Session 1

Key learning from the music lesson included the importance of music and benefits. Music enhances fine motor skills, improves recall and retention of verbal information and equips students to be creative. We took part in an example music lesson which included listening to how deep is your love by bill bailey and using this to inspire us to draw a picture. I found this beneficial as it meant I gained ideas from music. For children this could be a way of expressing themselves and showing what they understand by the song and its meaning. I feel this outcome from Curriculum for Excellence would be appropriate for this lesson: Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 0-18a / EXA 1-18a / EXA 2-18. The response children have to this activity would be expressed in their picture and I feel they would learn more about the purpose of music and how it effects our thoughts and feelings. As a potential teacher I would combine this activity with a drawing activity on possibly topic work. So matching a price of music to a topic and using this to get children to express their thoughts and feeling on it through drawing.

The Art session consisted of enhancing our understanding of Art and its purpose for children. Children need to express their creativity and be given the opportunity to develop skills in art aspects such as drawing or painting. We observed art work from children ages 4 to 12 carried out over the past 40 years. This showed that children in the early stages of learning are more expressive and willing to make mistakes where as older children’s art work was more structured and a lot of effort was put in to it. This shows the importance of allowing children in the early stages to do things the way they want and make art in their own way. In the later stages of learning it is evident that children loose some of their creativity and more copying goes on through arts classes. This would give children the opportunity to observe others artwork and share their thoughts. I have the freedom to discover and choose ways to create images and objects using a variety of materials. EXA 0-02a. This outcome from Curriculum for Excellence was expressed through the art work of those in early years. As teachers it is important we do not only rely on pen and paper for expressing arts but include lots of different resources such as paint, tissue, glue, chalk etc. This will not only enhance children’s art work but will make the lessons more enjoyable therefore creating a likeness for art. I feel children would respond better to more variety of resources as it would enhance their art work and make it more fun for them. Essential skills in creating art work include creativity and the ability to express themselves without doubt in their art which was what we seen from the art of early stages children.

Session 2

During our dance class we played some games which could be considered ice breakers e.g  the class sits in a circle whilst each pupil takes a turn going in the middle to perform an action and say their name. This can be a good exercise for new classes or to introduce a new pupil.

We learned the 10 basic dance moves:

1. Twist
2. Gesture
3. Kick
4. Jump
5. Turn
6. Hop
7. Reach
8. Slide
9. Roll
10. Balance

In groups, after demonstration by the lecturer, we made up our own interpretation of each move and put it together as a dance.

Another game we played was called ‘Scottish Salmon’. A range of traditional Scottish things were represented by different numbers. When these numbers are called the children should act out the said things. This combines a possible history topic with dance or PE. It could make a subject more fun and allow for a different type of learning on a very relevant topic.

In our Art input we learned that teachers require a tolerance for mess to allow children to be creative to the best of their ability.

In group we rolled black ink across boards and used our hands to print it on paper. This could be referred to as mark making. This means making random marks which later, using imagination, can be turned into things they resemble. I found this enjoyable and was able to think about things more thoughrly to create shapes. Use of aprons is important in these lessons to prevent a barrier (children/parents worrying about clothing) to imagination and mess. This encourages children to think outside the box. I think children would respond well to this activity as it is fun, imaginative and allows them to create using more than just pen and paper. As a potential teacher I feel this would bring out the creativity in children and give the teacher an idea of how they perceive things. Key learning was achieving an image which was once only a mark and helping children to express their ideas. An experience which could be achieved through this activity would be “inspired by a range of stimuli, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through activities within art and design”.

   

We discussed children with autism’s take on art and that they can often be extremely skilled in this area and use art to express themselves as due to their condition they can not always speak or communicate in the way we do. Project Ability was brought to our attention. This is an art centre for autistic people from early ages to 21 and allows them to advance in their skills, meet new friends and attend art related events. They display the art created in their center which is in Trongate, Glasgow.

Session 3

Different types of drama that can be used in the primary classroom include Teacher in Role, Freeze Frames and Process Drama. Class rules in drama include ensuring children don’t laugh at peers and take drama seriously as a subject whilst also having fun. Getting all children involved is important and making it enjoyable for everyone. Classroom drama is “to do with the child experiencing rather than the child performing” (Neelands, J. (1990). This emphasizes that children do not need to be particularly skilled in drama to take part and learn from it.

During the session we took part in an activity referred to as ‘The dragon story’. The teacher was the Town Leader (teacher in role) and the students were the villagers. In groups, the class discussed how they would react to a dragon invading their village and then acted this reaction out to the rest of the class. After acting out how we would capture the dragon each group created a freeze frame to show them celebrating the capture. This exercise uses all 3 different types of drama and gives children a variety of the subject.

During the dance session we elaborated on the 10 basic dance moves, which I previously mentioned, by interpreting more than one way of demonstrating each move  within our groups. We also combined maths with dance by working out sums where the answers where expressed using one of the basic moves e.g If the answer was 7 it could be shown by doing a jump.

As it is October we based part of the lesson around forming a Halloween dance as a class. In a primary school environment, this could be shown to the rest of the school during an assembly or a Halloween show for parents and carers. Each group was given a Halloween related picture and asked to create a dance move to represent the picture for example a bat or a skeleton.

We also took part in a game referred to as ‘The Bean Game’. This involved the class moving around the room whilst the Teacher exclaims a type of bean and in response the class perform an action to represent this bean. For example, chilly bean would be expressed by acting cold. This game can be changed around with regards to the contents used and is effective for a warm up or fun game.

Session 4 

Art in schools should not be uniform as every child is unique and has their own way of expressing themselves. By the end of a successful art lesson you should have a range of different types of interpretations of the same idea. We were made aware of Art Projects throughout the 20th Century including Room 13 which was developed in the Highlands.

We went on to carry out our own painting activity. The lecturer gave a detailed account of a scene we were to paint which included details of the sky, the sea, the surroundings, a lighthouse and a boat. We used handmade paintbrushes which all had different textures and the three primary colors (Red, Yellow and Blue). On our chosen piece of paper we created a border which is important when working with children and paint so that the paint does not get smeared across tables or other classroom furniture. Everyone’s pictures had similarities however due to the difference in brushes, the detailed account and mixing of our own colors they were all unique and individual.

Session 5

During drama we used hot seating which can be done to allow children to use their imagination and create a story. This is a good way to get the whole class involved. Improvisation can be used by the teacher giving a brief explanation of a scenario and allowing the children in groups to elaborate and later act the scene out to the class. Ths can be interesting to see the different views and ideas children have. Forum theater can be a productive way of improving children’s drama and teaching how to give constructive feedback.

Our music lesson allowed us to see how easy it is to make music. We used glockenspiels and xyclophones. By removing certain notes we used the pentatonic scale which is the only notes needed in primary level learning. In turns we played a short tune on the instruments by improvising. The key learning was that of the pentatonic scale and putting together different notes to create a tune. Children would enjoy this experience as it allows them to explore different noises and to use an instrument. In my experience use of instruments during music was barely existent unless you were able to fluently play one. So from this session I have learned the necessary skills which are the ability to use beaters/sticks to play an instrument and knowledge of the pentatonic scale. I would use this activity during a music lesson to encourage children to play an instrument and to show that anyone can do it if they try.

 

Session 6

We used ‘role in the wall’ during the drama input. This allowed us to use our imagination based on a given story/situation. We shared how we thought the character felt and presented this to the class using ‘voices in our head’ technique. This meant we thought more in depth about the characters of a story. Essential skills included the ability to present, creating our own ideas of the characters feelings and working as a group to present these ideas. Key learning through this drama input was enabling us to experience the inspiration and power of the arts. All children would have responded to this activity differently and would have had different ideas on the feelings of the character which creates a wider range of dramas across the classroom. This would benefit children as it allows them to use their imaginations and enhance their confidence through performance of their ideas. As a potential teacher I seen many benefits in this activity. I feel this could be used in topic work or reading activities to further children’s knowledge and thoughts.

We had the pleasure of meeting children from Greenhill Primary School in Cumnock who were participating in a music scheme allowing them to learn string instruments and play within an orchestra. We were taught by P6/7’s the basics of playing instruments such as the cello and violin. I have never played an instrument so I felt wary at the beginning however the children were outstanding and I learned how to play twinkle twinkle little star on the cello. This programme gives children the opportunity to develop their skills in music and performance. The children were well behaved, focused and organised. The key learning of this input was mainly the benefits playing an instrument has on children. The children enjoyed playing the instrument and could go on to further their talents in high school. A learning experience for me was how well the children played together and their abilities to make music. As a potential teacher this scheme has opened my eyes to the power of music and the benefits of playing instruments not only during music lessons but also in the classroom. Children learn about posture and are responsible for their instrument so this would reflect on their behaviour in the classroom. I also learned that giving a child an instrument does not need to be stressful or hard to keep them on task.

Recording and evaluating learning or experiences is important in the arts and we had the opportunity to record and perform as a class our previously put together dance. This allowed reflection as an individual and as a class. We evaluated this recording using the two stars and a wish technique which identifies two positive aspects of the dance and one aspect that could be improved on. I found this helpful as if we had not evaluated I feel I would not have taken as much from the lesson. Allowing children to evaluate themselves or their peers allows for independent thinking and this is a crucial part of expressive arts. Getting the performance right meant team work and concentration was essential. I found this very productive and would like to use it later in teaching.

Session 7

Our drama input consisted of micro teaching, where within groups we presented a childrens book for example Rainbow Fish and expanded on how we could use this to teach drama to children.  I felt this was very effective as it gave us as potential teachers an idea of how we could get children involved in drama and make it enjoyable. Ideas developed from this included using previously learned methods such as thought tunnels and hot seating to encourage children to explore stories further and methods such as freeze frames to have children act their ideas out to the class. Essential skills were using previously learned knowledge and putting this knowledge into practice through presentations to our peers. Key learning included new ways in which we could teach drama and using books to do so. I feel children would enjoy the methods and ideas expressed within the input as they were fun and informative and all applied to children of a primary school age. The children would learn not only stories but also could create their own ideas and express their thought through different teaching methods. As a potential teacher I found this very beneficial as it gave me ideas which I could reflect during future teaching and allowed me to try out methods such as role in the wall and thought tunnels which I have not previously done in the role of a teacher.

During music we were introduced to a interactive programme called garage band which allows children to create their own music/songs on the computer. I enjoyed this programme as it opened my eyes to the different instruments used within music and allowed me to experiment with them. Essential skills included the ability to use a computer and listen carefully to instructions in order to use the programme to your advantage. I learned how to peice together music and effectively create my own sound. This would be beneficial for children as it makes music fun and children enjoy using computers as it’s a different way of teaching. The programme could be used to create a song as a class or an album filled with the children’s individual music peices. In the future I would use this programme in classes to familiarise children with the different instruments without having to produce them all in front of them and help them better understand the function of notes within music.

Session 8

It is important than teachers are aware of artists and their work weather it be past or present as this enhances our ability to teach art as we will be able to answer children’s questions about artists and share our knowledge with children. I am unfamiliar with artists and need to work on this. Today I was made aware of Avril Paton and her art work ‘Windows in the West’ which is the most commonly known art in Scotland and displayed in Kelvin grove Art Galleries. As a popular Scottish piece children should be aware of this and the reasoning behind it. This could be linked with history lessons as it shows the structure of old tenement blocks in Glasgow. This also opens the opportunity for a class visit to the Art Galleries which would be beneficial for children’s learning.

We were introduced to printing using polythene tiles and paint. This could enhance children’s learning of mark making, taking a part of a famous painting and printing it on a piece of paper or card. This could be displayed in the classroom or cards sold to parent/carers to help fundraise for the school.

Charanga is an website which provides assistance with lessons and loads of interactive activities based on music for children. This website is beneficial to children and their learning as it provides knowledge on different types of music for example hip-hop and classical. In the classroom charanga provides opportunity and ideas in integrating music into other topics such as Egypt or Christmas. A child would find the activities fun and interesting as they are made to suit all ages and levels. This is a more recent, improved way of teaching and encourages pupils to become engaged in music. As a potential teacher this would be really helpful in lesson planning and keeping track of children’s progress in music.