Week 14

During this week of class we reviewed our knowledge on binary form( AB, verse and chorus) and learned about a new form called Ternary. Ternary is made up of three distinct section in a musical piece.(ABC) then we learned about the concept of Rondo , which is where one section usually A repeats after every new section (ABACA).Also our main focus for the rest of the semester is our multicutural project. I have been getting a lot of get lesson plans together for my country of Brazil. I was think that my additional activity would be to make a rain stick since the Amazon rain forest is located in Brazil.

We learned these concept through a song with hand movements called " Gong to the Zoo" Later, we were divided up into two groups (B and C) and had to create dance moves to the tempo. When the tempo changed we would do the two dance moves.

This is an important concept to learn because we are now able to better understand music composition. also we become more aware of upcoming changes to the current measure/ measures.

Children at many ages can find this helpful when learning a new song. They can hear the piece played on CD and think about the different binary or ternary forms that may be in the piece. They may even learn when to play their instruments and when not to play them.

week 13

During this week of class we finished up the group literature projects. my group actually went twice because our teacher forgot to record us the first time. but that was OK because we got extra credit for it.

We also learned about another music concept called Tempo. Tempo is fast and /or slow. we learned about this concept through a movement lesson. we stared off by listening to different styles of music and passed a ball around the circle to the right. When the music changed tempo we would reverse the direction the ball was going in.

This is an important concept to teach children because music can involve being sung or played at different speeds. I think that a movement lesson can really demonstrate this concept well to children because they can see and feel the tempo.

week 12

This week our main focus was on our group literature project. i was assigned to the social studies group. we all came to the group having two books and choose the book Atlantic that PJ picked out. We thought the story and illustrations were great!!

The easy part of my group was that all the member worked really well together. every one contribute to the lesson with their ideas or insight. We also used all of the class time given to work on our presentation. Members that were unable to meet before class did their part on our group page on blackboard. I did the notes for instrument to words and served as a mentor between Kelly and the group.Since Kelly was unable to access our group's page.

I think the most challenging part came when we were putting our lesson plan together. different people were working on the different lesson plan sections. It became a little challenge when Kelly could not even get into the group's page because she had the notes for our lesson plan that we discussed in class. But we were able to find a way to make it all come together.

the best part was putting our lesson plan to the test and reading the story along with the instruments. it really made all of our hard work worth it. And i can see how children could really enjoy the story more.

This is important for children at any age because they can be creative in ways to make a sound with voice or an instrument. Also children can learn how t play different instrument and the sound that make noise to every day things.

week 11

This week in class we review the concept of binary form. we did a dance where we pretended to be a butterfly. in the first section of the song were moved to the right and when that section changed into the second section we moved to the left. many songs that we already know are in binary form like " this old man". I really enjoyed class this week because it was full of creativity and fun.

During recorder time we learn two new notes D and C. Another big focus this week was playing musical instruments. We learned different types and how to play them. Also we read two story where we incorporate instruments into the book. One story was The Napping House with percussion instruments and Thunder Cake with home-made instruments.

It is important for us to learn these concepts because we need to be able to understand and be able to teach them in different way to children. we are opening up our creative sides to make a dull lesson became more engaging and fun.

All children at different ages get excited about playing music. playing an instrument helps the child to learn through different sense such as feel, hear, and sight. the children can learn about made-made instruments and instruments that they can make in their own classroom or home.

Week 10

This week in class we learned a musical concept called timbre. Timbre is the tone color of sounds. also we learned another concept called binary form. binary is when a piece of music has two distinctive sections such as verse and chorus. We learned this concept through the song/ dance " Hit the road jack".

Also during the week we read another story that we created sounds for. again different students were assigned to words in the story and they had to be creative to come up with a vocal sounds to represent it. my word was cry and i said Whaaaaaaaaa( staring out soft and then getting louder). we also learned how to add songs into our story. for our page turner we sang a song called what would you do with a boo-who baby to the tune of drunken sailor.

All of these concepts were important to learn because they help you to read and understand the music. they can also turn an ordinary story into a class effort and amusement.

This week we learned that music can inspire children of all ages to be creative. they are able to think of an everyday word and come up with a sound to represent that word. Another thing is children can create their own songs using the Melody to songs they already know.

week 9

This week we did not have class because of Spring Break. Our next assignment is to have our country summary and map done by next Monday. I am looking up information on Brazil for my project.

week 8

This week in class we learned different ways to teach the concept of dynamics. we also spent a lot of time going over our requirements for the multicultural project. i have decided to do the country of Brazil. during our recorder session we learned the note F#. then we learned how to incorporate sound into books.

To learn dynamic we read the story Piglet Brothers and used our voices as instruments. in cour class the teacher assigned different students to different words in the story. I had the first word ( at the bottom). the student had create a sound for the word that they were assigned.

It is important to learn multiple ways of learning because you may have students who learn in different learning styles than yourself. putting a story together with sounds helps to make the book more engaging to those who are listening.

Music helps to bring out creativity in children of any age. it can make a basic concept like dynamics more appealing to them. when you add the element of creativity to your lesson and it also helps to stimulate the children cognitive skills. since the students are directed to make decisions about what sounds to create.

Week seven

I prepared myself for the midterm by looking through all my class notes and handouts that i received. i focused studying the note values and rest values, Kodaly and rhythmic/melodic icons.
Before a test i study a week before and try to look over my notes once a day.

The difficult part about the exam was remembering all the concepts we have learned so far and the different terms. i felt that the test was so long which made me feel a little frustrated well taking it.( But i did quite well on it)

Some easy parts of the exam were questions on lesson plan format, melodic icon section and note names.

So far this semester I have rekindled a lot of my knowledge on music. I have learned about rhythmic and melodic icons. And also how to incorporate music into other academic areas. I am looking forward to what we will learn in the next semester.

Evaluation Form for In-Class Teaching Assignment

Name: Aurora
Lesson: Five green frogs
Musicianship (5 pts) 3
In tune,
accurate pitch
Accurate rhythm
Appropriate tempo
PhrasingExpression
head voice( +2)
Leadership (10 pts) 10
Body language
Facial expression
Voice tone
and volume
Eye contactIntensity (energy)
Preparation (15 pts) 15
Knowledge of music
Knowledge of plan
Written plan
Instruments/equipment
readyRecordings/charts/materials ready
Delivery of Instruction (20 pts) 17
Motivation, capturing attention
Sequencing of steps
Verbal instructions
Questioning
Pace of lesson, flow, transition
Flexibility (ability to diagnose and adjust)
Feedback to the learnersContinuity/focus of lesson
Closure
Total Points 47

Week 6

The part that I found the most difficult: Was singing in front of my peers solo. I have had many years of experience in choir singing but have never sang by myself in front of fellow classmates. the funny thing is that i sing all the time solo in front of the students at my work and at home with my family. But it feels different when I am up in front of my peers.

Things I did not do well: I knew and know that while I was singing my melody of the song was changing. I feel that it happened because I was a little nervous. Also i did not have a solid closure section in my lesson.

What went well: I knew all of my lesson plan and the steps I need to teach, I knew my song well and had not problem with the words when my CD did not play during my lesson. Also i sand in my "high voice" and showed enthusiasm while teaching the dance movements to the song.

If I could do it again: I would get a little more comfortable( feel less nervous) before beginning my song and make sure that I was singing in the same Melody the entire time. Also i would make sure that my closing part was a true and solid closure like taught to us in class.

WeEk 5

In this week's class we focused a lot on our lesson plan for our singing presentation. We turned in a draft on our lesson and got it back with helpful suggestions on how to improve your lesson plan. Then we were able to meet with other students and share our lesson plans and ideas. I also learned that our presentations are going to be post right here on our blogs. I feel that I am ready to do my singing lesson on " Five Little Frogs" , i mean i am a little nervous but once i start i will be fine. In class we were also taught different ways to teach a lesson and i am going to use the two phrases method to introduce my song to the class. I also found my song on a CD at my work and i think it will be a good idea to play it once we are dancing to the movements. this week i learned about Kodaly and his approach in music. while I was in choir we did a lot of warm-ups using solfegge. Then in our recorder lesson we learned a new note "D" and talked about sharps.

To learned how to write a lesson plan, as a class we did a mock one for the song on Tideo. This way when i went to write my own I had an example that I could follow. I found it really helpful the packet we got on how to teach a song. I am even incorporating an idea into my own lesson. at the end of class we were able to meet in groups of three to share our lesson. when learning about Kodaly's approach, i received a packet and we discussed his approach as a class. Also we sand and did hand movement in solfegee. then we did some examples of "rhythmic duration syllables"( quarter note = ta). in our recorder lesson we played through a review song and then were introduced to the note "D". We played a song that our teacher made up including the notes B,A,G,C, and D. It was fun because you had to think of the notes she was calling out while you were playing.

It is important to learn ab0ut Kodaly's approach because when doing solfegge you are able to sing the correct pitches of a note by looking at the music or someone doing the hand movements. then we can understand note value when you place the rhythmic syllables under the notes. To make you feel more comfortable about doing a singing presentation in front of the class it is helpful to get information on different ways to teach a song.In class we recieved a packet on different teaching methods for songs. It is also helpful to share your lesson with people who you are going to be presenting to. This way you kind of practice your song /lesson with an audience.

Kodaly's approach of rhythmic syllables are important for children to learn because it helps one to learn the value of different notes. As a teacher you could teach a new song to your class by going through the notes saying the syllables of the note and learning the rhythm of the song. Solfegee is helpful to children learning different pitches of a song . This allows children to have a visual of the hand movements to different notes.By putting the hand movement and solfegge together children are able to have a better tonal memory. Also you can tell children to begin a song on "do" and they will know what the first pitch is suppose to sound like . Then you can replace "Do" with a word like "five" and have them sing five .

Week 4

This week in class, we learned more about music notation. We learned more about rhythm concept with the introduction of silent sounds and the note value of rests.( whole, half, ,quarter,eighth and sixteenth). during our recorder session we learned to play a new note "C". This note made when you have your left thumb on the back on the recorder cover the hole and your middle finger covering the second hole on the front of the recorder. we are now able to play up to page eleven of our recorder book. A big concept that were learned this week was lesson plans in music.

When we sang the song "Bow Wow" were were introduced to the rhythmic concept silent sounds. We went around the class and used different motions to depict the rhythm and emphasise the silent beats/rests. We then got up and did a dance to the song. once we were introduced to the note "C" on our recorder, we played two songs. one song was called Cobbler, Cobbler and the second song was called Barcarolle. To learn about music plans, our teacher introduced us to the song " Tideo". and walk us through the different steps of a lesson plan. Then together as a class we filled out a lesson plan for this song. This was important because in two weeks we will be doing a singing lesson in front of the class and need to be able to fill out a lesson plan for our activity.

It was important to learn about silent beats/rests because they are apart of rhythm in music. when you understand the basic concepts like long, short, and silent sounds you are able to better perform a piece of music. Then it was important to learn a new note with our recorder because we are able to now play songs that have more than three notes in them and we learned how notes can skip in music. it was very important to learn about music and lesson plans because we will be turning in our first lesson plan in on Monday. And we need to be able to write a correct lesson plan , so we are able to teach the class our singing activity. Through out the week we have learned more music concepts/skills that can help us become more educated in music and help us when we are teachers.

It is important for children to learn music concepts like silent sounds because it is one aspect of rhythm. This helps students to learn how to read music notation . Also to understand when there needs to be a pause during a measure/beat. As a teacher we can make learning music concepts fun for children when we make up movements or dances to go along to the songs.

**Ten Songs **

1) Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
2) Baby Bumblebee
3) If your Happy and you know it
4) Ants go marching
5) We're going on a bear hunt
6) Tiny Tim (turtle)
7) Five Little Monkeys
8) Open, Shut Them
9)Fifty Nifty united states
10)Ten in the bed

Week Three

In class this week we learned about cognitive learning in music. also learned about the C major scale, note names and note values. we learned where different notes are located on the five-line staff. we did melodic icons for the song Rain for homework this week to reemphasise note value. in our recorder session we played the song "think of a fly" and again talked about the importance of using our head voices when singing with children.

Our concepts were taught to us by taking notes on the blackboard . And also by having handouts for our binders. Our teacher taught us the different not names on the scale and we wrote them down in our notes. she also taught us the different note value in a creative way. it is like dividing up a loaf of bread.


It is important to learn these concepts because all music is made up of different notes and different note values. you will become a better musician when you are able to distinguish the notes and values.plus we need to know how to perform a song when teaching it t children.

In children's' education of music is is important to make it creative and interesting to hold their attention. i believe that the way our teacher taught us note value would be very appealing to young learners. learning music notes and their values is important just like in math when you learn the different number and functions. As a teacher you can teach this concept in small steps and then gradually add to it until all music names are learned and note values.

Week Two

This week in class our focus was on Steady beat( constant repitious sound) and rhythmic beats( long, short and silent sounds) To help us learn the concept of rythmic beat we played our name rhyme on a drum with a partner. then we went around the circle and played a rythm while our partner said thier rhyme and vice versa.Also we began to playour recoders. we will be having recoder time every friday. today we learned B,A G and how to play the song hot cross buns.


In class when we learn a new song for either singing or playing our teacher will demonstrate the song to the class. this is great because it gives everyone a sense of what the song will sound like and what we will be doing during the song. Like this week will our focus on steady beat and rhythmic beats our teacher singing us a verse while keeping the beat on her body and then she choose a student to come up with a different pattern while we sing.

It is important to learn these basic concepts in music because they will open the door to other forms of music and its elements. it also helps to show a song both auditory and visually to help all styles of learners!

Music is important for children at this age because it can help them to express their emotions and learn concepts in different subject matter( math or reading). also children can see how different instrument of music like voice, body percussion and musical instruments.

Week one

Just by the first week of class, I know that this semester will be fun. Our Focus for this week is singing songs that introduced yourselves. our first song that we learned was a "Hello" song. Together as a class we sing this song while one student walks around the room holding a stuffed monkey. Also a student is playing the steady beat on the drum.( Another major focus we are learning is steady beat= constant repetitious playing) Once the student holding the monkey stops in front of someone, that person will singing there name to the monkey and then the class singing back. We have all been working on singing in our head voices too. this is a great song for a beginning of the year introduction and if the children are young enough this would be a great circle/morning time song. The benefit of this song is learning every body's name in a fun way. You can also tell what students are comfortable singing out loud and which ones maybe a little shy. I think that this song helps everyone to get more comfortable with people around them and learn how to express themselves in a different way. in class I am learning how music can help children to open up and feel more comfortable in a different environment.

Name Rhyming

Aurora is my name
Friendly is my game
I like shopping
I enjoy teaching

Music History

Music has always been apart of my life. Before i was involved in music personally, I would listen to the music that ,y parents played at home and in the car. I can still remember listens to opera and country music with my dad. While my mom enjoyed pop music and The Beatles. When I was seven I was apart of my church's choir for about three years. When I was in fifth grade i began to participate in my school's choir. At this time I also began to play the clarinet for about six months.My dad used to play the clarinet, so I thought that it would be fun to play. One Christmas my parent bought my sisters and I keyboards. We used to play with the keyboards for hours learning songs or just making tunes up. I can still remember playing "heart and soul". I do like to play musical instrument, but the best thing that i enjoy from music is singing and listening. While in Jr. high I was in choir for all of the two years. This was one of the first time that I remember when students are played in singing groups based on their voice. I was placed in the soprano group. Then in high school I was in choir for all four years and I made it up to the A cappella choir my senior year. I also took voice lesson for about four months until my voice lesson teacher had to leave.I have enjoyed being in a choir because you are able to sing different style of music, your in a place where people share a common interest with you and it is fun. While i was in my high school choir we went on two trips. One to St. Louis and the other to San Diego . Even when i am not in choir i still enjoy music. I work at a child care center and when the children are up I always have music playing in the background. I listen to a variety of music like pop, country,soundtracks, hip-hop etc on my Ipod. I also like watching musicals like Mamma Mia and i enjoy singing whenever i get a chance like when driving to NIU for class.