Summary
In this article, Standerfer, (2011) talked about how to incorporate differentiation into the music classroom. She also quoted Carol Ann Tomlinson throughout this article and it is suggested that “We should structure learning to fit the students rather than require that students adapt to fit the curriculum.” Differentiation’s main goal is to include student differences throughout the lesson being taught. We as teachers should look for shared characteristics among students, within a class in order to group students in ways that make the most of the learning experience.”
There were three elements of instruction that were discussed throughout this article: 1) the content to be taught, 2) the learning process in which students are engaged, and 3) the final product to demonstrate what they have mastered. Each of these were described based on the music classroom and ideas were given on how to incorporate differentiation in the music classroom. Standerfer, (2011) states that “Music teachers may unknowingly differentiate by students’ readiness levels or by their musical abilities.” In a band program students are seated based on their ability to play their instrument. The students sitting in first
…show more content…
By grouping students to work on different levels of music, students are given each a challenge for them to understand that piece of music. This article suggests using groups in the music classroom and some examples were given. In Maggie’s elementary music classroom she grouped students into three groups (beginner, moderate, and advanced) and each group had a series of activities that helped the students become more successful in that content area. An example for each group was: the beginner group had many rhythm reading activities, the moderate group had note name review games of the treble clef and the advanced group had practice with placing notes on the grand staff with a the computer game. (Standerfer,
Music dates back many centuries ago. Music was used for an array of things. In some cases, it was used for rituals, to pass messages, or even for celebrations. There are approximately five to six hundred genres of music currently in existent today. Most music would have been said to originate or birth from folk music in America and evolved overtime to form different genres of music. Music has a long history and connection to human beings and their behavior. Music can also affect someone’s behavior whether it be negatively or positively. There have been many studies and research on the effect of music towards human behavior. Specifically hip-hop and soundscape music seem to have the most interesting effects on human behavior. Moreover, to gain better understanding of how music effects human behavior knowing how the brain functions is also essential.
Band teaches life skills. Where independent thinking is the model in most academic classrooms, teamwork is essential in band. Band students learn to work with and for each other. The three R’s in band include Respect, Responsibility, & Reliability. Our students learn to appreciate one another for their individual talents and their contributions to the organization as a whole. They learn positive social skills –the most important factor in our program –where we teach such qualities as confidence, pride, and self esteem; all values that will serve these young people well throughout the course of their life. Citizenship, team motivational skills/leadership skills, time management, organization skills, dependability, and honesty are instilled into band members. Band teaches students to face challenges and strive to reach higher and higher goals.
Music integration into a general subject area "provides solid links for learning" (Cane, 2012, p. 34). Students are more capable of linking subjects, such as music and science, together. Also, music integration has been found to improve students' achievement and motivation within the classroom. Sale and Osborn (2013) say, "Students can learn through their visual sense, applying pictures and architecture to the music they are studying" (p. 54). Teachers can integrate music with other disciplines, such as history or mathematics, but also with other arts, such as drama or art. Examples of drama in music are easy to see, and teachers can use art to inspire even a young student in achieving a beautiful sound.
The field of music education is one with which I have become rapidly familiar. This statement is not to be confused with me claiming that I have an intimate knowledge of the subject matter. In my student teaching semester, I found myself immersed in a great number of ideologies toward the profession, many of which were in conflict. In regard to music education, my greatest quandary at this juncture of my career is choosing from the myriad of philosophies which relate to the field. In relation to the information I have gathered from those in the profession at the public school level, I have a disproportionately large amount of information from professionals who teach at the collegiate level and theorists who benefit music education by performing studies. If I were to perform research about the field of music education, my goal would be to gather information from these three sets of professionals which would bring my knowledge base about each to an equitable level.
Lehman, Paul R. et all. The School Music Program: A New Vision. (1994). Reston, VA. Music Educators National Conference.
Most of the time, music is seen as the extra curricular activity in schools. However, music is an essential aspect of education in the learning of attention, art, and cooperation. Music teachers face the challenge of bringing those crucial principles to their students. In doing so, it is necessary to use learning and cognition theories in order to understand how students' minds work and therefore adapt their teaching style accordingly. Although I recognize, Piaget's theory of schema and representation as well as Vygotsky zone of proximal development, I also believe that learning drives development, and that a growth mindset grounded in Gardner's multiple intelligence theory are essential for students' success.
Pitts, Lilla Belle. “Music Education, Isolated or Integrated?” Music Educators Journal 100.1 (2013) : 59-62. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Students enrolled in music classes and lessons have higher test scores than the students who are not enrolled in these classes. Music education has a strong impact on the success of a student in the classroom. "Music majors have the highest SAT scores in all areas" (Mickela “Music and Student Development”). Th...
Whether the student is a beginner, or someone who has studied music for a number of years, the way in which one views oneself as a musician can be an important factor in the kinds of experiences one has with music. A quality music education is one that challenges students to set clear and achievable goals, think musically and critically, and apply what one has learned in a meaningful way. If a musician harbors a negative view of his or her musical abilities, the lasting effects of this view on his or her musical experiences and achievement could be challenging to overcome.
The way children learn even in today’s society has changed drastically over the years and will continue to change in the future. Music teachers in particular are not excluded from this statement. As a music educator myself, I have learned that all students learn at different paces and learn
Contemplating on the idea of differentiated classroom, it can be seen that it involves the collaborative attempt of both the teacher and students to create a classroom environment that embraces diversity and differences. With these differences, it helps create the realization towards finding new ways to improve the level of appreciation and learning of content. With these, it helps the educator determine the patterns or methods of instruction that can best apply and supplement the needs of students in the classroom. From this perspective, I do believe that this serves as an important foundation for shaping a differentiated classroom.
In most recent years, schools have been fighting to keep music programs alive in school systems across the nation. Some schools believe that due to budget factors, music should be cut out of the academic program, to save some money. But what is widely unknown is that schools that have good music programs do better in areas of math and sometimes reading. A high tech music program called Kodaly, was instituted into the schools of Hungary. If a person were to look at the school today, there are “…no third graders who cannot sing on pitch and sing beautifully” (Dickinson, 1993, p.1). Also, the students of the Hungarian schools academic achievement in math and science “ continues to be outstanding” (Dickinson, 1993, p.1). Another report shows that schools that spend 20% to 30% of their day on music (or the arts), have the highest academic achievement (Dickinson, 1993). One study was conducted involving first and second graders at two Rhode Island public elementary schools to show the effects of musical training on academic achievement. In this study, 96 children were used between the ages of 5-7 in eight first grade classrooms. Four of the classrooms were used as control classrooms, which received the standard amount of musical training; forty-five minutes of music that alternates weeks. The other four classrooms were called “test arts“ classrooms. These classrooms received an hour of music per week. After seven months of this training, the students were all given a standardized test. It was then concluded from the tests, that 77% of the “test arts” classes “…were now at grade level or above in mathematics, as compared to 55% of those in the control groups” (MENC, #1). This clearly shows that if ...
Steven, Kelly, N. (2002). A Sociological Basis For Music Education. International Journal of Music Education. 43. Pp. 40-49
Music education reinforces creativity and better behavior in children. To play notes on the page is one thing, but to play beyond it, to express the m...
Even when children learn music they able to listen, sing, dance, create movement. Listening to music draw out emotions, and playing music can be just like communicating emotions. Some people find this a very powerful experience. “ Music enriches the lives of students and should be considered a necessary part of education.”