Music – Page 2 – UWS BA ePDPs

Integrated Arts Week 5

Visual Arts This week, we looked at how we can extend an art activity by reducing our Windows in the West print, and creating a black and white photocopy, which we then used to create a pen drawing extending from the print image. The importance of continuation in art was emphasised, as all too often …

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Integrated Arts- Music and Dance 17/10/2017

The focal points of this week’s integrated arts inputs where music and dance. Again, after these inputs I believe I have developed further knowledge and confidence within the integrated arts education.
During the lecture we explored why music matters within education and how music can complement other subject areas, in particularly literacy. The skills of music are encircled by the skills of literacy primarily transpiring as reading, writing, listening and speaking, Hansen et al (2014, p.1) connotes “children are learning valuable skills of music that are an integral part of becoming a literate person”. Likewise, Patricia Stock cited by Hansen et al (2014, p.3) denotes literacy as “the ability to use available symbol systems that are fundamental to learning and teaching- for the purpose of comprehending and composing- for the purpose of making and communicating meaning and knowledge”. Music empowers children to acquire additional skills of creative, perspective, comprehending and rhythm. Even at a young age when children are engaging in play, children are making emblematic connections to the real word. From early stage children should be encourage to listen to music and create their own music too, researchers have proven that music can enhance children’s language and literacy acquisitions. Decoding is a fundamental skill of learning to read and making the connections between the phoneme and grapheme (Hansen et al, 2014). Teachers are able to use music in literacy and maths for instance “using songs as a way to learn the content of reading or mathematics such as memorising grammatical structure or multiplication tables” (Hansen et al, 2014, p. 42). Similarly, music can also raise attainment in the primary school, children may become more engaged in learning and behaviour may improve due to the involvement of music. As a perspective teacher it is important that I find a way of implement music in the classroom, allowing the children to be engaged within all of the arts and give them the opportunity to create their own authentic pieces of integrated art work, whether it is an individual or with peers. There are many options that engendered children’s involvement in music, this can be through learning to play an instrument or learning to sing, learning to compose, using ICT to develop music, learning to produce a performance. What I gathered from lecture is music is a powerful subject which can help teachers to develop learning and teaching, and also aid the cognitive development of children, as a perspective teacher it is important that within my practise I express enthusiasm and energy in order to make learning engaging and enjoyable. Bloomfield (2000, p.67) highlights the importance of music in the curriculum “some children will find an opportunity to excel in musical communication while others will be highly motivated by musical activities. It is important to acknowledge that such music is such a powerful musical tool”.
The music workshop focused on the theory aspect of music and the advantages of music in other subject areas. In groups we were assigned a curricular area within the ‘International Journal of Music Education’ by Susan Hallam, my group was assigned physical development, below is the mind-map of information we abstracted.

Also within the input we consider lesson planning in music, using an interdisciplinary approach, below is our lesson plan

This week we were introduce to the dance aspect of the integrated arts. Before the input I felt rather apprehensive and uneased by the prospect of teaching dance, but throughout the input I acquired valuable techniques that has increased my empowerment and confidence in dance. Dance is made up of movements which are used to illustrate emotions and meaning, dance is part of cultural across the world, and dance is considering a means of social interaction (Bloomfield, 2000). Children are first exposed to dance “through singing games and spontaneous rhythmical play actions, acquired through family, nursery, and media resources (Bloomfield, 2000, p,45). Bloomfield likewise states dance is “experienced through awareness of kinaesthetic flow patterns, the awakening and development of skills through coordination… meaning of movement in a creative and expressive way (2000. P.45). Throughout the input we were shown a variety of ways to implement dance in an engaging way for instance dance whisper- the class form two equal straight lines and the two children at top is show a short sequence dance and must pass it along line to the end of the lines. Another approach is getting the children to form a conga line and different music plays and each child gets the opportunity to create a unique response to the music. Also in groups we consider bones and muscles that we use when we exercise, when teaching dance especially through Physical Education it is important to do a warm-up and ensure the children are ready to dance, likewise a cool- down is important too. Movements of the left side of the body are dominated by the fundamental motor and sensory sector of the brains right hemisphere, (Bloomfield, 2000). When teaching dance, it foremost to be aware that individual have one side of their body more presiding than the other, it is therefore principle to practise the movement on both sides of body, being resilient if one side of body is more challenged by the movement (Bloomfield, 2000).

Nonetheless this week we were able to establish the principle TEN words of any dance routine being:
• Twist
• Reach
• Roll
• Slide
• Gesture
• Hop
• Jump
• Kick
• Turn
• Balance
Utilising the ten words above in groups we create our own movement for each and next week we hope to incorporate into constructed dance routine.
I found this week inputs to be overall insightful, I have been able to consider the power, the influence and theory of music not only to the curriculum, but the significance that music can have on children’s development and attainment within learning. Likewise, in dance I have be able to acknowledge the importance of movement within dance and the thought behind creative dance routines.

References
Bloomfield, A. (2000) Teaching Integrated Arts in the Primary School. Oxon: David Fulton
Hansen, D, Bernstorf, E, Stuber, G. (2014) The Music and Literacy Connection .(2nd ed). London: Rowan and Littlefield

Integrated Arts Week 6

Integrated Arts Week 6 Dance This week, we experienced the first of the dance inputs in the module. We began with some fun, engaging activities that would be an ideal way to introduce the topic of dance in the classroom: an adaptation of Chinese whispers, using a sequence of dance moves which were passed along …

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Integrated Arts- Music Application and Visual Arts 10/10/2017

The focus of this week’s inputs where music and the visual arts. This week I have been able to explore a range of technologies and methods that can be interwoven throughout primary learning of the integrated arts.
The initial input was music, during the workshop we were introduced to GarageBand, a software application that enables you to produce sounds, create your own music and record audio. We were first asked to create an eight-bar piece of music, using a range of sounds, beats and musical instruments. After experimenting with this aspect of the application, we then moved onto altering our pieces of music by using fade ins and fade outs, changing the pace and pitch and introducing sound effects. After trialling the application, we then created our own music using an animation as a stimulus. This allowed us to consider a variety of animations and select appropriate backing music (considering musical instruments, bass and sound effects) to complement the short clip. In regards to music at the beginning of the module I was not confident with the prospect of teaching the subject, but being introduced to a range of music resources I feel that music is a subject that is not based solely around playing musical instruments and singing, but there are opportunities to use online applications in order to aid teaching. By using GarageBand within the classroom, I would be utilising an interdisciplinary approach as children would be developing skills within music and ICT. Bloomfield (2000, p.68) devised a framework for music teaching and learning within this Bloomfield conveys the importance that children should be “developing ICT skills in music and learning to compose and create music”. In addition, children should be exposed to a variety of “sound source and combinations of sounds” (Bloomfield, 2000, p.68). The GarageBand application likewise enables children to consider musical elements, that Bloomfield (2000, p.69) defines as: “pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure and form”. When teaching music cross-curricular with ICT the principle musical element would be timbre (Bloomfield, 2000). Timbre can be denoted as the characteristics of musical sound and the diversity of sounds that can be created. It is foremost that children have the opportunity to experiment with sounds and engaged in producing their own pieces of music using a variety of technologies.

I can use my voice, musical instrument and music technology to experiment with sound, pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and dynamic (EXA 2-17a)

During the visual art workshop, we continued to work on ‘Windows of the West’ painting, but taking a different dynamic of the work that we produced during printmaking in the previous week input. This enable me to approach the work with a fresh creative frame of mind. Firstly, we selected one of the multiple printmaking copies, which was then photocopied onto A4 paper, this left us we half of the paper to illustrate our own imagination. Using this as extension work in the classroom would empower children to create their own unique perspective on the painting and also develops their awareness of good judgement, as the children must be able to scale their work to ensure they include all detail they want to illustrate (Eisner, 2007). There are many opportunities to use printmaking with ICT for instance Cox and Watt (2007, p.55) devise “scanning prints onto a PC and manipulating them using art and design software”. In addition, computer software packages can change the “colour and tone- or a selection of a print then copy and paste it serval time to create a new patter” (Cox and Watts, 2007, p,81). ICT in the visual arts generally enables children to take more creative risks and experiment with their work in-depth.
Also during this week’s visual art workshop, we looked at colouring books, however the colouring books we examined where different from the conventional books that mainly have a lot of detail, these colouring books had space for individuals to draw their own response as well as colouring in. This outlook on drawing and colouring in the classroom would empower the children to demonstrate and illustrate their understanding of the image given as well as improving their drawing skills. I believe colouring in is an activity that is rather calm and therapeutic on the mind.

Using printmaking as a stimulus to create own view

Also, over the past week I have read ‘Room 13: The Movement and International Network’ Claire Gibb. Room 13 was an art studio founded in Fort William in 1994 by young artist. I found this to be an insightful read as it highlighted the work of children and their desire to make art more noticeable within the curriculum. The art studio had a resident artist Rob Fairley who built the essence and practises of Room 13 and was very passionate in regarding children as unique artist but cognitively the same. The art work created by the children was unsystematic which enable the children to experiment and discover their unique skill and acquire their individual knowledge on art and social issues that had recently occurred or occurred in the past. By taking this approach to art children are able to develop art skills at their own cognitive pace as well as build confidence. By reading Room 13 I have been inspired to consider the teaching of art and who as a perspective teacher I utilise the visual arts within the classroom, I believe it is important for children to discover their unique creative and produce art work that is symbolic and fulfilling for them, emphasising art should not be about seeking perfection and uniformity in work, but being confident in their art ability.

References
Eisner, E. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of the Mind. Chapter 4, What the Arts Teach.
Bloomfield, A. (2000) Teaching Integrated Arts in the Primary School. Oxon: David Fulton
Cox, S, Watts, R (2007) Teaching Art and Design 3-11. New York. Continuum International
Gibb, C (2012) Room 13: The movement and international Network. Blackwell Publications
https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes

Integrated Arts Week 3

Integrated Arts week 3 Music: Today we looked at the figure notes system of reading music. Julie explained how the system was developed in Finland as an educational tool that creates a more inclusive way of learning to play an instrument. The symbols and colours are used to identify individual notes. Using this simple yet …

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Perfection

My memories of painting in my primary setting is sitting beside a friend and wishing my painting looked as good as theirs. As children grow they become more self-consious and concerned that their creation is accurate enough (McAuliffe, 2007) or that it’s not “perfect”. This word “perfect” is a word that I hate to hear […]

Intergrated Arts- Visual Arts and Music 26/9/17

This weeks Integrated Arts inputs where vastly engaging. The inputs focused on the visual arts and music. In my prior blog posts, I discoursed that integrated arts related subjects are not my strongest curricular areas, but as this module progresses I feel I am becoming significantly more confident in my abilities and my capacity of … Continue reading Intergrated Arts- Visual Arts and Music 26/9/17

This weeks Integrated Arts inputs where vastly engaging. The inputs focused on the visual arts and music.

In my prior blog posts, I discoursed that integrated arts related subjects are not my strongest curricular areas, but as this module progresses I feel I am becoming significantly more confident in my abilities and my capacity of teaching the integrated arts in a classroom environment.

During this week’s visual art input, I realised that the visual arts are not concerning seeking perfection, but in fact the individual’s ability to create art work that is unique, abstract and symbolic to them. In order to create distinctive art work, we produced our own paintbrushes, we were supplied with a range of materials- a wooden stick was the bases, to design the stick there was wool, cotton wool, feathers, string and other small objects. From the outset, the art work of class inevitably would not be uniformed, however within a primary school environment pursing for uniformity can be challenging, as segments of art can be intricate and complicated for pupils. It is therefore important to allow different variation of art work that represents the individual unique skill set (Holt, 1997). Children will get great satisfaction and achievement from making their own paintbrushes, it a perfect opportunity for them to develop divergent pieces of work.

Once we created our paintbrushes, we then continued onto paint using our paintbrushes. The lecturer read out a Scottish Highland scenery that was concealed from us, the lecturer described the image using straightforward language. By using this method of delivering the lesson we rendered our own perspectives of the image and created unsystematic art work using the paintbrushes and different colour and size of paper When painting I felt some uncertainty and was hoping that the painting would turn out how I was expecting it to. Within the classroom it is important to keep in mind that art should fun and engaging for children, however as children progress through their primary education, they are more aware of their abilities in which they will often compare to their peers and also will be less eager to experiment in subject areas. ‘Some children find art and design lessons frustrating, and would be far happier if there was less mess and greater certainty’ (Kay and Stillman, 2009, p.2).

Before the visual art session, I would not normal like to paint due to the mess generated, but my view has changed, as I found painting to be therapeutic and stimulating, and I am now inclined to paint in the classroom. In order to reduce mess, it is important to have good organisation of resources, using A3 paper children will be able to make their own disposable mixing palate, likewise ensuring the desks are kept protected this can be done by drawing a boundary around the paper and using newspaper as table covers (Cox and Watt, 2007).

The focal point of the music input was understanding how to play a glockenspiel using figurenotes. Figurenotes are coloured and different shape stickers that can be used on musical instrument to represent musical notes and has matching coloured music sheets. Despite being unable to play a musical instrument I would now be able to facilitate children’s musical instrument by using figurenotes as it easy to understand and there is no need to read musical notes. Also, this week we were introduced to Charanga, a primary education website that has a range of music lessons, songs and musicals that can be implemented in the classroom. Knowing that these resources are available is giving me more confidence in relation to teaching the arts to their fullness and ensuring children are acquiring skills from the arts too.

What I assimilated from this week’s input I can relate to the Tallis Habit Pedagogy Wheel (2013), within the persistent category. Within the visual arts input I was ‘tolerating uncertainty’, as I created a paintbrush and was unsure if I had the ability to paint an unseen picture. Within the music input I was ‘sticking with difficulty’ initially I found playing the musical instrument challenging but I ‘persevered’, remained ‘focused’ and by the end of session I felt confident enough to implement within a school setting.

References

Cox, S, Watts, R. (2007) Teaching Art and Design 3-11. New York: Continuum International Publishing.

Key, P, Stillman, J. (2009) Teaching Primary Art and Design. Exeter: Learning Matters

Holt, D. (1997) Primary Arts Education: Contemporary Issues. Guildford: Biddles

Tallis, T. (2013) Tallis Habits Pedagogy Wheel. [Online] Available: http://www.thomastallisschool.com/tallis-pedagogy-wheel-guide.html. [ Accessed on 27 September 2017]

Integrated Arts – Week 1&2

“Art is the literacy of the heart” – Elliot Eisner Weeks one and two of the Integrated Arts module focused on the drawing and music areas of the arts. In music, we focused on the emotional aspect of music: how different pieces of music can affect a person’s mood and feelings, but also how a …

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Integrated Arts- Week One

During my time at primary school I thoroughly enjoyed the arts, and was involved in the school’s drama productions and was member of the school’s choir, by participating in these extra-curricular activities I increased my confidence and self-assurance. However, when I went to secondary school I gradually fell away from the arts related subjects and … Continue reading Integrated Arts- Week One

The thought of teaching the arts makes me considerable apprehensive, due to the little knowledge I have in regards to the arts. But during the first week of the Integrated Arts module I have learnt a sufficient amount, which has made me feel more confident and relaxed about the prospect of teaching the arts.

The focal points of the lecture and workshops where art and music. During the art inputs, we explored the importance of children’s creativity, which children can illustrate from a very young age. What I acquired from this was, as a prospective teacher it important when planning art lesson to allow children the chance to exhibit their own imagination and creativity.

“Planning, teaching and supporting learning art it is important that you consider the aspects of creativity so that children have the opportunity to respond their own creativity€ (Edwards, 2013, P.11)

In addition to this, it foremost to value and merit children’s art work, this can be done by asking them to explain their art work to you. In art, it significant to bear in mind that there is no wrong method or way, but any piece is correct and worthy.

During the music input we explored music appreciation, similarly to art it is important to create a creative learning environment, were mistakes are allowed and praised. Also during this input, we investigate the significance that music can have on other curricular areas such as numeracy and literacy. Using music and literacy in groups we constructed a story board, this was completed my listening to a seven-minute-long track that did not have any lyrics. By doing this we were able to listen and erect our own thoughts on the track and brought our ideas together to create a story. This can also be done using digital literacy (sound and visual) and can be an effective and creative lesson to engage children with music and literacy.

The initial week of integrated art I feel I have been able to amplify my universal arts knowledge and look forward to the coming inputs.

Reference

Edwards, J. (2013) Teaching primary art. 1^st ed. Oxon: Routledge

Session 11 – 6/12/11

Todays lecture was focussed on using alternative approaches to art education. Specifically concentrating on Room 13 which is an art studio in a school where children are permitted to lead their own learning and let their imagination run free while creating their artwork with a teacher there only for assistance when needed. We were shown a video explaining what Room 13 is and hearing the pupils opinions on the initiative and how it had benefitted them. This was very insightful as it showed the positive impact that allowing children to be creative has on them.

Art

In todays art class we were continuing to consider room 13. Again, we discussed the benefits this project has on children such as increased independence and confidence in their ability to produce art. We were shown various pieces of work that has came from room 13 and analysed them thinking about the inspiration behind them etc.

I think that the room 13 project is very beneficial and something I will continue to consider.

Music

Today we were introduced to the use of figure notes. This is when sheet music with musical notes is replaced by colours and shapes representing a note. Using this resulted in it being far easier to play a musical piece as the barrier of being able to read the music notes was removed. This showed how music can be taught in a simpler form for those who would struggle reading sheet music and provides quicker results for them and increasing their confidence with their ability to play music.

We had the opportunity to use figure notes for ourselves by playing tunes such as jingle bells and twinkle twinkle on the keyboard, glockenspiel and guitar.

I think figure notes is very useful and I will definitely use it throughout my career.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8579853.stm