Sunday, March 28, 2010
Reflection # 11
What?
This was my second week of field. We taught the cloud and wind unit this week and incorporated a form of art into our cloud lesson. The students were to make clouds out of cotton balls. We had what type of clouds they needed to make and they used their creativity and made a page full of 5-6 clouds. As for my cooperating teacher, I didn't see any use of creative arts in her lessons.
So What?
So what does this mean, this means since we haven't seen a lot of arts used in our teachers lessons, we should try to incorporate more. Something I have discovered while teaching is that the arts takes more time so if you are short on time, don't use it. Another art we used was having our students draw the valley and mountain winds as well as the sea breeze in their books. I have noticed our students are very talented with the arts and they like to put a lot of work and time into their project. I also noted I think they are better artists then myself. :)
Now What?
For me this means we should use more art in the classroom. I noticed again that the students really enjoy doing art. I still believe this is a perfect way to assess the students understanding of a subject. Something in the future my partner and I have said we need to focus on is how long something is going to take. The clouds project took longer than we thought and the winds we were afraid we would have a lot o f time left over. However, after coloring the timing was perfect. This was a great check to help us with the amount of time we spend on projects. I like the various forms of art and realize even when you don't think you will use art into your lesson, somehow it always becomes incorporated.
This was my second week of field. We taught the cloud and wind unit this week and incorporated a form of art into our cloud lesson. The students were to make clouds out of cotton balls. We had what type of clouds they needed to make and they used their creativity and made a page full of 5-6 clouds. As for my cooperating teacher, I didn't see any use of creative arts in her lessons.
So What?
So what does this mean, this means since we haven't seen a lot of arts used in our teachers lessons, we should try to incorporate more. Something I have discovered while teaching is that the arts takes more time so if you are short on time, don't use it. Another art we used was having our students draw the valley and mountain winds as well as the sea breeze in their books. I have noticed our students are very talented with the arts and they like to put a lot of work and time into their project. I also noted I think they are better artists then myself. :)
Now What?
For me this means we should use more art in the classroom. I noticed again that the students really enjoy doing art. I still believe this is a perfect way to assess the students understanding of a subject. Something in the future my partner and I have said we need to focus on is how long something is going to take. The clouds project took longer than we thought and the winds we were afraid we would have a lot o f time left over. However, after coloring the timing was perfect. This was a great check to help us with the amount of time we spend on projects. I like the various forms of art and realize even when you don't think you will use art into your lesson, somehow it always becomes incorporated.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Reflection #10
What?
This week I started my first field experience at Vista Elementary. I am working with a fourth grade class and I love it. So far during field, the only form of art I have seen is the books they are writing and getting published. They have to draw pictures to go with their stories. This is all I have seen from my cooperating teacher.
So What?
So what does this mean, this means a lot. My partner and I have already had the opportunity of teaching a few lessons. We are teaching the water cycle and so we have incorporated process drama into the lesson. We assigned the students in groups and they were to act out the water cycle. Each student was assigned a different part but they were to come up and use their creativity on how they were going to present the water cycle. One group did really well at combining everything whereas other groups left a process out. Each presentation however showed creativity and showed art.
Now What?
For me this means we should use more art in the classroom. I noticed during this weeks field that the students really enjoy it. It is also a great way to assess the students and really see if they understood what was being taught during the unit. For my future classroom I plan to incorporate it more into my lessons. I think it is fun and very student friendly. I also noticed while planning our lessons that using art is very simple and we got ideas to use it in more than one way. We also used a song that could help our students understand the cycle better. The students really liked the song and caught on quickly because the music and lyric were catchy and easy to remember. It used a lot of repetition and vocab that they were working with during the unit.
This week I started my first field experience at Vista Elementary. I am working with a fourth grade class and I love it. So far during field, the only form of art I have seen is the books they are writing and getting published. They have to draw pictures to go with their stories. This is all I have seen from my cooperating teacher.
So What?
So what does this mean, this means a lot. My partner and I have already had the opportunity of teaching a few lessons. We are teaching the water cycle and so we have incorporated process drama into the lesson. We assigned the students in groups and they were to act out the water cycle. Each student was assigned a different part but they were to come up and use their creativity on how they were going to present the water cycle. One group did really well at combining everything whereas other groups left a process out. Each presentation however showed creativity and showed art.
Now What?
For me this means we should use more art in the classroom. I noticed during this weeks field that the students really enjoy it. It is also a great way to assess the students and really see if they understood what was being taught during the unit. For my future classroom I plan to incorporate it more into my lessons. I think it is fun and very student friendly. I also noticed while planning our lessons that using art is very simple and we got ideas to use it in more than one way. We also used a song that could help our students understand the cycle better. The students really liked the song and caught on quickly because the music and lyric were catchy and easy to remember. It used a lot of repetition and vocab that they were working with during the unit.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Reflection #9
What did you learn from the process you engaged in to create this music lesson?
I have learned a lot during the music presentation. I learned that finding a tune of the song to match the lyrics was one of the most difficult tasks to do. I learned that this was probably one of the funnest lessons we have done because we really got to show our creativity by coming up with lyrics to match the books subject we were trying to teach.
What did you learn from the actual presentation experience?
I learned that teaching music is a lot more difficult then it looks. I also learned that when writing your lyrics don't place so many syllables in a song. It makes it much more difficult to teach and say when presenting it. I also learned it is best if you know your lyrics word for word when you teach the lesson. That way you can focus on helping those you are trying to teach.
So What is important for you to remember and learn?
I would say one of the most important things I should remember and learn are the seven habits of highly effective singing. This is a master key to being successful in teaching music. Another thing I find important to learn is the difference between beat and rhythm. I find that I often get those confused and if I want my students to follow along by doing one of those it is best if I know the difference.
Now What are your next steps?
My next steps are to research more songs that go well and are catchy with writing lyrics to books. There are a lot of resources out there for me to use and I need to utilize them and make it easier for myself. I also want to become more familiar with music and the elements and keys so another step for me would be to learn them.
I have learned a lot during the music presentation. I learned that finding a tune of the song to match the lyrics was one of the most difficult tasks to do. I learned that this was probably one of the funnest lessons we have done because we really got to show our creativity by coming up with lyrics to match the books subject we were trying to teach.
What did you learn from the actual presentation experience?
I learned that teaching music is a lot more difficult then it looks. I also learned that when writing your lyrics don't place so many syllables in a song. It makes it much more difficult to teach and say when presenting it. I also learned it is best if you know your lyrics word for word when you teach the lesson. That way you can focus on helping those you are trying to teach.
So What is important for you to remember and learn?
I would say one of the most important things I should remember and learn are the seven habits of highly effective singing. This is a master key to being successful in teaching music. Another thing I find important to learn is the difference between beat and rhythm. I find that I often get those confused and if I want my students to follow along by doing one of those it is best if I know the difference.
Now What are your next steps?
My next steps are to research more songs that go well and are catchy with writing lyrics to books. There are a lot of resources out there for me to use and I need to utilize them and make it easier for myself. I also want to become more familiar with music and the elements and keys so another step for me would be to learn them.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Reflection #8
What:
Music creates feelings and emotion. Music also kindles emotional responses and fires up cognition, often in the form of mental images. Music can make it seem like time goes faster. Music affects the development of children and the way their brain works. Music affects the entire brain, mechanisms for emotion, memory, and language. Music affects each person differently but we are all hardwired to it since the day we were born.
We should integrate music into elementary schools because it is natural and a big part of children's lives. It is also a way of communicating and helps the brain to be a powerful tool both physically and mentally. We should integrate music because it bonds people together which is important with the different ethnicity's and differences found in elementary schools.
So What:
My goals for using music with my future students is for them to develop a love for all types. I also want to teach them music in a way that will help their memory and will help them do better in school. Another goal is to make learning meaningful and fun and a great way to do that is to involve something the students enjoy and that is music. Last, a goal that I think is important is using music to teach other subjects. Music can be use anywhere and with pretty much anything and will still be affective.
There are many things that makes teaching music to children important and those include allowing the students to be creative, teaching them how to listen, finding the connection, learning how to perform, and being able to read and study.
Now What:
Yes, I plan to effectively organize and prepare lessons that involve music. Whether I integrate it by teaching it directly or by adding it into other lessons. I plan to research what music is beneficial for students and what helps and impacts them the most. I also plan to prepare by looking at the books that are made to help include music into classrooms and to use the activities they list. I also plan to look at my past experiences when I was in elementary and what my teachers did to integrate and use music ,and how I felt.
Music creates feelings and emotion. Music also kindles emotional responses and fires up cognition, often in the form of mental images. Music can make it seem like time goes faster. Music affects the development of children and the way their brain works. Music affects the entire brain, mechanisms for emotion, memory, and language. Music affects each person differently but we are all hardwired to it since the day we were born.
We should integrate music into elementary schools because it is natural and a big part of children's lives. It is also a way of communicating and helps the brain to be a powerful tool both physically and mentally. We should integrate music because it bonds people together which is important with the different ethnicity's and differences found in elementary schools.
So What:
My goals for using music with my future students is for them to develop a love for all types. I also want to teach them music in a way that will help their memory and will help them do better in school. Another goal is to make learning meaningful and fun and a great way to do that is to involve something the students enjoy and that is music. Last, a goal that I think is important is using music to teach other subjects. Music can be use anywhere and with pretty much anything and will still be affective.
There are many things that makes teaching music to children important and those include allowing the students to be creative, teaching them how to listen, finding the connection, learning how to perform, and being able to read and study.
Now What:
Yes, I plan to effectively organize and prepare lessons that involve music. Whether I integrate it by teaching it directly or by adding it into other lessons. I plan to research what music is beneficial for students and what helps and impacts them the most. I also plan to prepare by looking at the books that are made to help include music into classrooms and to use the activities they list. I also plan to look at my past experiences when I was in elementary and what my teachers did to integrate and use music ,and how I felt.
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