Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the final input of the module. However, having interacted with the resources on Moodle I was able to understand the learning.
It was evident from watching the dance video that everyone was able to use creative dance to construct a routine reflecting their ideas (Cone, 2009). It was also apparent that each group incorporated the 10 basic skills in addition to other movies such a cannon. Being able to watch the video allows for reflection and assessing what could be improved and what went well. Reflection can be used in other areas of the Expressive Arts such as music and drama as pupils can look at their performance from a different mindset which allows them to self evaluate.
An image taken from the creative dance video.
The music workshop involved learning to play the ukulele, the resources were easy to navigate and I can see how they can make learning to play the ukulele enjoyable. In my opinion, the ukulele is an interesting instrument to learn in the primary school and I have not heard of any schools teaching pupils how to play it. Pupils would also be able to learn how to play songs they can sing to – making the learning increasingly enjoyable.
Reference List
Cone, T. (2009) Following Their Lead: Supporting Children’s Ideas for Creating Dances. Journal of Dance Education. Vol.9(3), pp. 81-89.
Today we began with a lecture on creative dance. It was beneficial for me to relate what we have been doing previously in the dance workshops to the theory discussed in the lecture such as Cone (2009) believing that dance should represent children’s’ ideas. We also focussed in Smith-Autard’s Midway Model for Dance in Schools (2002) which emphasises that both the process and product of creative dance should be valued and neither is more important than the other.
In the drama input we had the remaining microteaching lessons. As my group had already completed ours, I was at ease and looking forward to contributing to my peers’ lessons. However we were also given additional, general feedback such as being aware of your positioning so that the pupils can see and hear you.
It was interesting to see how each group interpreted the task as each group used different stories and drama conventions.
Later, in the dance workshop we created Christmas themed dances in line with the Cone (2009) dance analysis. Our dances incorporated the 10 basic dance moves studied previously and revised again in the morning lecture. Due to the nature of the theme, we were also encouraged to consider props and costumes that may be used. This again allowed me to see the benefit of putting pupils in charge of their learning through which they have the opportunity to increase their confidence as well as their physical, mental and physiological wellbeing.
Today’s inputs allowed me to gain further insight to how the Expressive Arts may be taught in the primary school. The importance of collaborative working was also evident from both of the workshops – this can develop a number of skills such as group work and confidence and can be an enjoyable lesson for pupils.
Reference List
Cone, T. (2009) Following Their Lead: Supporting Children’s Ideas for Creating Dances. Journal of Dance Education. Vol.9(3), pp. 81-89.
Smith-Autard, J. (2002) The Art of Dance Education. London: A & C Black Publishers Ltd.
This week we again explored music and visual arts. I started in the music workshop where we explored rhythm and pulse. We began with tapping the beat of a tune on our laps with drumsticks. We then used squares which represented one note (crotchet) and circles which represented a half beat (quaver). We used this knowledge to practice playing along to the beat of a number of song – this started with easier songs and the level of difficulty progressed. We then used tuned percussion instruments such as xylophones and glockenspiels to learn the chromatic scale. To make this learning easier and more enjoyable we learned the notes through the acronym Every Green Bus Drives Fast and FACE. This helped me visualise the notes so I knew what note to play. After practicing the notes for a while we again played some tunes including Hot Cross Buns and The Grand Old Duke of York. I enjoyed this class as it allowed me to see ways this can be taught to pupils. Although we completed this class quickly it was emphasised that this will take much longer to teach to school pupils.
In today’s visual art input, we were discussing our experiences of the arts so far on placement. From the discussion, I was able to identify lessons I could incorporate into my future teaching such as using a variety of materials. I was also able to identify techniques I would not use in my teaching such as giving pupils examples and demonstrations as this can be counterproductive and may lead to them being less imaginative. In addition to this I was able to relate one of the visual art lessons I have observed on placement and relate this to theory. The lesson I observed involved pupils creating a sunset background using only red, yellow, black and white paint. By doing so pupils were made to experiment with mixing paints and create different shades, this demonstrated problem based learning in action. I was also able to observe children’s imagination coming to life. From such a simple task the variety of artwork produced was vast. Some pupils chose to create a background using one colour where others used upwards of 10. This lesson was similar to the input we had at the beginning of the module where we painted our interpretation of the picture being read to us as, in both instances, learners used their imagination and had limited resources. Art lessons in Finland can take a similar approach by means of using the environment to create art. This is similar to the lesson I observed as both involve creativity and exploration with few materials. In Finland, art lessons are a sustainable way of learning as the likes of sand and snow can be used to create beautiful sculptures. From this type of learning – where the finished product will be temporary – the process is often more valuable (Burnard, 2006).
From today’s workshops, I am now aware that having access to many materials is not a priority when it comes to creating art. This was evident firstly in the music class where we used beaters and no instruments, the lack of instruments did not impact our ability to tap the beat or develop and understanding of notes. Secondly, in the art workshop we were also shown this as the artwork in Finland is made using easily sourced materials from their environment.
Reference List
Burnard, P. (2006) Rethinking the Imperatives for Reflective Practices Arts Education Landscapes: the Arts, Aesthetics and Education. Vol.5 pp.3-12. Dordecht: Springer.
In today’s lecture, we discussed the importance of drama in schools. A key point in the lecture was that drama helps to build the confidence of the teacher and the learners. As I have previously mentioned, this is one of the four capacities of the curriculum and so it is vital that children do become confident individuals (Scottish Executive, 2004). We also discussed that drama allows escapism, pupils can escape problems they may be having and step into someone else’s shoes, imagining what they may be feeling. In addition to this, pupils could channel their emotions and thoughts through the role they are playing in a drama, this is an important aspect of the expressive arts benchmarks as the Experiences and Outcomes state: “Inspired by a range of stimuli, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through drama” (2017). A further main idea from the lecture was that drama as well as the other performing arts promote and measure emotional growth, where the curriculum does not. It was discussed that the curriculum often places focus on growth in the likes of literacy and numeracy rather than emotional growth. However, performing arts allow emotional development. Cybele Raver (2003) emphasises that emotional development matters just as much as academic preparedness as emotionally well-adjusted children have a better chance of success in the early years of school.
In our drama input we had our microteaching task. As I mentioned in last week’s blog I was incredibly nervous for this task however it went much better than I thought it would. We used the story “3 little pigs” as it was a story we knew most people would be familiar with. We began with summarising the story before going on to our first convention, teacher in role. I lead this convention and was surprised by my own confidence when doing so despite my inhibitions. We then used a further three conventions: flashback, hot seat and thought tunnel. The participation from the class was greater than we had expected and so this helped settle our nerves. Overall, this task went very well and we received positive feedback from the class. This task has helped me reflect on how I might teach drama in the future and having had some experience in teaching drama I am now looking forward to teaching the subject, something I never thought I would say a matter of weeks ago!
After lunch, in our music input, we had a very unique learning experience. The Pupils of the Greenmill Primary School String Orchestra were teaching us how to play their instruments. In pairs, we sat with one pupils who taught us how to play their instrument, I was learning cello. Firstly, we were shown how to hold the instrument before learning the correct way to hold the bow. To help us do so we played a variety of games such as heads, shoulders, knees and toes as well as balancing a hula hoop crisp on top of the bow whilst maintaining the correct bow hold – I found this rather difficult. We then moved on to learning some notes. We began with the notes D and A playing tunes with these notes before learning the ‘Cheeky Monkey’ song using the notes D, F, F# and G. This was difficult as it involved placing our fingers in the correct position as well as the bow.
Overall, this was an incredibly interactive day. Both classes helped me to improve my confidence when performing the arts as it was made clear that teachers have the ability to teach the arts if they take advantage of the resources available to them. This resultantly has changed my view on teaching the arts in the future as I also realised through the workshops that the arts can change pupils lives for the better.
Today I started off in the drama workshop. In this week’s workshop, we looked at a further four drama conventions:
Flashback
Flash forward
Slow motion
Narration
We used these techniques and created our own scenes using each technique, based on the theme of a haunted house. In addition to this, we looked at the work of Augusto Boal – the founder of the convention ‘Forum Theatre’. This is when the audience suggest ways in which the drama could be changed. Although this worked well in our workshop it would be difficult to replicate with a primary school class as children may interpret the suggestions as criticism.
The convention ‘Teacher in Role’ was addressed again as this concept it helps to set the scene of the drama yet it can be the convention teachers are most apprehensive about using. This may be because the teacher cannot guide where the discussion will go. However, the pupils having the ability to guide their learning is a vital. During this session, we briefly discussed the role drama plays in building confidence and the importance of this. Confident Individuals of one of the four capacitates of CfE (Scottish Executive, 2004), thus it is vital that all pupils are given opportunities to gain confidence whilst learning. Finally, at the end of the workshop, we discussed next week’s task: a microteaching lesson based on a book. We have to work in groups to create a 20-minute lesson based on a children’s book. I am incredibly apprehensive for this lesson; however, my confidence has been developing over the course of the module and I know that it will improve significantly after the completion of next week’s workshop.
Later, in the music workshop, we began by exploring the importance of the voice. The voice is the primary way of communication in the classroom and it helps with classroom management, thus it is paramount in “carrying out professional roles and responsibilities” (GTCS, 2017). We then looked at advice from the British Voice Association concerning taking care of your voice. I learnt that It is important to take care of your voice and it is vital to warm your voice in the morning to ease into the day (BVA, 2017). We then warmed up our voices using the music resource, “Choon Baboon”. This is a Scottish resource and so fits in well with the Curriculum for Excellence as well as helping teachers who are uncomfortable with teaching music. This was an enjoyable, interactive lesson that would be easily replicated in a classroom.
Finally, we selected instruments and created our own tunes using a Graphic Score. We selected a theme of a rain dance and used our instruments to create the sounds: clap, bang, trickle, ting and rumble. The Graphic Score is an easy way for children to follow music as well as compose it themselves prior to learning notes and scales.
Our Graphic Score
This week’s music workshop was also very engaging throughout and gave me a further insight into how I might teach music in the future.
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.
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].
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.
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].
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.
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