills and understandings. In this approach, a music learning community of practice (Wenger, 2009) that encourages learning in multiple ways through learner agency can be established in your classroom.

This chapter will explore the fundamentals of drama, both as a skill and as a methodology for teaching other curricular requirements. It also offers practical activities and assessment practices, as well as theoretical underpinnings and methods to further develop teaching methodologies beyond this text. You will have the confidence and knowledge to engage learners of all ages and abilities to explore their own ideas through dramatic performance and to evaluate the performance of others. The key to drama is not only the development of skills, but also the ability to apply processes and value these processes as equal to the end product of a drama activity. The application of drama in literacy, numeracy and other areas of learning will be embedded throughout. A great deal of the focus on drama in the classroom, in Australia, is from a Western perspective.

Wherever we are in society, we are surrounded by the Arts. This text has been designed by artists, and the words you read are but visual artworks representing the oral storytelling foundation of all societies. Its layout was designed by artists, using multiple media forms. You are reading it in an environment where the soundscape will hopefully allow you to concentrate. Your body is probably positioned to minimise discomfort and maximise efficiency, while communicating to all those around you your current state of thought (whether consciously or not). Surrounding you may be posters, objects, noises, people interacting with facial expressions, probably some communicating via Facebook, Instagram or other social media using increasingly advanced technologies. The Arts power our lives, yet too often we power down children as they enter formal education (preschool and upwards), stifle their natural forms of communication and interaction, and slowly destroy their ability to be creative and to think diversely.

Throughout this book you have been challenged to look at the role the Arts play in society and in education. Various methodologies have been suggested and each specific Arts area has been broken down for you. The tools are now in place for you to organise Arts learning and teaching in your classroom. You also have reflective tools to apply to the learning and teaching you undertake. In this final chapter, we challenge you to imagine your Arts-rich classroom. What do you want the Arts to look like and how do you want your students to engage in them? These decisions will reflect your vision and rationale for teaching the Arts and your many experiences in working with the Arts as you have progressed through this book. These decisions are best made by the person who decides the ‘what’ and ‘how’ for their students every day – YOU.

Dance – often left to specialists outside the classroom – is a means by which children can explore the world through their whole bodies. For many learners who lack the ability or the interest to pursue more academic subjects, this is where they need to be given opportunities to demonstrate their potential for success.

This chapter will focus on forms and skills of dance and movement, methods for engaging children and the theoretical knowledge behind dance, as well as practical activities to use in the early childhood and primary classrooms. Linking to other Knowledge Learning Areas, as well as to wider school and curricular issues, this chapter aims to equip both the novice and the experienced educator in dance to confidently and knowledgeably facilitate the learning and development of children. Personal and environmental health and safety issues will also be explored.