Final Presentation Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfBC1jSBERk&feature=youtu.be

Presentation Proposal

I will be teaching a lesson plan for kindergarteners on how to tell time to the hour. Through the lesson, students will be able to correctly number a clock and draw time correctly on a worksheet. At the end of the lesson I will reinforce telling time by teaching a song through rote learning about time. The song I will use is The Clock Song which is sung to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus.

Controversial Issue: Teachers Paid on Effectiveness? What is an Effective Teacher?

I do not think that teachers should be paid based on student performance. This is because some students are not given the resources and opportunities other students are given. These students might come from low SES who do not have the opportunities that students from higher SES students have. It also might lead teachers to request to have students who are more advanced placed in their classrooms. An effective teacher would be a teacher who creates an environment that allows for the best learning. This is done by providing resources and instruction that lead students to success.

Controversial Issue: Teachers Unions and Tenure

Teachers Unions and tenure have been beneficial. They provide safe working conditions and job security. I do, however, believe that reform is necessary. Tenure sometimes protects the wrong teachers just because of seniority. These teachers are sometimes not up to date with the technology and refuse to change their teaching methods. I think as teachers, it is important to constantly be learning more and using new technology within the classroom. It is also important for teachers to be flexible and try new lesson plans so that students do not get bored. Overall, tenure and teachers unions are beneficial, but need to undergo some change.

Controversial Issue: Balancing Academics and Extracurricular Activities

In a sports-driven society, it will be a challenge to make sure that we as teachers are able to balance both academic expectations and extracurricular activities. It is important for teachers to emphasize the importance of academics to be just as much as the emphasis that is on extra-curricular activities. This can be done by teaching students to balance their lives with time management. Students need to learn to set time aside to do homework each evening. Just like in sports, students should also set goals for their academics. Teachers should have the students write down their academic goals for the semester or year so that they can look back at them at the end of the year and see what they have achieved out of their goals. It is important to write them down because that makes people more likely to push forward to success. Overall, it is important to have high expectations in schoolwork in addition to the high expectations of the extracurricular activities.

Introducing Instruments

The introduction of instruments depends on the developmental stage of the child Recorders can be introduced in the third to fourth grade range. This is because of the finger placement coordination and the breathing required to play the recorder.  Xylophone can be introduced in kindergarten for playing the beat, but more intricate work on the xylophone would be developmentally appropriate for a child in in the third grade. Third graders have more developed hand-eye coordination than a kindergartener which allows them to play more complex work on the xylophone. Rhythm sticks are generally introduced in kindergarten and are used for a period of time in the younger grades. Rhythm sticks are appropriate for this age because they have the ability to repeat rhythmic patterns with precision, but are not able to play instruments with full fine motor skills. Finger cymbals can be introduced in kindergarten because students have the needed skills to play them. The kazoo would be appropriate to introduce to a kindergartener. Kazoos give the child the opportunity to explore and experiment with the differing pitches that are heard from the kazoo. All of these ages would be appropriate times to introduce these instruments, but it is important to take into consideration every child’s personal development stage when choosing to introduce instruments.

Carl Orff

Carl Orff’s music philosophy teaches children about music by engaging both their mind and body. He did this by connecting music, movement, and speech.  With every student being a unique learner, Carl Orff’s philosophy is designed to mold to every student to best help them comprehend what is being taught. It teaches every student on a level that is easy to understand. The students learn by actually doing music instead of just being told what it is. This philosophy gives students the ability to express themselves. It is perfect for children of the 21^st century because it keeps students actively engage while also having fun learning.