This week we were focusing on how we can use different stimuli to improve our lessons once we have qualified. The use of stimuli helps to explore a whole new range of topics and ways in which children’s imaginations work. Throughout our art in-put we were using cards as a stimulus and throughout our music in-put this week we were using the charanga resources.
During this week’s art in-put we were given a picture with some questions on the back about process, form, content and mood. These questions were answered in different ways by both myself and my partner however we both worked together in order to ensure that both of our points were coming across. The questions got everyone thinking in different ways to which we would usually think. On the back of each card there was also questions about what we had thought about the cards, what we believed the background story was, we were able to think of different ideas which without the use of the cards we would not be able to think of. Using the cards as a stimulus to create our own stories about what we believed and also thought could have been the actual story to the cards if there was one. Our card had an alien family on the front, and we associated this pictured with families who come from different backgrounds and may feel alienated in today’s society. This although may be a difficult subject to teach children and for them to understand however the use of stimulus can allow them to think about it and understand it in a way which is easy enough for them.
Following on from our art in-put and working on how we as learners use stimuli, in music we were looking at it from a point of view in which how we as future educators can use stimuli to help us get lesson ideas and how to make our lessons more engaging for our students. Whilst exploring charanga and everything it has to offer we were able to see just how important it is to keep our music lessons engaging for children as it can help them to remain that focused throughout each area of the curriculum. Charanga has a variety of different resources so teachers can have lesson plans that both link in with the curriculum but keep music interesting and engaging for the pupils. Charanga also gives teachers ideas on what they can teach including topics that most children are familiar with.
Exploring different ways in which we can use stimuli to help us to both improve our lessons and explore children’s imaginations allows us as future educators to fully make the most of not only our own ideas but also our pupils ideas.
