5/29 Assignment

My proposed topic for my final presentation is learning the alphabet/recognizing letters.

 http://youtu.be/cJ-wwD3UUwg

5/28 Assignment

I am against teachers being paid based on students performance. Each individual student learns differently and has access to various educational resources. This means that students can't be fairly evaluated by State Standardized tests. Many teachers are already underpaid and some are even forced to have to pay for their own classroom materials and must suffer from poor budgeting in their districts. These teachers can't possibly give their students all the resources they would need just because the state isn't investing money into their district. According to NCLB, many of these types of schools would be considered "failing," even if students are making improvements, and in reality, these are the schools that need the most help.

Effective teachers are those that can get to know each of their students personally and know what helps each learn best. I also feel the most effective teachers are the ones that push all students to strive for excellence, no matter their abilities or weaknesses. The teachers that stick out to me most from my educational experience are the ones that made learning fun and taught beyond the classroom, about life in general.

5/27 Assignment

I strongly believe that reforms are needed in regards to tenure. I have experienced too many teachers throughout my education that still have a job simply because they have been at the school for so long. In my opinion, teachers should be kept within the school system if they are, indeed, good, quality teachers that work well with the students, not just because they have been there for a certain period of time. Educators that are just getting out of college are equipped with the latest technology information and a great deal of new knowledge, and our children deserve quality teachers that are going to suit their needs.

I was not very knowledgeable about teacher unions, so I did some research. Specifically, unions are responsible for securing better pay and working conditions, which would then attract better teachers. Unions also argue for smaller classes, allowing teachers to teach more effectively. They also tend to raise the standards for teacher licensing, which ensures that only qualified candidates enter the profession. All of which that unions are supposed to support are great for schools; therefore, instead of reforming or abandoning them, I think that we just need to build on the original foundations.

5/24 Assignment

Our society is, yes, very much sports driven, and oftentimes people forget about the importance of getting a good quality education. As an educator, I believe that expectations should not be dropped just because students are involved in other activities. It is up to the student, and partly their parents, to balance their time between other activities and school-work. My parents have always told me, "You are a student-athlete, and there is a reason that 'student' comes before 'athlete'." Ones education should always come first because getting a quality education will ensure more success in the long run.

5/23 Assignment Developmentally Appropriate/Instruments

Recorder: can be introduced in the 3rd or 4th grade and older. Students should have developed coordination and their hands/fingers should be large enough to cover/reach the holes on the instrument. Students must be aware of the fingerings to produce "different sounding" notes.

Xylophone: can be introduced in 2nd or 3rd grade. Students need developed hand-eye coordination. Students should also be aware of the different notes and pitches on the instrument.

Rhythm Sticks: can be introduced as early as Kindergarten. Students are developing large muscle groups and movements. These instruments are non-pitched instruments, therefore notes are not needed to be learned. 

Finger Cymbals: can be introduced as early as Kindergarten. These are also non-pitched instruments, so students, again, do not have to learn notes. Younger-aged students are also able to use these because they are developing large muscle groups.

Kazoo: can be introduced as early as Pre-K or Kindergarten. This is a very simple instrument that does not require much skill or coordination. 

5/23 Assignment Carl Orff

Carl Orff was a twentieth century German composer that developed an influential approach of musical education for children. Orff is credited with composing and publishing music for students ages 12-22. These pieces were not designed to be performance pieces for the average child, but rather were designed as examples of pieces that show the use of ostinato, a repeated phrase,  bordun, a repeating note pattern, and appropriate texts for children. Orff's ideas were developed into an innovative approach to music education for children, in which the music combines movement, singing, playing, and improvisation. At this time, our society is very innovative, with people bringing new ideas to the table. When children are learning this type of concept at a young age, it is more likely to help them as they get older. By moving and singing, the children are that much more likely to remember and retain the information.

5/22 Assignment

Sequential learning simply means information is processed in order or "step-by-step." Rather than looking at something as a whole, sequential learning provides that each step is understood before moving on to the next. Sequential learning is beneficial within the classroom because it eliminates confusion for students. Each step is understood before moving on to the next, therefore students have a better understanding of the material and are ready to move on.

Rote learning involved repetition. In music, it generally refers to the "I-sing-you-sing" teaching method where the teacher sings a phrase that is then repeated by the students, and so on. After singing a song with one phrase repeated, the students will move on to singing two phrases at a time. Finally, the entire song is sang and then repeated by the students. If any parts are not repeated accurately, then those parts should be clarified and practiced. After the song is sung correctly, the students can learn hand signals, motions, or choreography.

Steps of a Lesson Plan:

1. Anticipatory Set: getting the student's attention focused on the lesson

2. State the Objective: informing the students about what they are going to be learning

3. Teaching: Teacher Input: teacher gives the students information needed to accomplish the objectives of the lesson

4. Teaching: Modeling: teacher shows an example of what is acceptable as an end result

5. Checking for Understanding: teacher takes time to check the student's comprehension of the material

6. Guided Practice: teacher helps the students interact with the lesson material

7. Closure: wrap-up of the lesson, with a review and evaluation of what has been learned