Monthly Archives: October 2017

Week 7 – Drama and Dance 24/10/17

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In the dance workshop, we used the theme of Halloween throughout. We began with a warmup to the Michael Jackson song, “Thriller”. We then separated into our groups from last week and rehearsed our dance routine. We were encouraged to do so ourselves, taking responsibility for our own learning.

 

Next, we gathered as one group and created a dance move – relevant to the theme of Halloween – for each number from 0 to 9. We were then given a series of maths questions and had to create a dance using the previously created moves. Clearly, this demonstrates cross-curricular links which we have been exploring throughout the module. Before this module I was unaware that cross-curricular learning is one of the underpinning principles of Curriculum for Excellence (Learning Curve Education, 2009). However, this module has highlighted the importance of cross-curricular learning as well as ways in which I can link the expressive arts to other curriculum areas.

 

Then, we were given ‘spooky’ pictures relating to the theme (ghost, zombie, haunted house etcetera). Back in our groups, we made up a dance move for this picture. Finally, we joined as a class one last time to blend together each group’s ‘spooky’ dance move as well as our group dances we have worked on for the last two weeks.

 

Last week I felt nervous to perform a dance – even in my small group. However, this week I realised that attitudes like this are easily recognised by pupils and so let go of my inhibitions. This class was enjoyable and could easily be replicated in the primary school.

 

In our drama workshop, we explored a further 5 drama conventions: vox pop, role on the wall, thought tracking, voice in head and mime. We used these techniques to act out the story called “The Tunnel” by Anthony Browne.

Vox pop: Is the teacher acting as as reporter and interviewing characters.

Role on the wall: Drawing a silhouette of a character and writing what you think of them on the outside and what they think of themselves on the inside.

Thought tracking: Allows children to express their thoughts on a character.

Voice in head: A character pausing during a drama to discuss their thoughts on themselves or another character at that particular moment, allowing the audience to further understand the characters.

Mime: Working in silence whilst acting out a scene to create more drama.

An example of “Role on the wall” we created in class.

We also discussed the importance of giving children time to answer a question and not answer the question for them immediately. “The most difficult role for me, as the teacher, was to step back and not interfere with their creative process” (Cone, 2009). I think I will also find this to be a difficulty of mine in schools. In order to overcome this, I will develop strategies to prevent me from impacting children’s creativity.

 

Overall, from today’s inputs I feel my confidence is developing in teaching the arts – particularly dance – as this is the expressive art I have been most apprehensive about teaching. The inputs taught me that it can be beneficial for pupils to take control of their learning as this allows them to be creative, take credit and appreciate their work.

 

Reference List

Learning Curve Education (2009) Interdisciplinary Learning: Primary Schools. [Online] Available: http://www.curriculum-for-excellence.co.uk/_pt/images/stories/CPDMaterials/Guide%20Interdisciplinary%20Learning%20Primary.pdf  [Accessed 24 October 2017].

 

Purcell Cone, T. (2009) ‘Following Their Lead: Supporting Children’s Ideas for Creating Dances’. Journal of Dance Education. Vol. 9:3, pp. 81-89.

Interdependence Learning Log

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The interdependence theme was delivered in a completely different way than any of the previous themes. It was interesting to compare the two farms the struggles the farmers have gone throughout their lives to get to where they are today. Even though the final product was the same the way in which the two farms work varied significantly. The first farm relied heavily on technology – using machines to gather the feed, deliver the feed to the cows and milk the cows. This farm kept the cows inside all year using shutters to shelter them from the weather outside. At first, I felt this to be cruel on the cows however after being told of the harsh winters and the impact they have on the farmland I realised that it is in the best interest of the farmer’s income that the cows are kept healthy inside. At this farm, the cows were not subject to being milked by a farmer at certain points of the day, instead they could go to the milking area whenever they liked. This was done at a time and robotically and screened for nutrients the cow may be lacking, if that is the case these nutrients will then be incorporated into their diet.

The second farm was an organic farm and portrayed what I expected a farm to look like. At this farm, the cows were kept outside for a lot of the year and only spend the harshest winter months indoors. The milking process was manual and involved the farmer connected the cows to the machines himself. This process meant that multiple cows could be milked at the same time.

 

Below shows pictures of the two different milking parlours 

 

However, the two farms also had some similarities. For example, they both kept the calves in individual pens away from their mother. This was to give them the best possible start as one of the farmers explained that when they had left the calves with their mother, they had a higher chance of dying within a matter of weeks after birth.

 

I personally preferred the second farm as it was, in my opinion, a traditional farm. Although it was impressive to see the more modern farm and be able to compare the two. Taking pupils to a farm on a school trip would be insightful for the pupils as they could develop a better understanding of how products – like milk – get from the cow to the shelves. Arranging a trip to a farm through RHET is something I would like to do as a teacher, we were informed that they do the risk assessment for the teacher which takes some of the pressure off the teacher/school.

 

The Sustainable Seas study task allowed us to look at interdependence in the sea. We worked in groups and each member of the group utilized different materials to gain a better understanding of the topic. We then used the knowledge taken from the readings and made a Piktochart. I learned a great deal from this task such as the existence of the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) an organisation aiming to protect the species our seas and safeguard the seafood supplies for the future. I also became familiar with some policies involved with the sustainability of the seas. For instance, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which is the guidelines used to regulate the number of fish in EU waters (COM (2015) 812). It was also interesting to hear story of a family who run their own fishing business and discover how it has changed over the years – similar to the farmers last week.

 

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about interdependence. I feel this is due to hearing from people who make a living from interdependence and hearing how their lives are impacted through policies and communities. Although I do also think this would be a challenging topic to address with school pupils and would perhaps best be taught through practical lessons like what we experienced.

 

Reference List

 

European Commission. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). COM (2015) 812.

Week 6 – Music and Dance 17/10/17

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This week’s music workshop was theory based so was less practical than previous sessions. We began by reading a paper titled “The Power of Music: it’s impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people” by Susan Hallam, in the International Journal of Music Education. The paper was split into sections and each group had a section to look at in more depth, making a mind map of the main points. Our group looked at physical development and I learned a lot from the chapter. I found that skills such as throwing and catching can be improved from programmes involving rhythm and that posture can also be improved as well as breathing.

Here is a picture of our mind map:

 

After lunch, we had our first dance input. I must admit I was apprehensive to be learning dance as I have very little dance experience and do not have the best coordination nor rhythm. However we did not dive straight into choreographing a dance routine but by playing games that could be used in the primary school when introducing pupils to dance. These activities helped me by not only settling my nerves but also demonstrated easy ways to engage children and prepare them for learning new skills. We then had the task of drawing around the smallest member of the group and labelling the organs, bones and muscles. This tested our anatomy knowledge and allowed us to think of different warm ups/ stretches for that particular body part. Next, we spoke about our thoughts on teaching dance and I was relieved to discover many people felt the same way as me. We were reassured that as long as we know 10 basic moves we would be more than capable to teach dance. These moves were:

Balance

Gesture

Grab

Hop

Jump

Kick

Reach

Roll

Slide

Turn

After discovering these basic moves, in small groups, we had to create a dance routine using the 10 moves. I felt this input was incredibly beneficial as it emphasised that a teacher does not need to have dance experience in order to teach it and if I develop my confidence in this area I will be able to successfully teach dance to my future pupils.

 

Today’s sessions taught me that the Expressive Arts allow pupils to represent their thoughts and feelings. The Expressive Arts also allow for the development of skills in other areas of the curriculum.

 

Reference List

Hallam, S (2010) The power of music: It’s impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people, International Journal of Music Education. [Online] pp.269-289. Available: http://ijm.sage.pub.com/content/28/3/269 [Accessed: 17 October 2017].

 

Week 5 – Visual Arts and Music 10/10/17

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In the visual arts workshop, we added to our work from last week. To begin with, we chose one of our prints from last week and photocopied it smaller, and in black and white. We then added to our prints by either copying the original painting (which learners who are not confident in their abilities may choose to do) or imagining what might be around it and drawing it in colour. This could easily be repeated in a classroom as children have the option to either copy or use their imagination.

We also looked at a variety of colouring books. The book “Oodles of doodles” particularly grabbed my attention as children are provided with a starting point and they must use their creativity to complete a drawing.

 

Next, in the music workshop we used garage band to create our own piece of music. We experimented with many instruments and tunes before selecting a few and adding them together to make an eight-bar tune. We then varied the tempo and pitch as well as adding fade outs and sound effects. This activity would be engaging and educational if repeated with a primary school class and would cover different areas of the curriculum such as IT. Bloomfield (2000) discusses that the teaching and learning of music should allow children to: learn how to make music as well as develop ICT skills in music and it is evident that this workshop would certainly enable children to develop these techniques.

For our next activity, we chose a silent animation and created our own ‘movie’ thinking about what feeling we wanted to convey and picking our sounds accordingly. I was surprised with how much I was able to do in the workshop and think that children would really benefit from this activity as they could build their confidence in their music ability in addition to improving their IT skills.

 

Overall, I found this week’s inputs to be very engaging due to their interactive nature which is beneficial to me, as it is clear to see how the workshops can be used in a classroom.

 

 

Reference List

Bloomfield, A and Childs, J (2000) Teaching Integrated Arts in the Primary School. Oxon: David Fulton Publishers.

 

 

Week 4 – Drama and Visual Arts 3/10/17

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In our drama workshop, we began by discussing our own experiences with drama as a learner and our thoughts on teaching the subject as future teachers. The general consensus was negative and most people found the thought of teaching drama daunting. However, we were open to learning and improving our confidence.

We explored techniques including teacher in role and freeze frame. I found the first technique – teacher in role – very useful. This is when the teacher can use a prop such as a hat to show the pupils that they are no longer a teacher as such but now an actor. We related the techniques to a story of a dragon flying above a village and acted out our adaptations of a particular scene using the freeze frame technique. Having looked over the Curriculum for Excellence: Expressive Arts experiences and outcomes it was clear to see how the class how the workshop could be replicated in a classroom and tie in with relevant framework. For example, “I enjoy creating, choosing and accepting roles, using movement, expression and voice” EXA 1-12a.

 

During our morning lecture, we were given a copy of the watercolour painting ‘Windows in the West’ by the Scottish artist – Avril Paton. In our visual art input, we used this painting and a piece of polystyrene to copy a section of the paining. Next, we folded four different colours of A4 paper, covered our polystyrene tracing in paint before printing it on to each sheet of coloured paper. Once complete, we altered our original copy by removing sections of the polystyrene. We then used a second colour and reprinted onto each sheet of paper again. The fact that everybody’s drawing was different could reflect on Eisner’s (2002) 10 Lessons the Arts Teach. One lesson would be that the arts celebrate a variety of perspectives and the other being that there is no wrong answer, only a number of solutions. Below are pictures of Avril Paton’s “Windows in the West” as well as the process of creating my prints.

I found this activity enjoyable but think if it was to be replicated in a classroom environment it would best be covered over multiple lessons as it is messy and would be difficult for primary school aged children to do in a single lesson.

Overall, these inputs have allowed me to better explore the arts by embracing creativity. From the two inputs I am also now of the number of different lessons that can be taught relating to just one Expressive Art lesson.

 

REFERENCES

Eisner, E. W. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. London: Yale University Press.

 

Scottish Government (2017). Curriculum for Excellence: Expressive Arts. [Online]. Accessible: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/expressive-arts-eo.pdf [Accessed: 5 October 2017].

 

Climate Change Learning Log

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Prior to the lecture I was aware of what climate change was having studied Geography in school but had never paid much attention to how I contribute to it and how it might affect me. In the lecture, we were shown how our planet has changed over the years (increase in temperature and decrease in ice cover) as well as how it is recorded and the effects it can have on the likes of agriculture and sea level.

 

The first workshop was very active and included a series of experiments. One of the first experiments we tired was making a tornado in a jar. This was done by filling a jar with water and adding food colouring and washing up liquid. The container was then swirled in a circle for a while and once stopped, it was clear the see what looked like a tornado. The aim of the experiment was to understand how real tornados are made – cold and warm air combining and spinning. Another activity involved having two plastic cups: one filled with cold water, pebbles and blue food colouring. The other with warm water, red food colouring and pebbles. Both cups were then put into a large tub of room temperature water. It was interesting to see that watch the red water rise to the top of the tub whilst the blue water sank to the bottom. I found these experiments amongst others to be very engaging and this workshop helped me understand ways in which climate change can be taught in the primary school using a cross-curricular approach.

 

In the second workshop, we looked at politics and global warming. I had not considered how much of an impact politics can have on global warming. However, after this workshop and the directed study task I now recognise the type policies being implemented by the government to reduce our carbon footprint and, ultimately, slow down global warming.

 

Through the tasks from last week and the directed study task I can now see how global warming can be taught in the primary school and how a cross-curricular approach can be used to link global warming to other subject areas. In addition to this, I have identified experiences and outcomes which could link learning to relevant curriculum areas.

 

I can consider ways of looking after my school or community and can encourage others to care for their environment. SOC 1-08a

 

I can discuss the environmental impact of human activity and suggest ways in which we can live in a more environmentally responsible way. SOC 2-08a

 

Having explored the ways journeys can be made, I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of transport, discussing their impact on the environment. SOC 2-09a

 

I can investigate the relationship between climate and weather to be able to understand the causes of weather patterns within a selected climate zone. SOC 3-12a

 

This topic has changed how I view climate change by allowing me to evaluate the impact I have on climate change. I think I will now be more conscious of my decisions as I know that even though my actions may be small they can influence others and therefore have a large impact. I have also learned ways in which I can teach this in the classroom.

 

Climate Change Study Task

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Having familiarised myself with the Climate Change (Scotland) Act (2009). I am now aware of the goal set by the Scottish Government to reduce Scottish emissions to below 80% of the baseline by the year 2050. To do this they have many strategies including the single use carrier bag charge and the land use strategy. The introduction of five pence charge for carrier bags was introduced in October 2014. It is estimated that exactly one year to the date of the charge being implemented, the seven main grocery retailers in Scotland would have used over 800 million carrier bags had the charge not been in place. This legislation has changed my habits as I have since purchased ‘bags for life’ that I use when shopping rather than purchasing single use carrier bags. Consequently, I have become more aware of recycling. The other strategy implemented by the Scottish government to help reach their goal is becoming more aware of land use. The land use strategy was first published in 2011 and is revised every 5 years. The strategy has a long-term goal of having well-integrated, sustainable land use which will have many benefits for society. The vision, according to the Government is “A Scotland where we fully recognise, understand and value the importance of our land resources, and where our plans and decisions about land use will deliver improved and enduring benefits, enhancing the wellbeing of our nation.” Scottish Government Land Use Strategy 2016-2021 (2016).

The clip “Antarctica on the Edge” left me shocked. It allowed me to see and better understand climate change. I learned that Antarctica is warming faster than anywhere else on the planted which influences the entire global weather system. Because of this, sea levels could rise by 1 metre by the end of the century.

 

Using the WWF Measure Your Footprint activities I could see my own carbon footprint. My carbon footprint was 90% and my total annual carbon emissions was 9.4 tonnes I felt this was a staggering amount but it is, in fact, less than the average UK average. My largest contribution was travel at 39%. Admittedly I should walk more frequently, however, I do car share when driving to university and there were no questions about car sharing yet it was suggested as a tip to decrease my footprint. Had there been a question about car sharing, my emissions may have been slightly less. The task also provided me with ways I could reduce my footprint. These included changing my diet by eating less meat and more plants, buying locally sourced food and wasting less food – something I am very guilty of doing.

 

In addition to this I also completed an activity on the BP Carbon Footprint Toolkit where I attempted to measure the carbon footprint of my primary school. I found this interesting but difficult as you are required to know the amount of gas, electricity etc. used per year which I am unaware of and would be difficult to establish. However, I think this task would be useful to do with pupils as it allows them to see ways they could reduce their carbon footprint.

 

To conclude, climate change is an issue that is extremely important and it is paramount that children – as well as adults – are made aware of ways they can help improve the future of the planet. Having completed these tasks I think I will now be more conscious of my decisions as I know that even though my actions may be small they can influence others and therefore have a large impact.

 

 

 

WEBSITES USED

http://bpes.bp.com/secondary-resources/science/ages-12-to-14/earth-and-atmosphere/carbon-footprint-toolkit/

 

http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/?_ga=1.176985891.745195644.1442412124

http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/sites/default/files/SUCB%20Charge%20One%20Year%20On%20Report.pdf

 

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Environment/Countryside/Landusestrategy

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/12/contents

 

 

 

Week 3 – Music and Visual Art 26/9/17

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In today’s art lesson, we began by making our own paintbrushes using the materials provided – such as wool, feathers, buttons and cotton wool. This was an activity I had never done before today because in school we were provided only with ordinary paintbrushes. I thoroughly enjoyed this activity and it was interesting to see the variety of creations made from the same set of materials. We discussed that when using a uniform tool such as a paintbrush children are likely to compare their artwork. However, when using a tool created ourselves the product is a result of our own creation and so are less likely to compare the art with others’ as they are all different.

After this we were then read a description of a picture and we each painted our interpretation of it. Today’s activities could relate to at least two of Eisner’s (2002) “10 lessons the arts teach”. One of which being that the arts can be interpreted from many angles and the second being that the arts are about accepting the unknowing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the visual art workshop, the class reassured me that one does not have to be ‘naturally gifted’ to create art. These activities could be easily replicated with a primary class and I think the pupils would enjoy it very much.

Below shows the process of creating my paintbrush and paining and my mixing tray at the end of the class.

 

In the music workshop, we were looking at finger notes. After a brief introduction of what finger notes are we were given glockenspiels and music and practised in small groups. I found the exercise enjoyable and easier than I had imagined it would be. I have very little experience in music so cannot read music, however, this experience enabled me to play an instrument correctly without having to read sheet music. Drake Music Scotland (2017) emphasise that you do not have to be able to read sheet music to play an instrument as with finger notes “if you can match, you can play!”.

 

This weeks inputs allowed me to value imagination in the teaching of the arts. Allowing pupils to use their imagination means their work will vary and they will be less likely to copy the work of others.

 

Reference List

Drakemusicscotland.org. (2017). Fingernotes – Drake Music Scotland. [online] Available at: https://drakemusicscotland.org/figurenotes/ [Accessed 29 September 2017].

Eisner, E. W. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. London: Yale University Press.