This semester, I did practicum observations at the following schools:
Something new that struck me was the importance of the classroom atmosphere. Creating a welcoming space is important and a lot of that is done through how the classroom is decorated and organized. Mr. May’s piano lab was sad and drab; it did not seem like an exciting place of learning, even though it may have been. However, Mrs. Carpenter and Mr. Todd’s classrooms were bursting with colors and it made the whole room feel happier and more welcoming. Even though as music education majors, the classroom décor may not seem as important, it still really makes an impact and highlights what your goals are. For example, what if instead of displaying trophies in the classroom (emphasis on placement), it was filled with pictures of students learning and laughing (emphasis on relationships built through music)? I also saw new innovative ideas being used in music, whether or not that included technology. There were elements that I appreciated, such as allowing students to take charge of their own learning and be independent, but there were also elements that I could respect but did not want in my future classroom, like Mr. May’s lack of face-to-face, personable interactions with the students. The students were also doing multiple activities that kept their minds engaged and allowed them to understand the concepts in different styles. Having these options of learning styles and ways of assessment helped students feel comfortable in the setting and allowed their personality and creativity to blossom. Even though I’ve only been out of public school for a little over a year, there are so many new things occurring. I’ve found that music is much more than band, orchestra, and choir, and there are different ways to incorporate all the different subjects into your classroom so that students can relate what is being taught to their personal interests. They have even used tools that I would only think to put in a core subject class, like Kahoot and Quizlet, into the music classroom. Growing up in Fairfax County where everything is based on assessment and standards, it was nice observing schools where standards were there and needed to be accomplished, but they are not the main driving purpose behind learning. The objectives were incorporated, as well as the ability to write well and critically think, like in Mr. Todd’s classroom, and music was another connector to help foster learning in a way that is more interesting than sitting in a lecture. I’m very grateful and impressed by what the teachers in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County are doing and I cannot wait to keep observing and interacting with them.
Our experience will be for Kindergartners and we hope to help them understand what emotions they feel when they see different images and hear different sounds. We have five pictures, each having three buttons that contain a different sound clip. The kids will look at the picture and be prompted to say what they feel when they see the picture. Then they will click whatever button they want and say if the music fits the emotion they described and why they think it fits. There is a handout and video below that explain and demonstrate the experience in further detail!
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Davina MiawHere I will share experiences of my engagement in community. Archives
December 2019
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