Context Statement

Music and the arts are being cut more and more from schools. This issue is very relavent in our day and is something that is becoming more popluar. A survey, by the Center on Education Policy, found that since the passage the No Child Left Behind, 71 percent of the nation's 15,000 school districts had reduced the hours of instructional time spent on history, music and other subjects to open up more time for reading and math. All that time is lost of the opportunity to be in music and art programs.
Others might say a few things that are for the idea of cutting music programs from schools. Some might say that the reasons for cutting music programs include: it cuts costs, it makes music education optional for those that do not enjoy music, they say the loud noises from the music department are a distraction to other classrooms, and that music is difficult to understand. These reasons could be reasons to cut music, but they are not good enough to get rid of a child's chances of learning music in school.
Others may say that music should be cut from school, but researchers have found that having music in school has a big effect on the way a student learns and performs in a very positive way. Keeping music programs in schools would be very benificial to a student.

Report and Reflection

According to the a New York Times article titled: Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math,  Thousands of schools across the nation are responding to the reading and math testing requirements laid out in No Child Left Behind, President Bush's signature education law, by reducing class time spent on other subjects. According to the same article 71 percent of the nation's school districts reduced their instructional time spend on history, art, and music projects to spend more time on reading and math. More and more music is starting to be cut from the school's budgets to make way for "the more important subjects". 

Reflecting on New Information

I used Wikipedia as a source for research on my topic. I know that Wikipedia is not normally the best source to use because on Wikipedia any person can go in and change what they want in any article. In the Wikipedia article titled "Music Education" it gives just a little bit of information on the topic of music education. This article is not exactly the right information that I need to further prove that music programs should be kept in schools because this Wikipedia article talks mainly about music history and the education of music in school. The part about music education in school and what music can do for a person was a helpful addition. One part in particular that intrigued me was the part that talked about music and the effects on learning. The article states that music increases your overall brain activity. As a person that plays the piano and has been immersed in music often, that is good information for me.

Reflecting Music Programs

I want to talk about music in our school systems. I think music is an important part of a child's life. Music should not be taken away from them. More and more music and arts programs are being cut from schools to fit a schools budget. I want to explore the arguments that are against cutting music programs and also the arguments that are for cutting the programs. As a child I will always remember the music classes that we all went to. I believe that if this class was taken away from a child music in our society would be alot different.  

Personal Introduction

Hi, my name is Ben Isbister. I was originally born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I am currently living in Chesterton, Indiana. I moved to Chesterton when I was about five or six years old to be closer to family. I am attending Purdue University North Central in Westville, Indiana as a freshman. I decided a few years ago what I wanted to go to college for and here I am. I have decided to go to college to become an elementary teacher. My purpose for writing this blog is to think through information that is related to keeping music programs in our school systems.