Music Education
What I Have Learned and My thoughts Going Forward
Music Education has been an eye opening experience for me. It was certainly not what i expected, but in a good way. Entering the class i expected a very regimented discussion about the finite details of teaching a class. In reality i learned more about approaching situations teachers often face that may not have a textbook definition of how to handle them. These are often the sensitive topics that have complex and unique answers and require the inclusion of personal opinion. This was an interesting experience for me that took place in a learning environment that i wasn't used to.
The layout of the class was something that i had been involved in with past learning experiences. It was set up to provide a optimal student to teacher and student to student relationship. The idea of removing the front of the class room encourages a more positive learning environment and makes everyone more attentive as you cant really hide or blend in you are clearly visible. The idea of teachers pet is also crushed, an unfortunate circumstance is that the people who sit at the front of the class are thought of as the teachers pet, this can be a setback for student that want to see or hear better but don't want to have the consequences of sitting there. By sitting in a circle you can eliminate this problem everyone is equal.
Building student relationships and inspiring personal though should be one of every teachers goals in the class room. From day this was a priority in the class room. We were often encouraged to move around the room and sit in different seats to get to know other people. This paired with often being asked to talk to the people about class topics allowed me to learn many things about my peers and their personal opinions. In many classrooms you see the same friends getting together for a conversation which isn't the most beneficial for their learning. Hearing new opinions can you help you build a more informed opinion yourself. Another thing this seating arrangement and discussion does is encourage inclusion, every student gets to share their opinion. Sometimes students may be hesitant to share an idea in front of the class, buy sharing with their peers it insures their ideas are heard.
A fundamental element of the class was the readings which we where given. There was so much to be learned but most importantly by commenting on them we built are own opinion. For me this aids me in remembering them but it also helps you build as an educator because you can take the great examples and apply them to your own teachings with your own interpretation. It also was a great introduction to wealth of literature available in our own library’s, that are own professors possess, and that exists in the databases.
Learning techniques that applied to music was a recurring theme in the class. Particularly teaching to a group of people, methods for aurally teaching song. Call and response as some might call it can be very useful for teaching rhythm or vocal lines, it can also be a great tool for teaching improvisation. Improvisation is something i feel strongly about so learning the the fundamentals of teaching improvisation. By keeping the note choices limited and encouraging free interpretation to rhythm. I have already started to implement this in to my own teachings.
All of the techniques of learning and creative thinking that we have covered this year i will certainly be applying in my own teachings. My personal favourite activity was setting the the paintings to music. It really engaged everyones creative side and it inspired us to think about how music can be attached to our feelings and how we conceptualize things. The association of shapes and colours with sounds in music is something I really find interesting and think makes for a great class discussion and could to lead to a great creative writing projects.
The most important take away i could have from this class is building a respect between the student and the teacher for opinion and right of expression. Never as a student should you feel scared to share your opinion, the sense of comfort is of utmost importance. This all starts with how you talk to your students and how you respond to their input. You have to be careful to never make them feel threatened or as if their opinion was unimportant that way they can achieve their best learning. As a teacher everyday it should be your goal to provide the best possible learning environment.
What I Have Learned and My thoughts Going Forward
Music Education has been an eye opening experience for me. It was certainly not what i expected, but in a good way. Entering the class i expected a very regimented discussion about the finite details of teaching a class. In reality i learned more about approaching situations teachers often face that may not have a textbook definition of how to handle them. These are often the sensitive topics that have complex and unique answers and require the inclusion of personal opinion. This was an interesting experience for me that took place in a learning environment that i wasn't used to.
The layout of the class was something that i had been involved in with past learning experiences. It was set up to provide a optimal student to teacher and student to student relationship. The idea of removing the front of the class room encourages a more positive learning environment and makes everyone more attentive as you cant really hide or blend in you are clearly visible. The idea of teachers pet is also crushed, an unfortunate circumstance is that the people who sit at the front of the class are thought of as the teachers pet, this can be a setback for student that want to see or hear better but don't want to have the consequences of sitting there. By sitting in a circle you can eliminate this problem everyone is equal.
Building student relationships and inspiring personal though should be one of every teachers goals in the class room. From day this was a priority in the class room. We were often encouraged to move around the room and sit in different seats to get to know other people. This paired with often being asked to talk to the people about class topics allowed me to learn many things about my peers and their personal opinions. In many classrooms you see the same friends getting together for a conversation which isn't the most beneficial for their learning. Hearing new opinions can you help you build a more informed opinion yourself. Another thing this seating arrangement and discussion does is encourage inclusion, every student gets to share their opinion. Sometimes students may be hesitant to share an idea in front of the class, buy sharing with their peers it insures their ideas are heard.
A fundamental element of the class was the readings which we where given. There was so much to be learned but most importantly by commenting on them we built are own opinion. For me this aids me in remembering them but it also helps you build as an educator because you can take the great examples and apply them to your own teachings with your own interpretation. It also was a great introduction to wealth of literature available in our own library’s, that are own professors possess, and that exists in the databases.
Learning techniques that applied to music was a recurring theme in the class. Particularly teaching to a group of people, methods for aurally teaching song. Call and response as some might call it can be very useful for teaching rhythm or vocal lines, it can also be a great tool for teaching improvisation. Improvisation is something i feel strongly about so learning the the fundamentals of teaching improvisation. By keeping the note choices limited and encouraging free interpretation to rhythm. I have already started to implement this in to my own teachings.
All of the techniques of learning and creative thinking that we have covered this year i will certainly be applying in my own teachings. My personal favourite activity was setting the the paintings to music. It really engaged everyones creative side and it inspired us to think about how music can be attached to our feelings and how we conceptualize things. The association of shapes and colours with sounds in music is something I really find interesting and think makes for a great class discussion and could to lead to a great creative writing projects.
The most important take away i could have from this class is building a respect between the student and the teacher for opinion and right of expression. Never as a student should you feel scared to share your opinion, the sense of comfort is of utmost importance. This all starts with how you talk to your students and how you respond to their input. You have to be careful to never make them feel threatened or as if their opinion was unimportant that way they can achieve their best learning. As a teacher everyday it should be your goal to provide the best possible learning environment.