Week 11

This week we looked at different things a teacher can do when reading stories to his/her students. One of these was using recycling products to make music to accompany the story which is being read. The teacher could also have the students play instruments which are in the classroom. The students can also be asked to dramatize the stories with the playing of the musical instruments and vocalizing parts of the story.
This week we started by playing music to a story we read that day. We used different instruments to dramatize the sounds made by the various characters throughout the story. This story was good for using the different percussion instruments to imitate the sounds each person perceived as the way that each character would act. I was not in class on Wednesday so I am unsure what was done on that day. On Friday we read a story entitled Thunder Cake and used the recyclable material that we were supposed to bring in to make the different sounds for the thunder during the story. This week we also learned the term binary in reference to songs and music in general. This term is used to describe the difference between the chorus and the verse. Some pop music, like Hit The Road Jack by Ray Charles, is written in binary form. Another kind of music written in binary form is classical piano music this depends on the piece.


Emilie

Week 10 All Over A Again

This week we worked on reading books while also incorporating sounds into the story. Through using music while telling the story it keeps the children engaged in the flow of the story as it is read. This is important not only for teh management of a classroom but also to enhance the learning of the children over time. Giving each child a noise or instrument to play for part of the story will keep him/her "tuned in" to the story and the sounds that others in the room make.
It is important for us, as students, to learn this information to improve the learning ability of every student in the classroom. It is important for us, as future teachers, to learn that to keep a child engaged in a story, we must use means that we never thought good ideas before. In learning how to animate a story with sounds made not only by instruments but also by the students body parts we have learned that there are many ways to tell any story.
It is important for children, especially young children, to learn how to animate a story with sounds to foster their creativity with music and other art forms. It is also important for children to understand the relationship between the words and sounds those words represent that they hear each day. Centering the learning of the story and the sound making around the student will aid in the student retaining the meaning behind the story and keep them engaged in the story itself.

Emilie

Week 8

This week we learned why it is important to use musical instruments in education. We learned the different ways in which the instruments help the student's learning and development. We also learned a new note on the recorder, which is the F#. We also talked about the benefits of creativity to children, especially when incorporating music into the classroom.

The benefits of creativity can range across many different spectrums. For some it can help them learn better than just listening to the facts spoken and for others it can create a sense of self that they may not have had before. In music students can express their emotions without retribution from others. Music can help children use their imaginations more over time as well as learn a new and exciting release for their feelings and thoughts. Music can help children understand the use of composition in everyday life and encourage them to write songs and pieces of their own to show their family.
For my multicultural project I will be doing a unit on Ireland.


Emilie