Education Assignment 5 Week 5 Module 5

1. In a small group or individually, list the key components of the Kodály Approa. Create a visual representation su as a web or map to show the relationship between the various components in the approa.

2. Sear the Internet for more information on the Kodály Approa and e You-Tube for videos of teaing examples.

Music Learning eory: Edwin E Gordon

e Music Learning eory (MLT) of American music educator and resear professor Edwin E. Gordon (1927-2015) is an explanation of how ildren and adults learn music. MLT is the result of Gordon's extensive resear and field-testing over many years. It is neither a teaing method nor a theory of teaing. Rather it outlines a sequential, cyclical process for learning music, providing a basis for understanding what is being learned as we listen to, perform, and create music.

Audiation

Music Learning eory is based on the concept of audiation—Gordon's term for the ability to think music in the mind with understanding. Audiation is to music as thought is to language. Consider when someone speaks how we must listen and remember his or her vocal sounds in order to understand the words that the sounds represent. e same is true when listening to music. We must remember and organize the sounds we hear. Audiation skill develops as we learn both the surface structure (melody) and deep structure (tonality, meter, ord functions, rhythm functions, etc.) of music.

rough MLT, Gordon explained what one must know at a particular level of music understanding/skill to proceed to more advanced levels. Developers of practical applications have provided teniques for teaing audiation, a multi-layered process.

e primary objective of MLT-based instruction is to help ildren develop tonal and rhythm audiation so they will experience a deeper understanding of the music they listen to, perform, and create. By knowing ildren's music aptitudes and the process of audiation development, teaers are equipped to develop appropriate music curricula and deliver music instruction in a logical, sequential way that also is differentiated for individual student success. An example of a sequential music teaing curriculum, based on MLT, is Jump Right In: The Music Curriculum for Classroom Music (see Appendix D).

Sequential Music Learning

ere are four music-learning sequences in MLT—skill learning sequence, tonal and rhythm content learning sequences, and paern learning sequence—whi are combined in instruction. In addition, there are five sequential music vocabularies— listening, singing and rhythm anting, audiation and improvisation, reading music notation, and writing music notation. Notice how similar this sequence is to learning a spoken language—listening, speaking, thinking, reading, and then writing.

A whole/part/whole approa is embedded in MLT. In developing audiation, the first "whole" are songs taught during regular classroom activities. e "part" aspect refers to tonal and rhythm paern instruction occurring during learning sequence activities (LSAs). e second "whole" occurs when ildren understand songs more fully as a result of learning tonal and rhythm elements (the parts) of music.

Discrimination and Inference Learning

Gordon identified an eight-level hierary of skill learning. e levels are divided into two categories—discrimination learning (five levels) and inference learning (three levels). Discrimination learning, or learning by rote, precedes inference learning (conceptual learning). ese levels are defined sequentially below.

Discrimination Learning

e goal of discrimination (rote) learning is to help ildren build a vocabulary of tonal and rhythm paerns—mu like a vocabulary of words in language. As students proceed through the following levels, they move from aural/oral experiences with song literature and paerns to verbally associating (labeling) paerns with syllables to discriminating among groups of paerns, and finally to reading and notating. In discrimination learning, the teaer teaes students both what to learn and how to learn it.

1. Aural/Oral. In a call and response format, ildren listen to (aural) and perform (oral) tonal and rhythm paerns with neutral syllables. e syllables are usually "bum" for tonal paerns and "bah" for rhythm paerns. When students can sing in tune a variety of tonal paerns and can ant rhythmic paerns while keeping a steady beat, they are ready to work with verbal association.

2. Verbal association. Children sing the previously learned tonal paerns with sol-fa syllables (do, re, mi, etc.) in do- based major and la-based minor tonalities, and ant the previously learned rhythmic paerns with rhythm syllables su as "du," "da," and so on. (Rhythm syllables are presented in Appendix A.) Children also learn to associate vocabulary and proper names with these paerns.

3. Partial synthesis. Children aurally recognize and discriminate among groups of previously learned tonal and rhythm paerns and interpret them as being in meters, major or minor, and so on. is is similar to hearing groups of words in language and being able to interpret them as sentences.

4. Symbolic association. Children are now ready to read the wrien symbols for the sol-fa syllables and rhythm syllables of familiar paerns and perform them. ey associate these symbols with what they have already audiated and are thus able to notate these tonal and rhythmic paerns.

5. Composite synthesis. Children comprehend and notate previously learned tonal and rhythm phrases (a group of paerns in a series). is is similar to aurally discriminating paerns at the partial synthesis level, but now students can read and write them as well.

Inference Learning

To learn by inference is to think for oneself or to perform tasks that have not been learned by rote. Given prior experiences with familiar paerns at various levels of discrimination learning, ildren are able to identify, create, and improvise unfamiliar paerns in inference learning. e goal is for the teaer to tea students how to learn and then the students tea themselves what they learn.

6. Generalization. Children demonstrate that they can transfer familiar tonal and rhythm paerns (read/wrien) to new musical examples. ey compare sets of tonal or rhythm paerns, some familiar and some not, and decide aurally whi are the

same and whi are different. In addition, they identify names or labels for paerns and read or write unfamiliar tonal or rhythm paerns.

7. Creativity/Improvisation. Children create or improvise different but related tonal and rhythm paerns in response to paerns performed by the teaer. ey also can read and notate these newly created paerns.

8. Theoretical understanding. Aer ildren have developed the knowledge and skill outlined in the previous levels, they are ready to discern why music is what it is. Just as one would not tea ildren how to diagram a sentence before they can speak the language fluently, ildren need not learn the rules and tenical aspects of how music "works" and is put together until they can synthesize, read, write, create, and improvise music through audiation.

e Music Learning eory provides some important guidelines for teaers to use to involve students in meaningful music learning. For example:

Begin with sound and move to symbol—hear, label, symbolize. Plan music learning experiences sequentially so that learning is not fragmented. Adjust the music learning sequence to the ild's readiness. Follow the same steps in music learning that ildren demonstrate in language development. Listen to a wide variety of spee (music). Learn words (or tonal/rhythm paerns) first to acquire a vocabulary, and then combine those words

(or tonal/ rhythm paerns) into sentences (or phrases).

As with the Dalcroze, Orff, and Kodály Approaes, a teaer needs direct instruction in MLT to thoroughly understand and use the ideas. Fortunately, there are many institutes, colleges, and universities that offer courses and instruction. e Gordon Institute for Music Learning website (www.giml.org) offers a wealth of information. For complete information on MLT, see Gordon's Learning Sequences in Music (GIA Publications, 2012), and e Appendix D for more references and classroom resources.

Projects

1. View teaing examples of MLT on YouTube. Select and describe one or two that you feel are appropriate illustrations of what you have learned from the above description.

2. If one were following the MLT skill learning sequence, what levels of discrimination learning would be missing if a teaer started beginning recorder instruction for fourth graders by teaing them to read notation? Describe.

Other Approaes to Curriculum

e Comprehensive Musicianship Approa

Comprehensive musicianship, as an educational approa and philosophy, is designed to help students become comprehensive musicians—to gain insight into the nature and structure of music, to learn how to relate and synthesize the various facets and areas of musical experience, and to develop an awareness of the world's music. e term comprehensive musicianship expresses the goals of the Comprehensive Musicianship Approa: to understand music „aurally, structurally, historically, and culturally" so that learners can "understand and enjoy music to its fullest potential" (Campbell, 1991: 20).

ree broad categories (common elements, musical functions, and educational strategies) are at the heart of the approa. e common elements aspect refers to the idea that certain elements of music (su as melody and rhythm) are common to any culture, tradition, or style. ese elements are experienced through performance, analysis, and composition (musical functions). e educational strategies include a "hands-on" approa to music learning, a study of music of numerous cultures and historical periods, and an in-depth study of music concepts.

e approa originated in the United States with the Contemporary Music Project (CMP), a project funded by the Ford Foundation and developed throughout the 1960s and 1970s. e emphasis of the project was initially to encourage sool music programs to expand and include creativity through composition, and new, experimental music. However, the CMP sponsored a seminar on Comprehensive Musicianship in 1965 at Northwestern University and, as a result of that seminar, expanded its emphasis. e Comprehensive Musicianship Approa was to include the teaing of all musical styles through performing, listening, analyzing, composing, and improvising. rough a series of regional meetings, teaers at all levels were introduced to these ideas and given ways to revise their curriculum to include them.

Although the Comprehensive Musicianship Approa was originally intended for college students, its main application has been in the elementary music curriculum. Elementary students must be able to work independently and cooperatively to benefit from the Comprehensive Musicianship Approa. e validity and the success of individual and small-group activities hinge on the quality of planning and evaluation by teaers (and students).

e Comprehensive Musicianship Approa continues to influence music education today. Many of our elementary sool music programs include the common elements approa to music and use the elements of music as the organizing focus for the music curriculum.

e Eclectic Approa

Although some teaers may use just one of the aforementioned approaes in their curriculum, most teaers incorporate and integrate ideas and teniques from many different sources in their teaing. Since ea group of students is different, teaers must select appropriate methods and materials for their particular teaing situation and teaing style. e individualizing of one's curricular approa offers students an eclectic music curriculum. is is the approa used in The Musical Classroom.

e model experiences in this text are standards-based and focus on engaging ildren in conceptual music learning— creating, while utilizing and adapting, a variety of curricular approaes and teaing teniques to do so. e ultimate goal is to help students deepen their understanding of music through conceptual experiences, to bring them in tou with a variety of ways to experience music and, as a result, to increase their enjoyment of and sensitivity to music as an art.

End-of-Chapter Projects

1. Prepare a art highlighting the major components of the Dalcroze, Orff, Kodály, and Music Learning eory Approaes. As you prepare the art, consider how Comprehensive Musicianship and the Eclectic Approa relate to these other approaes.

2. In Section II, review the following model experiences: Models 5, 23, 27, 28, and 43. While recognizing that these models are eclectic in their approa, determine whi other approa or approaes are evident in either the main sequence of the lesson or in an extension.

References

Campbell, P.S. (1991). Lessons from the World. New York: Sirmer Books. Carder, P. (1990). "Part ree: Carl Orff." In The Eclectic Curriculum in American Music Education: Contributions of Dalcroze,

Kodaly, and Orff. 2nd ed. Polly Carder, pp. 107 160. Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference. Gordon, E.E. (2012). Learning Sequences in Music: Skill, Content, and Patterns: A Music Learning Theory. Chicago: GIA

Publications, Inc.

6 Curricular Developments and Integration

∎ Integrating Music Tenology ∎ Integrating Music with Other Subjects ∎ Reaing All Learners in the Music Classroom ∎ e Prekindergarten Child and Music

e curriculum in America's elementary sools is always expanding and anging. Tenological developments dictate ange and offer unlimited opportunities for enhancing music learning. A thrust for a stronger curricular focus on integrating the various subjects in the elementary curriculum requires careful instructional planning. Changing demographics, the sool population, and various legislative updates necessitate varying learning and teaing strategies so reaing out to all learners is critical. And the ever-emerging resear confirming the importance of early ildhood music learning requires teaers to be grounded in "what works" in engaging very young ildren in music. ese curricular developments and approaes to curricular integration are addressed in this apter.

Integrating Music Tenology

Every sort of tenology has made its way into the elementary classroom, the music classroom, and into the lives of ildren. We have computers (including tablets), digital music players, MIDI, smartphones, DVDs, electronic instruments, interactive white boards, and multimedia. Teaers have wonderful opportunities to use this tenology to enhance music learning and increase ildren's fascination with music. A variety of tenology-based resources, including lesson plans, are also available to assist teaers in integrating music with other subjects in the elementary curriculum.

Information about some of this tenology, as applied in the elementary classroom, follows. Specific information about electronic keyboards, QChords® (digital songcard guitars) and virtual instruments is included in Chapter 3 and numerous applications of tenology are integrated throughout the model experiences in Section II.

Computers are certainly one of the most important educational tenology tools available for teaers and students. For music teaing and learning, computers can display music notation and sound specific pites simultaneously and when connected to electronic keyboards, with MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) capability, they can become "instruments." When creative teaers use computer-related tenologies su as music notation soware, computer-assisted instruction soware (CAI), electronic and virtual instruments, interactive white boards (su as Smart Boards) and the Internet, their students will have increased options to experience the three artistic processes of creating, performing, and responding to music.

Computers are especially good at providing individualized instruction, creative music activities, and collaborative learning experiences. Teaers can introduce music concepts and skills in the classroom and then let students practice and expand on them through carefully selected instructional soware. It may be effective to use an interactive white board or other projector to demonstrate soware to the entire class, and then students can work individually or in groups of two to four with various programs.

Figure 6.1 Students working with Music Ace soware. Courtesy of Harmonic Vision, Inc.

Tablet computers (su as iPads or Chromebooks) introduce yet more options for adults and ildren alike. ese portable tablets are ideal for ildren with their intuitive tou-based interface and offer not only access to the Internet, but a plethora of applications as well. Some music applications allow students to create and compose their own music and record their work in traditional or non-traditional notation. Che out the Apple App Store and Android Market for the many applications available.

Digital music players (DMPs) su as iPods are extraordinarily valuable because they are very small; can access the Internet; run all kinds of applications; and store digital music, videos, and photos/pictures. For teaers, they offer a way to download and store all music, visuals, and videos for classroom use in one place. Of course, smartphones can also access the Internet, run applications, and take photos and videos.

Digital video discs (DVDs) offer high-quality pictures combined with sound. Many DVDs are available in music and offer examples of music of other cultures (references are noted in some model experiences in Section II), performances of ballets, operas, musicals, movies, and the list goes on. e multimedia feature of combining audio and visual in DVDs provides students with the complete musical experience.

Finally, the Internet itself is an unlimited teaing/learning tool. Students and teaers alike can access (at any time of day or night) just about any kind of information imaginable via the Internet. roughout Section I of this text, there are many suggestions for teaers to initiate resear on specific subjects related to the elementary sool music curriculum and view various approaes to teaing via YouTube videos. In Sections I and II of this text, there are recommendations for teaers of where to download or stream music from for the model experiences, and suggestions for Internet projects for students as well. Because of the quantity of Internet resources, it is crucial for teaers to be aentive to the quality of Web-based information. is is particularly important when downloading music to use with ildren.

Evaluating Interactive Music Programs and Internet Resources

Because so many interactive music programs (soware, apps, organizations' websites) are available, it is essential that teaers carefully preview, evaluate, and select only those of the highest quality for use in the classroom. High-quality soware not only offers sequenced individualized instruction but also provides opportunities for creative activities and a traing method for the teaer to use to keep tabs on student learning. Soware programs su as Music Ace (Harmonic Vision) and the Groovy Music series (Sibelius) are excellent examples of well-structured interactive lessons for elementary sool ildren. "Guidelines for Evaluating Music Soware" and a Music Soware Program Evaluation Form is found on The Musical Classroom companion website.

Figure 6.2 Screen shot from Sibelius’s Music: Shapes. Courtesy of Musicfirst.

e number of apps for ildren continues to grow by leaps and bounds. ere are apps for playing instruments, composing, and lots more. However, some are developmentally appropriate and others not. Again, teaers need to be vigilant that any osen for classroom use are age appropriate. A number of symphony orestras have excellent interactive programs designed just for ildren (see Appendix E). Take a look also at websites su as "Go Classical for Kids" and the "Canadian National Arts Center" for a plethora of engaging musical experiences for ildren (Appendix E).

e abundance of Internet resources requires teaers to be particularly cautious about the quality of any Web-based information they use. Anyone can publish a website and no one is evaluating the accuracy of the information presented. Teaers should always pay close aention to who is responsible for the website and where it "lives." Is it a reputable government agency, university, etc.? And it always is wise to consider why this website was established and for whom. For guidelines on evaluating Web-based resources, teaers should e out the Cornell University Library website at hp://www.Librarycornell.edu/olinuris/ref/resear/webeval/html.

Downloading or streaming music from the Internet requires the same quality es as required of any other Web-based resource. e advantages of being able to download (e.g., iTunes, GoogleMusic, Amazon) or stream (e.g., Spotify) musical examples is that it can enable you to have great performances all in one place. However, there are oen many performances by various groups and individuals available for just one piece of music. It is particularly important to oose the best one that mates what you are teaing and the age of the ildren who will interact with the music. For example, if you want to download a particular song for a class of first graders, it is important that the downloaded song is in an appropriate vocal range and sung at a tempo that young ildren can actually perform. If you are selecting music of a particular culture to share with the class, it is crucial to make sure that the performance is authentic, e.g., African drumming performed on African instruments ideally by African performers. roughout this text, there are references for where to access the musical examples via links or downloads/streaming.

Projects

1. Visit an elementary classroom and observe how tenology is used. What equipment and soware is available? Are students actively involved in a learning task? Report your findings and compare them with those of other class members.

2. Download a website Evaluation Form at www.lib.umd.edu/ti/guides/evaluating-e list and use to evaluate a website of your oice. Or download the form to evaluate music soware from The Musical Classroom website and use to evaluate one or more of the music soware selections in Appendices D and E.

Integrating Music with Other Subjects

e elementary sool curriculum includes numerous subjects—everything from math to music and science to social studies. Integrating and relating these subjects one to another makes learning more meaningful for ildren. e key people making this happen are the teaers! Classroom teaers have the unique opportunity to work with the same ildren day aer day and are responsible for instruction in most subjects. ey know their students and the curriculum and can oose the appropriate "curricular moment" to relate and connect music, for example, to the social studies, language arts, or science curriculum. e specialist teaers (music, visual arts, physical education, etc.) bring their specialized knowledge and skills in a particular subject to the curricular table for sharing and collaborating with the classroom teaer. Working together they can help ildren develop comprehensive understandings within and across the various disciplines in an integrated curriculum.

An integrated curriculum can only happen when the integrity and uniqueness of ea subject area is anowledged and respected. When music is integrated with other subjects, instruction goals need to be established for both music and the other subjects. For example, a start at integrating music with a social studies unit on the Revolutionary War might be to introduce the song "Yankee Doodle." But just singing the song is only a beginning, because if students are to learn something about music, they must also explore the song's elements (e.g., melody, rhythm, tempo) and the song's use and its importance during the war. A valid integrative experience should deepen the understanding of music as well as that of the other discipline(s) involved.

Approaes to Curriculum Integration

ere are various approaes and models for curriculum integration. e thematic approach and the parallel concepts approach are two su organizations. e thematic or multidisciplinary approa is oen used at the elementary sool level.

The Thematic Approach

e thematic approa emphasizes how the various disciplines relate to ea other and to a common theme or topic. e integrity of the disciplines as discrete subjects is an important component of this approa. At times, just one teaer may be involved in approaing a particular theme, but oen more than one teaer is involved to provide the needed expertise in the subject area and to make the necessary connections to the district or state standards. e sample thematic web below illustrates the common theme as the core and the various subjects that can connect to that core. For example, if "Environment" were the theme, what specific learnings would connect to that theme in the various subject areas?

Figure 6.3 Sample thematic web.

emes su as holidays, celebrations, seasons, transportation, animals, and circus oen serve as the focus for many integrative experiences, especially at the primary grade level. For example, the thematic approa is illustrated in Model 3 in Section II. e focus of the lesson is on the listening selection "Parade." is experience uses the topic of parades to help ildren explore so and loud musical sounds. Students also discuss different kinds of parades, their importance, and relate personal experiences. Several books about parades are shared and an in-class parade is planned. As a result, students have integrated experiences with music, language arts, and social studies.

Oen themes explore the lifestyles, celebrations, and history of various cultures. For example, the celebration of the Chinese New Year offers multiple ways to engage ildren in making all kinds of curricular connections. Model 29 offers su an opportunity with "e Dragon Song" as students learn about the same and different phrases in the song, try a dragon dance, learn about the Chinese New Year celebration and the accompanying Lantern Festival, and plan a celebration with Chinese food, traditional clothing, etc. Or e out Model 22, focusing on the special timbre of instruments in a mariai band as well as their importance in many different kinds of celebrations in the Mexican culture. ink of all the curricular connections that can be made with these themes!

When oosing a theme for curriculum integration, it is important that teaers consider the following:

1. Is the theme developmentally appropriate and engaging for the grade level? 2. Is it significant enough to meet state and/or district standards? 3. Does it meaningfully connect several curricular areas? 4. Are resources available to support the theme? 5. Will the result culminate in a variety of ways for students to demonstrate learning?

Every single model experience in this text makes connections with other subjects in the sool curriculum. In the Extend category of ea, there are specific suggestions of how to relate music to the visual arts, language arts, social studies, science,

and other subjects. And almost all songs in Section III identify an integrative area or areas that can relate to ea song. By using the Monthly Planners in Section II, teaers can readily see what materials are available to integrate music with the various holidays and celebrations throughout the sool year.

The Parallel Concepts Approach

e parallel concepts approa is particularly appropriate for integrating and connecting the various art forms. e arts (music, visual arts, dance, theatre), for example, have concepts unique to ea discipline, but concepts in common (or parallel) as well. Common concepts include elements su as color, repetition, contrast, unity, and balance.

Music, visual arts, dance, and theatre are special languages of both ideas and feeling. Ea has unique media and symbolic systems. Ea has formal elements that are expressed in different ways but with commonalities that can be compared and contrasted. For example:

Music composers use elements su as melody, rhythm, form, and timbre to organize sounds. Visual artists explore color, line, and volume in media su as wood or watercolor.