Journal #11

Like we did in class this week, children can bring in recycled garbage from home to make musical instruments. They can work in groups to create sounds based on the story. Children can also use different objects around them to make sounds. They can act out the story and include sound effects using their voice. We could also write out different sounds that occur in a particular book and have the class as a whole sound them out. Children can benefit from these different activities because they enhance creativity, learning, and group work. Learning is enhanced because children have to get more involved in the story. These kinds of activities make learning more fun for children and create more of a desire to learn.

Binary form is when a piece of music is structured into two sections, both of which are usually repeated. The two sections in binary form are A and B. Section A will move away from the tonic and section B will move back and end in the tonic. Two examples of songs in binary form are I Got Rhythm and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Reflection #10

Music can be used to help children engage in creative activity through storytelling. Children have to use their brains to think of different sounds to add into stories. They have to really engage in the story and think about what sounds go to certain words. I know that I even had a hard time coming up with sounds for the story that we read this week. I had to come up with a sound for a new shiny car and I had to use my creative side to come up with that sound. In this kind of activity, "student-centered" learning is taking place because the children have to engage themselves in the activity. They have to think and use their creativity to help create the story.

Journal #8

It's important for children to be creative early on in life. Creativity is a different way of thinking and combines imagination and thought. It helps us to come up with a new way of thinking and making new connections. It helps us to imagine and come up with our own ideas. Creativity can help us to solve life's problems in a way that's our own. Creativity is important to teach young children because it gives them the chance to think outside of the box. It helps them to come up with their own ideas and ways of thinking. It gives children the chance to be themselves and go into their own worlds. In music, we can give children the chance to make up their own songs using their singing voices or even bu using classroom instruments. Like we did in class this week, we can have children make up their own stories using their voices. Children can make up different sounds to the stories that their teachers read to them in class. We can even ask children to make-up their own movements to songs that the teacher plays during class.
For my culture project, I would like to do either Greece or Italy. I'm both Greek and Italian so I'll do whatever culture I can find more information on. If I do my project on Greece, I would like to incorporate some Greek dancing.

Journal

To begin, I thought that the test went well. I felt that the test was fair and if you knew the study guide, it should have gone ok. To get ready for the test, I went to class and wrote down everything the teacher said on Wednesday. Professor Wang answered all of our questions and went over the entire study guide, which I found to be very helpful. I also went through all of our notes and worksheets that we have done throughout the semester. What I found difficult was memorizing all of the definitions by heart. I knew that the test was all fill in the blank, so I knew that I needed to really know the definitions. The hardest part on the test for me was explaining the different time signatures. I knew how to explain 3/4, but for some reason I didn't know how to explain 6/8 and 3/2. It also took me some time to memorize the rhythmic duration syllables and the hand signs. I didn't have a problem with writing down the names of the notes or using solfegee. I already know how to read music and have worked with do re mi fa so la ti do before. Knowing the notes to the recorder was also easy for me because I have played the recorder before taking this class. Note value was also an easy topic for me because I can read music. To prepare for this test, I went to class everyday and completed the whole study guide. I wrote down everything Professor Wang said and studied the material until I knew it by heart. I made note cards to quiz myself and gave myself a "pretend" test.
We have already learned so much this semester. We learned how to present and write out our first lesson plans. We have learned a number of different musical terms and definitions, various learning styles, note value, time signature, rhythmic durations, solfegee, the C major and G major scales, and hand signs. Professor Wang taught us the notes G, A, B, C, and D on the recorder and we can even play a variety of songs using it. We learned all about transferring rhymes into rhythmic notation and drawing out melodic icons for any given children's song. We also learned about Kodaly who was a Hungarian composer that believed that music is essential in the core curriculum. I am really enjoying this class and I hope the semester continues to go well.

Assignment #7

Evaluation Form For Emily Mann
Lesson: Teaching the song "Frarashaka" in both French and English
Musicianship (5 pts): 5
I thought that Emily was always in tune and kept an accurate rhythm and tempo throughout her lesson. She could keep a steady beat and had the students singing on pitch. Her voice was very easy to follow and the students could always hear what Emily was singing.

Leadership (10 pts): 10
I thought that throughout Emily's lesson she was constantly interacting with her students. She kept eye contact with everyone and you could always hear what she had to say.

Preparation (15 pts): 15
I felt that Emily was prepared to present her lesson to the class. She knew her music and didn't seem to rely on her written lesson plan. She knew how to teach her lesson without using classroom instruments or the piano.

Delivery of Instruction (20 pts): 18
I felt that Emily did an excellent job with delivering her lesson plan to the class. The only thing that I noticed was that she just assumed that the class knew the English version of the song. Maybe she could of taught the class the English version like she taught the French version. I thought that Emily's lesson was very creative and I enjoyed the dance that she made up. I thought that it was good that the students had to interact with each other. This presentation kept my attention and I felt that the verbal instructions were good. Maybe for Emily's next presentation she could question the students more and talk in a voice more suitable for young children.

Total Point: 48

Evaluation Form for Nick
Lesson Plan: Teaching the song "Row Row Row Your Boat"
Sing in a round
Musicianship (5 pts): 5
I thought that Nick did an excellent job singing in a voice appropriate for young children, especially since he is a guy. He was very in tune and easy to follow. He knew how to keep a steady beat and tempo that children could follow.

Leadership (10 pts): 10
Nick always had constant eye contact with the students and talked in a voice appropriate for children. He knew what he was doing and was confident when teaching his lesson.

Preparation (15 pts): 15
Nick seemed very prepared for his presentation. He knew his music and how he wanted to teach "Row Row Row Your Boat" in a round. He even had his presentation memorized and didn't need his written lesson plan.

Delivery of Instruction (20 pts): 19
Nick did an excellent job with continually asking the students questions throughout his presentation. He really had the students interacting with the teacher and each other. He always showed his students what he wanted them to do and made his lesson creative. I thought that it was creative that we all had to get into "boats" and row to a specific destination. I liked how Nick asked the students where they would like to travel and how they needed to get there.

Total: 49

Journal Week #6

During class this week, I presented my first lesson plan. I ended up teaching the class how to sing "Hey, Betty Martin" and used the piano as my accompaniment. I enjoyed participating in my classmates lesson plans and found them all to be very creative.
Criteria Sheet:
Name: Stephanie LaMantia
Lesson: Teaching the song "Hey, Betty Martin"

Musicianship (5 pts): 5 Delivery of Instruction (20 pts): 17
In tune, accurate pitch: Also used the piano Motivation, capturing attention
Accurate rhythm Sequencing of steps
Appropriate tempo Verbal instructions
Phrasing Questioning: Provide more questions
Expression Pace of lesson, flow, transition
Flexibility
Leadership (10 pts): 10 Feedback to learners
Body language Continuity/focus of lesson
Facial expression Closure
Voice tone and volume
Eye contact
Intensity

Preparation (15 pts): 13
Knowledge of music
Knowledge of plan: Really relied on lesson plan
Written plan: Completed on time
Instruments/equipment ready: Used rhythmic sticks and tambourines
Recordings/charts/materials ready: Made drawing charts

Total Points: 45

A. What I found to be the most difficult thing about presenting a song to the class was trying to make the material simple enough for children to follow. I kept wanting to use sentences and words that young children would have a hard time following. I also found it difficult to keep track of which students were getting the words to the song and which were not. When your teaching it's hard to watch every student individually to make sure that they are understanding the material being taught.
B. I thought that I relied way too much on my lesson plan. Throughout my presentation, I could see myself constantly flipping through it. I had practiced my presentation numerous times and knew my music by heart, so I should have been more confident in myself and not relied so much on my written lesson plan. Although I had everyone in the class involved at all times, I could have asked them more questions to have made sure that they understood the material. I just kept going with my lesson and not double checking to see if my students understood what they were learning.
C. I thought that my presentation was creative and had the children doing something at all times. I felt that I had a good knowledge of the music and the musical concepts that I was teaching. I also used a good voice tone and volume, used accurate pitch while singing, and captured every one's attention.
D. For my next presentation, I am going to try and not use my lesson plan sheet at all. I want to interact more with the students and question their knowledge throughout the lesson. I would of also not used the piano as much because I had a hard time hearing my voice. The children would have had a much easier time following my voice than the piano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9lHidGtCu0&eurl=http://musicingdream.blogspot.com/2009/02/stephanie.html&feature=player_embedded

Reflection Week #5

This week our class received the evaluation form in-class teaching assignment and went over the four parts that we will be graded on: musicianship, leadership, preparation, and delivery of instruction. On Wednesday, we got back our lesson plans and got into groups of three to get ideas from our fellow classmates. We went over tonic solfa ( do ri mi fa so la ti do) and the song phrase method, which is when you hear a song and learn it one phrase at a time. We received a handout on Zolton Kodaly who was a Hungarian musician that believed music should be the core curriculum, used as a basis for education. He also believed that singing is the best foundation for musicianship. We learned that each note on the C major scale has its own hand sign. The teacher would make hand signs and we would have to sing what note corresponded with each hand sign. Hand signs are a good way for children to practice singing the tonic solfa. We learned about rhythmic duration syllables and practiced using syllables to a rhythm that the teacher wrote down on the chalkboard. We also learned the note D on the recorder and played Barcarolle and the Polka. Sharp notes are higher by a half-step and are apart of the G major scale. Children need to be able to understand and learn all the notes on the scale.
I am really nervous about presenting my lesson plan next week. I really don't like to sing in front of people and I'm scared of messing up. This is the first lesson plan that I've ever had to teach so it will defiantly be a new experience. I am going to prepare for my presentation by practicing my song numerous times and going over the steps of my lesson plan. I will probably make my roommates watch my presentation a couple of times to get feedback. I'll just make sure that I am totally prepared so I feel confident while presenting. I know that creating and presenting a lesson plan is important because this is what I will be doing everyday at work. If I can't write and present a lesson plan, then I won't be a very good teacher.