What I am learning from my inquiry project, what i have found, and how does it change my perspective on public education.

I'm learning a lot about how art really effects children and how important it is in education. Art helps students in expressing who they are and helps them inquire more about what they learn. Since art is a subject with little guidelines and rules to whats right or wrong, it makes it a positive element in any child's school experience. Without art there would be no expressiveness and personality in students. Art helps to mold students into what they want to be by giving them choices about how to do things and what to think rather than only expressing one way to do or think like other subjects such as history or science. I never really thought about how art effects academics until now. I understood that art helped children with expressing themselves, but what I did not know was that it had a bigger positive effect on academic achievement. My inquiry project is shaping my understanding of why we really need art in public education. Researching this topic has made me realize all the positive aspects art has on students. It helps them learn that exploring the meanings and purpose of things is OK, and necessary to a successful learning experience. I really do feel that art lightens the educational curriculum as does any free willed class.