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.

Lesson Plan Steps/Rote Learning/Sequential Learning

Steps of a Lesson Plan:

1.       Anticipatory Set--- Get the students attention
2.       State the Objectives--- Tell the students what they will learn
3.       Teacher Input--- Teacher describes the content
4.     Modeling--- Teacher shows an example
5.    Check for Understanding--- Teacher checks to see if the students know what they are learning
6.     Guided Practice--- Students work on problems with groups and teacher help
7.    Review/Closure--- Summary of the lesson
8.     Independent Performance--- students complete individual work over the lesson

Rote Learning

Rote learning uses the repeat after me strategy. The teacher breaks a song into small sections, usually by line. Then the teacher sings one line at a time for the students to repeat. After each echo, the teacher adds another line to the phrase. Eventually the whole song will be sung, so the teacher will sing it once more alone and then the students will repeat the whole thing. If there are parts that were not correct, the teacher will go back to that section of the song and review it with the students. Once the song is completely known and ready, actions can be added to the song.

Importance of Sequential Learning

Sequential learning is very important within a classroom. It is like creating a foundation and then building off of it to get to higher levels of thinking. Students learn from repeating knowledge that they already know to reinforce that concept. Students learn a concept in one lesson and then carry it with them to the next lesson for extra practice. Overall, sequential learning is important because creates a better understanding of the concepts being taught.

Educational Philosophy Alignment

                My personal education philosophy will always be changing and progressing. This is because I want to be a continuous learner. When it comes to the National standards and my educational philosophy, it is important to identify how students learn and also know the development of children. I believe that all students should strive to succeed, but this does not mean that they need to be perfect. I believe that students and all people learn from their mistakes and successes. Adding music to the classroom will make learning fun and exciting for students. Music gives students the chance to express themselves and show off their uniqueness. In order to do this, I need their environment safe and comfortable so that they are not afraid to be who they are. I want my classroom to be a community.

Music Therapy

                 I love the idea of music therapy. I could tell in the video that the children participating in the music therapy were happy and enjoying themselves. It looked like it helped them open up and forget about their situation. Music is a kind of escape for them. I think music therapy could help with literacy and reading because it can make it fun. It shows children and adults that reading does not have to be boring and can instead be exciting and fun. For the development of social skills, music therapy can be empowering for children. Music gives them the chance to express themselves and show their uniqueness. Music gives children confidence. Overall, Music therapy can be very beneficial for children.

Special Education and Differentiated Learners

                I have not had a lot of time in a special education classroom. I have taken a couple of special education classes that I felt were very beneficial to me. I learned about what takes place in special education classroom and strategies that are used to reach all types of learners. Although I have not had a lot of time in a special education classroom, the place I work hires people from Mainstream Living, which is a place that enhances the opportunities for people with disabilities. These people are the friendliest, most hard-working people I work with. They also always work with a smile and their happiness in contagious.

               

                Every student we teach is going to be unique. They are all going to have different learning paces, styles, and abilities. It is the teacher’s job to be able to identify and meet the needs of all learners. It is the students’ right to receive equal education opportunities. While a concept might click right away for some students, it might take extra time to reach other students. Teaching concepts in different styles and providing learning materials can help meet the needs of differentiated learners. Another way is to do both large-group and small-group learning. Students can learn a lot from each other. Finally, teachers should continuously be assessing the students on what they know. This is so the teacher can identify what the students know and what the teacher needs to review with the class and approach it in a different way.

Compare/Contrast: Bloom's Taxonomy and 9 National Standards

Bloom’s Taxonomy and the Nine National Standards for Music Education are very similar. Bloom’s taxonomy is made up of remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. One of the things that make these two so similar is that in order to get to the highest step, you have to complete the beginning steps first. For example in Bloom’s taxonomy, a person first has to be able to remember the information before he or she can create something new with the concept. This is   like the music standards. A person must be able to understand music and be able to play it before he or she can evaluate and create his or her own. The beginning steps are like the foundation that has to be built upon to get to the higher levels for both Bloom’s Taxonomy and the Nine National Standards for Music Education. The difference between the two is that Bloom’s Taxonomy is more general than the Nine National Standards for Music Education. Bloom’s Taxonomy can be used in all subjects and areas of school while the Nine National Standards for Music Education is specifically for music. 

Definitions

Cognitive learning: Learning that involves comprehending information, organizing ideas, and problem solving.

Cooperative Learning: An approach to organizing classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences for students.

Eurhythmics: the interpretation in harmonious bodily movements of the rhythm of musical compositions; used to teach musical understanding.

Multiple Intelligence Theory: 8 intelligence groups developed by Gardner that help teachers see what the strength and weaknesses of their students.

Rote Learning: A memorization technique that is based on repetition.

Think-Pair-Share: The strategy where the teacher poses a question, the students take time to think of an answer on their own, and then the students find a partner and discuss what their answers are.

Checking For Understanding: The process to which the teacher takes time to make sure the students understand the material to which they were just taught.

Assertion: Time and Sustained Energy

An arts education that meets student standards needs to be conducted for a long enough period of time to actually take root and grow; in consequence, because time is a key issue for instruction, teacher preparation programs need to focus on time management as a key issue.

The assertion I decided to respond to was the time and sustained energy assertion. I think that this assertion is very relevant because as the article stated, the curriculum keeps being added to, but the time remains the same. Teachers have very limited time during their days to create lessons that take a lot of preparation. Music and art benefit children in many ways. It helps students remember concepts and is a factor in raising standardized test scores. Although planning music and art lessons are a little more time consuming, teachers should invest that time so that their students can thrive as well-rounded learners.

9 National Music Standards

National Standards for Music Education

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.

5. Reading and notating music.

6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

7. Evaluating music and music performances.

8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Music, Culture, and Early Childhood Development

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOM8Z2UQKR4;

Why is this information relevant to the elementary classroom?

The information that was presented in the video is relevant to elementary classrooms because connects music to the development of children. In the video, it discusses that music is a way to express feelings that a person might not know how to express otherwise. Especially when children are younger, they might not know words that describe how they are feeling, so music can help them. Music helps children communicate. There are many songs out there that help children learn different emotions and have them show through facial expressions what that emotion means. This video also taught me that music helps with remembering things. Overall, this video shared important information on how having music within the classroom can be helpful to students to express themselves.

Music Questions

Music IN Education....Things to Think About 

1.      How do you use music in YOUR life? 

I use music a lot in my daily life. I listen to music while doing daily tasks. For example, while doing homework, I listen to it for background noise. At work, I listen to the radio all day which I believe increases my productivity. I make a game out of it in a way. I see how much I can get done within a song. Finally, I listen to music when I work out. I run to the beat of the music so that I know my tempo stays pretty constant.

2.      What musical activities and interests did you have as a child? 

I loved playing the piano when I was younger. My older sister was taking lessons, and she taught me how to play using her beginning book. I also was in dance for fourteen years of my life. It helped learn count music and keep to a beat. Finally, I played the flute for my school’s band. This helped increase my knowledge in music theory.

3.      Have you observed children at musical play? 

Yes, I have observed children at musical play. I would volunteer to help teach dance lessons for beginners. The children were taught to count music and keep beat. It was really interesting to see how the children progressed musically throughout the year.

4.      Are there some musical skills you are able to teach to children more easily than others? 

I am better at teaching how to read the notes than teaching how to count complex patterns. I am able to teach mnemonic device and other ways to remember notes and symbols written in the music. These help students remember what they learned better.

5.      What do you think that all children should be able to do, musically, as a result of a

 MUSICAL education? 

I think all children should be able to hear different pitches in music and be able to tell if they were higher or lower than the previous pitch. I also think children should be able to figure out the number of syllables in a word with the knowledge of rhythm that they learn in music education.

6.      Have you ever observed a teacher integrating music into the classroom?  Cite examples. 

Yes, I have observed a teacher using music within her classroom. She played music, and the students danced to it. One song that was used was “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” This song got the students moving, while also promoting listening skills and the knowledge of different body parts. Another time I observed music within a classroom is during transition times in a first grade classroom. While different areas of students were given the task to wash their hands before lunch, the teacher sang different songs with the rest of class to keep them doing something and to have a focus. I really liked how smoothly this made the transition go.

7.      How do you think music can be integrated into the elementary classroom? 

I think music can be integrated within a classroom in a variety of ways. Many subjects can be taught using music. For example in social studies, there is the president song that teaches the president and the order to which they were president. Teachers can also make piggy-back songs to teach concepts in other subjects. Finally, music makes for good transitions within the classroom to get and keep the students focus.

8.  How do you think music can be used as an interdisciplinary tool in the elementary classroom? 

I think that piggy-back songs are good interdisciplinary tools in an elementary classroom. This is because teachers can create their own lyrics or find some that fit the topic they are teaching. This is important because different types of learners are reached with the different method of teaching.