>> David, I am talking about getting kids trained in
>> the basic adult skills of reading and math, which I
>> think every grown-up person needs to know to take
>> care of themselves. It's a different issue whether
>> the arts help professionals or scientists in their
>> careers. I am skeptical about the points you made,
>> but in truth they don't matter to this discussion.
>> Did your arts classes enable you to read and add to
>> a greater extent than the reading and math classes
>> you took? I doubt it.
>
> Unfortunately, you seem to have missed my point
> entirely. Math and science training does _no_
> _good_ unless our students can use that training
> creatively. Getting the same answer as in
> the back of the book is not enough. Absolutely
> everyone should be skilled in the three R's. But I
> submit that everyone should also be taught in an
> environment that encourages creativity.
>
> You may be skeptical about the points I made.
> However, I can say from much experience as a
student,
> as a teacher and as a professional that the best
> engineers, mathematicians and scientists have a deep
> interest in the arts. Excellence in the arts and
> sciences requires the same thought process and that
> process needs to be encouraged in many different
> forms so it is fully developed.
>
> There is also the simple fact that concentrating on
> just a few subjects and teaching for the test will
> burn students out. They _need_ the opportunity to
> develop outside of math and science. That's why
> cutting arts programs is so tragic. Not
> only does this stunt our children's ability in the
> sciences, it stunts their social development as
> well.
I have a degree in Physics with minors in Mathematics
and Computer Science.
The joke in the department used to be "You're a
physics major? What band are you in?" It wasn't
universally true, but the vast majority of the
department had musical/artistic backgrounds.
Just offhand, I can think of three aspects in the
development of the artistic/creative which were
requisite for skill in the sciences.
* To solve a problem you haven't solved before, you
have to be able to figure out what mathematical model
to apply to your real-world scenario. This requires a
creative mind.
* The natural progressions, relations, and rhythms in
music teach children mathematical principles on an
instinctual level making it much easier and more
natural for them to learn and understand them on an
applied level.
* Disciplines such as geometry and calculus (basically
geometry that you break into little tiny pieces and
put back together again to get close estimates)
require strong visualization skills to excel at.
Interestingly, the last was perhaps more requisite to
me than basic math.
For some reason I've always been a bit weak on basic
multiplication. I still have trouble multiplying two
three digit numbers in my head without losing track of
things.
However, when I used them on a regular basis, I was
able to do double and triple integrals in my head. In
many cases, these require significant usage of basic
math, but since I could "see" the shape I was working
on figuring out, the numbers fell in place more
naturally.
Does it require music and art to be able to balance a
checkbook? No.
But they definitely factor into the foundation that
needs to be laid for someone to excel in the advanced
sciences. There are certainly exceptions, but as a
general rule, you will find that the best scientists
all have had some musical or artistic development
during their childhood and beyond.
Lab techs may not need as fascicle and creative of a
mind (although, to do the best work, they need some
creativity), but R&D scientists definitely need strong
creativity.
There are many more aspects to it as well. It turns
out that the best solutions in many cases tend to be
the most aesthetic. The lines and curves to reduce
fluid turbulence and maximize flow. The structures
and shapes for the best strength and flexibility. Etc.
Again, those with an artistic eye, tended to always
zero in on the best solutions in the shortest time.
They'd be the most likely to have that flash of
inspiration and require the fewest repetitions of
trial and error. They'd have a better instinctual
feel for when they were moving in the right
directions.
These skills are best to start developing as a child.
Not every adult will need them, but for those who do,
not receiving them during childhood will be crippling.
- Jason Goray
Sheridan, NE
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