Portfolio Entry 4

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

Lesson Planning Framework

Teacher/Conductor’s Name: Rachel Guilfoyle

Rehearsal 1 2 3

Prior Knowledge/Skills (What do already know and can do?):

Students already know a poem called “Charlie, Charlie”. They also know what a steady beat is.

Rehearsal Objective (What will your student’s be able to do as a result of this rehearsal with you?)

Students will perform a speech ostinato piece with rhythmic accuracy and end the piece together.

Assessment of the Rehearsal (How will you know if your students can do what they need to?)

I will listen and not aid them when they are secure with the ostinato piece so I can assess how well they performed the ostinato piece.

Relevant Contextual Factors:	Modifications/Accommodations needed:
One of the students is an ESL student from the middle east.	I will use a lot of modeling and cueing so the student can easily follow what I am trying to do.

Instructional materials, resources, & Technology:	Personal Improvement Objective:
Visual aid poster of the poem	I want to be able to keep the students busy so they will not have enough time to get into trouble.

National Standards Addressed

Standard 1

Rehearsal Plan (A step by step plan for the rehearsal – with timing – that leads to your objective.)

Time	Activity	Description	Purpose of Activity	Assessment
2 min.	Warm up	Throwing a basketball actions to vocally warm up.	Get students to use their head voices instead of their chest voices	I listen to the students warm up to make sure they are warming up correctly.
2 min.	Name game	I sang a greeting to the students and they sang a response back.	If the students sang a response they sang back in a sol-mi pattern.	I listened to each individual student’s response back to me to see if they could sing it back.
6 min.	Speech Ostinato	Teach a 3 part rhythm ostinato piece.	To establish steady tempo and have students used to hearing multiple parts simultaneously.	I will listen without performing the ostinato with them to make sure they are using the correct rhythms and text.
6 min.	Cobbler, Cobbler	Teach poem by rote with rhythm.	To keep practicing rhythms that are in 4/4 time.	I will listen without aiding them in their performance.
12 min.	Charlie over the ocean game	Game similar to “Duck Duck Goose” with singing	To audiate Do Re Mi pattern and incorporate students singing on their own.	I will start the class in the game and then they will have to keep the game going by singing the song on their own.

Post-Lesson Self-Reflections

Teacher Name Rachel Guilfoyle______________ Date of Lesson _2_/__18___/ 13 _

Focus of lesson _speech ostinato________ Date of Reflection _2___/_19____/_13_

Describe in detail reflections concerning the following topics. Cite specific examples from your observation as seen on the video recording and recalled moments experienced while teaching.

Assessment Considerations:

_X__ teaching pedagogy _X_ comprehensive lesson plan

_X_ proximity to students _X_ posture

_X_ communication through facial characteristics _X_ nonverbal interaction

_X_ effective interaction with students _X_ interactive class assessment

_X_ audible and articulate speech _X_ use and accuracy of modeling

_X_ eye contact to all students _X_ verbal/activity ratio

_X_ appropriateness of teaching strategies _X_ positive leadership

_X_ conducting gestures _X_ professional appearance

1. As I reflect on the lesson, to what extent were the students actively engaged? How do I know?

Most of the students were very engaged in the lesson. There were some parts of the lesson when some of the students looked a little tired but when I got them started in an activity they were very interactive and they participated.

2. Did the students learn what I had intended? Were my instructional goals and objectives met? What is my evidence? Yes, the students were able to perform a speech ostinato interdependently and they were able to switch parts. They also learned how to end the piece together. I need to be more consistent with how I cue the students to start. I also had the students do some warm ups. I need to be assessing the sounds the students are making to make sure that they are using their head voices when warming up. Some students sounded like they were yelling instead of singing and in the video I did not address it like I should have.

3. Did I alter my goals, strategies, activities, student grouping and/or assessment as I taught the lesson for individual needs? If so, what changes did I make and why did I make these changes? I did not change much of anything because they seemed to be able to handle most things. I had students who were near each other group up so they

4. Were my strategies and activities effective? What is my evidence?

My strategies were effective because I used a sequence where I had to model the poem and all of the ostinato parts and it was simple to layer in. The 2^nd graders needed time to adjust and listen but they seemed to really like having different rhythmic parts. The students are showing growth and they were able to remember the poem. They wanted to get better at the speech ostinato piece as we went. When we played, “Charlie over the Ocean” the students really enjoyed it and they did not necessarily want to stop playing so we could learn another poem.

5. To what extent did the classroom environment (Respect and Rapport, Culture for Learning, Classroom Procedures, Appropriate Student Behavior, the Physical Environment) contribute to student learning? What is my evidence?

Students felt safe to make mistakes. I am a very friendly person so I had some students open up to me right away. I did have some issues with the classroom environment when it came to setting the students up in a circle because there was a drum circle for another class set up and we were too close to the drum circle to be able to safely walk around the circle to play our game. I think that for the most part the classroom environment was very conducive for learning; however, there were some student behaviors that I did not always see because I was very set on going through my lesson plan but I will improve that. The students did learn a lot of new songs while I was there.

6. Was my assessment effective and useful to my students and me? Describe an instance in which my feedback positively affected a student’s learning.

I think my assessment was effective when figuring out if the students could be secure on an ostinato without my help. I also was pushing for students to perform their ostinato with a steady pulse. I also think I could have added more feedback in some situations like during the warm up with the student who was using his chest voice when he needed to use his head voice.

7. If I had the opportunity to teach this lesson again, what might I do differently? Why?

I would have layered the entrances of the speech ostinato piece differently. I would have addressed the issue with warming up with the head voice and not getting too crazy when warming up. When setting up the circle for “Charlie Over The Ocean”, I should have had the students hold hands to form the circle and shifted it so it was not as close to the drum circle. I would have also modeled better intervals in “Charlie over the Ocean”.

8. Describe future teaching strategies, presentational changes, etc.

I plan on just automatically going into modeling the ostinato with less explanation so my lesson would have been a little smoother. I also think that I could have used proximity to my advantage during this lesson to make sure that students were fully participating.

Teacher-Assessment of Apprentice

Student name: Rachel Guilfoyle_________________ Date of lesson: 2/11/13-3/8/13________

Observations of Teaching for discussion:

Assessment Considerations:

Aspects of instructional presentation (strategies, proximity, posture, pacing, etc)
Interaction with students (speech, eye contact, communication, non-verbal)
Reaction from students

Observation of Teaching for discussion:

Rachel was able to observe and teach two 2^nd grade classes (one more often than the other due to scheduling). She was always well-prepared with well thought-out lesson plans, she always had more planned than she had time for.

Ms. Guilfoyle’s lessons were engaging to students, with appropriate scope for this age level.

Rachel was able to get the classes to a point where they were reading rhythm cards successfully. She also included warm-ups for classes.

What aspects of the lesson were successful? (include student achievement)

Rachel created charming posters as a visual for the students to look at when she was teaching the poems.

After students became familiar with the rhythms cards, Ms. Guilfoyle had them perform the rhythms with a ‘ClubCreate’ loop.

Students successfully recited 4-line poem, while adding in two ostinati.

Suggestions for instructional improvement? (describe teaching strategies, presentational changes, student/teaching interaction, etc)

I would suggest Rachel observe a little longer before teaching. I understand that she wanted to get as much experience as she could, however, more observation would have allowed her to see teacher-to- student interactions. This may have permitted her more options when managing student behaviors as well as rhythm instrument distribution.

Sequencing was off at times. I suggest exploring options when putting different parts together. Layering parts would allow for more student success rather than having all the parts begin at the same time as this tends to be difficult for this age level.

Rachel needs to be clear about how she begins the piece with students, then do it the same way every time.

Rachel usually started each class with a ‘name game.’ This tended to be a slower moving activity. Speeding up the process so it lasted 2-3 minutes rather than 8-9 minutes would allow the class to get started positively and move right along.

I suggest realigning the warm-ups to allow for appropriate behavior as it became more of a time for them to be crazy. Model the behavior and activity you expect so they won’t have any questions.

timesheetforLEE

MUSIC 670- Lesson Plan #2

By Rachel Guilfoyle

Objectives:

· Students will warm up their voices.

· Students will sing a response to the teacher.

· Students will perform the “Charlie, Charlie” speech ostinato piece with accurate rhythms and steady tempo.

· Students will recite a poem rhythmically with actions to keep a steady beat.

· Students will sing a song that features do-re-mi, and do-sol intervals.

Sequence:

Anticipatory Set

Teacher will play “Charlie over the Ocean” on recorder and see if the students remember the melody.

Activity #1 –Warm Up (2 min)

1) Model acting like you are throwing a Frisbee!

a. The prep into throwing the Frisbee is when everyone breathes in for the warm up.

b. When the “Frisbee” is thrown that is when the warm up is sang out using the head voice.

2) Have the students imitate the way the teacher warmed up.

a. Have them throw it 5 feet

b. Have them throw it 50 feet

c. Have them throw it 100 feet!

d. Have them throw it accidentally into a tree!

e. Have them throw it as far as they can

Activity #2 – Name game! (3 minutes)

3) Using the Sol- Do melody say, “Hello *insert student name* how are you today?”

4) Have students respond with some form of greeting and an answer to your question.

5) Assess whether or not the students responded with singing , speaking or through non-verbal cues.

Activity #3 – “Charlie, Charlie” speech ostinato piece. (6 min)

6) Ask the students if they remember what the 3 parts of the “Charlie, Charlie” piece are?

7) Ask them to list the different parts.

8) Ask the students to think, pair, share “Which part is the melody part and why?”

a. Assess their knowledge of the musical element of melody.

9) Have the students recite the poem.

10) Instead of using words have the students use magic lips and pat the rhythm of the poem.

11) Stamp the rhythm for the “Down the hole” ostinato without words and assess if they know what words go with that rhythm.

12) Have the students perform this ostinato while stamping.

13) Clap the “Bubble bath ostinato” without words and have the students explain which part has that rhythm.

14) Separate the class into three groups.

a. Poem group will pat their rhythm while saying the words.

b. Down the hole group will stamp their rhythm while saying the words

c. Bubble bath group will clap their rhythm while acting like they are ‘popping bubbles’ in the rests while they are also saying the words.

15) Have the students perform the speech ostinato piece with their actions.

16) Repeat #15 as much as necessary but each group needs to try to perform each part of the piece interdependently.

17) Assess if each group is performing the correct rhythms with expression.

Activity # 4 – Cobbler, Cobbler (6 minutes)

18) Teach the poem by rote with actions:

i. “mend my shoe” – tap hand with imaginary hammer

ii. “half past two” – tap on imaginary watch.

iii. “stitch it up and stitch it down” – Sewing motion up and down

iv. “crown” – outstretch hand as if offering or accepting money.

19) Recite one phrase at a time with actions until they can echo back securely.

a. Cobbler, Cobbler mend my shoe

b. Get it done by half past two

c. Stitch it up and stitch it down

d. Then I will give you half a crown

20) Recite two phrases at a time until they are secure with that then the students can move on.

a. Cobbler, Cobbler, mend my shoe. Get it done by half past two.

b. Stitch it up and stitch it down, then I will give you half a crown!

21) Then say the whole poem and have them repeat without assistance from the teacher!

22) When they are secure with the poem with actions by memory model for the students how the poem will work with percussion instruments.

a. “mend my shoe” with sticks.

b. “half past two” with triangles

c. “stitch it up” and “stitch it down” with rhythm sticks/woodblock.

d. “crown” drum performing one sound

23) Let students know that they will play instruments at the next class period.

Activity #5 – “Charlie over the ocean” – Rest of the class period.

24) Have the students form a circle by standing up and holding hands.

25) Have the students sit in the circle and walk around the circle singing “Charlie over the Ocean”

26) Pick a student to lead the group in playing the game.

27) Assess if the students are able to sing the song independently without the teachers help.

Lesson Planning Framework

Teacher/Conductor’s Name: Rachel Guilfoyle

Rehearsal 1 2 3

Prior Knowledge/Skills (What do already know and can do?):

These students understand how key signatures work and they can figure out how to play through their major and minor scales.

Rehearsal Objective (What will your student’s be able to do as a result of this rehearsal with you?)

Students will analyze and demonstrate how to play one octave of the D chromatic scale.

Assessment of the Rehearsal (How will you know if your students can do what they need to?)

I will listen to the students as they play through their chromatic scale slowly and watch to see that sections are matching fingerings and intonation. I also will have the rehearsal recorded on video so I can re-listen through and see if there was anything that I may have possibly missed.

Relevant Contextual Factors:

Modifications/Accommodations needed:

One cellist is struggling to keep up with other students because of lack of practice.

One of the violinists has autism.

With proximity, I will check on these students to make sure that they know what I am asking of them and guide them. They have stand partners who can help explain the concept too.

Instructional materials, resources, & Technology:	Personal Improvement Objective:
Visual aid of the white board so the students can write the fingerings on the board. Visual aid of what the scale looks like in the back page of their yellow books. Clarinet for demonstration of chromatic scale. Piano for ear training exercise	I will model the Chromatic scale and try to keep the students engaged in an activity that involves analyzing fingerings.

National Standards Addressed

Rehearsal Plan (A step by step plan for the rehearsal – with timing – that leads to your objective.)

Time	Activity	Description	Purpose of Activity	Assessment
2 min	Tuning	Concert Master gave tuning note and students listened and adjusted their strings.	To get the students engaged in listening so technique being taught would make sense as an ensemble.	Listening to the intonation of all of the open strings. This assessment is informal.
6 min	Warm up	Play through 3 major scales and do proprioception skills warm up	To get the students listening and moving their fingers in different positions to lead up to doing the chromatic scales.	Informally assess intonation, note accuracy (starting notes in scales) and technique.
30 sec.	Transition to Chromatic scales	I will model the chromatic scale on the clarinet.	To show students what the chromatic scale sounds like. It also is used to let the students know more about me.	Students just have to listen to how I model the half steps.
5 min	Scale pattern	I will ask students about the whole and half step patterns in major, minor, and chromatic scales and have them identify the patterns as I play them on piano.	Students will use their aural skills to show that they know the difference between major, minor, and chromatic scales.	I will ask students to answer questions and I will assess if the answers are correct with the kind of scale that I am using.
10 min.	Chromatic Fingering Groupwork	Students will use instruments and work together to identify what fingerings will work best when playing the scale.	This will help students be able to play the chromatic scale later because they are thinking about what they will physically be able to do.	Students will write their answers on the board and the students should have played through the answers on their instruments prior. I will check the answers on the board and guide students in the direction I want them to go.
2 min	Chromatic Scale	Students will apply what they discussed in groups and play through the chromatic scale.	Students will apply the fingerings from the activity prior.	I will watch the students’ fingerings and listen for the intonation throughout the ensemble. I will also watch the video for anything else I may miss.

Post-Lesson Self-Reflections

Teacher Name Rachel Guilfoyle______________ Date of Lesson 4/18/2013 _

Focus of lesson _Chromaticism________ Date of Reflection 4/20/2013 _

Describe in detail reflections concerning the following topics. Cite specific examples from your observation as seen on the video recording and recalled moments experienced while teaching.

Assessment Considerations:

__ teaching pedagogy __ comprehensive lesson plan

__ proximity to students __ posture

__ communication through facial characteristics __ nonverbal interaction

__ effective interaction with students __ interactive class assessment

__ audible and articulate speech __ use and accuracy of modeling

__ eye contact to all students __ verbal/activity ratio

__ appropriateness of teaching strategies __ positive leadership

__ conducting gestures __ professional appearance

9. As I reflect on the lesson, to what extent were the students actively engaged? How do I know?

The students were very engaged when I had them all close their eyes to do the proprioception because they were concentrating to match with the rest of the ensemble while playing instruments. I also had the students engaged when trying to figure out what fingerings would work best for their instruments but I think I lost the upper strings when I had to assist the cellos with shifting. I should have given the upper strings another task that involved the lesson such as, play through that pattern on the G chromatic scale too and see if the same fingerings work for that. Students were also very engaged when I had them listen to examples and then later apply that same knowledge. They also had to be engaged because they had to adjust to my conducting style and gestures.

10. Did the students learn what I had intended? Were my instructional goals and objectives met? What is my evidence?

The students learned how to play an octave of the D chromatic scale which is what I wanted them to learn. Some students struggled with the technique while others were very confident in how they were playing their scales. All of the students played their scale together. I was able to look around and visually see those that were not matching their peers as far as finger position. When some students were out of tune you could tell by the expressions on their faces at different times. I think I could have done a better job with assessing individuals instead of just the full group. I wish I would have had more time to assess individuals. In the video, I observed that the students were working through their parts diligently and they were at least trying to play it on their instruments before writing it down on the board.

11. Did I alter my goals, strategies, activities, student grouping and/or assessment as I taught the lesson for individual needs? If so, what changes did I make and why did I make these changes?

I did not alter anything; however, I should have had activities ready for those students who finished discussion earlier than others. I did have to move around the room and talk to individuals to make sure that they knew what they were doing.

12. Were my strategies and activities effective? What is my evidence?

I believe my strategies and activities were effective because at least 85% of the students were able to play through an octave of their D chromatic scale with the fingerings that they agreed on. I have my evidence on the video tape of the lesson. The students were playing the correct fingerings but usually the problem notes for intonation usually were because of transitions like a shift or low 2 to high 2.

13. To what extent did the classroom environment (Respect and Rapport, Culture for Learning, Classroom Procedures, Appropriate Student Behavior, the Physical Environment) contribute to student learning? What is my evidence?

Students were very reliable when it came to doing the correct thing. The students were appropriate when we were doing activities. When the upper strings were waiting on the cellos they were a little chatty but it was very controlled. With Mr. McClendon, they have a set routine that they must go through. The students were responsive when I asked them questions during this lesson but for some of my prior lessons with them they didn’t know how to open up to me. The physical environment is clean and organized but it would be nice if the room was bigger but they do well with what they have available.

14. Was my assessment effective and useful to my students and me? Describe an instance in which my feedback positively affected a student’s learning.

I think my assessment was effective because I was able to address that the cellos needed to shift instead of extending their 4^thfingers in the chromatic scale. By doing this I was able to get them to apply this knowledge by playing their instruments as a group. I was looking for matching fingerings and for the cellos to shift at the same time across the section. I was able to give feedback in a way that made sense to the students.

15. If I had the opportunity to teach this lesson again, what might I do differently? Why?

I wish I would have asked more questions to get the students thinking for themselves. I shouldn’t have given away the answers the way I did. I think I could have been more effective if I asked the students “Why do you think that will work?” instead of just saying “oh that’s correct!” I wish I would have been more confident when presenting the whole lesson to students so I would stop to look at my lesson plan. I should have had better eye contact with the students. A habit that I have is that when I am thinking I look up and around the back wall instead of at the students like I should be. I think that it would have been cool to find a piece of music that involves the chromatic scale and gave it to the students to sight read through a piece of music that shows how important knowing the chromatic scale is.

16. Describe future teaching strategies, presentational changes, etc.

I like the current teaching strategies. For presentation, I could have had listening examples ready that involved chromatic music.

timesheetforanthony

Lesson Plan # 6 Anthony Middle School

8^th Grade Orchestra by Rachel Guilfoyle

Objectives:

1) Students will analyze how to play one octave of the D chromatic scale.

Materials Needed:

· 3 Pre-made poster boards showing the D chromatic scale pitches and leave space for students to fill in the fingerings.

· Handouts with the chromatic scales written out for cello, viola, and violin.

· Clarinet to model chromatic scale on.

Warm up:

1. Have students tune to the concert master.

2. Play through the major scale with two sharps (D major) in whole notes ascending and descending.

a. Assess intonation, attacks and releases.

3. Play through the major scale that has one sharp (G major) in whole notes ascending and descending.

a. Assess intonation, attacks and releases.

4. Play through the major scale that has one flat (F major) in whole notes.

a. Assess intonation, attacks, and releases.

5. Work on proprioception skills. Students will close eyes and play the following notes:

a. Open G

b. G #/ A flat

c. A

d. B flat/ A#

e. C natural

f. C #/ D flat

g. Open D

h. D #

i. E

j. F

k. F #

l. G

m. G#/A flat

n. Open A

o. B flat/ A#

p. B

q. C

r. C#

s. D

i. See if students noticed a pattern and have someone identify what they were doing and see if someone can label it as the chromatic scale.

ii. Model the chromatic scale on the clarinet to show some practical use of the chromatic scale in real music.

CHROMATIC SCALE

6. Have the students label out the whole step half step patterns of Major and minor scales as well as Chromatic.

a. Major – wwhwwwh

b. Minor – whwwhww

c. Chromatic – h(x’s 13)

7. Ask the students to listen to some examples that I will play on piano and label if they are major, minor, or chromatic.

a. C major

b. E chromatic

c. D minor

d. F major

e. A minor

f. C chromatic

8. Have students apply this knowledge by playing the D major scale.

a. Assess if students understood the pattern.

9. Have students play the D minor scale.

a. Assess if the students played the correct pattern of whole steps and half steps.

10. To each section (Cello, Viola, and Violin) give them pre-made posters to fill out.

i. They only have 4 minutes to fill out these posters and discuss their options for fingering.

1. VIOLIN

PITCH	FINGERING
Open D	Open
D#	Low 1
E	1
F	Low 2
F#	High 2
G	3
G#	High 3 or low 4
Open A	Open
B flat/A#	Low 1
B	1
C	Low 2
C #	High 2
D	3

2. VIOLA

PITCH	FINGERING
Open D	Open
D#	Low 1
E	1
F	Low 2
F#	High 2
G	3
G#	High 3 or low 4
Open A	Open
B flat/A#	Low 1
B	1
C	Low 2
C #	High 2
D	3

3. CELLO

PITCH	FINGERING
Open D	Open
D#	Low 1
E	2
F	(shift)1
F#	2
G	3
G#	4
Open A	Open
B flat/A#	1
B	2
C	(Shift)1
C #	2
D	3

11. Using these fingerings, play through the (1 octave) D chromatic scale ascending and descending in whole notes.

a. Assess intonation.

If time allows have the students try to play an octave of the G chromatic scale.

Reflection of MUSIC 670 Class discussion

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

What is music? In class, we were able to come up with some functions of music but it did not necessarily define it. There was a debate about whether or not John Cage’s 4 minutes and 33 seconds is music. The definition of music is not set in stone and it is something that we will be debating for the rest of our lives.

Students do not come to school as completely blank slates. They have some musical experience before they ever walk in through the door of the school through listening to music on the radio, at the movies, on television, performed by family, etc.

Music is a huge part of our culture. Our jobs as teachers are to help guide students towards being able to learn music without our help or guidance. When students have really learned music, they don’t need the aid of a music teacher when interpreting the music and performing it. Students should be able to evaluate performances with their own musical reasoning. The teacher must guide their learning with meaningful assignments like researching the music and write performance notes so that the audience can also learn from going to music concerts.

Students learn in many different ways. We must accommodate all students to ensure musical growth whether it be through visual, aural, tactile, or kinesthetic modalities. The way that all of my classmates and I have learned music has been through musical experiences. All of these experiences are important.

Portfolio Entry 2

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations – Practicum Experiences at Lee Elementary (Class 1) and Anthony Middle School (Class 2)

Total Number of Students in the School: ___252__________

School Socio-Economic Make-Up (i.e., % free and reduced lunches): _75%___________

Class

Grade Level/Subject Taught

2^nd

8th

Number of Students in Classroom

Contextual Information:

(List the number of students identified in each class you teach and identify the class in which you are teaching your unit)

Class

Student Learning Adaptations:

(Describe at least one example of a strategy to provide equitable opportunities, accommodations, or modifications you attempted for any student identified within each contextual characteristic)

Gender

Number of Females:

Number of Males:

Ethnic/Cultural Make-Up

Caucasian/White:

African American/ Black:

Hispanic/Latino:

Asian/Pacific Islander:

American Indian/Alaskan Native:

Language Proficiency

Number of English Language Learners (ELL):

I tried to use more cuing gestures instead of verbally telling students what to do. I used a lot of modeling in that class.

Academic Performance

Students Performing

Below Grade Level:

Student Performing

Above Grade Level:

I used proximity and I was able to talk to students individually that were struggling. I was also able to ask HOTS level questions to the students who were ahead in the content so they still felt challenged.

Students with Special Needs

Learning Disability:

Emotional/Behavioral Impairment:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD):

Developmental Disability:

Intellectual Disability:

Speech/Language Impairment:

Autism Spectrum:

Gifted:

Blind/Visual Impairment (VI):

Deaf /Hearing Impairment (HI):

Physical Disability:

Other Health Impairment:

For the student who had the emotional impairment I still asked him questions and whenever I taught he actually was just fine. I knew that if he was having a bad day that if I needed to I could give him a break. With the autistic students, I allowed them to speak but I also had to keep guiding them in the direction I needed them to go to keep them on task .

Military Connected Students

Student Characteristics:

Describe the developmental characteristics of students in your classroom.

(Cognitive, Physical, Emotional, Social).

Cognitive – The 2^nd graders can tell time and have basic ideas about how different things work. Sometimes their reasoning takes longer to become logical. 2^nd graders answer with simple answers.

The 8^th graders are very aware of what is going on and they are capable of giving very in depth answers but sometimes it still takes time for the concepts to really sink in.

Physical - The 2^nd graders are all different sizes because they are all developing. The girls develop faster than the boys usually.

The 8^th graders also had a variety of shapes and sizes. Some of the students were a lot taller than others while some of the students still looked like they should be in elementary school.

Emotional – The 2^nd graders were very playful and friendly. Sometimes students would be shy and when I asked them to answer questions in front of their peers they looked like they were going to cry.

The 8^th graders were usually in a good mood but some students would complain about all of the drama amongst peers in the middle school setting. These students have a tendency to focus on themselves rather than the big picture.

Social – The 2^nd graders are developing their social skills and sometimes they did not always understand that burping their peers face is considered ‘rude’. 2^nd graders are always reminded of what is considered respectful and what is not respectful. The 8^th graders are very social. They knew the routine of Mr. McClendon’s classroom and they were very respectful and attentive in class. They did have a sense of humor that was very sarcastic and they all teased one another but that’s because the classroom environment allowed them to do so in a way that was just playful and not out of hand.

Highlight the prior knowledge and interests of students in your classroom.

The 2^nd graders already knew how to read some rhythms and notation. They had an idea of how to play different percussion instruments too. They also knew the difference between beat and no beat. They also knew how to read words. These students really got excited when they played on instruments and they also loved playing games.

The 8^th graders had a background in music theory so they understand how key signatures work. They also know how to play their instruments with basic techniques. Some of the students are ahead technique-wise compared to others on their stringed instruments.

Describe the implications these characteristics have on planning and instruction.

(e.g. What instructional strategies will you use to meet the unique learning needs of all your students?)

With the 2^nd graders, I made sure I had a lot of activities that were relevant to the content that I was teaching. They really enjoyed applying the information in games and when playing percussion instruments.

The 8^th graders were very advanced so I tried to have them answer questions that involved higher order thinking skills. The students would take ownership of what they were working on. I also made sure that when I was planning that I was able to accommodate those students who were struggling and still push the students who were excelling.

Environmental Factors:

Describe district, school, and classroom environmental factors impacting the quality of education for all of your students.

The district and schools seemed to be supportive of both music programs. The elementary classroom had a good environment for the elementary students with an open floor instead of set up chairs. This allows for students to be able to play circle games very easily. The classroom had a lot of positive colors and is a safe place for all students. If the classroom was a little bigger more could be done in there but it worked for what was available.

The secondary classroom was very small so setting up the room in a way that all students could see me when I conducted them was interesting. I also had to move the piano out of the way so I could set up a place to stand when I was conducting the ensemble. Overall, this classroom was good and it was a positive learning environment.

Describe community and family environmental factors impacting the quality of education for all of your students.

The community is helpful because of the many resources available such as music major college students being available to give private lessons to these students. A lot of my 8^th grade students all participate in the gold or silver orchestras provided at Kansas State University. Most parents seem to be very supportive of the students; however, there are those occasional parents who will not show up to events.

Describe the implications these factors have on planning and instruction.

(What instructional strategies will you use to address the unique environmental factors impacting each

student?)

I believe that the environment allows for the students to move more freely in the elementary setting so those students did games. The seating around the 8^th grade orchestra was set up so all of the students could have stand partners so when I asked them to talk to their stand partner about answering a question they knew exactly what I was looking for.

FocusStudents Information Provideinformationaboutthetwofocusstudentsyou selectedfromthe class in which you will be teaching your unit thatyou feelwould benefitfrom modifiedinstruction. You MUST choose one student with exceptionalitiesor an EnglishLanguageLearneras oneofyourfocusstudents.Complete the chartbelowreferringto thesestudentsonlyasStudentAand StudentB. Donotusepropernames.
	Describe this student using information from the Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations	Why did you select this student?	What did you find out about this student? Address characteristics from the Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations	Based on this information what are the implications for this student’s instruction?
Student A	This student is from the middle east and speaks Arabic primarily.	He struggles in music class because he does not always understand what is being said and I think he was challenging to teach at times.	Cognitive-He is intelligent but sometimes does not know when he should not be playing instruments and when he should because he doesn’t understand what I am saying sometimes. Emotional- Whenever things aren’t going his way he is very feisty and he will yell in Arabic at you, but for the most part he is very cheerful. Physical – He is normal physically. He likes to run around and play games just like all the other kids. Social – He seems to work well with his classmates. When playing singing games they cheer him on and he reacts positively to those activities.	This student needs to be given instructions through cuing gestures and if he doesn’t pick up on what the rest of the class is doing it is okay to try to show him in a subtle way that doesn’t necessarily bring attention to him specifically.
	Describe this student using information from the Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations	Why did you select this student?	What did you find out about this student? Address characteristics from the Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations	Based on this information what are the implications for this student’s instruction?
	This student is on the autism spectrum.	She has a personality that sticks out to me and she communicates understanding very well.	Cognitive – Sometimes she does not always understand what is happening in class. She does answer a lot of questions like “What is the order of sharps?” and she will answer and give a full description of the mnemonic device that she uses to remember the order. Emotional – Sometimes she gets frustrated and will act like she’s going to cry but it does not get that far usually. Physical – She is physically normal and she uses string guards on her violin to help her keep her bow in the right place when playing in class. Social –She will often times blurt out things in class when I am trying to get them to do an activity but it is not too distracting.	I let her talk when she needs to so I can help her understand what I want her to do for the activities in class. I also like to go check on her in the back row of class to make sure she knows what she is doing. She also has a stand partner who helps guide her too.

How should I Teach Music?

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

From my last post, I have realized that when I teach my students I need to teach them music in a way that is practical. I want my students to learn through performance of music in a way that helps the students relate to the content being taught.

Teaching involves a lot of review of concepts in order to help student retain the information. When I teach students I need to use the “prepare, present, and practice” method to help them be aware of what they are learning.

I want to promote a sense of creativity to the students by having them experience music in a way that allows them to feel a sense of ownership through composition and improvisation assignments.

I believe that students should be provided opportunities to learn about music outside of the school day as well. I think that teaching students through musical experiences will help students retain what you want them to learn so that eventually when they leave my school program they will be musically literate enough to guide themselves through the process of learning a piece of music without aid from myself or another teacher.

How do Students Learn Music?

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

When approached with this question, so many things come to my mind. Through my experience in music education, I have witnessed many different approaches to teaching music. In my education, I believe that the most efficient way to learn music is through actual hands on experience of performing as well as explaining music to others.

There are so many ways to learn music. I think that theory classes that are just lecture based are not as helpful because they are not interactive. I still learned in that setting but I think I could have learned more with a different class format. I think it is important to apply the content immediately whether through singing or playing an instrument. I find it hard to understand a concept when I am not completely engaged in the lesson so why should I expect my future students to go through that kind of setting?

Also, as a music student, I have also been pushed to learn more through having teachers realize when I was unsure of what I was doing and they would help me understand by giving me tips on how I can improve.

It is one thing to be taught a concept one time but in order for those students to retain that information, they need to have some kind of review over that material periodically and it needs to be made clear to those students through application. I think that the concept of spiral education is very valuable.

I also think that students will learn more if they have a sense of ownership over their learning; however, it is still important that the teacher guides the students in the direction that makes sense with the curriculum.

Article Review of “High School Band Students’ and Directors’ Perceptions of Verbal and Nonverbal Teaching Behaviors.”

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

Whitaker, Jennifer. “High School Band Students’ and Directors’ Perceptions of Verbal and Nonverbal Teaching Behaviors.” Journal of Research in Music Education. Sage Publishing, 11 Aug. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. <http://jrm.sagepub.com/content/59/3/290>.

The study that this article is about discusses the common traits of some of the best bands and how they rehearse. The directors of these bands use similar techniques to motivate students to keep getting better and the students in these ensembles are motivated to be the best that they can be.

When lesson planning, the director has to have a sequence that allows for the students to learn efficiently and effectively. Being well organized with an plan will allow the teacher to address these issues in a manner that makes the students realize what they need to work on personally so the rest of the ensemble does not have to suffer from their lack of practice. The teacher should always provide some kind of feedback or the students will see whatever they did in class as a waste of time if they are not clearly making connections with what is being lectured to them with the application of the concept. Sometimes for students to really understand what is being told to them they need to review that subject more than one time to make it really sink in.

Also for students to really latch onto a concept the conductor needs to over-exaggerate the effect that they want from the students. It is not something that can be told to the students and they understand it forever. The teacher must show the students through conducting as well! This will appeal to visual learners as well.

Time management is key. The less the teacher says and the more the teacher uses nonverbal cues the better the ensemble. Sometimes it is necessary to clarify through words but the less words the better because students need to use rehearsal time to play through the music.

The teacher of music must be aware of each individual. It is super obvious when one student has not practiced enough. It is important to hold students accountable so that they work to become the best they can be. If a student is consistently a problem, maybe they do not know how to practice and maybe they need some one on one assistance in order to figure it out.

Also there needs to be a good rapport with the students for the teacher to get anything accomplished. The students need to have a sense of respect for the teacher in order to be motivated by what the teacher has to say.

I think that this article makes a lot of sense because it shows that good effective teachers are organized and use their time wisely in order for the students to get plenty of time to play their instruments.

Article Review of “Music Preferences, Personality Style, and Developmental issues of Adolescents”

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

Schwartz, Kelly D., and Gregory T. Fouts. “Music Preferences, Personality Style, and Developmental Issues of Adolescents.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32.3 (2003): 205-13.

This article shows how prominent music is to human development and to society. The study that this article is about shows how music preferences of music effect personality traits of adolescents. Students will identify themselves with their own music preferences.

I think that is stereotyped that students who listen to heavier music (hard rock, metal, classic rock, and rap) are the ones who have developmental issues. I do not think that this is the case. The article addresses that those adolescents who prefer heavier music are the ones who have less respect for women, have a tolerance for anti-social behavior, have aggressive moods, etc because of the cultural references that are made in these kinds of music.

Students who prefer light music like teen pop and dance music are stereotyped to have personality traits that involve high sociability, and overall positive moods. If a student who prefers this music is not in a good mood, then the cause of this could be from boyfriend/girlfriend issues, identity issues, or sociability.

I think that students who are developing will have mood swings and it is possible for students to enjoy listening to both light and heavy music. Some students who listen to heavier music may just be questioning the arbitrary rules of society or trying to fit into a group of people. Either way, as humans we are always changing and learning new things. Musical preference probably changes throughout time for every individual.

It is also assumed that females would most likely to listen to lighter music and males are more likely to listen to heavier music.

I do think that it is important to know preferences of adolescents in a classroom setting so you can relate concepts that are being taught to the student in a very practical way by using examples of music that they actually love to listen too.

Article Review of “Symbolic Interactionism in Music Education : Eight Strategies for Collaborative Improvisation.”

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

Monk, Augusto. “Symbolic Interactionism in Music Education : Eight Strategies for Collaborative Improvisation.” Music Educator’s Journal 99.3 (2013): 76-81. Mar. 2013. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://mej.sagepub.com/content/99/3/76>.

This article discusses the importance of improvisation in the music classroom. Whether improvisation be done through jazz or classical settings, it is important to show students that kind of experience so they can easily move on towards composition.

In order for students to understand improvisation they need to actually be doing it for themselves! There are eight strategies used for collaborative improvisation, according to Monk. These strategies are: 1) copying, 2) adapting, 3) contrasting, 4) punctuation, 5) highlighting, 6) supporting, 7) signposting, 8) allowing.

Copying, adapting, and contrasting involve call and response with a person playing with your own improvisation. Copying allows students to keep rhythm, melodic contour, or pitch set the same as the partner. Adapting involves the response to keep something the same as the call but changing part of it for their own variation. I think that when using adapting it can easily be used in an elementary setting with students clapping rhythms in a way that sounds like a conversation. I mean in a real life situation if you ask someone “What time is it?” you won’t get the answer you want if the response is “I love pie!”. The improvisation has to sound like it belongs with the other part! Contrasting is when the response is completely different than the call.

Punctuation is when there is a leading improviser and the other person will pick up wherever the leader drops off and fill in the blanks. Highlighting involves one person playing the improvisation and the other person accenting on the important parts of the line to make it more musical. Supporting is when there is an accompaniment vamp put under the improvisation.

Signposting involves using motifs throughout the improvisation and coming back to the motif throughout the music making and using it to build variations on that one motif. Using specific forms like rondos or ABA form helps bring those motifs back to make the improvisation make sense.

Allowing is when one improviser plays through with the others listening to that one person alone and then the others can improvise when that other person stops.

I think that knowing these strategies is very helpful for introducing improvisation to students in a practical way. I think that only way for students to truly understand improvisation is by having them actually experience creating their own improvisations and these strategies provide many ways to experience music.

Article Review of “Developing Musical Creativity: Student and Teacher Perceptions of a High School Music Technology Curriculum.”

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

Nielsen, Lance D. “Developing Musical Creativity: Student and Teacher Perceptions of a High School Music Technology Curriculum.” (2013): n. page. http://upd.sagepub.com/content/31/2/54. NAfME, 1 Feb. 2013. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://upd.sagepub.com/content/31/2/54>.

This article addresses how technology in the music class can help students be more creative. Technology can be used as a tool but teachers seem to have difficulty truly integrating it into the classroom. There are multiple outlets with technology that students can use to apply knowledge learned in class. The article mentions a yamaha program with music keyboards that aid students in learning how to play piano as well as sing.

Technology provides various modalities for the students so they can learn. Students can compose their own music through websites like looplabs.com, garage band, finale, Sibelius, noteflight.com, etc. The possibilities are endless. Plus there are playback options so students will be able to quickly hear what their compositions sound like.

Technology allows for teachers to also record classes or performances so the students can evaluate their own performances. Students could discover information through webquests as well too.

Students in the current times, are able to pick up how to use the technology really easily.

Content Standard #2

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Rachel Guilfoyle

“The teacher of music has skills in improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.”

Through the use of improvisation, music classrooms can be more effective. Improvisation is when students are able to perform their own music in a hands on musical situation without exact written notation of what the improvisor is playing. In music, improvisation often will be based on a chord progression and that limits what pitches or notes will work and sound correct. The pacing of various lessons will go smoothly when a teacher can improvise accompaniments properly to fit basic pieces. This will allow students to get the accompaniment in their ear so they can figure out what notes and rhythms will sound correct to them. Being able to play accompaniments as well as a variety of melodies and variations allows for the students to hear the musicality of the teacher. If the teacher is confident with this skill, then the students are likely to also be confident in this skill as well through imitation of the teacher. When it comes to improvising melodies, it is important to establish the steady pulse as well as emphasize how long to make the musical phrase, and how the harmonies work in the piece of music. In an elementary setting, it is critical that the teacher is able to accompany the students so if they are playing a musical game they will have cues for when to start playing and when to stop. Improvisation can help students play around with musical ideas so they can prepare themselves to compose music. I plan to use improvisation in the classroom to transition the class into composition projects. I want my students to improvise in a way that seems as though they are communicating in a “Question and Answer” format and in other practical musical situations. If I expect my students to improvise, then I should be able to do the same exact thing.

Artifact 1 - Guilfoyle-folksongofchoice1

This is a video of myself playing an accompaniment on piano. This is something that I will need to be able to do when teaching in order to model musicianship as well as keep the students engaged. I need to be comfortable when doing this so I can also watch the students to make sure that the classroom environment is safe for all students as well as assess the musicality of the students in the activity. When I played the piano I didn’t write out exactly what I was going to play I just based the accompaniment on the chords of the song. I want to give my students the opportunity to make their own accompaniments too on piano, orff instruments, body percussion, etc. Creating these accompaniments will help my students with their higher order thinking skills.

Artifact 2 – Guilfoyle_MelodicImprovisation

This artifact is an example of the sequence that I would use in teaching students with the incorporation of melodic improvisation. I used this lesson plan to peer teach in MUSIC 511 at K-State and it was a success because I used clear guidelines and visual aids to show what notes should be played on the recorders and when they needed to be played in relation to the music. I used “Bow Wow Wow” in this lesson and had the students play the piece in a rondo form so each student got a turn to share their improvisation. I was able to assess the students and make sure they were using correct notes as well as address recorder technique.