For this assignment I chose to research Jerome Bruner' and his stages of representation theory. Bruner's theory focuses more on student centered learning, meaning that they will have more participation in their own learning process. He explains that cognitive developments involves an interaction between basic human capabilities, that can be amplified by technology. There are three aspects to Bruners theory; Enactive, Iconic, and Symbolic representation. Enactive representation involves ending action based information and storing it in our brain to use later. The next level is known as Iconic representation where information is stored in images. This could be in the form of a chart of diagram, that accompany's a lecture, to help students better understand the material. The third and final is called Symbolic representation. This involves using symbols, such as language, to store information. That good thing about symbolic representation is that it can be manipulated, or classified so it's easier to memorize and store information. What is different about this theory than other theorists, such as Piagets, is that while these are technically in a series of stages, they can be applied to learners of any age. This theory is useful in a classroom because teachers can ask as a facilitator to student's learning by creating activities that allow students to explore on their own. This theory also allows a more open communication between students and teachers, so instead of just listening to a teacher lecture, they can get involved in their own learning. However, I think that this theory won't work for all students because some will need that direct instruction from a teacher, otherwise they'll end up confused. While Bruner's Stages of Representation has a few drawbacks, I believe it is effective when used in a classroom. Additional resources: www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-methods-tips/76645-pros-and-cons-of-constructivist-learning-theory/ http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/constructivism/bruner/ www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/constructivism/bruner/
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For this assignment I collaborated with Sarah Humphreys.
1. How do you interpret Allsup's points to consider (bottom of p. 107)? Put another way, what do these points mean to you and for your current or future teaching? Also, what norms/traditions, even ones that you value deeply, might need to be further inspected, evaluated, and adapted? Identify at least 2 norms/traditions and explain why they might need to be revisited. I interpret Allsup’s points to mean that traditions and norms can be altered, or adjusted, according to technology, the kinds of students we have in our classrooms, and what is relevant at that specific time. This may also mean listening to our students, and allowing them to explore other avenues, than just what we we learn in class, and that they are interested in. I think one norm that might need to be revisited is what we study in music classes during K-12. We play and are taught how to read notes, and rhythms, and what chords are being played. While I believe it is important that we continue to teach those, I also think we can move towards allowing a more student-centered classroom. This might mean allowing students to plan lessons, geared toward genres or topics their curious about. This wouldn’t be getting rid of “norms”, It would just be altering curriculum so students get more out of class. 2. What is Allsup really getting at in this chapter when he writes things such as "a third meaning," "moving beyond the predetermined," and "opening a closed form"? What are the key suggestions that Allsup is making? What do these suggestions mean to you? What I got from his “third meaning” was changing the traditions into a more open meaning. For example when he talks about “moving beyond the predetermined” he talks about moving away from performance towards more creative ways of creating music. For example, uses alternative instruments, maybe that you created, to write a piece to perform. Allsup wants music educators to expand upon the already existing classroom and make it more of a collaborative learning environment where students can have a say and an active role in what they are learning. This could mean keeping the “norms” like ensemble playing, but creating an open form by allowing students to have a say in the music they want to play. Getting students more involved is a key role in opening up the music classroom. 3. Review JMU's 8 Key Questions. Though Allsup did not have access to JMU's work on ethical reasoning, much of his work in this text directly connect to issues of ethics in music education. Identify at least 4 key questions and how Allsup might answer those questions based on this chapter (make specific reference to pages/locations).
4. Allsup also addresses the question of responsibility (page 131) when he compares music to an art and to a trade. He is addressing that it is our responsibility as music educators to preserve the beauty of music as an artform, rather than as a trade, because art is always changing and new whereas a trade is studied down to a science that tends to lack beauty. Allsup is calling music educators to action to take responsibility to change the way music is treated in a classroom. Personal Reflection
I found this chapter by Allsup very relevant to my own education, and it also offered some insights of how I should think about my classroom and students when I begin teaching. When he’s talking in the beginning of the chapter about how every second of the day is mapped out by teachers, especially music teachers (pg.66) I looked back on my own education, and realized the only breaks I got during the 7 hours of instruction were 7 minutes in between classes and 30 minutes for lunch. I found myself dragging by the end of the day because I was mentally exhausted. The same went for band class we had 90 minutes every other day, and each second was spent with one group playing, or the whole group playing. The instructor was so focused on getting ready for the next concert or the next assessment that there was very little time to stop. Allsup introduces the concept of museums and laboratories with regard to education. I believe that a classroom can be both of these things if the instructor is willing to put in the time and the effort to learn about changing students and technologies you can apply them to what is already being taught, and what is considered the set curriculum. I think incorporating the laboratory into the precedent that has already been set can be good for students because they become more interested in learning. You can ask students the way they would prefer to learn the lesson, maybe a game or a song, reading from the textbook, that way they will be more engaged in their learning since they helped choose. I think there are several ways we can approach teaching and curriculum that allows us to instruct on what is required by the state while incorporating new technologies and strategies that engage learners that are changing and growing each year. In the beginning of this chapter Allsup describes two concepts of education, the museum and the laboratory. He begins the chapter by criticizing how educators map out every second of the day for their students, but the plans are teacher oriented. Instead of thinking about what the students could benefit from, the teacher uses what they learned or what they’ve seen their own teachers do to create their instruction. This introduces the concept of the museum in education. Allsup describes the museum as a representation of how we hold on to traditions and the precedents of teachers before when we begin teaching in the classroom, as well as the same curriculum, books, and other materials that have already been used for 20 years. Instead of taking into account the changing times and demographics of those in our classrooms, we end up doing the same thing year after year, with little change, because it is comfortable for us. The museum is a way for us to record what people have created in the past. In contrast, a laboratory is described as a place where innovation and creation can take place. In a classroom this can mean that curriculum is changing every year to meet the needs of new students and technologies that emerge as times change. However, both of these concepts can be useful in the classroom. While it may be harder for the teacher they can still come up with ways of using new technologies and catering to new types of students, while still instructing students on important concepts, like singing, rhythm, solfege etc, that have already been a part of the curriculum for many years. Allsup continues the second half of the chapter by expanding on the idea of the laboratory versus the museum. He discusses that the laboratory educational setting is not without the presence of the teacher, but rather a setting where there is a mutual desire between the teacher and students to engage in the learning process. This relationship is meant to be cohesive, so that the student gets as much out of the learning process as they can. Allsup disagrees that the complex nature of the laboratory should be condensed to a paragraph in a lesson plan format. He asserts that the dynamic is too complex and active to write down in such a brief and detached manner. Allsup also confronts the idea that students who have no experience with an open classroom such as the laboratory, feel that it is “unstructured” and does not prepare them to be the music educators they want to become. Allsup feels that this open style of learning is approached with a more student-centered focus than controlled learning, which he feel is more for the teacher than the student. This sets up the big question that Allsup is asking: How can a teacher design a lesson in a classroom that has a focused objective but still fosters open learning? Allsup also claims that words such as “structure” and “authentic” need re-evaluating because they can “indicate an insider versus outsider perspective.” Overall, Allsup determines that the laboratory setting fosters a more open learning environment and allows students to learn in a more personal way. Discussion Questions:
1. how should public education function within a democracy?
I believe that it should be a combination of both government, because they will be providing funding, and the parents/citizens living in each school district. Parents know what their children need, and will be able to offer good suggestions for government and to consider when they are setting up curriculum and deciding where funding should go. I think public education is extremely important because teachers are shaping the minds of future doctors, teachers, scientists, etc. and we need to remember that our country is a democracy and our people should have a say in how their own children are taught. 2. Describe the inequities within our public school education system. Funding is uneven, schools in poorer neighborhoods have less funding and resources, so students aren't getting as much attention as other schools that have more funding. These schools can buy the newest books and technology, and because of this we are seeing higher scores on standardized tests then the underfunded schools. 3. What is special education. Special education is lessons and instructions that are geared toward a group or certain child to meet their specific needs. 4. What are the continuous challenges with inclusion in the 21st century. It can be hard to include students in a classroom because they will be getting less one on one time with the teacher. Other students might believe that these students don't belong in the classroom, and that they shouldn't be here, so instead of feeling included with the rest of the class and feeling normal, the student could then develop feelings of isolation. While it may challenge the student, the change from the normal can be overwhelming. 5. How are public schools funded. They are usually funded by local governments, 6. How does this affect rural and urban areas. These areas can tend to have less funding then other areas which means they don't get the best technology or books, or sometimes even teachers, and this can affect their learning environment, and inhibit their ability to be successful in the future. 7. How can raising a child with disabilities affect a family? Well it can put a lot of pressure on the parents. They will be constantly exhausted, always tending to the needs of their children (which is different from children who do not have a disability). It can cause couples to separate, leaving the child living with a single parent. If the child has a sibling that doesn't have a disability they can often feel left out, and unwanted because their parents spend all their time with his/her sibling. 8. Describe the label-free approach. The label-free approach means that teachers should all strive to provide a similar education experience for their students, no matter where they come from. This may mean becoming extra creative if you have a student with a disability in your class. Your goal is to make them feel included, and have them down what everyone else is doing. Over the past several months I have learned of a lot of technology to help with music education, and to make it easier for kids to understand different music concepts. One website available is known as groove pizza. This allows students to experiment with different rhythms on a "pizza." This can be good for students who are having trouble with different rhythms, they can use this to experiment on different rhythms and create their own grooves. This gives students the ability to create their own grooves and rhythms that they can play along too. Another technology out there is known as SmartMusic. This is a software available for download, you do have to pay for it. This allows each student in your classes to play along with orchestras and bands at any tempo they like. They can click on their own instrument part, and play along with all the other parts, using any tempo they like. They can also play by themselves. Smart Music also includes solo pieces, jazz pieces, and various sight readings. All of the tools in Smart Music can help students with sight reading, and to learn other people's parts as well as their own in a piece of music. Lastly, if they are learning a solo piece It allows them to play along with the piano, so they can get used to playing with someone else. Both of these tools help the student improve their rhythm readings, as well as help them when they are trying to learn a new piece.
Over the course of the semester I have learned of a lot of new technology and internet websites, that allow it to be easier to teach music to children in a way they understand. I think my biggest discovery so far has been the Makey Makey. This tool is in basic terms a controller. When you plug the usb cord into the computer The Makey Makey becomes the space bar the arrow keys and even some of the letters. You then hook these up to wires, and children can use them to create music. To make it work someone has to be holding the ground. This person is essentially the one who makes the sound. Now other children can hold other wires that are attached to other keyboards keys, when they touch the person holding the ground's hand it will make a sound, or vice versa. Of course, the Makey Makey has to be attached to something that will generate noise, so that is where other tools come in. My favorite website to use with the Makey Makey is scratch,mit.edu. This allows you to assign different sounds to different keys so when kids touch the person holding the ground they can play anything from any note to a cat's meow. This tool can be used in any grade level for a variety of different lessons. In elementary school especially, because it is a good way to keep students engaged, and focused, while still teaching them concepts they will need to know if the continue with music throughout their lives. With the Makey Makey you can also make your own instruments, so it can be a good tool to keep your students engaged, while also getting them to be creative. The Makey Makey is good for students with Attention Deficit Disorder because it gives them something the can focus on, and in turn they will be more engaged during class time. The Makey Makey is a very useful tool to use in any classroom at any grade level and I am glad I have added this tool, and the websites that go along with it to my personal learning network.
Over the course of the semester I have learned of a lot of new technology and internet websites, that allow it to be easier to teach music to children in a way they understand. I think my biggest discovery so far has been the Makey Makey. This tool is in basic terms a controller. When you plug the usb cord into the computer The Makey Makey becomes the space bar the arrow keys and even some of the letters. You then hook these up to wires, and children can use them to create music. To make it work someone has to be holding the ground. This person is essentially the one who makes the sound. Now other children can hold other wires that are attached to other keyboards keys, when they touch the person holding the ground's hand it will make a sound, or vice versa. Of course, the Makey Makey has to be attached to something that will generate noise, so that is where other tools come in. My favorite website to use with the Makey Makey is scratch,mit.edu. This allows you to assign different sounds to different keys so when kids touch the person holding the ground they can play anything from any note to a cat's meow. This tool can be used in any grade level for a variety of different lessons. In elementary school especially, because it is a good way to keep students engaged, and focused, while still teaching them concepts they will need to know if the continue with music throughout their lives. With the Makey Makey you can also make your own instruments, so it can be a good tool to keep your students engaged, while also getting them to be creative. The Makey Makey is good for students with Attention Deficit Disorder because it gives them something the can focus on, and in turn they will be more engaged during class time. The Makey Makey is a very useful tool to use in any classroom at any grade level and I am glad I have added this tool, and the websites that go along with it to my personal learning network.
For our project, we cut out flower petals from cardboard picked up from Home Depot. We then painted each petal a different color, and attached them to a center circle (that will be the ground) so it was in the shape of a flower. After this, we attached tin foil to the flower, that we attached to the makey makey so we could make sound. Once, the tin foil was attached we taped the makey makey wires to the tin foil on the flower so when the kids touched the tin foil on the flower and then touched the ground they could make a sound. On the computer we pulled up scratch and assigned each different control to a different note between do and sol. After we had everything set up, we tested it out playing Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb. The point of our project is to use in Elementary School classrooms. We will split each class into groups of six people. One person will sit in the middle of the flower on the white part and act as the ground. Then the other 5 students will in turn get a petal. Together they have to play either Mary Had A little Lamb or another song that uses the notes Do to Sol. This lesson plan is geared towards Elementary school grade levels 1 and 2, and will be good for students with ADD and ADHD.
Here is this link to a video of us demonstrating how the instrument works: https://goo.gl/photos/oYMproASLrYapihEA |
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