For our final week of integrated arts, we were focusing on the importance of fun throughout performing arts lessons even when you are having to focus more on the assessment side of things.       For this week’s music in-put we were having fun by learning how to play last Christmas on the ukuleles. And for our dance in-put we were performing our dance for the final time and also learning how we would evaluate a dance lesson, whilst having the opportunity to have fun by performing it for the final time we were also being serious by learning how to evaluate it.

For our music in-put we were having fun by learning a new skill. The new skill that we were developing was learning how to play the ukulele which was and is very different to the percussion instruments that we have been playing. By playing ukulele we were back to step one in the process of learning to play a new instrument like we did do a few weeks ago. The ukulele is a fun way that teachers can teach children new skills and also allow them to express themselves in another way. Also, by choosing to play last Christmas it is a fun way to get everyone involved in the festivities regardless of if they believe in Christmas or not, by choosing to do a topic like this everyone gets to feel a part of what they are participating in. By choosing to do something like this, it also allows everyone to experience the fun of Christmas and all it has to bring.

For our final dance in-put this week, we had a lot of fun of performing our dance routine for the last time. Before performing our routine for the last time, we had a lot of fun whilst getting to practise with our own little groups which we had created a good and strong bond with whilst having the opportunity to perform with them. Everyone I feel like, really enjoyed themselves. It was also great to see the progress in everyone’s performances and their confidence! After performing for the last time, we were learning how we would evaluate a dance routine to ensure the children had learned everything that they must learn in order to meet the needs of the curriculum. By learning how to evaluate a dance lesson we now know exactly what a child should gain from a block of dance lessons and what they will achieve when they have been successful in completing it. We also learned the importance of making this process fun for the children, as they would have enjoyed the rest of the process so they must enjoy working on how to improve everything that they have learned in such a short period of time.

Overall, this week in integrated arts we have been focusing on how to make it fun for children and also ensuring that everyone is included. The integrated arts module has been a way for us as future educators to help improve and gain our confidence so that we can ensure that when we have our own class we can also help and encourage them to do so.

This week in both of our music and dance in-puts we were focusing on improvisation and how it can impact and help children’s confidence levels. In our music in-put this week we were playing on different tuned percussion instruments and also had a chance to improvise ourselves in front of our peers. In our drama in-put this week we were creating a full dance routine as a whole group.

This week in music we were working on our musical skills that we have been developing over the past couple of weeks. By using the skills and the confidence that have already gained we were able to take some pieces of music and practise them in our groups. Whilst

practising we were able to hear each other play and also see just how much we have improved since starting music a few weeks ago. It was a great feeling to see just how much everyone has improved but also to see the progress that everyone has made. At the end of the in-put everyone took it in turn to improvise on each instrument that they were playing on. We all listened to each other and enjoyed getting to hear just how much everyone has improved.

Following on from this week’s music in-put we had our dance in-put and we were creating a dance routine all together. This week we were all standing in a circle and one of us would come up with a move on the spot for every group to put into their dance routine. This gave us the confidence to improvise in a different subject than we are used to. By working on improvisation in dance it also helped to improve our confidence skills by being able to support each other and to actually have the confidence to move on our own in front of each other. We also learned that improvising is a great way for children to feel fully part of the dance lessons, they get to feel in control of their learning and also get to show everyone what they can do and what they have learned.

This week we have learned the importance of improvising and the affects that it can have on children and everything that they learned and will learn. Improvisation this week has also given both myself and my peers a confidence that we never thought we would have gained.

This week in integrated arts we were focusing on the importance of supporting our peers when they may not feel that confident and also being proud of our peers for their achievements. In our music in-put this week we were using figure notes and for many of us playing a percussion instrument for the first time and in our dance in-put we were focusing on creating an intro to the dance routine and showing each other our work.

This week’s music in-put allowed most of us to play and perform on a musical instrument for the first time. We were exploring the instrument and practising how to use it and also working on our confidence in the subject. By using the instruments and having the opportunity to play and explore them this allowed us to gain some confidence in playing the notes and also using an instrument. Whilst we were exploring figure notes that made it easier for us to explore and follow the music. This for some people proved to be difficult however this is where our peers could step in and help us. By having some of our peers support us that itself gave us more confidence than what just practising on our own would.

Following on from our music in-put our dance in-put also put some people out of their comfort zones. As future educators we were able to feel exactly what a pupil would feel if they were put outside their comfort zone so we now know what we would have to do and say in order to make a child feel more comfortable in doing a task that does put them out of their comfort zone. Another part of this week that put some of us out of our comfort zone was actually performing our dances that we had created last week in front of each other. Although, we are a class and a section most of us felt this was very daunting and a challenging task to complete but our peers made it so much easier by clapping along and cheering for us when we had finished. This shows that when supported you can feel that you can achieve anything.

This week we were focused on supporting each other. This is extremely important in the classroom as children can and will empower each other which will allow them to achieve anything that they desire to.

This week in we were focusing on learning basic skills in music and in our new subject area of dance. We were focusing on that when we learn our basic skills, we can build upon everything from there as long as we have our basic skills.

This week in music we had the great honour of having primary school children to come in and teach us basic skills of playing some instruments that you find in an orchestra. This was classed a reverse classroom where it was the pupil’s tasks to teach the teachers. Through this we as a class were able to pick up some basic skills that are required to play instruments and also to help us play together as a whole class just like you would in an orchestra. Whilst working with the pupils we were able to get the opportunity to speak to them to be able to appreciate just how much they enjoy learning about music and how many of them use it as an escape if they find other areas of the curriculum. This highlighted just how important it is for teachers to know the basics and also to fully understand them so the children can have the best experience possible.

Following along from the music workshop we took part in our first dance in-put. To begin our dance in-puts we were focusing on working on the 10 basic skills of dance. By both knowing and exploring the 10 basic skills we learned that you are able to create a dance, we were explored reasons why many people find that difficult when actually when you put your mind to it, it is easier than expected. Working in a group also gave people who were not as confident in taking part or creating their own routines, this allowed us to work on our team working skills and also our collaboration skills as everyone had their own ideas of what they would like to do however everyone got their ideas included.

Through this week we were able to explore why it is important that teachers know the basic skills of each subject so everyone can get the most out of those lessons, working with one another also gives the children the opportunity to work together and also help each other.

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.

This weeks in-puts was about working with materials that we would not usually work with or have the opportunity to in order to create something that we did not know that we would be able to. Throughout this week’s art in-put, we were working with Norwegian students to create outdoor sculptures, through this we were working with both people and materials that we thought we would not be able to. Through this week’s music in-put we were using garage band to create an autumn soundscape, this is a material that not many children have the opportunity to work with.

This week’s art lesson took us outside for the first time. Being outdoors during an art in-put opened up a new world of stimuli for us as future educators to take note of but also experience first-hand of exactly what it would be like if we were to ever teach or bring the children outdoors to work with the different materials. The outdoors itself allow each and every one of us to think of ways and ideas to make these sculptures however, having the priviledge to work with the Norwegian students, this opened up another world or imagination for us all to work with. We were able to work on our collaboration skills and also our communication skills as we were working in groups to create the sculptures. I believe that working alongside people who have grown up in different surroundings and environments provided us with an extra lens to how we were looking at the materials we had in front of us. We were able to create something extraordinary that we did not know was even possible prior to the in-put.

Following on from our art in-put, we were looking at and working with garage band. Garage band is an app that is available on mac in which users are able to work with different instruments on in order to create our own music. Creating our own music was a very daunting task for myself to begin with as I have never seen myself as a musical person. I have struggled with the idea of how to even begin my piece, however once I got started, I wanted it to never end. Like in art, it was exploring a whole new world that I never knew I could explore. Working on a mac and creating music was something I never knew we could do nevertheless to teach children whilst doing so. This allowed me to see that when we do use new programmes and ways of working in different parts of expressive art’s we open up new worlds for both us as future educators and for the pupils themselves to explore one day.

This week, exploring different ways in which we can and do explore materials that are in our surrounding world we can create things that we never knew existed. Working with different factors such as students from a different country or a mac book allows us to see a new world that not many other influences can show us.

This week’s art in-put consisted of us as future educators being creative in such a way that some of us never thought we of. This linked to our music in-put as we were finding pieces in music that again most of us never thought we could have. This week was about if you can put your mind to it you simply can do it.

To begin the week my group started off by print making. Print making contains a lot of steps and focus is required so the prints can turn out perfect. Many people in my section thought that they would be able to just let one person do all the work and not really take part as they thought they were not creative enough. However, this was not the case! Print making requires everyone to think exactly what it is they want to say. As future educators we decided to make and use our own inspirational quotes. Print making is also a way for everyone to work together and to communicate with each other. Whilst print making we were also able to choose whatever colour that we wanted to use, this also allows children to have freedom whilst print making even though it does have a set of instructions that do need to be followed. Print making although appears to be challenging when it is explained to you can be extremely easy and fun when you as a learner put your mind to it.

This was the same case when we were taking part in our music in-put. Our music in-put this week was all about finding a beat and how we could follow a beat by banging drumsticks on our chairs or our legs or simply against each other. Finding a beat and the challenge of finding a beat can be extremely difficult for children to get their head around as in many occasion’s children do not even know what a beat is to begin with. However, once children have the drumsticks in their hand’s they are able to experience how to find a beat with their own hands, it suddenly for most children can become a lot easier. This allowed us to find different pieces in music through the beats that without knowing or hearing the beat we would not be able to find.

Both of these in-puts were about putting your mind to something then they can achieve anything they desire. Children without expressive arts may not be able to believe that tasks that come with challenges they may not be able to achieve, however the arts allow children to see that when they truly put their minds to something that they can achieve it.

This weeks in-puts were focusing on how something we have already learned and listened to can impact on what we are about to learn.

For the final drama in-put that we were participating in it was our turn to take part in micro-teaching lessons that our peers had created and implemented. This allowed us to see different perspectives and ways that different people come out with new ways of teaching and also different ways in which there is to deliver not only a drama lesson but any lesson that we may be teaching ourselves. This was also a great opportunity for us to see exactly what different ideas that’s different people can come up with, either if it is a fictional or non-fictional story. The ways that which each group delivered their lessons allows everyone in the room to think about different pedagogies that without this opportunity of microteaching we may not have been able to think of without the help and support of our peers. This then linked to our first music in-put.

For our first music in-put that we took part in we were listening to different sounds and were writing down what we as an individual thought of. We learned this week in music the importance of hearing what you as an individual wants to hear as it can reflect on how you are feeling but it can also tell the teacher what it is you are hearing. After we had listened to a sound scape, we were able to create a story board, we decided what had happened due to the change in music.      We were able to decide the characters, everything that had happened however, it had to match the music, whatever we thought of had to have come from the music. The creation of these story boards is a way for children to express themselves through music. Our first music in-put allowed us as future educators to see another different way that our children are trying to communicate everything that they can.

This week allowed me to see that in whatever children are doing and creating they are communicating, and expressive arts is an amazing way in which children are allowed to do that. This week introduced us to music and ways in which people can and will express their feelings and emotions. Drama also allows us to do this and we have previously explored which we will also continue to explore throughout our teaching journeys.

This weeks inputs highlighted just how different people and learners with the same set of instructions can interpret them so differently. In drama this week, some of the groups including my own took the class for our micro-teaching inputs. Throughout this weeks visual arts input we took the pictures that we painted last week and wrote our own highland experience or poem over them, using the lines that were created throughout the painting.

Throughout this weeks drama lesson we were focusing on micro-teaching and the importance of it. My group decided to take on the role of teaching a theme, this was the theme of the titanic. We chose the titanic as it is a topic in which we could teach and explore our own emotions and so could our peers. This would be useful in a classroom environment as we could our class why it is important that we use our emotions but also how to link them to our curriculum work. The micro-teaching inputs showed just how diverse lessons can be and how different people can take the same instructions but interpret them in such different ways, the same as art can be.

This week’s art inputs followed on from last weeks. We took our paintings that we painted with our own hand made paintbrush. We then had the chance to write either a highland experience that we had experienced ourselves or we could use the internet to find a highland poem which we would write over the top of our painting. Whilst writing over the top of our painting we would follow the shape of the lines that were already on the painting. Although this task had a set of instructions that we had to follow, just like the drama task for this week we were able to focus on and put our own personal touches towards it. Which truly made it our own.

I believe that haven been given a set of instructions but also being allowed to have our own freedom of how exactly we wanted to execute each task is a highly important as children would also appreciate this. If we, as future educators, implement this into our own classrooms our children will be able to flourish and show their own creative freedom. Allowing children to show their own creative freedom also allows us as there teachers to get to know their personalities and show parts of themselves that they may not have the opportunity to through maths and literacy.

Throughout this weeks, visual art input and drama input we were looking at real life prompts which we could visualise through our own experiences and how we feel and have felt about certain personal and historical experiences.

This week’s visual arts started off by making our own paint brushes using unconventional materials. The unconventional materials included branches that could be used as either brissles or as the handle of the paintbrush itself. We had creative freedom of how we wanted our paintbrush to look but also paint. When we were using our paintbrush to paint, a picture was described to us that we could interpret to our own way that we want the picture to look. In a classroom this would allow the children to have creative freedom but also allow the children to have their own aspect of creative freedom.

This week’s drama input consisted of us using previous conventions that we had learned and use them to show our emotions about real life events. This was a clear link to our art workshop that we were expressing a past experience through our artwork that was being described to us. Drama this week was clearly very emotional as we were touching on subjects such as the holocaust that many people like myself are passionate about in the class. Drama also allowed us to explore our emotions deeper to see both how we would feel in a situation similar to the holocaust without actually experiencing it. Through the use of our stimulus we were able to use our improvisation skills that we have developed in previous weeks in order to use our raw emotion to showcase our feelings to the pictures of the holocaust. This week’s drama workshop highlighted the importance of showing our emotions but also using our own personal experience to draw on the emotions that are highly beneficial to a drama lesson.

Both our workshops this week explored how we use our emotions and past experiences to show what we feel about our own past

experiences and past historical experiences that we may know a fair amount about, or we may know nothing about it. This week showed me, that we as teachers need to be able to draw on our own personal emotions to be able to connect with our class and also engage them in every opportunity that arises. This means that If the children aren’t able to engage with the subject that is being taught, they are able to engage and connect to the teacher’s emotions, so they have some understanding about the subject that is being taught.