Eva Blog 2

Eva Reyes-Smith

Blog 2

• Who:

Creative aging course co-teacher

• Date: of activity implementation.

04/05/2024

• Date: of feedback.

04/08/2024

• Need: Briefly restate the need that you are striving to address (1 sentence).

The need of this lesson is to review treble and bass clef notation, as well as learn where the notes lie on the piano. 

The goal of this class session was to review our previously learned knowledge and practice reading treble and bass clef. We are then able to add another layer onto this knowledge by learning where this notation lays on the piano. While reading music does not necessarily make a great musician, I want to supply my students with multiple tools to take with them if they choose to further their music experiences. 

Throughout this course, we’ve mostly focused on using the digital audio software Soundtrap. We’ve allowed our students to use premade track samples to create small “pieces.” Following this, I went into our notation lesson which I used for Activity 1. For Activity 2, we mostly focused on correlating the notes on the staff to notes on the piano. I’ve learned throughout this experience, and from feedback, that I need to spend more time going around the room and checking on my students. I’ve also learned that my students really enjoy sharing their works and ideas with the class. I appreciate that we have the classroom culture to be able to do so. I do believe these lessons have been effective, however I do think the students could use another review class with these ideas.

The assumptions about the space I used mostly revolved around the technology I would be given. In the classroom we did not end up being provided a projector, so I had to borrow one from LexPhil. We also had to provide headphones for our students, the space did not provide more than the desktop computers themselves. For students with disabilities, I have learned that I need to provide alternate means of learning other than auditory when offering these lessons. Many of my students have hearing aids, or are hearing impaired, so I’ve had to be a bit creative with headphones and making sure I provide closed captioning options with videos and examples. I’ve learned to be as anticipatory as possible when creating lesson plans. 

I think I did a fairly decent job connecting this lesson to my annotated bibliography this time, much better than the first activity. For example, we are focused on music technologies (DAWs and MIDI software) to enrich and enhance our musical learning. I also focused a lot on the article about enriching the end of life. I want to allow my students the freedom to create without limitations and without depending on any previous experience. Moving forward I would really enjoy connecting more assistive technologies in my course such as better headphones and provide my students with their own MIDI devices. 

Throughout the last two activities I’ve learned a lot about what my students are interested in. I love that this lesson gave them the idea to bring in their own musical devices from home. I always strive to make lessons that make students want to learn more and further their own experiences. 

          I’ve gained a lot of insightful feedback throughout the last two activities. I’ve learned to really focus on my pacing, and not to try to overfill the class sessions. From feedback, I was suggested to make a pie chart of how long I anticipate activities to take as a visual representation for myself to refer back to. I still find my biggest lack of experience being the age range I’m working with. I have to be extra careful not to use materials that may be more appropriate for the age ranges I’m more accustomed to like elementary and middle schoolers. Working with adults has been a great and valuable learning experience. 

Moving forward, I am going to review this information again at the beginning of our next class. I find that refreshers do well at the beginning of each class for my current students. I’ve also learned through feedback to provide plenty of time for questions and discussion. After this lesson, the students seem really excited to bring in their own MIDI keyboards that some of them have at home. This is going to allow hands-on experience that’s really important in the learning process. Following this, I am going to meet with OLLI officials and submit a proposal for a course this summer that focuses on further digital audio processes for those that may be interested.