Music (pt.1)

WHAT?

The elements of music are rhythm, melody, harmony, tempo, dynamics, timbre, and form. Music is a way to express yourself and your emotions through non-verbal or verbal means. You can sing a song, or you can create a piece of music that has no words, but expresses your emotions. It should be taught in the classroom because it is a way for children to learn something in a fun and non-threatening way.

SO WHAT?

Music is important to the classroom, not only because it adds a dimension of interest to your lessons, but it also gives students yet another way to express themselves and prove they understand what you are teaching them. For example, if you create a song to teach them a math concept, and then every student aces that part of their test, you know that your song worked (one of my teachers did this, and we always got those parts right on our tests, because we had a solid way to remember what he taught us). Music has been linked to memory, and if you give your students a piece of music, along with any subject or topic, you can be sure they will remember it.

NOW WHAT?

As I mentioned before, I have been in classrooms where the teachers took totally unrelated subjects and put music to them, making it impossible for their students to forget. In the same way, I plan on putting hard topics that I plan on testing about, to music. I also plan on using music as a fun way to get my students’ minds off school, if even for a few moments so they can work their energy out. I love music, so even if the school I teach at doesn’t have a set curriculum for it, you can be sure that I’ll find some way to wiggle it into my classroom every day.

Dance (pt.2)

WHAT?

There are so many ways to introduce children’s creative dance, whether it is teaching a science concept, or having them dance out parts of books you read aloud to them. There are also many different methods of delivery, which were shown during our presentations in class; I never realized how many there were until we all taught each other our lessons.

SO WHAT?

My group had one set activity that lasted the entire ten minutes after we read our book. Other groups broke up the reading or had the “students” read sections, then we preformed dances to those parts. It was fascinating seeing how differently every group interpreted the instructions. I know it will be just as fun seeing how my own students take my instructions and interpret them in their own ways. I also know that I can use this to draw the shyer students out of their shells, allowing them to express themselves when they would not normally do so.

NOW WHAT?

I plan to use creative dance in many aspects of my classroom. I’ve already played with ideas for introducing it in science and history, as well as math (although this will take a lot of tweaking). I plan on attending as many courses on this subject as I can, as well as getting my hands on lesson plans that incorporate creative dance so I can play around with them and try them in my own classroom.

Creative Dance (pt.1)

What?

When I think of children’s creative dance, I always thought about those choreographed dances that I was forced to do with my classmates, and then perform for our parents in a giant assembly. I was never introduced to anything like we did in class—dancing to a book. It makes much more sense, now, and I can see how dancing to a story, or even to a school subject, could help with memorization skills and student attention in class.

I have always needed movement in order to help me remember things, so it was nice to realize that maybe all students need movement (and dance) for the same thing. Dance would also help with students who have too much energy to pay attention in class, and could help the shyer students display their ideas and draw them out. It is a way for all students to connect and have fun, while still learning important lessons.

So What?

It is definitely something to consider when going into field—if our cooperating teacher will allow it. We have to teach lessons on Utah Mountain Men and Explorers, and it would be fun to find a story about one or more of them and have the students either dance or act out scenes in the book. Having our experiences from class would help us do this, and make it easier for us to know what to expect in the students we will be teaching.

Now What?

I think using the experiences we receive in class, as well as the ones we get in our Field work, will help in the future as we plan lessons like this for our own classes. I also think going to one of those courses Professor Escalante mentioned would be beneficial, if I ever get the opportunity. I would like to have further experience on how to teach creative dance in my classroom—and you can never have enough instruction yourself.

Processing process dramas....

What?

I learned a lot doing Process Drama from text—a lot of it was stuff I did already while reading, or having others read, and never even realized that I was going through a dramatic process! I especially liked learning about how many different types of role-play there were, and how to utilize them to fit the books we were reading.

Watching the other teams present was also fun, because I got to see a lot of techniques that my group never even thought of—like turning off the lights to create mood, or creating a poster of a person and having us write their thoughts vs. the thoughts of the people around them (we didn’t actually get to participate in this one, but it sounded like a really fun activity).

So What?

I think the better question is: “what drama ideas won’t I implement in my own teaching”. I look forward to testing as many of these techniques out in my own classroom, as I can. You can never have enough diversity, and there are so many activities that I would like to try…like decision alley, soundscape, and guided imagery. I also like the thought-paper (where you outline a person and then draw what they’re thinking, and what people think about them).

Now What?

I think the best way to prepare to teach Process Drama is to practice. When you read, first use the techniques yourself to test the waters. Then try it on your family, and finally move onto your classroom. In the beginning, everything is a little touch and go, but with practice and experience, both you and your students can easily slide into process drama activities without issue.