Final Synthesis of Course

Even though most music classes do not use the most common types of literacy instruction (ex. reading, writing, teaching vocabulary), I have still learned a lot from this course.  There are many strategies and ideas that I will incorporate into my future teaching.

Before this class when I heard the word literacy I would think of how well a student understands what they read.  Now I know that literacy is much more than that.  It is about helping students understand your content using a variety of instruction.  This class helped me think about how I can incorporate different types of instruction into my classroom.  Two types I would like to talk about are writing and digital literacy.

I did not think I would have many writing activities if I were teaching an instrumental music class.  However, I have come to realize that writing can be an effective teaching tool in music.  Activities like asking students to write concert reports or papers on composers will help them develop better English skills.  It will also  increase their higher order thinking skills by asking them to analyze and reflect on what music they hear.  Asking students to compose music is another form of "writing" that can be used.

There were some very interesting digital resources I didn't know about before this class.  One of them was Podcasting.  I would use this resource to help monitor student's progress by asking them to record their practicing at home and send the recording to me so I could listen to them.  Another way it could be used is for the teacher to record herself during class so the students can listen and practice what was taught it class at home. 

One last thing I would like to mention is how very helpful it was to create lesson plans.  This was the best way for us to take what we learned and apply it to our teaching.  It required us to think very hard about how we would really use a certain teaching strategy.  I feel like I have so many more ideas and understanding of how to teach literacy to students because of this class. 
 

What is the future of music?

So I went to a string quartet concert tonight and noticed that there were still many empty seats.  I thought, "Why is it that so few people today go to concerts of classical music when popular rock concerts always seem to sell out and be jam packed? Why does it seem like older people are the only ones that enjoy listening to classical music?"  Much of this has to do with each person's experience with music growing up.  For example, maybe you hear a song on the radio that your mom used to sing to you, or that your dad played on the piano, or you just listened to in your home growing up.  You like this song because it is familiar and you have a personal experience with it.  This is how it was with me.  My love for music came because I was immersed in it all growing up.

Many people say classical music is boring.  That is usually because the person does not have enough background knowledge to know how to listen to classical music.  For some students, the only musical experiences they will have will be in the classroom.  Music can have a profound impact on a person's life.  As in any subject area, the things they learn will influence the person they will become and what will be important to them in their future.  If we want to get more people to attend concerts of classical music then music teachers have the responsibility to teach them what to listen for so they can understand, appreciate, and enjoy it.

Digital Technology in the Music Classroom

Although I do not own many of the latest technological devices, I do spend a considerable amount of time on the computer each day and texting on my phone.  I think all of these new advances in technology can be very useful and helpful, especially with teaching students.  The internet has lots of great resources that can definitely be used in teaching music.  One time I searched "music theory worksheets" on the internet and found a number of sites that offered free printable worksheets to help students learn basic music theory.  In addition to being useful for the students, it also saves the teacher time having to come up with their own worksheet.  Besides theory there are many other programs that are free that can help students with ear training, rhythm, and note reading.

Probably my favorite resource that can be very beneficial in teaching music is YouTube.  There are so many recordings of artists and music groups that I could ask my students to go home and YouTube the piece of music we are learning so they can hear how it goes.  In music, students learn a lot from observation.  If I'm teaching in a location where there are not many opportunities for them to go see a live concert, I can ask them to search a performance of a piece on YouTube.  I'm excited to use these resources in my classroom and know that if used the right way they can help students become better players and musicians. 

Why to keep music in the public schools

I decided that I needed to write at least one blog on why we should keep music in the public schools.  In our current economic difficulties schools are having to cut classes that are not the "core" subjects and music is always the first to go.  There are many statistics on how students who take music classes score higher on their tests and do better in school.  I would like to add some of my own reasons on why I think it is important for students to learn music.

Our schools all over the country have an increasing amount of multicultural students.  The music classroom can be a place where those ethnic barriers are broken down and everyone is accepted.  It doesn't matter whether you're in Choir, Band, or Orchestra, everyone works together as a team to create beautiful music. 

There are many essential skills that kids learn from studying music like teamwork, cooperation, hard work, self-discipline, and creativity, to name a few.  There are very few subjects where the students are allowed to think creatively and get out of their shells.  Performing also boosts their self-confidence.  Playing music gives them something they can be proud of.

There is so much more I can add but I will just end with saying that music helps us become more well-rounded people, enhances our quality of life, and enriches our society.  The world would be a depressing place without music.  It has been proven children who study music do better in school.  In addition, music makes us better individuals and should be supported and kept in our public schools.

Do we have writing assignments in music class?

When we first started discussing writing in class, my first thought was that none of this was going to apply to my discipline area (music).  However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that writing is simply a way of expressing one's thoughts and ideas.  As musicians, our main means of expressing our ideas is through performing.  Instead of giving writing assignments we give playing tests.  This is how the teacher can assess the student's understanding and interpretation of the music.

Another way that writing can be applied to music is by asking students to write a musical composition.  Some of my favorite assignments in college were writing short compositions.  In other disciplines this could be compared to writing a paper on the topic of your choice.  While students should be free to use their creativity, I think some basic guidelines are necessary so they have some structure to their composition.  In high school I remember the paper's I enjoyed writing the most were the ones where we could pick our own topic.  The teacher would give us a list of options if we needed ideas and also had a criteria for what elements should be included in the assignment.  This should be the same for giving a composition writing assignment.  There should be a purpose to asking them to write a composition, not just for the sake of writing.  It's important for the students to understand the main goal of the assignment and have a checklist of things that need to be included.

The last kind of writing assignment I thought could be applied to music was writing an essay on a composer, orchestral work, or concert they attended.  When I had to do concert reports, my teacher would just ask us to write a page about the concert.  By making it that broad you don't really give them anything specific to listen for.  I think students would get more out of the performance if they had guided questions they had to answer.  This would give them something to pay attention to.  Many times students will write that they liked or disliked a certain piece, but they don't say why.  Asking them to listen for certain musical elements will increase their level of listening and help them become better musicians.

To conclude, writing can be applied to music in many different ways.  Maybe some of the ideas here will be useful to someone in another discipline.  You can find ways to apply and incorporate anything, as long as you are creative and think outside the box!

about me

My name is Mariska and I want to teach music in the public schools.  Ever since I was little I have always loved both playing and listening to music.  My mom started teaching me the violin when I was 3 years old and I've been playing ever since.  I love working with kids and teaching private lessons, but also enjoy the atmosphere of making music together as a group which is what it would be like if I were teaching an orchestra class.  There are so many skills that a child acquires from learning a musical instrument; hard work, discipline, patience, coordination, team work, and the list could go on.  I think above all music can be a great way of expressing oneself.  Music is it's own language and can sometimes say things better than words.  That is one reason why I have been drawn to music.  One thing that I feel is different about music compared with other disciplines is that we don't really use textbooks.  After our class discussion, however, my view has been broadened as to what can be considered a "text."  Now I think that sheet music, charts, and diagrams could be considered texts and in a musical setting are much more useful in teaching than a textbook.  I hope that I can look for ways to incorporate the things I will learn to teaching music.  I am sure that I could also apply the things we talk about to teaching a music history or music appreciation course where there would be a a lot more reading and writing involved.  I am excited to get lots of new ideas to apply to my teaching field.