Final Lesson Proposal

For my final lesson plan I am going to do a lesson on how to integrate music into teaching simple words and word sounds to Kindergarten age readers.

Controversial Issue: Should Teachers Be Paid Based On Student Performance? What Makes An Effective Teacher?

Should teachers be paid based on student performance?

No.
I think that would be very unfair way for teachers to be paid. There are teachers in many schools that do not have as many moments where it is very hard to get students to perform up to expectation. The learning comes a lot easier in many areas as opposed to others.

Some schools are not like this. Some schools reside in low income, and/or high risk neighborhoods where students have a lot more to deal with in their lives than just learning at school. Sometimes in these schools where students are already carrying so much, at times it is just a winning day when certain students make it to school.

The numbers here are not exactly right but do not need to be to be exactly right. I read a study in a class last fall where in average families children hear an average of 1,000 to 1,500 words per hour which is comparable to school. In many at risk families the study reported that children hear on average 300 to 600 words per hour, then come to school and are expected to retain the 1,500 words per hour that are thrown at them. This is very hard, even almost impossible for a student to do in this situation. For a brain used to retaining so little information at home on a regular basis so much more information per hour is like sensory overload so a lot of what the child hears will be lost. This is not a strike against the student, or against the teacher. What this means is this learning situation is much more challenging than in an average, or above average neighborhood school. What this means is at an at risk school while student performance, on average, may be lower, the teacher may be working much harder to accommodate different student's learning abilities. 

So, in short, where in some schools higher student performance is attained easier as opposed to an at risk school where at times harder work is to be done to help students should in no way reflect what a teacher is paid. Teachers are already being asked to perform to many different expectations. I believe that student performance reflecting pay would be completely out of line.

What makes a good teacher?

Someone who wants nothing more than a child's success, and happiness. Someone who wants to help all of their students meet and exceed their expectations and potential. A good teacher is someone who defends and takes care of their children. A good teacher has effective classroom management and trust. A good teacher is someone who is spontaneous and flexible. A good teacher wants nothing more than happy and comfortable children and to give them every opportunity for success.

Controversial Issue: Tenure and Teacher Unions. Is Reform Needed?

Whenever I hear about unions my mind is automatically drawn back to why Unions became prevalent in the first place in this country and "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. Unions are a good thing to protect worker's rights and to ensure that work environments do not become abusive.

Tenure seems to be a way to give recognition to teachers who have paid their dues in the teaching career.

But, it seems that no matter what it is in life, too much of a good thing, or something placed with good intentions, can become something not so great.

I believe that reform is needed in both of these topics.

As I write this post I am back and forth on how much detail I want to go into since I am working in a public school now and as you can see working to make my way into the teaching field. To keep things short and sweet I have seen the benefits of the teaching union at work. There are good things the unions do and very good reasons for it to exist. Unions are good, within reason.

The issue that I have as an aspiring educator is how come if I am working so hard to learn and evolve with the ever changing times of education and to soak up as much knowledge as I can in many different subject areas and then, when I am hired have to worry about having a job at the end of each school year, and placating the desires of the principal, how come some teachers are allowed to become so comfortable that they are essentially allowed to stop learning for their kids benefit and can be comfortable being subpar just because they have a certain amount of years under their belt as a teacher?
Now, I am not saying this is the case for every teacher with tenure. I am merely basing this off of some cases that I have seen or heard about.

I think when given the chance to do such a crucial job of raising our kids, helping shape young minds, and preparing our youth for their future we should not be comfortable. We should always evolve and change with the times. With something so important as our kids we needs to keep striving to be better. Job security should be guaranteed for those who work hard but none of us should become so comfortable as teachers to not keep changing shape and working constantly to be better through learning from peers, or other avenues.

In conclusion, I believe that reform is needed for bother tenure, and unions. I do not believe that either should be completely done away with but I think both should be required to hold themselves to certain set of standards to be used.

Controversial Issue: Balancing Extra Curriculars

The theme that I keep finding time and again when working on assignments for MUS 214 that ask us to share our own personal opinions is that Elementary School is a forum for students to have a very diverse education where they are exposed to many different things. Some topics are mandatory for students to learn, some are considered extra, or extra curricular activities.

I believe that in our society that young children are asked to play sports at a far too early age. I think that children of 8 or younger should not be put into sports so quickly. I believe that the pressure to win in sports is instilled in our youth at much too young of an age. Now that I have said that...

I think that with our young learners Extra Curricular activities should be presented to our children so that they can choose for themselves what they want to try or don't want to try. I think that this should be  this way for sports and other activities like say, orchestra, or plays.

I think that the best way, but not the easiest, to encourage students to try anything that they might life in a sports driven society is to not masculinize sports. Boys in particular are pushed too much to play sports and turned away from music and art because its not masculine enough. This in turn discourages girls from sports and causes them to think that sports are for boys, which is wrong. I think this is where the problem lies and needs to be put to rest. Boys, and girls should not be encouraged to try something based on gender. Elementary school is the first place where gender roles should be discouraged and in turn kids should be encouraged to try whatever they think would make them happy, no matter what it is. We the people raising our children need to remember that it's their life to find their passions and happiness. Our guidance should not consist of making them play a sport instead of playing music, or acting, or joining art clubs. I feel as though where the pressure on young people in sports is too much I think that the chance to create in the arts is exactly the opposite for the young person - relaxing and therapeutic.

When To Introduce Certain Musical Instruments and Why

When reading in our text, "Using Music," on the portion for Inside The Music: The Basic Elements of Music Chapter 3 I ended up likening this to a previous class that I have taken this year: Elementary Physical Education. The reason why is much like in P.E. when it is important to start at the ground level of introductory movements and then work up to more proficient movements it is just the same in musical education. Students just learning music, rhythm, and tone, etc. cannot just be handed a recorder, or woodwind instrument and be asked to play something. Students just being introduced to playing an instrument must start out with the basic elements of music.

The instruments we have been asked to discuss on when to introduce them are: Recorder, xylophone, rhythm sticks, finger cymbals, and kazoo.

The first instrument that I believe should be introduced when reading Chapter 3 in the text should be:
rhythm sticks. I think that this is so because students being taught the basic fundamentals of rhythm with a very simple instrument is a great foundation laid down for the rest following. The next instrument that I think should be introduced is finger cymbals because this takes the rhythm aspect one step further. This could work great when asking students to play the cymbals at certain points in a song or at a steady beat. I then think after these two instruments are being performed proficiently one could then bring in the kazoo where not only rhythm could again be emphasized but pitch, and breathing could be practiced as well. The kazoo is a great lead in for the next instrument the recorder. I believe that this is the biggest step up of all of these instruments from one to another here because of the introduction of notation. More time could be spent on this instrument learning notation and sheet music. Again, though, rhythm, pitch, and breathing are also able to be worked on with the recorder. Then finally, I believe that after notation, and being able to read sheet music has been learning one could then introduce the xylophone. After building up to this as student should be able to correlate what they are reading on sheet music with what is being asked to be played on the xylophone in correct rhythm, and timing because of all of the steps leading up to it.

I think that each instrument should be introduced in this order because each one acts as a stepping stone to the next. Once students are to the point of the xylophone introduction and mastery they would then have a huge chunk of what will be needed to play well on any other instrument.

Carl Orff's Educational Philosophy

The Orff-Schulwerk, an educational concept for elemental education in music and movement which has been disseminated worldwide in over thirty countries, has had a significant impact on musical education for children around the world for over fifty years.

The Orff-Shulwerk involves the stimulation and encouragements of expressive, creative musical behavior within a close relationship between music, language, and movement. The Orff-Shulwerk, or OSW, involves improvisation in rhythm, melody, tonal events, structure, and musical interaction.

Specific material is to be defined through experimentation, repetition and alteration which progresses from exploration to the use of notation on a secondary level.

Call and response of improvisation, and fixed content to open up a variety of performance levels.

Movement – integration of movement, speech, singing and additional instrument playing. Allows the element to develop from another, and the combination of all in the final creative project.

A building block structure with small manageable portions of elements to reduce excessive demands and any point in time.

This philosophy seems like a very open to creative ideas version of the sequential and rote-note learning styles. While there is a common thread of a goal in mind in learning pieces of music the OSW also seems to be completely wide open to branching off into improvisational, "jam" type elements whether it be with instruments, or voice. While this creates a common path for the musician to follow it also opens up the creative juices to the project as well as making it extremely fun and not constricting to the musician at all. This concept reminds me a lot of the concepts applied to Jazz bands where their is a common theme of a song but many spots where there is jam parts, and solos. This can be extremely fun and create some very inventive projects. 

I think that the Orff-Shulwerk learning concept is extremely relevant in today's musical classrooms because it plays right into sequential learning, and Rote-Note learning, and well as the wide open encouragement to be spontaneous and creative. This is what music should be all about - learning, but very inventive, fun, and creative.

Sources: http://www.orff.de/en.html

Sequential and Rote-Note learning.

The importance of Sequential learning:
It seems that sequential learning is much like a step ladder. In order to get to the next rung of the ladder one must take a step on the rung below that one. Sequential learning is the processing of information in a step by step manner where the end result is the result of the entire process. The importance of this type of learning is that students are not being put on overload being asked to learn something all at once. Instead students are asked to take an objective piece by piece so that they can understand each part of the whole.
Some learners are inherently sequential learners where they naturally feel the need to diagnose problems piece by piece rather than as a whole from the outset without even being lead to or asked to.
It seems that this type of learning style has an advantage over other learning styles because many lesson plans in schools are set up to be taught in a sequential order of process.

Rote-note learning:
In my personal experience this was the backbone of our style of learning musical pieces in middle and high school bands. Rote-note learning is a repeated action of memorization of information.

It seems that sequential learning and rote-note learning can be tied together in musical education because to learn an entire piece it must be learned piece by piece rote-note learning style in sequence and practiced that way until it can be performed by the band, or choir all the way through as a whole.

To teach students a musical piece in rote-note style:

1. First find out what the objective is, as a whole, and daily. Make sure that students have what they need to perform the musical piece that you would like to teach them.
2. Look at what you know of your group and what you can ask them to learn each lesson in the rote-note sequence. It probably will not work if too much information is piled on too fast.
3. Give direct instruction on the piece of the whole to be learned and memorized each session. Work on it until proficiency is achieved before moving on. Review with all of the learned pieces together as you go.
4. Give a chance to let students practice what they have learned under your supervision.
5. When the entire piece is learned in sequence of rote-note learning of each portion, put closure on the learning by rote-note learning and mastery of the entire piece of music.
6. Assessment of what was learned and performance.

Personal philosophy of Education, National/State Standards Comparison

The more that I work with students each day at school the more I have the chance to see teachers personal expectations work with the state standards of education as well as the national standards of education. This, coupled with my own personal beliefs, and wishes for student achievement, along with what I have been learning along the way in my education class at Wayne State have now begun to help me start to refine my personal philosophy of education.

On the National Level there seems to be mixed reviews on whether our education system is proficient where it stands now or there is a call for improvement. No Child Left Behind plays a part in what we do now as educators. What seems to be the consensus opinion however, is that elementary class rooms need to teach many different components of education in which students must display knowledge in via testing at different parts throughout the school year. These areas include Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts. (Here again is where I believe that Music, and the Arts play a vital role in improvement of each category.)

On the State level (here in Iowa where I work) students take the standardized Iowa Tests to show how each student, class, and school stack up in their knowledge of content required to be taught in school. I know on a personal level at times in an at risk school like the school I work at, these test scores can be misleading or at times influenced by other circumstances that students and teachers alike face. However, on a state level the standards that are asked to be followed seem to closely resemble what the national standards are as far as education goes: Proficiency shown in Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts. An emphasis seems to be placed upon Math, and Language Arts.

In my personal philosophy I believe that students need to have a well rounded education in not just the four I have listed a couple of times above: Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts. I believe that in order for studies to succeed in these four, as well as to help the students learn who they are as people they need a prominent education of the Arts - Music, and Art as well as proper knowledge in the education of movement and exercise in Physical Education classes. To me, none of these subjects are any less, or any more important than the other - especially in a young learner's environment. With these multiple avenues we as educators can show the paths that students can take in discovering who they are as people while letting them choose what they really have a desire and a passion for while in turn broadening their knowledge in each topic. I believe that as an elementary educator it is our duty to lay the groundwork for students to be lifelong learners by both showing a passion for teaching, and a passion for each subject and encouragement to work hard in each one. I believe that for our young learners to one day become successful adults it is important for them to become superior readers and writers, have a great handle of mathematics, know their history - what made, and makes their city, state, country, and world what it is, and who they are and where they come from, from a science perspective - to know why things do what they do and how things came to be what they are, for the arts - to have the chance to stretch their cognitive abilities as well as this area to teach cultural awareness and passion, and in Physical Education to teach children how to be safely physically active.

Musical Therapy

As stated in our article, "Musical Therapy In A Special Education Setting,"
"Music therapy is a well-established allied health profession similar to occupational therapy and physical therapy. It consists of using music therapeutically to address physical, psychological, cognitive and/or social functioning. Because music therapy is a powerful and non-threatening medium, unique outcomes are possible."

I believe that music therapy is not only effective but needed. I read an article once that stated that music evokes emotion of the same level as loving a loved one, or mourning the loss of someone you love, or happiness to the highest degree. I believe that with these facts alone that music used therapeutically is on par for effectiveness when compared to physical therapy for physical ailments.

Because of how non-polarizing, or as the article states, "non-threatening," musical therapy can be I believe that the potential for use with patients is on a wide spectrum. In special cases where the patient is incredibly defiant to other forms of therapy music could come in to be the factor that has the calming effect on the patient.

"Music therapists typically use music activities to foster the development of motor,

communication, cognitive, and social abilities in students with special education needs. Music therapy 

can be used to address many of the goals targeted in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) 

such as the learning of academic concepts, increasing cooperation and appropriate social behavior, 

providing avenues for communication, increasing self-esteem and self confidence, improving motoric 

responses and agility, and encouraging exploration and examination of issues that impact the life of 

the student."

I think this quote above is a very strong case for musical therapy. Even in an IEP program music therapy can be highly effective. When looking at this and relating it to my own job I have not heard of this being used with students who have gotten an IEP. I wonder if I have simply not heard about music therapy not being used? Or if it is being underused? If underused I wonder why. After reading this article I firmly support music therapy even more than I did before. I think that this practice should be pushed much more with all students. 

Personal Experiences with Special Education

My personal experiences with special education are few but I have some. At Morningside I took a few classes to work towards having my special education endorsement. I liked that because I went to Everett Elementary in Sioux City (which is now half of Liberty Elementary - the school I work at) and worked on reading with 2nd grade boys in the Special Education room there.

Now I pass by the special education room at Liberty quite frequently and often times stop in to work with some of the students if I have some down time. I really like going in there because they seem like a family and it is a much smaller group of students. I also like that even though there are separate grade levels working in there at the same time and often on different tasks the teacher has the room set up like their other classrooms where they sit together. I like this because of the continuity of it. I have noticed when working with some of the students that it is very labor intensive. My favorite student that comes to the Special Education room is a girl in second grade and one day it took a lot of hard work to keep her focused enough to write one sentence, which we finally finished after 20 minutes. When we finished she was very proud of herself and I was proud of her too.

As far as my outlook goes on special education I believe that there is a growing need for it in many areas but I have also seen students that were recommended for it that don't need it. So there needs to be more help and funding but I also believe that in some cases it is over done for some students, if any of that makes sense.

Response For Video #1

This is a response for the first video that we watched:

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

This video is relevant because the professor seems to be stating all of the facts of not only why learning music is important for young learners in order to collaborate with other learning settings in the school, helping students discover who they are as people, and helping them desire to grow in another category of learning, but also because music can develop true enrichment in someone's life and a passion for something that can continue throughout someone's entire lifetime.

Love and Logic Terms Defined

cognitive learning - demonstrated by knowledge recall and the intellectual skills: comprehending information, organizing ideas, analyzing and synthesizing data, applying knowledge, choosing among alternatives in problem-solving, and evaluating ideas or actions. 

cooperative learning - an approach to organizing classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. It differs from group work, and it has been described as "structuring positive interdependence

eurhythmics - A system of rhythmical physical movements to music used to teach musical understanding or for therapeutic purposes.

multiple intelligence theory - model of intelligence that differentiates intelligence into specific (primarily sensory) "modalities", rather than seeing it as dominated by a single general ability.

rote learning - memorization by repetition

think-pair-share - A cooperative discussion strategy in which the teacher gives the students a question or topic. 

checking for understanding - a way to look for student understanding and knowledge by asking questions on what was taught and explained. 

Bloom's Taxonomy, 9 Standards in Music Education Examined

Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy was created in 1956 under the leadership of educational psychologist Dr Benjamin Bloom in order to promote higher forms of thinking in education, such as analyzing and evaluating, rather than just remembering facts (rote learning).

• Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge)
• Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude or self)
• Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills)

9 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 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.

I really feel that The 9 Standards in Music Education really cater to the Cognitive, and Psychomotor categories right off the band in Bloom's Taxonomy. Each guideline either is implemented to improve knowledge of musical content, and/or one's skills of the trade. This improvement of both of these seems to really open the door to give way to the Affective Category of Bloom's Taxonomy which is the emotional end of it all - growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude or self)

9 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 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.

ASSERTION:

Every art form is a distinct body of knowledge and skills involving creation and performance, 

history, analysis, and the interaction among all of these in specific works of art or scholarship.  

QUESTIONS FOR DECISION MAKERS 

• What, specifically, are the fundamental knowledge and skills needed by those preparing 

to teach each arts discipline in terms of the K-12 National Standards? 

• To what extent does the answer to the above question change, depending on the projected 

career path or the teaching situation of the individual teacher? 

• What competencies will we expect beyond fundamentals? 

• To what extent will we develop abilities to interrelate creation, performance, history, and 

analysis in a range of artistic and scholarly work within a single arts discipline? 

• What balance will we strike between specific competencies within a given arts discipline 

and representative knowledge and competencies across the arts disciplines? 

i believe that sometimes when starting an art form it is not as distinct and one might assume, or even want. It seems that when first introducing music to students in an elementary atmosphere it is important to let the creative boundaries be limitless and not specific or distinct at all. This in turn will help the learner formulate their own path. Before introducing the specifics of history, and analysis it is important to let the student first interact and discover what they want from the music and finding who they are inside of it. 

Music IN Education....Things to Think About

1.  How do you use music in YOUR life?  

I use music as therapy or to relax or to feel better. I have a lot of go to bands and composers that I go to in certain times of my life. I also am in a band so I also use music to perform for others as well. 

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

I was really interested in all sorts of music when I was a kid. I was really into Bach, and Mozart, and other classic composers but also into lots of modern music as well. Then I was in band in junior high and high school as well. I always wanted to be in a band and would dream of it, and finally got into one a few years ago. 

3.  Have you observed children at musical play?  

Yes I have a lot of times. I actually just sat in on a orchestra concert at an elementary school here in Sioux City last week. It was very neat to see children learning to play instruments and read music at such a young age. 

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

I could teach children how to read music, and the nuances of it. I could also teach a child how to play guitar as well. I think woodwind instruments would be tough for me to teach. 

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

education?  

I think an essential thing would be to learn how to read music and have good knowledge of notation. I think at the elementary age it is important for the teacher to get the students excited about playing music and to sew the seeds of a lifelong want to play music. 

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

Yes I have. I work in a kindergarten classroom where the teacher loves to use songs to help the students learn different things. The students really enjoy doing these songs as well. In a 5th grade classroom that I work in the teacher will play classical music during the lit. block time of class. 

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

For younger students the kids love sing songs and do actions with them. I think that this is a great way to both incorporate music into a classroom as well as it being a valuable tool to teach different lessons to students. 

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

I believe that orchestra, or concert band helps teach students discipline and dedication to something. 

Mus 214 Post #1 Music!

What do I know about music?  

I think that I know a fair amount about music. When I was in junior high and high school I played in concert band and jazz band on trombone and guitar. I was

taught how to read music and am still an avid guitar player. I am also currently in a band as well. 

Aside from this, I feel that music is as essential in life as breathing, eating, sleeping, and water. 

What would I like to learn more about?  

I am looking forward to this class and learning how teaching music to kids is

done. It seems like a very very busy and labor intensive job, but so rewarding,

and important. Music enriches lives.