Amariani Garcia
Lantern Staff
Integrating learning through the arts classroom is not what one would typically expect. Professor of Education Shellie Gutierrez lets students know not to expect sitting in a classroom. The class consists of multiple field trips such as Mark Arts, Botanica, Cocoa Dolce, Wichita City Arts and more.
Gutierrez, department chair of Education, loves teaching the class and expects to do more in the future.
“It is a fantastic field experience course,” Gutierrez said. “The class is about integrating art and science or as I like to say, ‘creative expression’. The students get to see why kids are excited to learn and still build in valuable lessons.”
The first weeks of February, Gutierrez and her students geared up to visit Mark Arts.
The Mark Arts staff created station centers where Butler students would apply their artsy skills to help staff out. Students painted squares for children to mix and match in the upcoming GRIOTS, created a social media tag and organized scholastic awards.
Students in the class ranged from freshmen and sophomores. They also had a mix of elementary, secondary and special education majors.
Nyra Brown, a sophomore at Butler, enjoyed the field trip to Mark Arts and the class.
“I really enjoy the class since I get to network and take part in volunteer opportunities that I may not come across on my own,” Brown said. “I enjoyed seeing the effort put forth by people in the community to set up a museum and art center that intends to reach and pull in people across the board to have a good time.”
Michael Anderson, a sophomore at Butler, enjoys the class and wants to find ways to incorporate what he has learned into his own teaching and classroom.
“I loved the energy and passion that I felt from the facilitators, the creativity and diversity of the arts available,” Anderson said. “I don’t think a classroom could accomplish the aesthetic environment and emotions that these field trips evoke from me and my peers.”
Mark Arts has moved to its new building offering a variety of classes of all ages, and Butler students witnessed it firsthand. The museum is open to the public for free. A variety of courses are offered such as cooking classes, sewing, make your mark 1-time class and 10-week courses.
Gutierrez can be reached by (316) 322-3291, and sgutier@butlercc.edu, or visit her office in BOA 5116 regarding any questions about the course. Integrating learning through the arts will change a student’s perspective of classroom expectations and advance their education about the involvement of creative expression in teaching, according to students.
