Lesson

I will be doing a Social Studies lesson on community helpers for my final project.  :).....I visited the public library today and they didn't have the books I needed for my community helpers lesson so I've decided to go with farm animals instead.  :)

You can view my video at: http://youtu.be/w1C5GztmESU

Enjoy! :)     

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Should teachers be paid based on student performance?

Should teachers be paid based on student performance?

                There’s a verse that says, “Money is the root of all evil”, which fits perfectly for this blog,  if districts begin to compensate teachers for producing better test scores and grades, I think students will begin to look like dollar signs instead of individuals.  Some teachers would lose their initial desire and passion that led them to their career in the first place to earn a couple extra thousand dollars.  In an economy where financial stress is being felt by all people of different socio-economic status’ I think some educators would be yearning for that compensation that they would stop at nothing to make it possible.  Teachers who would want to earn that extra money without actually being an effective teacher would probably find other ways in receiving cash.  Some would probably approach the school secretary and request that higher level thinking and more advanced students be placed in his/her class.  Others might even alter test scores like a school district in Atlanta, Georgia did a few years ago. 

Teacher Unions & Tenure

Teacher Unions & Tenure

I strongly believe that there needs to be reform on the requirements to become tenure.  Working at an elementary school I have seen educators whose hearts are not in their career, and are anxiously waiting for their 3 year review to become tenure.  Once they pass the probationary period and become tenure, they feel they can slack off on their lesson planning because they are “untouchable” due to their new status. 

Before awarding a teacher with tenure I think administrators need to carefully examine the progress students have made in that classroom.  The teacher should also provide evidence proving how they reached their goal.  Teachers typically get evaluated twice a year so increasing this number would also be beneficial.  The last suggestion I would make is having a principal “drop in” unannounced to see if there is good lesson planning and proper class management.

Balance between Extra-Curricular Activities and Academics

                 Extra-curricular activities are a wonderful way of keeping kids physically active, making friends and also keeping them away from trouble.  If we look at the term Student Athlete, notice that the word student is first, it is not athlete student.  This is critical because as we break apart this title we know that academics come before the sport or activity.  Students should be required to maintain a certain GPA in order to participate in these activities, if the grades are not met, they should not be allowed to participate.  Balancing these two will prepare them for the real life expectations like playing in college athletics.

Introduction of Instruments

                Rhythm sticks should be the first instrument introduced to students in the lower elementary grades (K-2).  Using rhythm sticks is a great tool because they are easy to handle and students can follow a keep a steady beat while following the “leader” (teacher).  The next instruments that can be introduced at these grade levels are the finger cymbals, kazoo and xylophone.  These instruments can be played at all ages and do not require a lot of eye-hand coordination like the next instrument.  Recorders should be introduced to students from 4^th grade and beyond.  This instrument is more complex and requires precise eye-hand coordination and music reading. 

Carl Orff

Carl Orff

                Carl Orff had a wonderful philosophy about teaching music to kids, his motto, "Tell me, I forget…show me, I remember…Involve me, I understand" is his belief in a nutshell.  The Orff approach allows students to be creative and retain information.  Students are learning to read songs as they follow along, they’re also learning rhythm and best of all they’re learning by doing.  Orff combines singing, dancing, acting, and the use of instruments which is great because it can involve everyone in the entire classroom.  This philosophy is perfect for the 21^st century because it keeps the students engaged and focused, it’s not only fun but it also supports active learning. 

Sequential Learning

Lesson Planning

1.       Anticipatory Set/Setting the Stage

2.       State the Objective

3.       Teaching: Teacher input

4.       Teaching: Modeling

5.       Check for Understanding

6.       Guided Practice

7.       Closure

Sequential Learning

                Sequential learning is processing information step-by-step.  This learning style is important over the course of all subjects, but especially Math.  It allows students to see a clear path to find solutions, breaking it step by step.  Having these clear steps tends to help students understand the information being taught.  

Rote-Note

            Rote teaching is a teaching method that uses repetition to help with memorization.  When teaching a song to students it’s best to follow the “I-sing-you-sing” pattern.  This will allow you to use a phrase-by-phrase approach.  Once the students have repeated the song one phrase at a time, have them repeat two phrases at a time. 

Educational Philosophy in Alignment with Student Needs & National/State Epectations

                I believe my philosophy aligns well with student needs and the national/ state expectations because I will help students work to their full potential and more by using their intelligences and creating higher levels of thinking.   When creating a lesson I will carefully “unpack” state/national standards and determine if they will provide endurance, leverage, or readiness.  This process will help me select the standards that are most important.  After selecting a standard I will examine my students’ intelligences and create a lesson plan that matches their strengths.  Not only will I use my students’ strong points but I will also challenge them by using higher levels of thinking with Bloom’s Taxonomy. 

                Although academics are extremely important, I also believe positive social skills and building good rapport are key to being successful in a classroom.  I will create a safe, fun learning environment and have clear expectations to my students.  Throughout the school year I will form meaningful relationships with my students and have them develop enduring friendships amongst themselves.

Music Therapy

                I think music therapy can be very beneficial to students lacking social skills and those who need extra support in Reading and Literacy skills.  Music therapy is multi-sensory and can be adaptable to numerous ages.  It helps children with special needs attain educational goals identified in their IEP. 

                Music therapy helps students develop social skills by providing avenues for communication and increasing cooperation and appropriate social behavior through singing, creating and moving.  It allows students to verbalize and vocalize more, helping them improve their social skills.  These skills learned in music therapy can then be transferred and carried on throughout the rest of their lives. 

                Students lacking in reading and literacy skills also benefit from music therapy because it helps students focus more on an area and assists in their attention and perception memory.  I

Special Education & Differentiated Instruction

Special Education & Differentiated Instruction

                Thinking back years ago when I was an elementary school student, I cannot recall seeing so many students leave the regular education classroom to receive special education services.  Working at an elementary school for 6 years, I’ve noticed an increase in those students who need additional resources and extra support in the classroom. 

                 The district I work in I think does a phenomenal job in providing to students’ needs.  Our special education teachers carefully set attainable goals for students on their IEP’s.  At the meetings they also state the different strategies and methods they will be using to help students reach their goal. 

                Regular classroom teachers also help in this process by using differentiated instruction in the classroom.  They differentiate one of three areas: content, process, or product according to the students’ readiness, interests or learning profile.  This differentiation can be carried out through whole class instruction, small groups or working individually with students. 

                Special education teachers and regular classroom teachers continuously assess their learners and give students access to materials and resources to support their learning.  It takes a whole team effort to ensure the success of these students.

Bloom's Taxonomy and 9 Standards

                There are 6 cognitive levels that fall under Bloom’s Taxonomy:  remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating.  These traits provide a means of expressing qualitatively different kinds of thinking.  They organize thinking by beginning with the most basic forms of remembering, all the way to more a complex thinking of creating. 

                Although it may not seem like it at first, Bloom’s Taxonomy shares similarities to the National Standards for Music Education.  They both use active verbs to describe each category or standard.  Some of these key verbs include understanding and evaluating which are listed under both topics.  Other words listed on the standards like composing and improvising can be linked to creating under the Bloom’s Taxonomy pyramid. 

                When Bloom’s Taxonomy is applied to specific learning activities whether it’s a music lesson, playing an instrument, or a studying a unit in social studies, it will help develop the full range of students’ cognitive abilities. 

Assertion #3

Results in any classroom are generated in the interactions, around specific content, among students, the subject matter, and the teacher.

I believe this statement is wholeheartedly true.  Teachers are the core or root in creating progressive results.  Establishing good rapport in the classroom and clear expectations at the beginning of the year will result in positive relationships amongst students.  Teachers need proper academic training and professional development courses in order to assist in students’ learning challenges.  Teachers who are prepared for their work will show positive results while teachers who are underprepared may show negative results.    

TERMS

Cognitive learning: The theory in which a concept is introduced at one level and revisited at successive levels and ages, each time with deeper understanding and mastery.

Cooperative learning: involves structuring classes around small groups that work together in such a way that each group member's success is dependent on the group's success

Eurhythmics: The art of interpreting musical compositions by rhythmical, free-style bodily movement.

Multiple Intelligence Theory: A set of criteria to define intelligence based upon analyzing the abilities that enable human beings.  All human beings possess varying abilities in all intelligences which are: Linguistic, Logical-Math, Musical, Bodily Kinesthetic, Spatial, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, and finally Spiritual.

Rote learning: A memorization technique based on repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it

Think-pair-share: A strategy used to check for understanding that is used during discussion times.  Students are given the opportunity to discuss their responses in pairs or small groups. 

Checking for Understanding: A mental process wherein the learner is asked to summarize his or her perception of what has been learned

9 Music Standards

NATIONAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC EDUCATION

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

2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied rep. 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 musical 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 Child Development YouTube Video

I found this video to be very informative because it had some key points. One that particularly stood out to me was using music to remember things.  Just as history was passed orally through music before written documents, we still use this music for remembering things.  This is especially true in the lower elementary classrooms where we teach students simple songs like the ABC's to learn their alphabet letters and also color songs to remember the correct spelling.  

 

During 6th grade my class was struggling with the remembering prepositions, so Mrs. Stapleton had the wonderful idea of having us memorize them in order to a familiar tune.  I sang mine to the William Tell Overture (horse racing song) and to this day, I can still remember my prepositions. 

 

It may have seemed like a silly idea at first but, music can be a powerful tool that allows students to store valuable information and should be used as much as possible in the classroom. 

Questions 1-8

Music and the Creative Processes: Blog

 

Music IN Education....Things to Think About

 

1. How do you use music in YOUR life?

Music is a big part of my life, every morning as I drive to work I will listen to the radio or CD’s with my favorite songs in my car.  I also sing songs to my 3 year old to help him learn his letters and assist with his counting.  Listening to music is a definite must while doing intensive cleaning throughout my house; it makes it go so much faster and gives me a boost of energy!

 

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

I’ve always loved to sing and I can remember participating in our annual church talent show singing in front of the congregation.  They were so much fun!

 

3. Have you observed children at musical play?

Yes, I work at an elementary school as a teacher’s aide and have observed children jumping rope while singing along to a playful song keeping a steady rhythm while they twirl the rope during recess duty.  I’ve also watched them play hand games where they clap at a steady rhythm. 

 

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

There definitely are easier skills than others, the teaching of lyrics and rhythm to a song may be easier to show students than the actual tone or staying in key; an even more difficult task would be to read music and perform it correctly. 

 

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

education?

I believe all children should be able to memorize song lyrics and sing them with a steady rhythm and proper tone. 

 

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

Lower elementary grades use music quite often.  Kindergarten and 1^st grade teachers typically use a song at the end of calendar time or to transition from one subject to the next.  I’ve also witnessed a 3^rd grade teacher using music by playing classical music softly in the background while students work on their writing.

 

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

As stated in question 6, integrating music during calendar time can be effective for the younger grades.  Having a song at the end of the day to dismiss class can be another suggestion in which I can integrate music to my classroom.  If I was to teach an older grade I could have a certain chant or stomp before tackling a test to help relieve pressure off students and keep them focused. 

 

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

Music can be used in a number of ways to help students remember common misspelled words by singing a song (instead of the color song “PURPLE” use same tune for the word “PEOPLE” p-e-o-p-l-e people), or learn specific historical events or key facts (50 Nifty United States) Music can also be a cue to students to transition from one activity to the next.