Jaques-Dalcroze
Teaching Style
-As a general rule, teachers of Eurhythmics are trained to talk very little and to use valuable class time for music listening and performance. Directions are often given by gestures rather than words. Teachers use speech-melody to give commands to students. Commands may also be given by flash cards, chalkboard graphics, or physical signals (nod of the head or other gestures). Purely musical commands are given from the keyboard or by percussion or voice: a chord, a trill, a particular tone, accent, subdivision, playing in bass or treble clef, harmonic progression, or melody fragment may be used to alert the students to change to a different movement.
-The Jaques-Dalcroze manner of using group dynamics emphasized freedom of exploration and the many possibilities of individual solutions to rhythmic problems. The greatest value is placed on the student’s discovery of interesting and unusual solutions rather than on imitating the teacher’s solutions. Students are viewed as young artists and are expected to develop their own thoughtful and personal artistic responses to the teacher’s rhythmic stimuli. The problem of balancing technique with expressive feeling is basic to all artists and is central to the Jaques-Dalcroze method.
-Since the goal of lessons is to produce personal responses to the musical challenges, students from many different levels of musical sophistication can work together.
Space, equipment, and costume
-Comfort, hygiene and safety are primary concerns to the Eurhythmics teacher. Lessons require a spacious, well-ventilated classroom with an immaculate lately clean wooden floor. Students should wear comfortable, washable clothing and should wear either soft gym or dancing shoes or go barefoot. A well-tuned piano, simple percussion instruments, chalkboard, balls, ropes, and hoops are the ideal equipment.
-North American teachers are forced to modify the original plans and procedures and some have moved classes to the gym, hallways, libraries, or cafeterias.
-Physical safety is realized by special exercises in spatial awareness, energy matching, energy discipline, ensemble, and social integration. Students learn to deal quickly and efficiently with spatial formations; these exercises are extended to help students learn to handle traffic problems involving bumping, pushing, following, and leading. Classes that are too large may be divided up into group formations; (Concentric circles or particular combinations, such as movers, clappers, or movers, clappers, and singers.).
Musical Materials
-Music and rhythms can be presented in various ways and turn into various objectives, music from all styles and time periods are appropriate. The more creative the better!
Lesson Planning
-All lessons are based upon one or more of Jaques-Dalcroze’s 34 elements of rhythms. The first step in designing a lesson is to think deeply and broadly about the element or elements to be taught, in a way that connects that rhythmic element or elements with the students’ physical, emotional, mental, and musical life.
-The process of eurhythmics requires small steps, repetition, improvisation, awareness of student’s body language, use of correct tempo and dynamics appropriate to the learning objective, demonstration, and spatial awareness. Teachers are held accountable for students learning. There is no reason a child can’t learn.
Exercise and Game plan
-In planning lessons, five basic exercises and game plans are used, at varying levels of complexity.
1) the quick reaction- this is the opening game of the classic J-D lesson plan. In this exercise the students listen to the musical stimulus and decide which of two or more rhythmic ideas is being presented, then quickly select the appropriate movement responses. Its purpose is to induce attention, concentration, and analysis.
2) the follow- calls for accurate response to constant changes of tempo, accent, dynamics, phrasing, and articulation. It forces the student to respond to the slightest nuance of the teacher’s performance or conducting by appropriate movement changes. It is useful in producing flexibility in a given rhythmic behavior.
3) the replacement- a game in which one item is replaced in a rhythmic pattern which is already learned. The new pattern demands a new physicality. This exercise is often converted into a memory-training study, by choosing a series of patterns and performing them in any random order commanded by the teacher.
4) the interrupted cannon- the “echo cannon” It is used to develop fast memory for a pattern without much attention to analysis. The teacher claps or otherwise performs a rhythmic pattern and is immediately echoed by the class. The teacher continues with a new pattern. This brings hearing memory and performing memory together and aids the development of extended memory.
5) the continuous cannon- is more difficult because memory past becomes performance present. The teacher will perform a rhythmic pattern of movements or sounds or both and the students are directed to follow after a certain number of beats or measures. The study of cannon is often placed at the end of a lesson, as a summation of the skills and knowledge gained in the lesson.
Kodaly
The ingredients necessary for a Kodaly program are a good musician well trained in the Kodaly teaching techniques, children, a carefully chosen core of folk songs and art music, and sufficient time to teach and learn music. A traditional classroom is fine to teach Kodaly. Piano is not necessity for a Kodaly teacher. No accompanying instruments are used until in-tune singing is secure and part singing is established. It is the belief of Kodaly practitioners that secure intonation and accurate vocal intervallic performance are best developed using vocal models. The A-440 tuning fork, always in hand, has become the badge of the Kodaly teacher. The teaching style of a well-trained Kodaly teacher involves very little speaking and no “telling” or “explaining”. The teacher may sing a phrase of a song, indicating with a conducting gesture where children are to begin. When the teacher does speak it is to ask a question designed to guide analysis, to offer support and help to a child experiencing difficulty, or to give simple directions. Nothing is ever told in a Kodaly class if it can instead be demonstrated by the teacher or inferred and derived by the students.
Lesson Planning
- The teacher moves from 1) demonstrations by the class as a whole to 2) demonstrations by smaller groups, and finally to 3) demonstrations by individual students. Assessment of skill learning can only take place at level three, the individual, level of performance.
- It is vitally important that the teacher be sure that one concept has been acquired, that one skill level has been mastered, before expecting students to move on to another, more involved concept level, to yet another higher skill level.
Pedagogical Process
-The teaching process is:
Prepare----make conscious----reinforce----assess
-The learning process is:
Hear/perform---infer/derive---hear/construct/notate---read---create
Musical Materials
-The quality of the songs and listening examples to be used in teaching is of vital importance to the Kodaly teacher. They must either be authentic folk songs or art music of unquestionable quality. He believed deeply that the inculcation of musical taste must be a primary goal of music education and that children would learn to love good music only is they were taught through good music. Music must be age and learning appropriate always.
Orff
-An Orff class demands from the teacher flexibility and energy. There is a constant exchange or ideas between student and teacher. Students are never told or explained to but rather left to learn and discover for themselves. Questions are open ended. Guided in the right direction, students will learn for themselves new rhythmic and melodic ideals. This process demands careful and detailed planning by the teacher.
Lesson Planning
-The major goals of all Orff practice are:
1) sense of community
2) understanding of the organization of music
3) comprehension of music as an art
4) musical independence
5) personal musical growth
6) performance ability
7) self-esteem
-The success of the Orff process is evident when students can transfer the concepts and skills acquired in one experience to another new experience, and adapt what they have learned to new situations and new materials.
Musical Materials
- Materials for teaching may be chosen both from the culture of the children and from other cultures around the world. The teacher must choose carefully, keeping the children who will use the material in mind. Folk songs and games comprise a large part of the teaching repertory, with the addition of arranged and composed songs from the five volumes of Music for Children and its many supplements. Each teacher must design programs directed at the children served. The music in an Orff class should be live when possible. Learning to respond to musical cues and live stimuli is paramount in the Schulwerk.
Physical Setting
-The ideal Orff classroom is an open space with a floor designed for movement in bare feet. If Orff instruments are available, an area in the room should be set aside large enough to have them arranged in a wide semicircle. Most activities are done in a semi or full circle so that all participants can see and hear one another. The piano may be used in the Schulwerk but is limited. Acappella singing is considered most desirable. Ensemble is the key element in the Schulwerk: ensemble in speaking, singing, dancing, and playing.
Comprehensive Musicianship (CM)
CM is a flexible philosophy which does not dictate a particular technique or learning approach. Rather, is suggests learning roles and teaching roles within any methodological context. The structural elements of music are presented to the students by many avenues and are guided by experiences in composition, analysis, and performance. The goal of CM is to help students gain insights into the nature of music, its variety of styles, and the many uses it has in the lives of people.
Role of the Teacher
-The CM teacher must develop pedagogical techniques for integrating the various aspects of the art of music in every teaching situation. The teacher must synthesize the common elements of music during a learning experience and must guide the students into the important roles of listener, performer, and composer, based on the students’ individual comprehension levels, abilities, and interests.
Planning for Musical Learning
-A CM program in the elementary school emphasizes an integrated approach to music study and strives to reduce fragmented teaching and learning by providing opportunities for students to see relationships in music.
-The learning contract- used in the Cm setting is a written agreement, drawn up by the student with guidance from the teacher and signed by the student, that obligates the student to complete a specified number of tasks leading to a terminal goal or musical project.
-The learning activity package- provides a clear set of directions and instruction for the student to use at his or her own pace in order to develop a conceptual understanding of a specific idea or set of ideas in music or to develop specific musical skills.
-The learning center- units or modules which are constructed in various areas of the classroom or the school. Students experience the activities and the tasks of the unites and modules as their personal schedules dictate and at their own learning rates.
Books for the Music Classroom
Books in a music classroom can be both beneficial and daunting. I decided to analyze 3 chapter books from a Middle/High School instructional Music Theory Text and 2 picture books from the Elementary level.
“Ten Little Monkeys”
Author: Annie Kubler
Illustrator: Tina Freeman
Publisher: Child’s Play International
Copyright: 2001, Child’s Play International
ISBN # 9780859537988
Genre: Young children’s picture book
Library Location: Amarillo Public Library Northwest
This picture book is an adorable short read, about 8 pages. It’s got wonderful illustration that is full of color and easy to see far away. The story is always fun for the children; some of them will probably know it well. I really like this author, the way she organizes her books it makes them very accessible to the kids. The colors and illustrations are bright and interesting but not over the top as to be too distracting to the reader. It’s a modern take on a common children’s story. This book would be a great rhythm book for the class. The steady beat could be kept by the students and the teacher could read the story in rhythm while showing the pages. Essentially the possibilities are endless because you can change up the tempo, have the students read the story while the teacher keeps the beat, use musical instruments to keep the beat, and even give melody to the story and teach the children a song! The melody could even be created without singing but just by altering the pitch in your voice when speaking, to emphasize the nuance of the different words. There are also cross curricular benefits to this book including counting as well as the adjusting of nuance in the voice to teach word stress.
“
"The Wheels on the Bus”
Author: Annie Kubler
Illustrator: Annie Kubler
Publisher: Child’s Play International
Copyright: 2007, Child’s Play International
ISBN # 1904550665
Genre: Young children’s picture book
Library Location: Amarillo Public Library Northwest
This is another great picture book. The illustrations are rich and colorful but not overwhelming. It’s well organized by sections which makes it easily accessible to the students and to the teacher in terms of presentation and memorization by the students. One of the great things about using this book in a music classroom is that it already has a song that teachers can use from students prior knowledge. It’s a fresh take on a well known children’s song. The content of this book is vast; cross curricular as well as movement and a game could also be created for the students to play. This book is a must have for elementary music teachers in their classroom.
“Essentials of Music Theory: Book 1”
Author: Andrew Surmani, Karen Farnum Surmani, and Morton Manus
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.,Inc.
Copyright: MCMXCVII, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN # 0882848941
Genre: Musical Theory Instructional Text for the young musician
Library Location: AISD materials, Caprock High School and Personal Collection
This text is the first in a 3 book Music Theory instructional set. It starts in the very basic areas of general music theory for the music classroom. I love the organization of this book; it’s separated into Units that follow a logical order of learning in terms of music theory. I do, however, disagree with the authors’ choice to save the Unit about sharps, flats, and naturals (Unit 6) until the very end. I would probably teach that unit before the unit on dynamics, tempo markings, and articulation (Unit 5). I think the idea of starting ear training early in music education is amazing and this book has an ear training section at the end of each Unit. I would use this book all the time in the classroom. It gives the students the opportunity to learn practical information about music and apply it in a valuable way. This book is practical for the music classroom as well because it also comes with a student work book and teacher handbook. I would suggest its use in the Middle School classroom for any music area (band, choir, and orchestra).
“Essentials of Music Theory: Book 2”
Author: Andrew Surmani, Karen Farnum Surmani, and Morton Manus
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.,Inc.
Copyright: MCMXCVIII, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN # 088284895X
Genre: Musical Theory Instructional Text for the young musician
Library Location: AISD materials, Caprock High School and Personal Collection
This book is the second in a 3 book Music Theory instructional set. The organization of Units in this book is great. The Units are divided into lessons that teach in a progression the principals of music theory. In this book I find some of the Units a little too advanced for Middle School students. I would divide the Units differently than how it’s presented depending on the knowledge base of my class. I also would not teach Units 8 or 9 until after Unit 12. I believe it might confuse students to learn too much about the musical theory breakdown of scales and intervals before they understand triple meter. I love the ear traning sections, and the review sections. These books are amazing and I would use in the Middle School and High School classroom for any music area (band, choir, and orchestra).
“Essentials of Music Theory: Book 3”
Author: Andrew Surmani, Karen Farnum Surmani, and Morton Manus
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.,Inc.
Copyright: MCMXCVIII, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN # 0882848968
Genre: Musical Theory Instructional Text for the young musician
Library Location: AISD materials, Caprock High School and Personal Collection
This is the third book in a 3 book set of Music Theory instruction books. This is my least favorite book at least in terms of the organizations of Units. This last book teaches the more advanced music theory for High School musicians. It’s a great progression of music theory information, I would just teach it in a different order. I would most definitely use this text in my music classes but I would move Units 13, 14, and 15 for the very last. I don’t think it makes musical sense to teach modes, inversions, or modified scales before basic forms of musical composition. I love that they are challenging the musician to learn advanced theory but I would not teach that information in the order it’s presented in the book. Again, I really enjoy that each unit has an ear training section and a review section. I highly recommend this book for music teachers in any genre of music. It’s teaches a wide variety of different musical information and exposes the students to basic and advanced theory knowledge.
“Ten Little Monkeys”
Author: Annie Kubler
Illustrator: Tina Freeman
Publisher: Child’s Play International
Copyright: 2001, Child’s Play International
ISBN # 9780859537988
Genre: Young children’s picture book
Library Location: Amarillo Public Library Northwest
This picture book is an adorable short read, about 8 pages. It’s got wonderful illustration that is full of color and easy to see far away. The story is always fun for the children; some of them will probably know it well. I really like this author, the way she organizes her books it makes them very accessible to the kids. The colors and illustrations are bright and interesting but not over the top as to be too distracting to the reader. It’s a modern take on a common children’s story. This book would be a great rhythm book for the class. The steady beat could be kept by the students and the teacher could read the story in rhythm while showing the pages. Essentially the possibilities are endless because you can change up the tempo, have the students read the story while the teacher keeps the beat, use musical instruments to keep the beat, and even give melody to the story and teach the children a song! The melody could even be created without singing but just by altering the pitch in your voice when speaking, to emphasize the nuance of the different words. There are also cross curricular benefits to this book including counting as well as the adjusting of nuance in the voice to teach word stress.
“
"The Wheels on the Bus”
Author: Annie Kubler
Illustrator: Annie Kubler
Publisher: Child’s Play International
Copyright: 2007, Child’s Play International
ISBN # 1904550665
Genre: Young children’s picture book
Library Location: Amarillo Public Library Northwest
This is another great picture book. The illustrations are rich and colorful but not overwhelming. It’s well organized by sections which makes it easily accessible to the students and to the teacher in terms of presentation and memorization by the students. One of the great things about using this book in a music classroom is that it already has a song that teachers can use from students prior knowledge. It’s a fresh take on a well known children’s song. The content of this book is vast; cross curricular as well as movement and a game could also be created for the students to play. This book is a must have for elementary music teachers in their classroom.
“Essentials of Music Theory: Book 1”
Author: Andrew Surmani, Karen Farnum Surmani, and Morton Manus
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.,Inc.
Copyright: MCMXCVII, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN # 0882848941
Genre: Musical Theory Instructional Text for the young musician
Library Location: AISD materials, Caprock High School and Personal Collection
This text is the first in a 3 book Music Theory instructional set. It starts in the very basic areas of general music theory for the music classroom. I love the organization of this book; it’s separated into Units that follow a logical order of learning in terms of music theory. I do, however, disagree with the authors’ choice to save the Unit about sharps, flats, and naturals (Unit 6) until the very end. I would probably teach that unit before the unit on dynamics, tempo markings, and articulation (Unit 5). I think the idea of starting ear training early in music education is amazing and this book has an ear training section at the end of each Unit. I would use this book all the time in the classroom. It gives the students the opportunity to learn practical information about music and apply it in a valuable way. This book is practical for the music classroom as well because it also comes with a student work book and teacher handbook. I would suggest its use in the Middle School classroom for any music area (band, choir, and orchestra).
“Essentials of Music Theory: Book 2”
Author: Andrew Surmani, Karen Farnum Surmani, and Morton Manus
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.,Inc.
Copyright: MCMXCVIII, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN # 088284895X
Genre: Musical Theory Instructional Text for the young musician
Library Location: AISD materials, Caprock High School and Personal Collection
This book is the second in a 3 book Music Theory instructional set. The organization of Units in this book is great. The Units are divided into lessons that teach in a progression the principals of music theory. In this book I find some of the Units a little too advanced for Middle School students. I would divide the Units differently than how it’s presented depending on the knowledge base of my class. I also would not teach Units 8 or 9 until after Unit 12. I believe it might confuse students to learn too much about the musical theory breakdown of scales and intervals before they understand triple meter. I love the ear traning sections, and the review sections. These books are amazing and I would use in the Middle School and High School classroom for any music area (band, choir, and orchestra).
“Essentials of Music Theory: Book 3”
Author: Andrew Surmani, Karen Farnum Surmani, and Morton Manus
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co.,Inc.
Copyright: MCMXCVIII, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN # 0882848968
Genre: Musical Theory Instructional Text for the young musician
Library Location: AISD materials, Caprock High School and Personal Collection
This is the third book in a 3 book set of Music Theory instruction books. This is my least favorite book at least in terms of the organizations of Units. This last book teaches the more advanced music theory for High School musicians. It’s a great progression of music theory information, I would just teach it in a different order. I would most definitely use this text in my music classes but I would move Units 13, 14, and 15 for the very last. I don’t think it makes musical sense to teach modes, inversions, or modified scales before basic forms of musical composition. I love that they are challenging the musician to learn advanced theory but I would not teach that information in the order it’s presented in the book. Again, I really enjoy that each unit has an ear training section and a review section. I highly recommend this book for music teachers in any genre of music. It’s teaches a wide variety of different musical information and exposes the students to basic and advanced theory knowledge.
Proper Classroom Procedures-Elementary Music
Procedure: I will treat other students with care and respect at all times.
Consequence: I will lose free-time and must apologize.
Procedure: I will stay in my assigned spot unless my teacher asks me to do something else.
Consequence: I must sit alone during free-time.
Procedure: I will raise my hand to ask and answer questions, and I will not yell.
Consequence: I will lose 10 minutes of free-time.
Procedure: I will complete all of my assignments.
Consequence: I must finish my assignment during free-time.
Procedure: I will participate in classroom clean-up.
Consequence: I will clean-up by myself during free-time.
Procedure: I will participate in all classroom activities.
Consequence: I will lose free-time and my teacher will call my parents.
Procedure: I will follow the classroom procedures daily and will accept the consequences if I do not.
Consequence: I will be sent to the office and my teacher will call my parents.
M aking music is fun!
U nderstanding music is important!
S haring my musical talent is exciting!
I can express myself through music!
C reating and learning music is spectacular!
Consequence: I will lose free-time and must apologize.
Procedure: I will stay in my assigned spot unless my teacher asks me to do something else.
Consequence: I must sit alone during free-time.
Procedure: I will raise my hand to ask and answer questions, and I will not yell.
Consequence: I will lose 10 minutes of free-time.
Procedure: I will complete all of my assignments.
Consequence: I must finish my assignment during free-time.
Procedure: I will participate in classroom clean-up.
Consequence: I will clean-up by myself during free-time.
Procedure: I will participate in all classroom activities.
Consequence: I will lose free-time and my teacher will call my parents.
Procedure: I will follow the classroom procedures daily and will accept the consequences if I do not.
Consequence: I will be sent to the office and my teacher will call my parents.
M aking music is fun!
U nderstanding music is important!
S haring my musical talent is exciting!
I can express myself through music!
C reating and learning music is spectacular!
Warm Ups!!
Make the most of your warm-up time
Warm-ups
Pedagogical teaching for pedagogical goals
Vocal goals
Relaxed tone
Expanded range and agility
Non-vocal goals
Focus, mental
Take time to bring the ensemble to focus
Increase or decrease energy
Introduce concepts or troubleshoot issues in literature
Engage body (muscle, skeletal)
Hooking up the breath, breath game
-Not about volume or vibrato
Start with easy descending line (relaxes the instrument)
Always begin in the middle register
Engage the mind! Play games with solfege, rhythm. Keep pulse somewhere on the body.
Work in improvisation
Passive learning of solfege
Use what you are going to find in your music rep. Let your warm-ups reflect your music.
Just rhythm, some lit is harder in rhythm than in melodic structure. Good to exercise just rhythm.
-Large and small differences on the steady beat and on the upbeat, also syncopation.
Work with vowels that you will be rehearsing with! (French, German, Italian, Spanish vowels) They will become more familiar to your students.
Not all warm-ups have to be ee-oh-oo-ah!
Large range vocalise to teach unity of vowels through registers and ranges, becomes habitual to students might play into your rehearsal.
Don’t over inform your students (pet the dog, hit the dog, pick fleas off the dog) stylistic changes.
Intonation- Half step unison movement
Tambre- different tone colors, appropriate tone/style for songs, distinguishing between styles (take one excerpt and sing in multiple styles)
Work in mixed meter!!!
Have a musical experience; warm-ups set the tone for your entire rehearsal.
The quality of the accompaniment affects the singing.
Voice to voice rather than piano to voice!!!! For students who also have trouble matching pitch. They usually have a better time matching voice to voice rather than hearing it from the computer
Know where your ensemble is comfortable singing, know your own voice!
Be able to play piano while listening and watching.
Let your choir member walk around while singing. Gives them freedom to hear themselves and others in a relaxed way
Listen to a recording of a great choir or solo singer.
Move by minor third rather than steps always, sometimes major third.
Make up your own fun grooves! Give students opportunity to improv.
Keep the kids engaged and guessing.
RESOURCES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Warm-ups
Pedagogical teaching for pedagogical goals
Vocal goals
Relaxed tone
Expanded range and agility
Non-vocal goals
Focus, mental
Take time to bring the ensemble to focus
Increase or decrease energy
Introduce concepts or troubleshoot issues in literature
Engage body (muscle, skeletal)
Hooking up the breath, breath game
-Not about volume or vibrato
Start with easy descending line (relaxes the instrument)
Always begin in the middle register
Engage the mind! Play games with solfege, rhythm. Keep pulse somewhere on the body.
Work in improvisation
Passive learning of solfege
Use what you are going to find in your music rep. Let your warm-ups reflect your music.
Just rhythm, some lit is harder in rhythm than in melodic structure. Good to exercise just rhythm.
-Large and small differences on the steady beat and on the upbeat, also syncopation.
Work with vowels that you will be rehearsing with! (French, German, Italian, Spanish vowels) They will become more familiar to your students.
Not all warm-ups have to be ee-oh-oo-ah!
Large range vocalise to teach unity of vowels through registers and ranges, becomes habitual to students might play into your rehearsal.
Don’t over inform your students (pet the dog, hit the dog, pick fleas off the dog) stylistic changes.
Intonation- Half step unison movement
Tambre- different tone colors, appropriate tone/style for songs, distinguishing between styles (take one excerpt and sing in multiple styles)
Work in mixed meter!!!
Have a musical experience; warm-ups set the tone for your entire rehearsal.
The quality of the accompaniment affects the singing.
Voice to voice rather than piano to voice!!!! For students who also have trouble matching pitch. They usually have a better time matching voice to voice rather than hearing it from the computer
Know where your ensemble is comfortable singing, know your own voice!
Be able to play piano while listening and watching.
Let your choir member walk around while singing. Gives them freedom to hear themselves and others in a relaxed way
Listen to a recording of a great choir or solo singer.
Move by minor third rather than steps always, sometimes major third.
Make up your own fun grooves! Give students opportunity to improv.
Keep the kids engaged and guessing.
RESOURCES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Ron Clark Story-Evaluation based on TExES competencies
“The Ron Clark Story” was an inspirational film that highlighted many of the key elements to being a great teacher. In Competency 4 we learned about how learning occurs. It is vitally important for a teacher to understand how each student learns and how learning occurs in a classroom in a group setting. In the movie there is a scene when Mr. Clark is grading the President’s test and realizes that all his students failed. While he’s grading these tests he hears rap music from his neighbor’s apartment and gets the idea to teach the kids the order of the Presidents through a rap. The kids respond well to this method of teaching and learn the needed material. They have fun with their teacher and learn at the same time, developing trust and communication with him and also increasing their self-confidence. This is a great example of understanding how learning occurs.
We talk about assessment in Competency 10. Assessment is a tricky thing for teachers because there are so many different kinds of valid assessment. In the movie, however, the biggest kind of assessment is formal, in the form of a standardized test. Mr. Clark prepares his students for this standardized test through the year and goes above and beyond to teach his class the materials they are expected to learn. His hard work and the hard work of his students pay off, as they test higher than even the honors class, and have one student who scores perfect scores in two areas. Throughout the movie you also see Mr. Clark asking his students informal questions about the material, and this assessment is an effective way to know what your classes strengths and weaknesses are.
Competency 8 discusses student motivation and engagement. Mr. Clark showed an uncanny ability to engage his children in the classroom. In one particular scene he challenges the students to stay quiet during his lesson by promising them that he would drink a container of chocolate milk for every 15 seconds that pass without disruption. After he’s finished with the lesson and there is no chocolate milk left he asks if anyone can tell him the answer to his question. One student answers his questions correctly and that creates an environment of confidence and learning that all the students can benefit from. Mr. Clark engaged his students through stories, games, and positive reinforcement. He motivated them with praise words and actions as well as exciting and active lessons. When you create a fun environment to learn in, your students will feel more comfortable to expand their learning horizons.
Managing student behavior is what we discuss in Competency 6 and is a huge component of this film as well as many classrooms around the country. Something that Mr. Clark did to help manage his classroom was to create rules that were stated positively and posted clearly for the entire class to see. It didn’t work immediately but it made a lasting effect on the function of his classroom. Mr. Clark also decorated his classroom in a positive and creative way that made the students feel like they were in a safer learning environment therefore decreasing behavioral problems. He modified poor behavior not by yelling or “calling out” the student but by simply acknowledging the bad behavior and modeling the correct behavior. He used the technique that ignores the undesirable behavior in hope that the new more positive and effective behavior will take its place. His efforts to create good behavior in his students were a daily struggle as we saw in the scene where he teaches them to walk in a line in and out of the classroom, but with determination and the correct technique of discipline as well as positive reinforcement and routine practice, his class soon learns how to act properly in a learning environment.
In Competency 3 we learn about designing effective planning. This entire story demonstrates effective planning. In almost every scene of this film we see Mr. Clark hard at work planning his lessons and executing them with his students. His preparation of the classroom and learning materials as well as his observations of how his students learn played a huge role in his success as their teacher. His planning started from when he went to the students homes to speak with the parents about their children. Mr. Clark had a plan to involve the parents in the student learning, which ended up playing in his favor because he learned about the background of this students and gained parental trust and support in a community where they weren’t used to teacher interaction. He effectively planned by teaching things in an ordered sequence of learning so that his students would be successful and gain confidence. Mr. Clark showed a great deal of effective planning in his classroom and it rewarded his students as well as him in many different ways.
“The Ron Clark Story” was an amazing movie to watch as a future educator. It motivated me to be the kind of teacher that always goes above and beyond for her students. Mr. Clark’s dedication to his class proved to be one of the biggest factors of his student’s success and that is quite possibly the most important lesson of all. When a teacher invests their talent, time, and heart in their students the students will have a better chance of success. So many students never get a supportive environment to flourish in. Mr. Clark created a safe, fun, motivational environment for his students and told them that each and every one of them could accomplish anything they wanted. He invested in his kids and they succeeded. I will always strive to be one of those teachers for my students. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and plan on telling my other teaching friends about it. There need to be more Ron Clark’s in the world. Our future generations deserve the best education we can give them, and with great teachers, anything is possible.
We talk about assessment in Competency 10. Assessment is a tricky thing for teachers because there are so many different kinds of valid assessment. In the movie, however, the biggest kind of assessment is formal, in the form of a standardized test. Mr. Clark prepares his students for this standardized test through the year and goes above and beyond to teach his class the materials they are expected to learn. His hard work and the hard work of his students pay off, as they test higher than even the honors class, and have one student who scores perfect scores in two areas. Throughout the movie you also see Mr. Clark asking his students informal questions about the material, and this assessment is an effective way to know what your classes strengths and weaknesses are.
Competency 8 discusses student motivation and engagement. Mr. Clark showed an uncanny ability to engage his children in the classroom. In one particular scene he challenges the students to stay quiet during his lesson by promising them that he would drink a container of chocolate milk for every 15 seconds that pass without disruption. After he’s finished with the lesson and there is no chocolate milk left he asks if anyone can tell him the answer to his question. One student answers his questions correctly and that creates an environment of confidence and learning that all the students can benefit from. Mr. Clark engaged his students through stories, games, and positive reinforcement. He motivated them with praise words and actions as well as exciting and active lessons. When you create a fun environment to learn in, your students will feel more comfortable to expand their learning horizons.
Managing student behavior is what we discuss in Competency 6 and is a huge component of this film as well as many classrooms around the country. Something that Mr. Clark did to help manage his classroom was to create rules that were stated positively and posted clearly for the entire class to see. It didn’t work immediately but it made a lasting effect on the function of his classroom. Mr. Clark also decorated his classroom in a positive and creative way that made the students feel like they were in a safer learning environment therefore decreasing behavioral problems. He modified poor behavior not by yelling or “calling out” the student but by simply acknowledging the bad behavior and modeling the correct behavior. He used the technique that ignores the undesirable behavior in hope that the new more positive and effective behavior will take its place. His efforts to create good behavior in his students were a daily struggle as we saw in the scene where he teaches them to walk in a line in and out of the classroom, but with determination and the correct technique of discipline as well as positive reinforcement and routine practice, his class soon learns how to act properly in a learning environment.
In Competency 3 we learn about designing effective planning. This entire story demonstrates effective planning. In almost every scene of this film we see Mr. Clark hard at work planning his lessons and executing them with his students. His preparation of the classroom and learning materials as well as his observations of how his students learn played a huge role in his success as their teacher. His planning started from when he went to the students homes to speak with the parents about their children. Mr. Clark had a plan to involve the parents in the student learning, which ended up playing in his favor because he learned about the background of this students and gained parental trust and support in a community where they weren’t used to teacher interaction. He effectively planned by teaching things in an ordered sequence of learning so that his students would be successful and gain confidence. Mr. Clark showed a great deal of effective planning in his classroom and it rewarded his students as well as him in many different ways.
“The Ron Clark Story” was an amazing movie to watch as a future educator. It motivated me to be the kind of teacher that always goes above and beyond for her students. Mr. Clark’s dedication to his class proved to be one of the biggest factors of his student’s success and that is quite possibly the most important lesson of all. When a teacher invests their talent, time, and heart in their students the students will have a better chance of success. So many students never get a supportive environment to flourish in. Mr. Clark created a safe, fun, motivational environment for his students and told them that each and every one of them could accomplish anything they wanted. He invested in his kids and they succeeded. I will always strive to be one of those teachers for my students. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and plan on telling my other teaching friends about it. There need to be more Ron Clark’s in the world. Our future generations deserve the best education we can give them, and with great teachers, anything is possible.
Website Evaluations
1) Name of Web Site: DSO Kids
Mission Statement:
DSO Kids is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's magical doorway to a world of musical fun and learning for students, parents and teachers. The site's mission is to provide attractive, accessible and child-friendly resources that introduce symphonic music, the orchestra and its instruments, and to encourage both adults and young people to explore the world of the symphony orchestra.
2) Web Site Address: www.dso.com
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Copyright 2010, Dallas Symphony Association
4) Author/organization credentials: There is not a specific author for this website and there are no credentials listed. The DSO Education Department is mentioned several times in the Educational Resources section of the website.
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of the website is appealing to students and teachers. It’s has very clear font and uses bright colors and big tabs which makes it easier for use by children. The navigation of the site is very logical and it would be easy to tell a student exactly where to go on the site without confusion. There are multiple sections on the first page that showcase events and special listening examples as well as a section marked for teachers. At the top of the home page there is a navigation bar that has several different areas for students including a games section, listening section, an activities at home section, a section for the DSO youth programs, a visit the symphony section, and a DSO kids club section. Within each section there are subsections to choose from making it easier to navigate to exactly the right area. Inside the section for teachers there are fantastic educational resources. There is a main resources page for teachers, the tab being at the very top left of the home page. The main teacher resource page lists multiple teacher resources by way of website, text, recordings, videos, and classroom materials. There are sections in the teacher’s area for educational programs, there is a lesson plan database, and also education music links. Overall the design of this website is clean and easy to follow.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: I really enjoyed finding this website; it’s a great general music resource for grade K-8 students. Music teachers could easily add this website into their curriculum and find multiple uses in just one content area on the site. The lesson plan database for teachers makes it easy for a teacher to integrate this site without too much extra work because the lesson plan is already worked out and the content is very substantial and have multiple uses. This site is something kids can access at home with their parents or on campus in the computer lab and listen to homework assignments of the listening examples. It’s also a website the kids can use for fun with the games section that challenges and increases the accessibility of the musical knowledge the teacher is trying to impart on students. I like that the kids can actually join the DSO kids club and receive the benefits from that membership that would include periodic e-mails full of games and resources, a DSO pencil and notepad, a music video, and “All about Jaap” – and introduction to the DSO music director. I would use this site on a regular basis in any general music class. This website would be especially beneficial when studying the instruments of symphonies and the music of orchestras. This website gets an A+ for ease of navigation and well-rounded section development as well as an amazing teacher resource area. I can’t wait to use it!
1) Name of Web Site: Kids.gov
2) Web Site Address: www.kids.gov
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Last revision 2/2/2010
4) Author/organization credentials: There is no specific author or credentials listed on the site. The site does say that the service is provided by the Federal Citizen Information Center of the Office of Citizen Services, U.S. General Services Administration.
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of the website isn’t very appealing. The colors are bland and the font isn’t very fun. I see it being difficult for kids having intrinsic motivation to spend time on this site. The home page has a search bar which I think is a great plus and makes it easy to just type in what you’re looking for instead of having to sift through all the information. On the homepage there are larger boxed off sections that highlight Hot Topics, Career Spotlight, and the Site of the Month. The top of the home page is divided into tabs marked Home, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, Educators, and Site Map. Within these sections are subsections that highlight various different educational needs of the specific ages of the students. The subsections are easy to get to and they include arts, careers, computers, games, government, health, science, social studies, math, money, and state websites. The educator subsections include a note to educators as well as the exact same subsections as the student areas. The site map clearly lists on one page all that the site has to offer. The navigation of the website is very clear and logical. It wouldn’t be a challenge to get a group of kids to the same place on this site.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: This website has some very valuable information and is extremely educationally beneficial. However, the presentation of the information on the site is not as appealing as I think it should be considering it is mainly a site for kids. The colors and font don’t offer anything exciting enough to entice the interest of kids on their own. The way the site is divided it is very clear for students where they are meant to go based on their grade level. The site is for grade K-8 students. I would use this site in my class for special assignments or projects but probably not for a regular use mainly because I feel like the presentation isn’t very interesting and I know kids would not be as interested in it. There is bounteous information for general education as well as music on this site; it has great potential to assist in cross-curricular lesson purposes. Overall, this website gets a B- for lack of exciting visual stimuli, however, the amount of information from all aspects of early education makes up for its shortcomings enough so that I would still use the site for teaching purposes from time to time.
1) Name of Web Site: From the Top
2) Web Site Address: www.fromthetop.org
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Copyright 2009, From the Top
4) Author/organization credentials: There is no specific author or credentials listed on the webpage. The website is a site for an NPR program called From the Top hosted by Christopher O’Riley. The program is heralded as contemporary culture’s feel-good success story, and reaches more than 700,000 listeners each week. From the Top has been the preeminent showcase for America’s best young musicians. Through award-winning NPR and PBS programs, online media, a national tour of live events, and education programs, From the Top shares the stories and performances of pre-collegiate musicians.
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of this website is really exciting. It is simple but still has exciting information that pops out at the viewer when they log on to the homepage. The homepage displays multiple options for blogs, videos, performance schedules, and past radio show recordings. The top of the homepage displays tabs for the NPR Radio Program, PBS Television Program, Be on the Show, Community Engagements, Scholarship, For Teachers, and Alumni Gateway. Above the main tabs are smaller tabs for the About section, Blog, Support, Store, and Contact. There is also a search bar which allows for easy access to specific information. Featured on the homepage are bigger tabs for recent Blog News, Concerts and Events, and an area for information on This Week’s Radio Show. The navigation of this site is easy and logical. It would be effortless to assign students a specific thing to look for or research. This site links with multiple social networking sites which makes it more enticing for modern students to become interested in following the programs on their own. It also gives them the opportunity to access information anytime and anywhere. The navigation was a breeze.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: I really enjoyed finding this site and looking through all the information presented. There is a plethora of educational benefits for this site. I love that it is tied to the NPR show From the Top which makes it unique from other education websites. The site offers links for scholarships, concert dates in different cities, and recordings of the shows. It’s very interactive by way of blogging and videos. There is a tab for educators and the educator section offers a teaching kit that contains multimedia products that you could use in the classroom. There is also a blog for teachers as well as educational information websites for music educators. This site would be for grade 9-12 students. I would most definitely use this website in my classroom. It would be very beneficial to the students to get them hooked on a program that showcases musicians of their own age. Since students are in school and would be unable to access the radio show at the normal airing time, this website offers a medium to still experience such a fantastic music program for young musicians. Students could also have the opportunity to audition to be showcased on the radio program. I would also assign special projects for students based on videos or blogs that would be posted on the site. There would be research involved and the website provides sound information that is high quality and reliable. Overall, this website gets an A+ for extensive quality content, ease of navigation, simple design, and the unique quality of being tied to an NPR radio show.
1) Name of Web Site: Ricci Adams’ musictheory.net
2) Web Site Address: www.musictheory.net
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Copyright 2000-2009, Ricci Adams
4) Author/organization credentials: Author: Ricci Adams, B.S. Computer Science
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of this site is very clear cut and to the point. On the homepage there are three tabs for Translations (into different languages), About, and Contact. Below those tabs are scroll tabs that go right into the education information of the site. There is a Lessons tab, a Trainers tab, and a Utilities tab. The Lessons section offers beginning to advanced music theory information, the Trainers section offers beginning to advanced ear training theory information, and the Utilities sections offers a Staff Paper Generator, a Chord Calculator, and a Matrix Generator. The navigation of this site is absolutely perfect for students of all backgrounds; it would be easy for computer literate and computer illiterate students to use. There are no fun pictures or games but the material is so great and solid that there’s no need for anything other than what the author intended.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: This site is a true gem. It has a fantastic learning scope for students of all levels of music theory. It would be used for grade 6-12 students. I would use this website on a weekly basis in my classroom for general music theory knowledge. I would assign students sections from the site and then test them on their knowledge through application of the music theory. This site is easily accessible and would be interesting for any student wanting to improve their musical language knowledge. The way the theory is presented is very logical and would complement the music classroom in a highly constructive way. This website is a must for teachers who want their students to really learn more music theory and be able to apply that knowledge on a daily basis in the classroom as well as private music learning areas. Overall, this site gets an A+ for easily accessible music theory information presented in a clear and easy to understand format. I can’t wait to use this site in my teaching now!
1) Name of Web Site: Morton Subotnick’s Creating Music
Mission Statement:
Creatingmusic.com is a children's online creative music environment for children of all ages. It's a place for kids to compose music, play with musical performance, music games and music puzzles. Come discover fun and easy ways to make music.
2) Web Site Address: www.creatingmusic.com
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Copyright 1999, Morton Subotnick
4) Author/organization credentials: Author: Morton Subotnick, Producer: Morton Subotnick, Art Director: Leslie Sawin Kepner, Animation: Steven Subotnick, Shockwave Programming: Morton Subotnick, Java Programming: Mark Coniglio, Special Shockwave Programming: Hunter Ochs, Consultants: Jane Wheeler and Sandra Stauffer, Website: Studio X, Santa Fe.
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of this site is fantastic for children. It displays big colorful pictures with text above indicating what the area would be instead of tabs. It is very simply done, there are only six different areas to go to. There are Creating your own Music, Creating Music Store, Playing with music, About Music, Informational Center, and Hearing Music sections. The navigation is quite simple like the design and it would be accessible to even young children. The design of the games and various educational lessons are less than appealing from a music educator point of view. Some of the areas have great ideas in terms of what the designer is trying to teach the students but fall short of success by being difficult to understand how to use the tools. Other than those problems the design of the site and the navigation of the site are perfect for early music learners.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: This site was promising upon discovering it and seeing how it was designed and how easy it would be for very young learners to navigate. It is also an award-winning music website. However, the way the designer has set up different areas of interactive learning makes the application much more complicated than should be expected for the age group they are appealing to. This site would be for grade K-5 students. The site is free but offers educational computer CDs that you can order and have for use in your home or classroom. I would only use this site in the classroom to play the ear training games with the kids. I would encourage parents to let kids access the site at home to play those games or work through other areas where the application of the learning is a little more complicated. Anytime a child can roam around safely in a learning area where they can discover things for themselves is wonderful. I don’t necessarily agree with how the composing game areas use the interactive tools to teach the composition, but I don’t think it could hurt the kids to play around with it in their free time. Overall, this website gets a B for great material but difficult application of most of the concepts.
Mission Statement:
DSO Kids is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's magical doorway to a world of musical fun and learning for students, parents and teachers. The site's mission is to provide attractive, accessible and child-friendly resources that introduce symphonic music, the orchestra and its instruments, and to encourage both adults and young people to explore the world of the symphony orchestra.
2) Web Site Address: www.dso.com
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Copyright 2010, Dallas Symphony Association
4) Author/organization credentials: There is not a specific author for this website and there are no credentials listed. The DSO Education Department is mentioned several times in the Educational Resources section of the website.
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of the website is appealing to students and teachers. It’s has very clear font and uses bright colors and big tabs which makes it easier for use by children. The navigation of the site is very logical and it would be easy to tell a student exactly where to go on the site without confusion. There are multiple sections on the first page that showcase events and special listening examples as well as a section marked for teachers. At the top of the home page there is a navigation bar that has several different areas for students including a games section, listening section, an activities at home section, a section for the DSO youth programs, a visit the symphony section, and a DSO kids club section. Within each section there are subsections to choose from making it easier to navigate to exactly the right area. Inside the section for teachers there are fantastic educational resources. There is a main resources page for teachers, the tab being at the very top left of the home page. The main teacher resource page lists multiple teacher resources by way of website, text, recordings, videos, and classroom materials. There are sections in the teacher’s area for educational programs, there is a lesson plan database, and also education music links. Overall the design of this website is clean and easy to follow.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: I really enjoyed finding this website; it’s a great general music resource for grade K-8 students. Music teachers could easily add this website into their curriculum and find multiple uses in just one content area on the site. The lesson plan database for teachers makes it easy for a teacher to integrate this site without too much extra work because the lesson plan is already worked out and the content is very substantial and have multiple uses. This site is something kids can access at home with their parents or on campus in the computer lab and listen to homework assignments of the listening examples. It’s also a website the kids can use for fun with the games section that challenges and increases the accessibility of the musical knowledge the teacher is trying to impart on students. I like that the kids can actually join the DSO kids club and receive the benefits from that membership that would include periodic e-mails full of games and resources, a DSO pencil and notepad, a music video, and “All about Jaap” – and introduction to the DSO music director. I would use this site on a regular basis in any general music class. This website would be especially beneficial when studying the instruments of symphonies and the music of orchestras. This website gets an A+ for ease of navigation and well-rounded section development as well as an amazing teacher resource area. I can’t wait to use it!
1) Name of Web Site: Kids.gov
2) Web Site Address: www.kids.gov
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Last revision 2/2/2010
4) Author/organization credentials: There is no specific author or credentials listed on the site. The site does say that the service is provided by the Federal Citizen Information Center of the Office of Citizen Services, U.S. General Services Administration.
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of the website isn’t very appealing. The colors are bland and the font isn’t very fun. I see it being difficult for kids having intrinsic motivation to spend time on this site. The home page has a search bar which I think is a great plus and makes it easy to just type in what you’re looking for instead of having to sift through all the information. On the homepage there are larger boxed off sections that highlight Hot Topics, Career Spotlight, and the Site of the Month. The top of the home page is divided into tabs marked Home, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, Educators, and Site Map. Within these sections are subsections that highlight various different educational needs of the specific ages of the students. The subsections are easy to get to and they include arts, careers, computers, games, government, health, science, social studies, math, money, and state websites. The educator subsections include a note to educators as well as the exact same subsections as the student areas. The site map clearly lists on one page all that the site has to offer. The navigation of the website is very clear and logical. It wouldn’t be a challenge to get a group of kids to the same place on this site.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: This website has some very valuable information and is extremely educationally beneficial. However, the presentation of the information on the site is not as appealing as I think it should be considering it is mainly a site for kids. The colors and font don’t offer anything exciting enough to entice the interest of kids on their own. The way the site is divided it is very clear for students where they are meant to go based on their grade level. The site is for grade K-8 students. I would use this site in my class for special assignments or projects but probably not for a regular use mainly because I feel like the presentation isn’t very interesting and I know kids would not be as interested in it. There is bounteous information for general education as well as music on this site; it has great potential to assist in cross-curricular lesson purposes. Overall, this website gets a B- for lack of exciting visual stimuli, however, the amount of information from all aspects of early education makes up for its shortcomings enough so that I would still use the site for teaching purposes from time to time.
1) Name of Web Site: From the Top
2) Web Site Address: www.fromthetop.org
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Copyright 2009, From the Top
4) Author/organization credentials: There is no specific author or credentials listed on the webpage. The website is a site for an NPR program called From the Top hosted by Christopher O’Riley. The program is heralded as contemporary culture’s feel-good success story, and reaches more than 700,000 listeners each week. From the Top has been the preeminent showcase for America’s best young musicians. Through award-winning NPR and PBS programs, online media, a national tour of live events, and education programs, From the Top shares the stories and performances of pre-collegiate musicians.
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of this website is really exciting. It is simple but still has exciting information that pops out at the viewer when they log on to the homepage. The homepage displays multiple options for blogs, videos, performance schedules, and past radio show recordings. The top of the homepage displays tabs for the NPR Radio Program, PBS Television Program, Be on the Show, Community Engagements, Scholarship, For Teachers, and Alumni Gateway. Above the main tabs are smaller tabs for the About section, Blog, Support, Store, and Contact. There is also a search bar which allows for easy access to specific information. Featured on the homepage are bigger tabs for recent Blog News, Concerts and Events, and an area for information on This Week’s Radio Show. The navigation of this site is easy and logical. It would be effortless to assign students a specific thing to look for or research. This site links with multiple social networking sites which makes it more enticing for modern students to become interested in following the programs on their own. It also gives them the opportunity to access information anytime and anywhere. The navigation was a breeze.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: I really enjoyed finding this site and looking through all the information presented. There is a plethora of educational benefits for this site. I love that it is tied to the NPR show From the Top which makes it unique from other education websites. The site offers links for scholarships, concert dates in different cities, and recordings of the shows. It’s very interactive by way of blogging and videos. There is a tab for educators and the educator section offers a teaching kit that contains multimedia products that you could use in the classroom. There is also a blog for teachers as well as educational information websites for music educators. This site would be for grade 9-12 students. I would most definitely use this website in my classroom. It would be very beneficial to the students to get them hooked on a program that showcases musicians of their own age. Since students are in school and would be unable to access the radio show at the normal airing time, this website offers a medium to still experience such a fantastic music program for young musicians. Students could also have the opportunity to audition to be showcased on the radio program. I would also assign special projects for students based on videos or blogs that would be posted on the site. There would be research involved and the website provides sound information that is high quality and reliable. Overall, this website gets an A+ for extensive quality content, ease of navigation, simple design, and the unique quality of being tied to an NPR radio show.
1) Name of Web Site: Ricci Adams’ musictheory.net
2) Web Site Address: www.musictheory.net
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Copyright 2000-2009, Ricci Adams
4) Author/organization credentials: Author: Ricci Adams, B.S. Computer Science
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of this site is very clear cut and to the point. On the homepage there are three tabs for Translations (into different languages), About, and Contact. Below those tabs are scroll tabs that go right into the education information of the site. There is a Lessons tab, a Trainers tab, and a Utilities tab. The Lessons section offers beginning to advanced music theory information, the Trainers section offers beginning to advanced ear training theory information, and the Utilities sections offers a Staff Paper Generator, a Chord Calculator, and a Matrix Generator. The navigation of this site is absolutely perfect for students of all backgrounds; it would be easy for computer literate and computer illiterate students to use. There are no fun pictures or games but the material is so great and solid that there’s no need for anything other than what the author intended.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: This site is a true gem. It has a fantastic learning scope for students of all levels of music theory. It would be used for grade 6-12 students. I would use this website on a weekly basis in my classroom for general music theory knowledge. I would assign students sections from the site and then test them on their knowledge through application of the music theory. This site is easily accessible and would be interesting for any student wanting to improve their musical language knowledge. The way the theory is presented is very logical and would complement the music classroom in a highly constructive way. This website is a must for teachers who want their students to really learn more music theory and be able to apply that knowledge on a daily basis in the classroom as well as private music learning areas. Overall, this site gets an A+ for easily accessible music theory information presented in a clear and easy to understand format. I can’t wait to use this site in my teaching now!
1) Name of Web Site: Morton Subotnick’s Creating Music
Mission Statement:
Creatingmusic.com is a children's online creative music environment for children of all ages. It's a place for kids to compose music, play with musical performance, music games and music puzzles. Come discover fun and easy ways to make music.
2) Web Site Address: www.creatingmusic.com
3) Copyright date and/or last update: Copyright 1999, Morton Subotnick
4) Author/organization credentials: Author: Morton Subotnick, Producer: Morton Subotnick, Art Director: Leslie Sawin Kepner, Animation: Steven Subotnick, Shockwave Programming: Morton Subotnick, Java Programming: Mark Coniglio, Special Shockwave Programming: Hunter Ochs, Consultants: Jane Wheeler and Sandra Stauffer, Website: Studio X, Santa Fe.
5) Web site design and ease of navigation: The design of this site is fantastic for children. It displays big colorful pictures with text above indicating what the area would be instead of tabs. It is very simply done, there are only six different areas to go to. There are Creating your own Music, Creating Music Store, Playing with music, About Music, Informational Center, and Hearing Music sections. The navigation is quite simple like the design and it would be accessible to even young children. The design of the games and various educational lessons are less than appealing from a music educator point of view. Some of the areas have great ideas in terms of what the designer is trying to teach the students but fall short of success by being difficult to understand how to use the tools. Other than those problems the design of the site and the navigation of the site are perfect for early music learners.
6) Your response and recommendation for use: This site was promising upon discovering it and seeing how it was designed and how easy it would be for very young learners to navigate. It is also an award-winning music website. However, the way the designer has set up different areas of interactive learning makes the application much more complicated than should be expected for the age group they are appealing to. This site would be for grade K-5 students. The site is free but offers educational computer CDs that you can order and have for use in your home or classroom. I would only use this site in the classroom to play the ear training games with the kids. I would encourage parents to let kids access the site at home to play those games or work through other areas where the application of the learning is a little more complicated. Anytime a child can roam around safely in a learning area where they can discover things for themselves is wonderful. I don’t necessarily agree with how the composing game areas use the interactive tools to teach the composition, but I don’t think it could hurt the kids to play around with it in their free time. Overall, this website gets a B for great material but difficult application of most of the concepts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)