Critical Thinker
As a critical thinker, I am always analyzing my teaching methods and considering how I can modify them to be even more effective. I am eager to revisit uneffective educational practices and reconsider how to adjust them to be more meaningful for students. In addition to my own explorations, I am committed to providing my students with in-depth learning opportunities as well. I'll promote an environment that considers issues from multiple perspectives, forcing students to look beyond their own opinions to analyze those of others. I will ask thought-provoking questions to help them dive deeper into curriculum material, and encourage my students to ask their own questions.
Creating a Lesson Based on a Student Case Study
It is important to be inclusive of all people in the classroom, adopting a broad perspective both with curriculum and teaching styles. For this assignment, I created a lesson based on an individual case study of a student in my hypothetical classroom. I focused on her musical and cultural background to create a musical experience not only to include her background, but to introduce her peers to traditions that are unfamiliar to them.
Music Teaching Video - C Major Scale
For this lesson, I taught students how to play an ascending C major scale on the piano with the right hand. I aimed toward late elementary/early middle school students, who should have some experience with music. Overall, my goal for the lesson was to have students become comfortable with playing the piano. In the future, I want them to be very comfortable with their scales, as playing scales is an essential part of being a pianist, providing a world of possibilities as they advance their skills. While many components of my asynchronous teaching video were successful, including incorporating solfège and finger numbers and encouraging students to sing and play along to engage with the material, my lesson could definitely be improved to incorporate more critical thinking. My updated lesson plan, for an in-person, synchronous experience, is below, complete with opportunities for discussion, instruction, and individual exploration. In an asynchronous format, however, I would incorporate many of the same critical thinking questions and encourage individual exploration for students to navigate on their own.
SoundTrap Project
Releasing the Imagination and Opening Learners' Musical Minds
This past semester, I completed a project on SoundTrap, a digital audio workstation. The assignment was very open-ended, giving me the opportunity to piece together a song in whatever way I wanted, only based on an assigned image. Following the musical component, I was required to fill out a reflection detailing why I chose to incorporate certain elements of the song, what I needed to know and/or learned about music and technology, and how I would include this project in a classroom environment. I really enjoyed this project and I would definitely consider including it in my classroom, especially to teach my students about virtual music-making. This project was a wonderful opportunity to critically think, as I encountered technological issues and had to resolve them, and I was presented with the opportunity to be creative. In my own classroom, I would have the students share their projects with one another, allowing them to look at their peers' creations from different perspectives. I would also provide the opportunity to reflect, giving my students the chance to ask questions and provide feedback on the assignment. My musical creation and reflection are below: