Reflection #9 10/28/10

WHAT:
When we wrote this lesson we used the different beats and rhythms to make it more interesting and to keep the children all together. We also wanted to use the same song for the warm up and the song because it made an easier transition. We learned though to be very careful when putting words in order (like she, it) and grouping words.

SO WHAT:
It is important for me to remember to incorporate music into learning. In elementary school, and even junior high, I learned different songs to remember what the preamble was, adjectives, and adverbs, and math skipping. I still remember them now in college, that is the power of music. I also think it is important to remember to be careful when writing songs, to keep it simple and watch word placement etc.

NOW WHAT:
My next steps are to build a collection and to practice using it. Already I am planning on using a mountain men song in my student teaching that tells about what they did. I want to continue to do things like this in my student teaching to get practice at integrating it into the curriculum. I also want to start getting a collection of these songs that both I have done and others. I can get them from my colleges and find them from teachers out in the field already. I think music is lots of fun and really helps the people learn.

Reflection #8 10/21/10

WHAT:
Music is a combination of many things. It has rhythm and beat and tune. Usually it is put together via instruments and/or voices (singing). It should be involved in the classroom because it teaches the kids these things as well as aids in memory, breathing, and is simply enjoyable.

SO WHAT:
I really want to use music in my classroom. It is so useful for setting moods when working. More importantly to me, it can really help them learn! By putting concepts we are learning to music they will be able to remember the material so much easier. I remember in school using music to learn skip counting, the preamble, adverbs, and so much more. The really crazy thing is I still remember most of those songs. Kids really enjoy to sing and I know I always thought it was fun.

NOW WHAT:
I want to start preparing for music incorporation now, while I'm in school. I plan to start finding different songs for the material I will be teaching. I already have a paper with all the skip counting on it, and I will just continue to build. I also plan to collect all of the songs that are being created in class to add to my folders. With songs that aren't available, I can start making up my own songs as well. I will use the folk songs and change the lyrics to fit what I need, just like we are for our assignment this week. I think music is so fun and affective, it will definitely be used.

Reflection #7 10/7/10

WHAT:
My understanding throughout this experience in many ways. I never thought of the word "dance" to mean act out what is going on in a book, simply adding movement to a lesson. I always thought of it as something that you move to music and choreography. Now I see that it can simply be adding movement and interpretation into your lessons. It is much easier than I thought.

SO WHAT:
I will definitely be taking the ideas of using the drum into my future teaching. I liked how you could use it to start/stop or for tempo in activities etc. I also really liked the use of props in dance. I think it added a lot to the dancing, you can be much more creative in what you're trying to portray.

NOW WHAT:
I plan to use dance to teach the different movements, shapes, and even the sciences. It teaches the forces really well and it makes learning about weather much more interesting. I want to start collecting things such as a drum and different props that can be used in class. I also might start collecting different weather sounds, etc., to play when going over weather just to add another sense of feeling and depth to the dance. I will do more research and get more ideas over the remainder of my schooling to become better acquainted with ways to incorporate it into the curriculum as well. I liked it and I want to become more prepared to use it.

Reflection #6 9/30/10

WHAT:
I have always loved to dance growing up, but I never thought of it as a part of "learning". This has given me the a chance to see that children can gain so much more in school by adding movement to the lesson. It makes it more interesting, more visual, increases creativity etc.

SO WHAT:
In preparation for field, I want to practice and learn about different ways to incorporate dance into my lessons that I will be teaching. I really liked learning about the brain dance, to get the blood moving before tests and such. I definitely will be using this. Just doing it for class woke me up and helped me relax a little. If I practice now, it will only be more natural to add dance into my curriculum in the future.

NOW WHAT:
I need several things to incorporate this into my practice, most importantly probably being practice. The more experience I have, the more ideas I will come up with, and the more natural it will come. There are other things that I need though. I also will need to start making collections of books that I can use depending on what grade I am teaching, I also need to communicate with my colleges, professors, and teachers to see what ideas they may have. I hope to be able to get collections of books full of ideas, as well as read my textbook in my free time.