The group differences forum was very interesting, and also brought up a lot of topics that I worry about for my future classroom.
First, I learned that schools in richer communities can afford nice things because of taxes. I know this is something that I should have known, but I did not. I do not think this is fair because people in not so nice areas deserve just as much of a good education as the rich people. They might need even more resources in order to succeed. I also learned a lot about minorities, and how they can feel oppressed just because they are not a majority. They are not automatically considered privileged because of something they might not even be able to help. In addition, I would have liked to learn more about the multicultural aspect. I want to teach overseas so this is very applicable to my future job! I also find this very interesting.
This information can help be aware of natural bias as a teacher. I want every student, no matter race, beliefs, background, socioeconomic status, family, anything, to have the same right/access to education. Even though I believe myself to be completely unbiased, there is natural and social bias to be aware of. I am a white, Christian female of upper middle class status, and I have not exactly been in a minority situation before. This is important for me to make sure that NONE of my students experience any bias in my classroom. I find this topic very interesting and will do more research to learn more.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Chapter 3 Questions
Question 1 (Applying): Can you apply goodness of fit to finding the right instrument for an individual?
Question 2 (Evaluating): How could you evaluate and accommodate a new exchange student is who experiencing culture shock?
Question 2 (Evaluating): How could you evaluate and accommodate a new exchange student is who experiencing culture shock?
Monday, November 18, 2013
Ch 5 Questions for Annece
Q1: Understanding: Can you explain the RTI (response to intervention) process?
Q2: Synthesizing: Create a modification for a student in a music class who has a learning disability.
(I know Chapter 5 was due last week, but I accidentally did Chapter 2 last week instead, so I just switched them).
Q2: Synthesizing: Create a modification for a student in a music class who has a learning disability.
(I know Chapter 5 was due last week, but I accidentally did Chapter 2 last week instead, so I just switched them).
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Field Trip Reflection
The event that I attended was Cultivating Singing in the Choral Ensemble and General Music Classroom with Robyn Reeves Lana, who is the conductor of the Cincinnati Children's Choir.
The first thing that stood out to me was the first activity. She passed around racquetball balls to each person in the room. The accompanist played the piece that the ensemble was working on, and we had to bounce the balls. First, we bounced the balls at the beginning of each measure (every 4 beats because we were in 4/4). Then we tried bouncing it every half note, then every quarter note. It is supposed to help students hear where the beats were in the music, as well as made them aware of the importance of starting together was. Even for the music major participants, it was sometimes difficult for all of us to hit the ball at exactly the same time on the ground. It was a good simulation for the difficulty in tonguing the beginning of a note completely together.
Another aspect that stood out to me was that Mrs. Lana demonstrated many different activities to use during class, but they were all different in learning styles. She used visual representations such as colored tights, kinesthetic learning with the racquetballs, and used demonstration for the aural learners. There were also exercises such as having the choir kids talk to words to focus on pronunciation instead of singing. There was so much variety in the activities and teaching styles that she used. I think that may be a key to having the ability to cater to all different learning styles of the children that are in her choir.
Another thing that stood out to me was audience's participation in the choir. Even though we were all not choir, we all participated in the singing the songs during the vocal portion. They passed around music and we all sang. It sounded good, granted all or at least most of us were music teachers or music majors. However, she demonstrated some of the activities before teaching us about them, and we followed what she was trying to get us to do, even though we didn't know what to do. She did not previously explain what she was going to do or what she was attempting to get us to do with the music. We just knew. My theory would relate back to conditioning. Although we did not have any explanation, that over the years we have learned what certain movements and expressions mean and we know how to manipulate the music compared to what we see. It has become natural for us.
I want to elaborate on the different activities that we participated in because I think it is directly applicable to my future as a music educator. A teacher can never have enough ideas about activities or ways to get students to understand and react to the music. The racquetball activity that I mentioned earlier was fun for me, and I am sure any age K-12 would enjoy it as well as understand that starting together is important and difficult. Even college ensembles have some trouble starting together. Another activity was the tights. She used colored tights to show the lines of the music and help shape the phrases. Each student would receive a stretchy band (colored tights) to sing with so they could physically feel the stretching of the musical line. This also demonstrated showing dynamics and style of the music. Another thing the lecturer used was an expanding/contracting ball to show dynamics. It also was a good visual example for breathing. When teaching breathing, it is important to teach students to breath using all 5 parts of their lung, breathing deep from the diaphragm, and not from their chest. She expands the ball to show the expansion of the lung as well as the opening of the throat. Another activity she used was assigning pitches to different hand signs, Then she would use a variety of different signs and have the kids sing the pitches associated with those signs. This was a good technique for kids learning to remember pitches. The guest speaker also used many other strategies that I thought were very applicable. Overall, I think that these strategies will be very useful in my future music classroom.
The first thing that stood out to me was the first activity. She passed around racquetball balls to each person in the room. The accompanist played the piece that the ensemble was working on, and we had to bounce the balls. First, we bounced the balls at the beginning of each measure (every 4 beats because we were in 4/4). Then we tried bouncing it every half note, then every quarter note. It is supposed to help students hear where the beats were in the music, as well as made them aware of the importance of starting together was. Even for the music major participants, it was sometimes difficult for all of us to hit the ball at exactly the same time on the ground. It was a good simulation for the difficulty in tonguing the beginning of a note completely together.
Another aspect that stood out to me was that Mrs. Lana demonstrated many different activities to use during class, but they were all different in learning styles. She used visual representations such as colored tights, kinesthetic learning with the racquetballs, and used demonstration for the aural learners. There were also exercises such as having the choir kids talk to words to focus on pronunciation instead of singing. There was so much variety in the activities and teaching styles that she used. I think that may be a key to having the ability to cater to all different learning styles of the children that are in her choir.
Another thing that stood out to me was audience's participation in the choir. Even though we were all not choir, we all participated in the singing the songs during the vocal portion. They passed around music and we all sang. It sounded good, granted all or at least most of us were music teachers or music majors. However, she demonstrated some of the activities before teaching us about them, and we followed what she was trying to get us to do, even though we didn't know what to do. She did not previously explain what she was going to do or what she was attempting to get us to do with the music. We just knew. My theory would relate back to conditioning. Although we did not have any explanation, that over the years we have learned what certain movements and expressions mean and we know how to manipulate the music compared to what we see. It has become natural for us.
I want to elaborate on the different activities that we participated in because I think it is directly applicable to my future as a music educator. A teacher can never have enough ideas about activities or ways to get students to understand and react to the music. The racquetball activity that I mentioned earlier was fun for me, and I am sure any age K-12 would enjoy it as well as understand that starting together is important and difficult. Even college ensembles have some trouble starting together. Another activity was the tights. She used colored tights to show the lines of the music and help shape the phrases. Each student would receive a stretchy band (colored tights) to sing with so they could physically feel the stretching of the musical line. This also demonstrated showing dynamics and style of the music. Another thing the lecturer used was an expanding/contracting ball to show dynamics. It also was a good visual example for breathing. When teaching breathing, it is important to teach students to breath using all 5 parts of their lung, breathing deep from the diaphragm, and not from their chest. She expands the ball to show the expansion of the lung as well as the opening of the throat. Another activity she used was assigning pitches to different hand signs, Then she would use a variety of different signs and have the kids sing the pitches associated with those signs. This was a good technique for kids learning to remember pitches. The guest speaker also used many other strategies that I thought were very applicable. Overall, I think that these strategies will be very useful in my future music classroom.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Chapter 2 Questions for Annece
Q1: What can you do as a band director to accommodate a student with a specific language impairment? (application)
Q2: Self talk serves as an important function in cognitive development, according to Vygotsky (40). If it is important in cognitive development, why do some adults still need to talk out loud? Inner speech may not always work for adults sometimes. For example, I still have to talk out loud when I do math homework sometimes. Does this mean my internalization did not fully develop? Can you create an activity or worksheet that can work on internalization or talking through things in my head?
Q2: Self talk serves as an important function in cognitive development, according to Vygotsky (40). If it is important in cognitive development, why do some adults still need to talk out loud? Inner speech may not always work for adults sometimes. For example, I still have to talk out loud when I do math homework sometimes. Does this mean my internalization did not fully develop? Can you create an activity or worksheet that can work on internalization or talking through things in my head?
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Chapter 8: Questions for Annece
Question 1: What are some metacognitive activities we can incorporate into a band class?
Question 2: How can a band director require students to use higher-level thinking skills during a band class?
What can you do as a band director to help those students that struggle with higher-level thinking?
Question 2: How can a band director require students to use higher-level thinking skills during a band class?
What can you do as a band director to help those students that struggle with higher-level thinking?
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Post 6
I think service learning is a surprising application of constructivism in a band class. According to Ormrod, service learning is an activity that promotes both learning and development while working for the betterment of others and the community (Ormrod 232). I can show my students this by having my students give a vocal concert at a local nursing home. Even if my students are instrumentalists in a band, it is important for them to know how to sing. Band directors always say that if you can sing it, you can play it. I never thought that was true until I came to college and experienced it. Singing music, even if it may not sound absolutely beautiful, allows for much more expression and requires that the musician know the intervals and pitches, instead of relying on their instrument to hit the notes and intervals for them. The new knowledge of pitches, intervals, and natural expression through voice can then be transfered to the instrument. Not only does the student learn how to be more musical and musically accurate, the students are bringing joy to the elderly. At first, I think my students might react a bit negatively and wonder why the band director (me) is making them sing. My initial reaction would make a smart comment that if I wanted to sing that I would have joined choir. However, I think after a few rehearsals, the students might come to enjoy the singing practice and would have a lot of fun at the nursing home. Therefore, the students would be learning a new 'instrument' and new found musicality while contributing to the community.
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