The Playing Child
The first point of interest was the section about the body as a percussion instrument. I really like this section because it is very hopeful. Something that everyone must remember that we can lose everything, including our voice, and we can still make music with our bodies. I think this is such a great concept and I love that kids are encouraged to explore their musical talents this way.
One of my simple goals as a teacher is for kids to clap to a steady beat. This is a necessary life skill. You look foolish if you cannot clap correctly to a piece of music, and even more foolish if you do it when everyone is clapping correctly. Having my students start to clap early helps them understand a kinesthetic beat.
Furthermore one of my favorite art forms is stepping. Stepping requires to make the beat and rhythm up with your body. It is very cool to watch when done well. Another art form that I found that comes from this is called 'hambone'. Again, one must create a beat and rhythm with their own body. Very cool.
The second and third points of interests are the sections on the different instruments, pitched and non pitched. I was intrigued by how similar and different these two types of instruments really are. Because non pitched instruments tend to dwell in the percussion (hence why it is called percussion) class of instrument. This grouping separates these instruments from those who chose to play a wind or string instrument. This cannot happen.
It is necessary for students to understand the concepts of non pitched instruments so they can focus on rhythm and not different notes. Non pitched instruments takes out a hard concept that some students struggle with. Another thing that non pitched instruments do it put everyone on the same playing field. What I mean by this is, no one has an instrument that makes the the stereotype of the band. No one is bass line or melody, they are all just rhythm. This is also necessary for many different reasons; a big one being ego breaking.
However it is also necessary to teach pitched instruments so students can differentiate pitches and develop a good sense of tonality and texture. Again percussionists are usually shunned from this category because they start on non pitched instruments. Where there are cons to pitched instruments there are also pros.
Having every instrument assigned to a student gives that student a certain job. This teaches responsibility and self confidence in a job well done. Also pitched instruments develop and ear for tone, color, and timbre. These qualities are but a few of things that make great pitched instrument players.
I do realize that I left out harmony instruments. And while I do see a need for them, I was wondering why you cannot teach harmony with the single pitched instruments. I am not saying that we should get rid of pitched instruments, but I wonder if we can teach harmony without them. However, every child should be acquainted with a piano and know how to find noted on one. That is a necessary skill.
Tallie Brinson (Stepping starts at 50 seconds)
Steve Hickman & Matthew Olwell (Hambone)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Chapter 16 Points of Interest
This chapter covered a very controversial issue for many teachers. Exceptional Children.
My first point of interest comes from a line that starts the section on identifying exceptional children. "Although it may be said that on some level every child is exceptional, with unique abilities and needs, current practice defines exceptional children as "those whole require special education and related services if they are to realize their full human potential (Hallahan and Kauffman, 2000, p. 7).
This quote bothers me because it leaves a lot to be desired. As an educator I want to know what an exceptional child is. This definition makes me confused by using the term 'special education' and 'full human potential'. I think that every child is exceptional and should be specially educated so they can achieve their full human potential. I do not think that this definition is correct at all.
The one point I would like to get across (to stop myself from writing a philosophic epic) is that even if every child is not a 'exceptional child' they should be taught as if they are. If the goal of teaching exceptional children is to help them reach their full human potential then every child should be taught as if they are exceptional.
The IEP and music also caught my eye. For my educational psychology class I wrote an essay on the IEP in our schools and its effects. I found that the number of students who attain an IEP has skyrocketed since the installment of the IEP. This is why I think that the IEP should be done with.
The IEP was meant to help both the student and teacher. The student would get the appropriate help that they needed and the teacher was given the exact parameters of the student's needs. While the IEP does accomplish this, it has been heavily abused.
Many students obtain an IEP but, do not show a specific deficiency in which they would actually need an IEP for. Some of my research showed that while the number of students with IEP's increased in major cities, the number of students with disabilities (both physical and learning) was going down. This fact showed me that many students, who may not necessarily need the IEP, were getting them like candy.
My third point of interest is a bit of a cop out. I found this chapter very interesting in that it is so controversial. While every student does need to be educated, it cannot be at the cost of other students. I find that many special education programs start impacting other students negatively. If it is the right of all Americans to have a public education then another student's education may not come before another student's.
While this comment may seem harsh, I do firmly believe it. There is a saying from one of the founding fathers, "My rights end where my fellow citizen's rights begin." This should follow through to education. It is our goal as educators to find a way to educate all of our students to a point where they can understand and appreciate what we are teaching them.
As a music educator I want my students to accomplish three things. They must be able to sing happy birthday, clap to a steady beat, and pick a favorite piece of music. I feel that these three things carry through everyone life. If, at the base of my teaching, I accomplish these three things, then I have succeeded in starting the love of music in a student's life.
My first point of interest comes from a line that starts the section on identifying exceptional children. "Although it may be said that on some level every child is exceptional, with unique abilities and needs, current practice defines exceptional children as "those whole require special education and related services if they are to realize their full human potential (Hallahan and Kauffman, 2000, p. 7).
This quote bothers me because it leaves a lot to be desired. As an educator I want to know what an exceptional child is. This definition makes me confused by using the term 'special education' and 'full human potential'. I think that every child is exceptional and should be specially educated so they can achieve their full human potential. I do not think that this definition is correct at all.
The one point I would like to get across (to stop myself from writing a philosophic epic) is that even if every child is not a 'exceptional child' they should be taught as if they are. If the goal of teaching exceptional children is to help them reach their full human potential then every child should be taught as if they are exceptional.
The IEP and music also caught my eye. For my educational psychology class I wrote an essay on the IEP in our schools and its effects. I found that the number of students who attain an IEP has skyrocketed since the installment of the IEP. This is why I think that the IEP should be done with.
The IEP was meant to help both the student and teacher. The student would get the appropriate help that they needed and the teacher was given the exact parameters of the student's needs. While the IEP does accomplish this, it has been heavily abused.
Many students obtain an IEP but, do not show a specific deficiency in which they would actually need an IEP for. Some of my research showed that while the number of students with IEP's increased in major cities, the number of students with disabilities (both physical and learning) was going down. This fact showed me that many students, who may not necessarily need the IEP, were getting them like candy.
My third point of interest is a bit of a cop out. I found this chapter very interesting in that it is so controversial. While every student does need to be educated, it cannot be at the cost of other students. I find that many special education programs start impacting other students negatively. If it is the right of all Americans to have a public education then another student's education may not come before another student's.
While this comment may seem harsh, I do firmly believe it. There is a saying from one of the founding fathers, "My rights end where my fellow citizen's rights begin." This should follow through to education. It is our goal as educators to find a way to educate all of our students to a point where they can understand and appreciate what we are teaching them.
As a music educator I want my students to accomplish three things. They must be able to sing happy birthday, clap to a steady beat, and pick a favorite piece of music. I feel that these three things carry through everyone life. If, at the base of my teaching, I accomplish these three things, then I have succeeded in starting the love of music in a student's life.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Chapter 11 Points of interest
Chapter 11 was about Motivation and Management, two key factors in running an efficient classroom. My first point of interest came later in the chapter than I would have expected.
The section that talks about competition as a motivator was a bit lost on me. This summer I started to read a book called "Compassion". It was about Christianity and what it truly means to be compassionate. The authors of the book found that in order to be completely compassionate humans had to forgo any competition. The only problem with this statement is that humans are competitive by nature.
Competition is how we make decisions. Which person would I like to date? What food do I want to eat? These two questions are trivial but they compare different object, thus causing a competitive mindset. I feel that using this mindset in the classroom is completely natural.
If competition does not happen externally (with another person) it will happen internally (with oneself). This competitiveness with oneself is more commonly known as motivation. I see no problem in having a sense of competition in my classroom. I feel it is an innate human characteristic and should be utilized.
My next point of interest comes a couple of pages later in the section about Enneagrams. I thought that this section was very questionable, yet I feel that it is overall useful.
Enneagrams are personality trait tests. These tests determine what type of personality you have, such as a perfectionist. The tests come in handy when a teacher needs to adopt specific strategies for students.
Knowing that you have many reclusive students is a good thing to know if you have an abrasive and brash personality. I think in the grand scheme of things, you do get a feel for people's personalities and are able to change your own if you are to accommodate them. For teachers this skill is necessary.
The last section that I thought stood out was "remembering student's names". Again my first reaction was "Well duh." Then I realized how important a name is to a child.
From my camp experiences as a specialist I have to remember every kid's name. I find that is it pretty easy. However I can see the look on a child's face when I either forget their name or call them the wrong one. They are less likely to participate because they no longer feel connected to me as a 'friend'.
It is such a very simple concept to remember a name, and yet people forget them so often. A good colleague of mine, Brad Hruska, told me some great advice. He said to memorize your students' names before your first day. I asked him how his first day went. He smiled and he said, "Better than if I hadn't learned any at all." Some of the best words of advice I have heard.
I will leave you with some more words of wisdom from Dan Crain. "Your students will never care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Priceless.
The section that talks about competition as a motivator was a bit lost on me. This summer I started to read a book called "Compassion". It was about Christianity and what it truly means to be compassionate. The authors of the book found that in order to be completely compassionate humans had to forgo any competition. The only problem with this statement is that humans are competitive by nature.
Competition is how we make decisions. Which person would I like to date? What food do I want to eat? These two questions are trivial but they compare different object, thus causing a competitive mindset. I feel that using this mindset in the classroom is completely natural.
If competition does not happen externally (with another person) it will happen internally (with oneself). This competitiveness with oneself is more commonly known as motivation. I see no problem in having a sense of competition in my classroom. I feel it is an innate human characteristic and should be utilized.
My next point of interest comes a couple of pages later in the section about Enneagrams. I thought that this section was very questionable, yet I feel that it is overall useful.
Enneagrams are personality trait tests. These tests determine what type of personality you have, such as a perfectionist. The tests come in handy when a teacher needs to adopt specific strategies for students.
Knowing that you have many reclusive students is a good thing to know if you have an abrasive and brash personality. I think in the grand scheme of things, you do get a feel for people's personalities and are able to change your own if you are to accommodate them. For teachers this skill is necessary.
The last section that I thought stood out was "remembering student's names". Again my first reaction was "Well duh." Then I realized how important a name is to a child.
From my camp experiences as a specialist I have to remember every kid's name. I find that is it pretty easy. However I can see the look on a child's face when I either forget their name or call them the wrong one. They are less likely to participate because they no longer feel connected to me as a 'friend'.
It is such a very simple concept to remember a name, and yet people forget them so often. A good colleague of mine, Brad Hruska, told me some great advice. He said to memorize your students' names before your first day. I asked him how his first day went. He smiled and he said, "Better than if I hadn't learned any at all." Some of the best words of advice I have heard.
I will leave you with some more words of wisdom from Dan Crain. "Your students will never care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Priceless.
Chapter 6 Points of Interest
I was intrigued by this chapter. I love to incorporate movement in my teaching strategies. This chapter posed a lot of questions for me about movement. I think I have a general understanding of movement and the human body, but this chapter threw me some loops.
My first question and point of interest was where do you define the difference from just movement and dance. This was very confusing to me even after I read the definition of what 'dance' is. I still am having trouble with the differentiation with the two.
Dance seems to specify that there needs to be intent and choreography to be considered dance. While that is all fine and dandy, the 'creative movement' and eurythmics described in this chapter turn out to be dancing. Choreography is planning movements that fit with each other in context of the music and intent to move is giving a purpose to the movement being done. I am having trouble deciding what is plain movement, even if it is creative, and dancing.
I am not sure that it is such a big deal, but I feel that it is because the concepts I want to teach through 'dance' are not those that I want to teach through movement alone.
An observation I made about this chapter was that a lot of common sense is needed to be able to teach movement along with music. I found myself saying aloud, "Well duh!" at the book. Movement is one of the hardest concepts for the human body. I do not know why, but if you take a look at our sports and entertainment, physical roles of the human body are enhanced and pushed to their limit.
I felt like a big point of this chapter was to make motion and music connect and feel that they naturally fit together. Because music uses motion as a base to make sound (singers move wind over their vocal chords as well as facial expressions, string players bow, and wind players tongue and finger) it should be natural that movement should go hand in hand with music.
The last point that I found started me thinking about higher education and teaching dance. The book said that it was important that kids learn to move their bodies in conjunction with the music. The book also said that a great way to do this was to teach folk dances.
To further this thought, I think it almost necessary to teach older musicians how to dance classic dance forms like a jig (gigue), minuet, passpied, or salterello. I feel that teaching musicians these dance forms will help them perform better in general because they understand the movements that are associated with them. It is an interesting idea that I would be interested in perusing myself.
Lastly while on the dance topic, here are a few videos of some fantastic dancers from So You Think You Can Dance.
Billy Bell and Ade Obayomi (Contemporary)
Lauren Froederman and tWitch Boss (Hip Hop)
Robert Roldan and DTrix Sandoval (Hip Hop)
Kent Boyd and Allison Holker (Contemporary)
Travis Wall
Alex Wong and Allison Holker
My first question and point of interest was where do you define the difference from just movement and dance. This was very confusing to me even after I read the definition of what 'dance' is. I still am having trouble with the differentiation with the two.
Dance seems to specify that there needs to be intent and choreography to be considered dance. While that is all fine and dandy, the 'creative movement' and eurythmics described in this chapter turn out to be dancing. Choreography is planning movements that fit with each other in context of the music and intent to move is giving a purpose to the movement being done. I am having trouble deciding what is plain movement, even if it is creative, and dancing.
I am not sure that it is such a big deal, but I feel that it is because the concepts I want to teach through 'dance' are not those that I want to teach through movement alone.
An observation I made about this chapter was that a lot of common sense is needed to be able to teach movement along with music. I found myself saying aloud, "Well duh!" at the book. Movement is one of the hardest concepts for the human body. I do not know why, but if you take a look at our sports and entertainment, physical roles of the human body are enhanced and pushed to their limit.
I felt like a big point of this chapter was to make motion and music connect and feel that they naturally fit together. Because music uses motion as a base to make sound (singers move wind over their vocal chords as well as facial expressions, string players bow, and wind players tongue and finger) it should be natural that movement should go hand in hand with music.
The last point that I found started me thinking about higher education and teaching dance. The book said that it was important that kids learn to move their bodies in conjunction with the music. The book also said that a great way to do this was to teach folk dances.
To further this thought, I think it almost necessary to teach older musicians how to dance classic dance forms like a jig (gigue), minuet, passpied, or salterello. I feel that teaching musicians these dance forms will help them perform better in general because they understand the movements that are associated with them. It is an interesting idea that I would be interested in perusing myself.
Lastly while on the dance topic, here are a few videos of some fantastic dancers from So You Think You Can Dance.
Billy Bell and Ade Obayomi (Contemporary)
Lauren Froederman and tWitch Boss (Hip Hop)
Robert Roldan and DTrix Sandoval (Hip Hop)
Kent Boyd and Allison Holker (Contemporary)
Travis Wall
Alex Wong and Allison Holker
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Chapter 5 Points of Interest
#1. I found myself at a disadvantage in this chapter. I read the section about the male voice in its relation to children's voices. I am not a singer by any means and have trouble even in my own limited range. Now that I have learned that children will try to alter their natural voice to match my bass voice I really need to be careful on how I sing with students.
#2 Another point of interest came at the end of the chapter on helping children to think musically. I have always thought that teaching students certain things would help them to think musically. I believe that there is a natural path to thinking musically; I never really noticed how much instruction and guidance is needed to make children think in a musical manner.
The paragraph states many strategies that can be used to help kids on their way to think musically. Singing, moving, playing, listening, reading and creating. The next sentence says that discussion and reflection is key in the process to thinking like a good musician. I also appreciate the statement how the strategies must be carefully selected over time. The road to thinking musically is long and does not happen overnight.
#3. The last point of interest that hit me was the perception of children in relation to pitch. I never actually realized (although I should have) that a keyboard is not a great way to teach pitch. When a child visualizes a keyboard, or sees one in real life, it is on a horizontal plain. The fact that pitches sound 'higher' and lower' than one another is lost on a child looking at a keyboard. Because higher and lower denote a vertical plane, showing pitch on a horizontal plane is not a good idea at all.
Reading this section has made me more aware of some of the mistakes that I have made with children. I now have an idea as to why some of the concepts I like children to get, they do not. They have not reached the appropriate stage for me to be teaching them concepts the way I did. Thankfully I changed the concepts to match; although I did so thinking that my students were a bit slower than normal. It will now remain in my mind that students must have reached an appropriate developmental level before I start mixing and matching concepts together.
#2 Another point of interest came at the end of the chapter on helping children to think musically. I have always thought that teaching students certain things would help them to think musically. I believe that there is a natural path to thinking musically; I never really noticed how much instruction and guidance is needed to make children think in a musical manner.
The paragraph states many strategies that can be used to help kids on their way to think musically. Singing, moving, playing, listening, reading and creating. The next sentence says that discussion and reflection is key in the process to thinking like a good musician. I also appreciate the statement how the strategies must be carefully selected over time. The road to thinking musically is long and does not happen overnight.
#3. The last point of interest that hit me was the perception of children in relation to pitch. I never actually realized (although I should have) that a keyboard is not a great way to teach pitch. When a child visualizes a keyboard, or sees one in real life, it is on a horizontal plain. The fact that pitches sound 'higher' and lower' than one another is lost on a child looking at a keyboard. Because higher and lower denote a vertical plane, showing pitch on a horizontal plane is not a good idea at all.
Reading this section has made me more aware of some of the mistakes that I have made with children. I now have an idea as to why some of the concepts I like children to get, they do not. They have not reached the appropriate stage for me to be teaching them concepts the way I did. Thankfully I changed the concepts to match; although I did so thinking that my students were a bit slower than normal. It will now remain in my mind that students must have reached an appropriate developmental level before I start mixing and matching concepts together.
Chapter 4 Points of Interest
My first point of interest of this chapter was about the phrase "folk-song singing has been replaced by rock-song shouting." I was rolling this idea around in my head for a while. I finally came to a conclusion that I do not mind this statement. In fact it makes me happy.
Aside from the 'shouting' part of this phrase I would absolutely agree with it. Many children do not sing folk songs and would much rather hear the melodies of modern music. I personally do not see why this is such a problem. Rock music today is much simplified from the classic rock that my mother grew up with. Complex rhythms are mostly left out, melodies are simple and catchy, and they reach a wide range of humans around the world.
If anything, I see rock music as a huge benefit to the music educator. Because the songs are easy to teach and are so accessible they become great teaching tools. I am actually glad that students know so many rock songs because, at the very least, they are listening to some type of music.
The second point of interest that I landed on was the simile of the marionette. I have more recently been acquainted with this simile and actually like it a lot. However I have never seen it used in conjunction with an actual puppet.
I like the fact that the students can see what is going on with the marionette's and adjust their own to match it. I find this concept of visual comparison very useful, especially because an adult's body is so much different than a child's.
The last point that struck me was the assessment tools that were used. I have a great respect for these tools and was trying to find a huge fault in them; and I could not.
The only concern that I would have is that something was left out of it. I cannot put my finger completely on it, but I have a gut instinct that something else should be assessed in addition to what is on the list.
I do particularly like the expression assessment. Because wind players have to keep so many facial muscles in place for optimal sound, they show little emotion. So having an assessment that deals directly with expression and intent is really interesting to me.
Aside from the 'shouting' part of this phrase I would absolutely agree with it. Many children do not sing folk songs and would much rather hear the melodies of modern music. I personally do not see why this is such a problem. Rock music today is much simplified from the classic rock that my mother grew up with. Complex rhythms are mostly left out, melodies are simple and catchy, and they reach a wide range of humans around the world.
If anything, I see rock music as a huge benefit to the music educator. Because the songs are easy to teach and are so accessible they become great teaching tools. I am actually glad that students know so many rock songs because, at the very least, they are listening to some type of music.
The second point of interest that I landed on was the simile of the marionette. I have more recently been acquainted with this simile and actually like it a lot. However I have never seen it used in conjunction with an actual puppet.
I like the fact that the students can see what is going on with the marionette's and adjust their own to match it. I find this concept of visual comparison very useful, especially because an adult's body is so much different than a child's.
The last point that struck me was the assessment tools that were used. I have a great respect for these tools and was trying to find a huge fault in them; and I could not.
The only concern that I would have is that something was left out of it. I cannot put my finger completely on it, but I have a gut instinct that something else should be assessed in addition to what is on the list.
I do particularly like the expression assessment. Because wind players have to keep so many facial muscles in place for optimal sound, they show little emotion. So having an assessment that deals directly with expression and intent is really interesting to me.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
MUED 350 Article Reaction
This article was a bit tough for me to get through. I am not sure if it was the writer, theme, or the PDF, but I found it extremely difficult to get through. However I took a lot from this article that I found very fascinating.
The first point I would like to share is the 'music babble'. I thought that this concept was very intuitive and most likely a good way of explaining how young children learn music. I like the fact that it is based (a little bit) off of language. The one question that I was left with was that of a musical impediment.
Just like speech, a child must hear their respective language spoken. If that child manages to somehow screw up what he hears, then he will mess up how he will repeat what he hears. I am wondering if a child could end up with an impediment in which they cannot fully play notes correctly or cannot fix certain rhythms that they have physically and mentally memorized.
I am not at all sure that this is possible, but it is some nice food for thought.
The next point I would like to talk about is more of a question that came up from this reading. What do we do with the talented children that just have no interest in music whatsoever? I have seen many kids that I deem musically talented and have watched as they perform at a high standard and could not care less.
I understand that as music educators we are supposed to reach every student and give them musical experiences, but it seems unfair that this child will not be sharing his talent with the world. This brings me to my next point of what do you do with a student that wants to continue in music, but as no musical intuition at all? Again I do not expect a direct answer, and I am sure there is probably not one, but I feel that I have met my fair share of music educators that seemingly have less than optimal musical intuition.
My last point of interest was the part that talked about the musical aptitude before the age of 9. I was very intrigued by the facts that came up during this section of the chapter. I was a bit wary to believe them, and I still am considering what I have experienced. I am not expert on musical aptitude, but I find it impossible that someone has an almost stagnant aptitude after the age of 9.
Humans continually learn throughout their life. As humans we must accommodate our changing bodies as they age, therefor we must always be learners. I have my doubts that someone aptitude to learn something stops at such a young age. I am not sure if I misread that passage, but as a music educator I do not want to give up on students who have had their aptitude diagnosed at 9. As long as someone has the love to learn music, they should have the right to, and because they love it, it will not matter what aptitude they have because they will succeed no matter what.
The first point I would like to share is the 'music babble'. I thought that this concept was very intuitive and most likely a good way of explaining how young children learn music. I like the fact that it is based (a little bit) off of language. The one question that I was left with was that of a musical impediment.
Just like speech, a child must hear their respective language spoken. If that child manages to somehow screw up what he hears, then he will mess up how he will repeat what he hears. I am wondering if a child could end up with an impediment in which they cannot fully play notes correctly or cannot fix certain rhythms that they have physically and mentally memorized.
I am not at all sure that this is possible, but it is some nice food for thought.
The next point I would like to talk about is more of a question that came up from this reading. What do we do with the talented children that just have no interest in music whatsoever? I have seen many kids that I deem musically talented and have watched as they perform at a high standard and could not care less.
I understand that as music educators we are supposed to reach every student and give them musical experiences, but it seems unfair that this child will not be sharing his talent with the world. This brings me to my next point of what do you do with a student that wants to continue in music, but as no musical intuition at all? Again I do not expect a direct answer, and I am sure there is probably not one, but I feel that I have met my fair share of music educators that seemingly have less than optimal musical intuition.
My last point of interest was the part that talked about the musical aptitude before the age of 9. I was very intrigued by the facts that came up during this section of the chapter. I was a bit wary to believe them, and I still am considering what I have experienced. I am not expert on musical aptitude, but I find it impossible that someone has an almost stagnant aptitude after the age of 9.
Humans continually learn throughout their life. As humans we must accommodate our changing bodies as they age, therefor we must always be learners. I have my doubts that someone aptitude to learn something stops at such a young age. I am not sure if I misread that passage, but as a music educator I do not want to give up on students who have had their aptitude diagnosed at 9. As long as someone has the love to learn music, they should have the right to, and because they love it, it will not matter what aptitude they have because they will succeed no matter what.
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