I chose this lesson plan on MusicTechTeacher.com because I believe that if I had instruction in this format as a student I would have learned a lot from it, and therefore my students could take a lot away from the lesson. The entire lesson is based around the usage of technology, whether using midi keyboards, computer software, or video camera, and utilizes many NJCCS for music.
There are several small gaps in the lesson plan, and here's why: the first gap lies within ensuring that the students actually understand what the G major scale is. It is more than likely that between grades 2 - 5 that the class knows what the notes are called, but they do not understand how these notes function within a scale and which notes are the important ones. The second small gap is a mistake that many musicians make: not everyone knows how to improvise. Yes, it should be self evident what exactly is necessary and how one goes about improvising, but if a student has never seen or thought of how to improvise, they won't know how. Using the "Think Aloud" strategy will give every student the opportunity to see how to go about improvising by allowing them to see and discuss how it is done. The final gap lies within the usage of the notation software for composing the phrase: in doing so, it allows all students to participate in the same capacity and to easily edit and adjust their work with feedback from their peers and from the teacher.
The curriculum goal for this lesson is learning how to compose. The technologies used in this lesson are essential because without a piano, the students have no basis for understanding pitch or musical literacy. The notation software decreases the time needed to write the music and generates clear and accurate results from the students.
Lesson Plan
Google Spreadsheet
I think technology is GREAT for music education. I grew up without a piano in my home until I was sixteen, and if I had access to some of the music software available today I definitely would have studies music more seriously. You are correct in suspecting that a 2nd grade student would not understand the G major scale or notes function within a scale - my daughter is in 2nd grade and can tell you the names of the notes, but I'm pretty sure she does not know the term "improvisation." The gaps you identified are subtle but important. It's exciting that today's students can study music (to an extent) without having traditional instruments available to them outside of school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on how this is a really good way to have the students learn. It is also good because it incorporates a lot of different technologies in it. I also agree, students grades 2-5 definitely know note names, but they can't identify their function or know it as a scale, especially since its the G major scale as opposed to the most basic scale-C major. I definitely agree with your thoughts on improv. The students definitely have to be exposed to it and guided in the right direction to learn how to improv before they can do it. I think that adding the "Think Aloud" strategy was a good to show the students about improvisation. I definitely think that all of the technologies in your lesson are essential. Everything ties together and you have to have it all to have a more successful lesson and outcome.
ReplyDeleteThe only other problem I can see arising from this lesson is using notation software as early as 2nd grade. I shadowed a general music teacher in a middle school that used a modified notation software in which note heads were butterflies and other insects (different insects were different pitch values) and other jungle-related images were used for different things like dynamics. Almost all of his class had no idea how to read music and this was a way to teach notation while keeping it "cool." I'm not sure his middle school kids would be able to navigate Sibelius, but I'm sure in some districts students can do it. I bought my first notation software around 6th grade but had never seen or heard of anything before then.
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