Today we performed our final dance as a class. This really showed me how empowering and important performance is. It also showed how a dance can truly reflect the personality and the ideas of the dancer (Cone, 2009). I really enjoyed this session and know for a fact I could not have got up to perform a dance 12 weeks ago.

I did not attend the music workshop today as our music lecturer was ill and I did not feel I would be able to access the learning due to my musical inhibitions.

Overall I feel this module has been truly inspiring and I have taken a great deal from it – from my own personal confidence boost – to ideas that I can utilise and reflect upon in my own practice as an educator and ideas and concepts I can bring into my own classroom to improve the confidence of learners in my class. I can also realise how the arts can link together to provide a fuller and more effective education and experience for young people in the arts to model creativity in practice and to boost ambiguity in Scotland’s future artists. I have taken away lesson plans and my own ideas for practice and feel far more able to deliver an integrated arts curriculum to all in my responsibility.

I look forward to seeing where these experiences I have gained will take me in my future and in my career.

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’s lecture looked at Creative Dance theory. Cone (2009) thought that dance should represent children’s’ ideas. We also looked at Smith-Autard’s Midway Model for Dance in Schools (2002) Which prioritises both the planning and execution of the dance equally and explains how the teacher should not prioritise one over the other.

In drama, we were taught by the remaining teaching groups. One really stood out for me as it looked at ‘Old Nick’ – a highly sexist and horrific character from ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue. It really captured my attention as it was brilliantly executed and really taught me how controversial or strong issues such as bullying can be explored with a class.

Today in dance we all took a part to play in our warm up and taught it to the class. Then we chose a Christmassy theme and created starting moves for our final dance. This was thoroughly enjoyable and I feel more confident in myself as a dancer.

Today I learned the importance of working together and using other people’s ideas to better your own final product – for example using the drama ideas to explore issues with my own class.

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.

In music, we explored pulse and rhythm by first using drumsticks to keep a pulse. Then we looked at notation on the board and began to keep rhythm by playing easy songs and the difficulty gradually increased. We then quickly progressed to using tuned percussion instruments to play along with music on the board using conventional notation – for me, this was the most difficult part of today and I much preferred the drumming – which I definitely intend to use in my own class.

Today in visual arts we spoke about our own experiences of art in the classroom whilst we have been out on placement. I haven’t experienced any evidence of this myself, but it was great to hear so many stories from my peers with ideas for how I can use art in my classroom myself.

The one thing I have taken from today is that lack of resources does not have to be a barrier to teaching the arts and actually, there are many creative solutions to teaching the arts using minimalistic resources such as the drumming where only drumsticks were needed. It is my opinion that a creative response to the teaching can ignite a creative thinking in the learners during the lesson.

In today’s lecture, we looked at how important drama is in our schools and how it builds confidence. We also discussed drama as an outlet for escapism, and how pupils can express their feelings and how they can channel their problems through drama and allow themselves to forget their worries.  “Inspired by a range of stimuli, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through drama [EXA 0-13a, EXA 1-13a, EXA 2-13a]” (Education Scotland, 2017).  One key theme I am picking up from this module is the way in which the expressive arts pave the way to improved self-esteem and confidence. “The Scottish Arts Council believes that arts and creativity have the power to bring joy, change lives, provoke thought and action and give a confident voice and means of expression to everyone, and therefore should be open and available to all” (Scottish Arts Council, 2004)

 This week myself along with a group of peers presented the story of the Gruffalo. In doing this I learned a lot! My confidence in drama and in teaching improved massively and I began to understand how to bring drama into my everyday classroom.

In music, the Pupils of the Greenmill Primary School String Orchestra taught us how to play their instruments in pairs. I was paired with a lovely young tutor who really knew her instrument – the viola. She first taught us how to properly hold the bow and we played a few games to reinforce this learning. We were then taught some notes and we played the ‘cheeky monkey’ song together. This was terrifying as I don’t have a musical background at all, however thanks to the tutor’s patience – I eventually got the gist of it. One thing I would like to publically note is how well behaved and helpful these young people were. They really knew their instruments and all worked so hard – they are all a credit to their school!

Today was a thoroughly enjoyable day and my own confidence developed immensely. Today – more than any other day – I can see with my own eyes how the arts can boost confidence and why it would be in our learners best interests to have this integrated program of education in the arts.

Reference List

Education Scotland (2017). Curriculum for Excellence: Expressive Arts. [Online]. Accessible: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/expressive-arts-eo. (Accessed: 7th November 2017).

Scottish Arts Council (2004). Arts Education – a Lifelong Learning Strategy. [Online] Available at: http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/resources/publications/Strategies/Pdf/STR4%20Education%20Strategy%202004-09.pdf (Accessed 7th November 2017).

Today in drama we were taught a further four conventions: Flashback, Flash forward, Slow motion and Narration. We created dramas based on these conventions and looked at the concept and idea of forum theatre where the audience can stop the drama and offer a way to improve it. I would say that facilitated in the correct way, this convention can empower and inspire our young learners to take ownership and creative responses and reactions to drama.

We also discussed again the importance that ‘teacher in role’ can have in the classroom and in drama – and how in the right way, it can be facilitated to both inspire learners and keep classroom management. We also looked at how drama is a principal way to improve the self-confidence of our learners. To be a Confident Individual means you meet one of the four capacitates of CfE (Scottish Executive, 2004), proving it all the more important to allow young people to explore drama and engage actively in confidence building activities and methods.

Today in music we looked how we can care for our voice and how important it is to preserve this in teaching. We then did a bit of singing with Choon Baboon – a music resource set up by a Scottish musician to bring singing into the classroom in a child and curriculum friendly way.

We then looked at graphic scores as a form of notation – and how they can provide a fun and worthwhile way to have your class playing as a band.

I found this week very worthwhile and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m really starting to see the commonalities in the arts and how they can be interconnected to form an integrated arts program for our learners.

Reference List

Scottish Executive (2004) A Curriculum for Excellence: The Curriculum Review Group. [Online] Available: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/26800/0023690.pdf  [Accessed 31 October 2017].

After missing last weeks sessions, I was very apprehensive about joining the dance workshop today. But when I arrived I was pleasantly surprised, I was instantly reassured and put at ease before we warmed up to ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson. I was then put into a group with my peers who showed me the routine that they created the previous week.

We then all created a dance move to represent each of the numbers from 0 to 9 in line with our Halloween theme. Then we put the actions together to a set combination of these numbers. After this we were given Halloween pictures to create ‘opening’ moves for our dance before finally performing. I was very nervous to perform and it put me far outside my own comfort zone, but I found it a really worthwhile experience.

In our drama workshop, we were introduced to five new conventions of drama vox pop, role on the wall, thought tracking, voice in head and mime. We then used these techniques to explore in depth a story called “The Tunnel” by Anthony Browne – which we explored from the viewpoint of the two protagonists.

Our lecturer introduced us to the concept and theory of thinking time in schools and how we as educators shouldn’t be afraid of silence in our classroom. “The most difficult role for me, as the teacher, was to step back and not interfere with their creative process” (Cone, 2009).

Today’s sessions really boosted my self-confidence when I realised that I don’t need to be afraid of dance and that I can facilitate it in my class. Also, I had reflection on the idea of thinking time and how as a student teacher I can use it within a classroom context. There will be a place for silence in my classroom.

Reference List

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

Today in art we went back to our prints from last week and added to them. We made a black and white photocopy and then tried to copy the rest of the painting around our prints and then using some colour. This taught me the principle of going back to completed work and creating another art form around them. Once we had finished, we looked at some books that can inspire children in the classroom.

In music, we created a loop on GarageBand, increasing both out ICT and Music skills, again exploring a concept of interdisciplinary learning (IDL). Bloomfield (2000) states that teaching music should allow children to develop their music skills as well as their ICT skills, something that this activity definitely does! Then we were to take an animation that was soundless to create our own ‘silent movie’ so to speak.

This week was an interesting week showing me the benefits of going back to finished work to create something new. This could link to the overall theme I have found of the integration of the arts to explore deeper new and different concepts. Also, the value of using the arts to teach another curricular area by means of IDL, and that the arts don’t need to be a stand-alone subject. This is a great point to pick up on as the school timetable doesn’t necessarily create room for the arts, so allows me to now teach them using IDL.

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

This was our first drama experience today, which I was really looking forward to as I have a background in drama. However, the general consensus from our class was that many people didn’t feel confident in drama and were dreading it.

We explored four drama conventions that we could use in a classroom – such as teacher-in-role and freeze frame and linked them into teaching the story of The Dragon. This was thoroughly enjoyable, and I really feel I picked up on how to teach drama to younger children.

In art, today we made prints based on Paton’s Windows to The West. We were to take an idea of the concepts found within the painting and transfer it to print. This activity took time, patience and a little bit of skill. This activity could be transferred to a classroom situation; however, you would need a high tolerance for mess. I don’t think it is a lesson I would be able to teach as I found it very challenging.

This week I am starting to see that the practices for the arts can be transferred into the classroom by exploring a concept. In relation to Windows to the West, we can print a concept, or explore the concept of the people or the environment through drama. Similarly, we can explore the story of the Dragon or we could print an idea or theme from the story. Going back to my findings from last week, you don’t need skills in the arts to be able to explore an idea or concept surrounding a topic using Drama, Music, Art or Dance in any combination or variation. ” Overall, Arts Across the Curriculum has; enabled pupils at primary and secondary schools to experience both the richness of the arts and enhanced learning opportunities” (Scottish Arts Council, 2009). This can be easily achieved if all teachers get the opportunity to experience this learning curve themselves.

References:

Scottish Arts Council (2009) The Art of Learning [Online] Available at: http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/resources/publications/education/pdf/Arts%20Across%20Curriculum%2015_4.pdf (Accessed 5th October 2017)

Today in music we were looking at music notation and in particular, Figure Notes. These were created for primary school children who need additional support, to make music more accessible. They are made up of different coloured shapes each representing a musical note. We were tasked with playing Twinkle Twinkle, Freres Jacques and Jingle Bells reading the Finger Notes notation. I was apprehensive about this, as I have no musical background or skills, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this session. 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!”. I really feel like Finger Notes will be easier for me to be able to teach music in the classroom, and if children are like me, then it will really help them understand music too.

Today in art was a little different. We were given materials such as wool, string and cotton wool – before being tasked with creating our own paint our own paintbrush. The point of this activity was to create a painting beyond the constraints of precision the traditional paintbrush tends to impose. Artwork children would create using their own paintbrush, would be full of personality and flare – and less likely to be compared to others in the same way as using a traditional paintbrush would.

The follow-up task to this was to paint a picture described to us only through speech – we didn’t get to see it at all. Doing this allowed us to experience art in a completely different way and our imagination came to play to try and recreate the picture. This task allowed me to understand that you don’t have to be good at art to be an artist – something I will definitely take into my classroom!

If we look at Eisner’s (2002) “10 lessons the arts teach” – two of these points were taught through the lessons today – Art being looked at from different angles and embracing the unknown.

What I have come to realise from both sessions today is that you don’t need to be an artist or a musician to have access to the arts. Anyone can access the arts whether you have previous skills or not. This has been my first insight into how the arts are integrated.

REFERENCES Drake Music Scotland (2017). Fingernotes – Drake Music Scotland. [online] Available at: https://drakemusicscotland.org/figurenotes/ [Accessed 01 October 2017].

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

Below is a digimap of the school I am currently on placement at:

• Evidence of existing engagement with sustainable education within the school such as garden area, recycling bins, litter picking ‘wardens’, bird boxes, and so on.

The school has litter wardens who pick up litter at breaks as well as bins and recycle bins. There are also flower boxes around the school grounds. In the school cafeteria, there are waste monitors. They take the trays and rubbish from other children in the canteen and dispose of the waste into a trolley separated for recycling.

• Consideration of actual play space for children and its suitability.
  • What opportunities are there for exploration, development, challenges etc.?
  • How is this space used?

The Primary 1-3 cohort has a wooden stage in the centre of their play area which suits for performing or imaginative play. They also have a large metal dragon climbing area which suits them for explorative play and can enhance their imagination further and to challenge them. The p4-7 cohort has a gravel area to play with painted games and a playing field for a  more sporty style play or a softer ground to play on. This area could be more suitable to play instead of a large gravel area.

• Discussion with children on these aspects of sustainable education.

I spoke to some of the children about what it means to be eco-friendly. They replied with it means looking after the environment, recycling and caring about the planet. They did not yet know the concept of sustainability but could tell me that recycling was important because we can reuse materials and not use as many resources to make things.