About Me

Hi there! My name is Madison Belknap, and I'll be working as a Visual Arts specialist for the BYU Arts Bridge program this Fall in Mrs. Whipple's 2nd grade class at Golden Fields Elementary School. I'm excited for this opportunity to help students explore the art world, discover that art is for everyone, and become a better teacher. 

I'm currently studying Elementary Education at BYU, but I've always been interested in arts integration and the impact the arts can have on child development and learning when explored in a general class setting. There's so much research backing this idea that incorporating the arts (drama, dance, visual art, and music) increases student creativity, higher order thinking, academic achievement, and whole-child development. 

I was never the "artsy" kid growing up, but looking back I always had access to explore and express myself through various types of art. The problem with that, I realized, was that my main art exposures took place outside of the school, which not every student has access or means to do. The main reason why I love and wanted to be involved with the BYU Arts Bridge program (and by extension the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program) is because it gives all students the chance to explore and interact with the various arts in the classroom in congruence with their general education. 

I strongly believe that every child is an artist, hence the name of this blog. It doesn't take special talent or training to be able to express yourself in meaningful and unique ways. As we explore the art world through different mediums and visual art styles and general subject connections, I hope these 2nd graders come to see themselves as the artists they are- and always were. 

I'll be using this blog to post about our experiences as a class, our projects, and lesson plans. Stay tuned!