Week 12 Journal

This week we finished up presenting our Children's Literature Projects. It was cool watching the other groups present, they did a really good job. We also practiced our recorders some more and did a movement lesson that involved playing them. We also did a movement lesson where we passed around a ball. This lesson taught about tempo and dynamics.

It is important to learn about tempo and dynamics because they are present in all music. They are usually the most obvious parts about a piece of music. Having children play the ball game allows them to listen to this parts more closely so they can better identify them.

It is important for children to learn these because it will help them to better understand music in the long run. They will be able to tell how fast or slow a song is and how loud of soft. These are just two concepts that are very important for everyone to understand.

Week 11 Journal

This week we worked on and presented our group Children's Literature Project. My group worked together really well. We picked out a book and wrote the lesson plan together. We all decided what instruments we should use and where in the book they should be used. We did a good job presenting together. We accomplished making a well written lesson plan and presenting it well. The challenge was finding a time in order to meet to write the lesson plan. Another challenge was finding a song to sing with the book. The most exciting part of this project was actually being able to teach it. The fact that the lesson went well added to this. From this lesson the children can learn how to take care of their environment and the world. They can learn about the Three R's. The children can also learn about timbre and how to play instruments.

Week 9 Journal

This week we learned about creativity in children. It is very important to foster creativity in children because it enables them to think abstractly and to come up with unique solutions to problems. Music is a great way to help students think creatively. Making up noises and sounds is done through creative thinking. Using books and having the children make up their own sounds helps them grow creatively. The children are able to use sounds they think would be used, as opposed to being told what noise to make. Such as a child being able to say that a bird can go "caw caw" instead of the teacher telling them that it goes "chirp chirp".

Student-centered teaching is greatly enhanced through an activity such as this. That is because the students get to help shape the activity. They decide what noises to make and possibly what instruments to use. This makes it more about them than if the teacher were just lecturing them.

Week 8 Journal

Creativity is a very important skill to encourage in children. It helps them to think of new and interesting ways to solve different problems. If children are able to think creatively they will be able to better understand certain concepts better. For example, children who are creative tend to do better at algebra than those that aren't. Also, creative people tend to do well in the world. They are able to solve problems that others might not be able to.

Music can help children be creative in many ways. Getting to experiment with different instruments and voice ranges enables them to think about different ways of doings things. Singing different songs helps to get the children to create different stories.

For my multicultural project I intend to use Germany as my country. I figure since my grandmother came over from Germany this will be a good way to find something out about my heritage.

Week 7 Journal

This week we really focused on studying for our test. The hardest part was remembering what characteristics and abilities were common for each grade level. I made sure to read and re-read those sections so I would know them for the test. The easiest part for me were the questions dealing with reading the music and the questions on the recorder fingering. I already knew how to read music before starting this class so I didn't study that as much. The recorder fingering was easy because there weren't that many letters and all of the practicing helped ingrain it in memory.

So far this semester we have learned a lot. We learned about melody, rhythm, steady beat, articulation, and dynamics. We have also learned how to play C, D, G, A, and B on the recorder, as well as how to play Hot Cross Buns. We learned how to write up a lesson plan and how to teach it to a class. We learned, or reviewed, how to read a treble clef staff, including the treble clef, time signature, and the notes. We learned C major and G major scale on the staff as well as on the piano. We learned what whole steps and half steps are. We learned about whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes and rests. We learned about sharp notes, such as F sharp.

Week 6 Journal

Self-evaluation (this is of my second time teaching):

Musicianship: 4 points, I think I had an accurate rhythm and appropriate tempo, as wells appropriate phrasing and expression. My tune and pitch could possibly have been better

Leadership: 6 points, I think my voice tone and volume were appropriate and that my body language and facial expressions were fine. However I probably could have made more eye contact and have had more energy.

Preparation: 14 points. I knew the lesson plan that I had written out and turned in. I had all of the appropriate materials. I knew all the words to my song, however I could have known it a little better.

Delivery of Instruction: 19 points. I think that I did a good job in capturing the classes attention. The steps seemed as though they were in a good order and that the instructions were understood. The pace seemed slow enough for them to follow along and I listened to the feedback of the class. However, there could have been more questions.

Total: 43


The hardest part about the presentation was actually presenting it. I knew the song really well, but I got nervous in front of the class and so that made me mess up. However, it was a lot easier the second time I had to perform it because I was less nervous and I feel I did a lot better job. I think I taught the dance pretty well, everyone seemed to do a good job at it. Since I was given a second chance I know that I was able to be less nervous and so I messed up less. There were certain parts of the lesson that I fine tuned when I saw that they didn't go so well the first time.

Week 5 Journal

This week we learned about the note D on the recorder. We also learned about half steps and sharps. Additionally, we continued to work on our lesson plans. We were taught about Zoltan Kodaly and solfege, as well as music duration.

In order to learn the note D we were taught how to play it on the recorder. We practiced a song that contained D notes. To learn about half steps and sharps we were shown diagrams of where they would fall on the staff and on a piano. We went over our lesson plans in groups that ranged from those that were good at writing lesson plans to those that needed help. We worked on them and discussed them as a group in order to get someone else's help and perspective. To learn about Kodaly, solfege, and music duration we read a packet about them and we practiced the solfege and music duration.

It is important that we know the D note because you cannot play many songs without it. The same goes for knowing about half steps and sharp notes. Solfege and music duration also help you to better understand music. It is important to learn about lesson plans because they are vital to becoming a teacher. You cannot successfully teach a class unless you are able to make lesson plans.

It is important for children to learn these skills and concepts because it helps them to understand music better. These concepts and skills enable children to play music and to help practice what they already know about music.