(Standard for Provisional Registration with GTCS, benchmark 2.1.2) |
| TASK 1: OBSERVING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Spend some time observing the learning environment. Note the following: Is there much display of expressive arts practice in public spaces/corridors/classrooms? Are these displays related to knowledge and understanding within the expressive arts? Specify the content of the work that is displayed. Throughout the corridors there are a number of different displays of the expressive arts, there are also pieces of work done by the learners within classrooms. The displays are related to knowledge and understanding within the expressive arts as the captions alongside the practice have an information box saying what the learning objectives were i.e. there was a display of animals that had been filled in with scrunched up pieces of tissue paper to recreate texture as well as sheep being made from cotton wool and so on. There was a label next to it saying “today I learned how different materials can give texture to my art work”. Is learners’ work displayed? Are there labels and written explanations? Yes, in the shared open space there are displays of the learners’ work with labels and written explanations for the main displays. Inside the classrooms the artwork was accompanied by a related piece of written work. What kinds of spaces/facilities are there for performances? The library is used for rehearsals for the school plays and smaller performances, but there is also the dining hall where a stage is erected for performances. What range of media is being used? Are both two and three dimensions covered? Is digital media used? What is the range of instruments that learners have access to? Within the classroom the learners have access to scissors, glue and a range of coloured pens, pencils and paper. Due to limited space in the classrooms there is a large store cupboard in the shared open space where there is a range of paints, glitter, material and other materials for the learners to use during expressive arts inputs. There is also a store for musical instruments which can be taken home by the learners to use and practice, the instruments are mainly small brass ones for ease of transport for the learners. Digital media is used but only for the upper primary, there is a trolley which holds a number ofiPadsthe learners can use as well asMacBooks. |
| TASK 2: OBSERVING LEARNING-IN-ACTION
In consultation with your mentor identify two expressive arts lessons (dance, music,drama, visual art) to observe. For each lesson, make a note of the following: During my time on placement I was not able to observe any expressive arts lessons as they are timetabled for a day I could not attend. However, the learners do get a scheduled block for expressive arts and the teacher who takes the class in the beginning of the week tends to integrate drama into her practice, which I could not observe due to me being able to attend only once a week. The upper primary school take part in a dance project to take part in the Kilmarnock Day of Dance where surrounding area schools take part and perform for everyone. Although I was not able to observe any of the lessons I was aware that the school does embrace expressive arts and the learners get to take part regularly. |
Week 12: Room 13
Art
We mainly focused on the art pieces that Room 13 have produced today. Room 13 began as an empty space in Fort William which was then used as an art space for children and young people. Looking at the pieces produced from that room where there is absolutely no dictated direction or expected outcome it is incredibly interesting and thought provoking to see what the children create. It really highlights Robinson’s (2007) statement that we are all born artists and we all have the capacity to create and express. A lot of the pieces featured serious themes and real life issues. It’s clear the children are asking questions and are critical thinkers of the world around them. It made me realise that children observe a lot more than what we think they do and we should not brush off a lot of their questions telling them that they are too young to understand.
Music
I really enjoyed today’s input. I feel like I understand and learn concepts better visually so learning about Figure Notes was pretty exciting for me. I found using Figure Notes is a much easier way to digest and translate standard music notation to play, it will set the perfect foundations for young people and musical beginners to begin to read music. Not only this, it will make playing music more accessible to those who require additional learning support such as dyslexia and autism which makes reading complex marks even more difficult. An example of this can be seen in the video here.
FigureNotes are definitely something which I will use in the classroom as it made playing the xylophone a lot easier for me and can make it easier for children who work better with visuals.
Week 11: Micro-Teaching & Ukelele
Drama
The workshop was focused on micro-teaching again where we watched how other groups had incorporated drama into teaching about a book. The group chose Harry Potter which I thought was absolutely fantastic as it is a book that the vast majority of young people and adults know and love. Using a medium like this shows how effective drama can be with enhancing teaching as, although we were all 18+ there was a buzz of excitement around taking part and imagining we were in Harry Potter ourselves. Every group was engaged when it came to the activities set and the creativity from the mini performances we did were acknowledged, appreciated and enjoyed by all. I thought it was a brilliant input and it perfectly showcased how using drama can increase learning and enjoyment in learning.
Music
Today we had the opportunity to learn to play ukulele. It was a fun hands on workshop which highlighted how there are some instruments that you can pick up with absolutely no prior experience and learn the basics in a short space of time. Ukuleles are being introduced into more and more school replacing the recorder as it was found that the recorder took a little more effort to provide a produce something impressive. Ukuleles however, after learning the basic chords, can be used to play a large range of songs which will keep the learner engaged and encourage them to learn more and more songs. They are great for the younger pupils as well as they are easy to hold because of their size and the fret boards are small which an accommodate for smaller hands.
Week 10:
Music
This week was mainly focused on taking care of our voices because as teachers we will need to use them a lot and proves extremely difficult if we lose them! As professional “voice users” the care of the voice is essential to the teacher’s career, as they are particularly at risk of developing voice problems. (General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), 2010). We began with practicing a number of vocal warm ups and methods to help control breathing to highlight where in the diaphragm the voice comes from and how to prevent straining it.
We were also made aware that singing a line and having the class sing the next one back is an extremely effective way to bring the attention back to yourself as a teacher and stop the learners from talking. This method saves the strain on your voice from shouting and it also saves time on behaviour management. Learning more singing lines that can be used in the classroom is helpful as I have already seen a few in action on my serial days and how great they are in settling the class. We were then shown the video below to demonstrate that singing is not the only way to use the voice in the classroom, beat boxing and rapping are becoming ever more popular and can definitely be used with the learners to capture their interest and engagement.
References
Arts Education Partnership (2011) Music Matters: How Music Education Helps Students Learn, Achieve, and Succeed [Online] Available: Moodle [Accessed: 31 December 2016].
BBC (2010) BBC news – Colours and shapes are helping people to read music. [Online] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8579853.stm [Accessed: 8 January 2017].
Cone, T.P. (2009) Following Their Lead: Supporting Children’s Ideas for Creating Dances, Journal of Dance Education, [Online] Vol.9(3), pp.81-89. Available: Moodle [Accessed: 04 October 2016].
Craft, A. (2007) Creativity and possibility in the early years. [Online] Available at: http://www.tactyc.org.uk/pdfs/Reflection-craft.pdf [Accessed: 29 September 2016].
Csikszentmihayi, M (n,d) Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. [Online] Available at: http://www.bioenterprise.ca/docs/creativity-by-mihaly-csikszentmihalyi.pdf [Accessed: 30 December 2016].
Duffy, B. (2006) Supporting Creativity and Imagination in the Early Years. 2nd ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press
East Ayrshire Council (2016) School’s musical visit strikes the right chords at Greenmill primary – east Ayrshire council news. [Online] Available at: https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/News/article/schools-musical-visit-strikes-the-right-chords-at-greenmill-primary [Accessed: 31 December 2016].
Education not Limited (2013) Teachers TV: Drama in the Classroom. 14.04 mins. [Online] Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkaCtuJBD5A&feature=youtu.be [Accessed: 31 December 2016].
Education Scotland (2009) Expressive arts: Experiences and outcomes. [Online] Available at: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/expressive-arts-eo.pdf [Accessed: 29 September 2016].
Eisner, E (2002) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. Yale University Press.
Mason, R (2004) The Meaning and Value of Craft. In: Hickman, R. (ed) Art Education 11-18: Meaing, Purpose and Direction. London: Continuum, pp. 124 – 143.
Millar, P (2004) The Dot. 3.45mins. [Online] Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5mGeR4AQdM [Accessed: 4 October 2016].
Robinson (2006) Do schools kill creativity? 19.24 mins. [Online] Available: https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity/recommendations [Accessed: 2 November 2016]
Smith, F. (2009) Why arts education is crucial, and who’s doing it best. [Online] Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development [Accessed: 29 September 2016].
Week 9: Multi-Modal Resources
Music
Following on from using GarageBand last week we were introduced to Charanga building up a bank of methods to make music multi-modal. Charanga is an incredible bank of learning aids which helps teachers form lesson plans for topics and provide a vast range of activities and exercises for the pupils. It is a great resource for teachers who feel like they do not have enough experience to teach music off their own knowledge which makes music accessible for all pupils. As a student teacher who has very minimal musical knowledge it is comforting to know there are resources available to assist teaching so that the children do not miss out.
Art
Today brought in aspects of teaching pupils about artists and incorporating their work into lessons. Avril Paton’s “Window in the West” was the inspiration to the workshop which shows the intimate lives of those living in the tenement housing across from her flat in Glasgow. I thought this was a great piece to work on because it can easily be adapted to the children’s personal surrounding such as the houses across from their own and their own neighbours.
Using the artwork as inspiration as opposed to a model for the lesson removes the barriers of creativity that recreation establishes. Ink printing allowed the children to learn a new method of creating as well as exploring other artists’ inspiration. I really enjoyed this workshop because it allowed us to observe how to teach pupils about famous artists alongside nurturing their own personal creative abilities as well as showing how to show pupils the different kinds of materials that can be used in art and creating.
Week 8: Microteaching
Music
Learning how to use the basics of GarageBand is really effective to enhancing the child’s experience. It opens up opportunities for children to still make music even if they cannot play an instrument as the software comes loaded an audio library that the user can manipulate and put together. This is especially relevant when a lot of mainstream music includes DJs and producers. Although it does make it more accessible to some children there are restrictions to the software however, as it is only available on Apple Mac products which are incredibly costly for schools and children’s parents.
Drama
Today’s drama lesson was about micro-teaching where we put what we had learned into practice. I really like these lessons as we are able to take inspiration from our peers and shows how these techniques compliment and enhance learning. Using well-known media such as Harry Potter and The Gruffalo shows that it does demonstrate the knowledge of the media and can be really engaging and fun.
Week 7: Strings Initiative Programme
“Working together, supporting each other and mastering new techniques and ideas, teaches young people to embrace teamwork and understand that we all respond to challenges differently and it’s more powerful in a peer to peer setting.” Councillor Stephanie Primrose, East Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Skills and Learning (2016)
Today’s music session was brilliant. Greenmill Primary School came into the university and told us about the Strings Project and taught us how to play an instrument. This allowed us to see the benefits these children have gained from learning a musical instrument and being part of a school orchestra; as well as this we were able to experience being taught by a child which shows how much knowledge and understanding they have gained from the experience. Studying music increases multiple skills that extend to other academic areas which will lead to overall academic success (Arts Education Partnership, 2011).
It was extremely inspiring to hear from the pupils’ points of view and how being involved in music has benefited them academically and personally – helping concentration and social relationships within the class. It emphasised the need to teach music and involve it in a child’s education.
Drama
We practiced making drama cross-curricular today putting the techniques we had learned into practice. Using Anthony Browne’s The Tunnel as a stimulus we adapted each technique to the book to show how they can all be utilized. One of the techniques I really liked and felt would be incredibly beneficial to the children was drawing around one of us and writing how the character would have felt on the inside and how others would have perceived them from the outside. This would get the children thinking about not judging people before getting to know them. This activity can be done privately as an individual or as a group which can spur discussion as a class.
Week 6: Child-centered Ideas
Dance
It was the last session of dance and we put all the parts together to make a whole class routine which lasted around 5 minutes. Even though it did not feel like we had done a lot in terms of putting together a routine which would last 5 minutes it worked really well. I think it was really effective having a number of groups as it lightened the pressure on the individual to remember a multitude of steps for the routine to be executed. Putting all the groups together and adding a couple of transitions a collective routine was formed which created a sense of achievement and pride as they will have been working on it for a number of weeks. Even though there was not a huge sense of working as a whole class since we were separated in groups there was a big social aspect when the whole class was moving in sync. Dance is an effective platform that allows the child to take the lead in learning as they can engage their imagination and creativity when it comes to coming up with moves; as well as this it challenges the children to think of solutions due to space restriction, costumes and props which will develop their confidence as creators and performers (Cone, 2011).
From a teacher’s point of view there is so flexibility to teaching dance and almost every classroom topic can be integrated into and enhanced through dance. It allows the children to demonstrate the depth and range of their knowledge on the topic as well as providing the freedom to be creative and explore their imagination. Because of this there can be very minimal teacher input, guiding the children only in supervising timing, positioning, providing transitional moves and any other minor fillers. Taking part in this aspect of the module has really changed my opinion on dance, beforehand I never realised the benefits to the child from teaching dance.
Music
The music input was fun and informative. We were taught methods of how to make reading music simpler making it easier for younger stages to digest and be introduced to musical theory. Using shapes to represent music notes not only makes it easier to differentiate the timings each note represents but makes it cross-curricular.
Practicing using the pentatonic scale was another great technique to reduce any anxieties anyone may have around playing music. Playing in front of the whole class was initially daunting if you did not have any previous experience however the magic of the pentatonic scale was that no matter what note you played they still went along to the backing track of “Hit the Road Jack”. From this little success it relaxes the class’ approach to playing music.
Week 5: Integrated Arts in the Curriculum
Art
Today was really insightful into the delivery of an arts lesson. Although we had become aware of the importance of adapting lessons to allow creativity to flow and not to put up barriers to nurturing their skills we had not really touched on the execution of this. Having a guest speaker from the council gave an insight into how to put it into practice in the classroom. Being shown methods of how to introduce learners to new materials and techniques at different ages and stages allowed me to see how the arts can be integrated into the curriculum in a number of different ways.
The workshop was a wonderful way to demonstrate how a number of different techniques and skills can be incorporated to make a diverse final piece. Putting all the smaller pieces together perfectly showed how to introduce a number of techniques (line drawing, motor skills, water colour, material manipulation, collage) shows how the learners can practice without the inputs dragging on too long and the children getting bored. Providing the children with inspiration from a variety of colours, home life ensures that every piece is unique and cannot be directly compared to each others’. It is an activity that would definitely keep children engaged as they are not being told how their work should be done, how it should look or where it should be done which makes it far more enjoyable for the child (Mason, 2004).
Drama
Today’s session focused on the methods that can be used to teach and incorporate drama into lessons.
A lot of these methods were really new to me as I have not had much drama experience before. I really liked thought tracking with still image as it allows the whole class to get involved and provides opportunity to put themselves in the character’s position which can enhance and energize descriptive writing (Education not Limited, 2013). Through acting out and exploring scenes I think that children will be able to express a range of emotions and feelings that they may not have the chance to in every day life which will help them understand themselves and the world around them.
