Tate focuses on the use of music to set the mood. Most of her references, like the list of calming music, are aimed at creating conditions, rather than using music or rhyme for instruction. However, music can be used to aid recall and to teach non-music subjects like economics (Tinari & Khandke, 2010).
Application: In my “Start Telling Your Story” workshop I reference songs as examples of many of the elements of good storytelling. Joe Henry’s “Ohio Air Show Plane Crash,” for example, is an excellent example of starting a story on media res or “in the middle of things.”
I have also used music to create a mood for a type of learning. At the 2016 NDSU Extension Innovate event, I created a playlist that set the right mood at the right time for the workshop. I used medium beat music that would be unfamiliar to most participants during ideation. I used calming music during periods of reflection and high energy music during periods of activity.
Assessment: Three-Minute Presentation
The assessment for the NDSU Extension Innovate event was a variation on the three-minute thesis. Innovation teams had three minutes to present the innovative idea they had worked on at the workshop. Their peers were able to provide feedback on the presentations through an online form
References
Tate, M. L. (2012). “Sit and Get” won’t grow dendrites: 20 professional learning strategies that engage the adult brain. (2nd Ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.