I am currently following a MOOC from Sydney University with Dr. James Humberstone on "The Place of Music in XXIst Century Education" thanks to Coursera. It's only the beginning and I can already feel that some changes are coming. A new page called "Learning/Teaching" will appear on my website in a few weeks. Learning is lifeblood to me!
MODULE 1
Inspiring similarities: “don’t control”, “don’t repeat”, “be active”
As explained and showed by Takahoro Teraka in his TED “ The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen”, children can greatly benefit from being less controlled. In an architecture that allows them to explore and run free, they easily find their own rhythm of playing and learning. It sounds as an echo to Sydney’s Northern Beaches Christian School (NBCS) music class where students can progress at their own pace, going from one station to another, following a green button rotation system to acknowledge their evolution. It also reminds of the importance of improvisation in a Steiner music class, even though it is firstly based on a system of calls and answers in a simplified musical structure. “Don't control” as a first motto, rather give time to adapt!
Another recurring theme seems to be “don’t repeat”. Steiner music teachers only give short and simple instructions, such as “copy” or “echo”. NBCS’ music teachers take advantage of technology with a blue button functioning as a summary of what the student has already learnt, hence granting the teachers more time to answer questions when needed.
In her TED “What we are learning from online education”, Daphne Koller quotes Plutarche: “the mind is not a vessel that needs filling but wood that needs igniting”. Active learning should be at the centre of teaching principles: instead of a lecture-based format, let’s encourage creativity, imagination and problem-solving skills. A first step in being active is to connect with the body and the surroundings, a philosophy defended by Steiner and NBC schools both, while the Hilltop Public School of Sydney made the choice to broaden every student’s horizon with the use of a personal laptop (OLPC).
In a world full of inequalities, online courses as well as the use of technology can help reducing the gap caused and perpetuated by access to education. This however requires the insurance of secure settings for children, and of a very limited exposure to screen media for the younger ones.
References:
Dr Humberstone, J., Music class at Northern Beaches Christian School, https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/k6Kmr/music-class-at-northern-beaches-christian-school
Dr Humberstone J., Music class at Kamaroi,
https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/1nrkd/music-class-at-kamaroi
Dr Humberstone, J., Broader demographics,
https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/AvWpo/broader-demographics
Koller, D. (2012). What we're learning from online education. [Website.] Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_koller_what_we_re_learning_from_online_education?language=en 24th Jan, 2016.
Kugler, M. (2008), http://www.orff.de/en/orff-schulwerk/practice.html
Tezuka, T. (2014). The best kindergarten you've ever seen. [Website.] Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/takaharu_tezuka_the_best_kindergarten_you_ve_ever_seen 24th Jan, 2016.
MODULE 2
Where’s The Balance ?
Here comes our weekly assignment : « consider the importance of teaching not just popular music, but the popular music which is your students' own musical culture against teaching traditional music skills, literacy, and western art music ».
First of all, I have to admit that as a music teacher, I haven’t given many lessons based on popular music, whether it be the popular music that I like or what my students liked. It wasn’t part of my training, neither as a classical singing teacher nor as a music theory teacher. I couldn’t always find a good starting point or didn’t take enough time to value and understand my students’ own musical culture. However, they were in demand, so I tried my best a few times when teaching in high school. I would love to engage myself more in that direction, which is one of the many reasons I’m currently following this MOOC.
Having 4 different levels in most of my primary classes this year, the biggest issue was differentiation : answering my pupils’ various needs and expectations regarding a music lesson. Some of them already played an instrument and could read music (having received public/private music education outside of school), others knew a few basics on the recorder and on music notation (from the former music teacher at school), while a few children were new at school and had yet another musical background… or no musical background at all. I ended up chosing to make them sing a lot and learn some clappings, and added some music history for the oldest ones (10-12y), and they truly seemed to enjoy it (the story of the musicians’ life, their success, what their era was like, etc.). When asking them what kind of music they were listening to, I got a huge variety of answers. I dare to say that for most of the children, their parents’ influence could strongly be felt.
I join Richard Gill’s opinion in the « Counterpoint » interview : in primary school, there is already so much to do with ‘just’ singing, especially as it doesn’t require any budget, and as there is a tremendous range of styles to explore.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/7Hssp/counterpoint
As I wish to teach in high school again, I would love to begin the year by setting a common ground (whatever the students’ musical abilities or knowledge at that time), and by looking for the impact of music on their life and on society, avoiding for a certain time « transmissive pedagogy which denies opportunities for identity-work, self-expression, connection and community », as concluded in Rose, L. S., & Countryman, J. (2013). Repositioning ‘the elements’: How students talk about music. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, 12(3), 45-64.
I also found that Ethan Hein made a very good point when interviewed by James Humberstone in the video “Classroom Music is Alien”, https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/BM92q/classroom-music-is-alien
He gave an example on how to change perspective by linking the popular music of the XXth-XXIst century to the African diaspora. Going backwards instead of starting from the past !
It is the current theme of the exhibition « Rythm & Roots » at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, a worthwhile visit until October 30, 2016 :
https://tropenmuseum.nl/en/exhibition-rhythm-and-roots, plus its provided soundtrack from 22Tracks : http://22tracks.com/ams/tropenmuseum/77571
I don’t think this approach would prevent me from teaching traditional music skills or the value of literacy and Western art music later on. On the contrary, it would make it more relevant when inserted into a broader context and more timely for the students when they can understand the interest of some music theory notions and concepts.
MODULE 1
Inspiring similarities: “don’t control”, “don’t repeat”, “be active”
As explained and showed by Takahoro Teraka in his TED “ The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen”, children can greatly benefit from being less controlled. In an architecture that allows them to explore and run free, they easily find their own rhythm of playing and learning. It sounds as an echo to Sydney’s Northern Beaches Christian School (NBCS) music class where students can progress at their own pace, going from one station to another, following a green button rotation system to acknowledge their evolution. It also reminds of the importance of improvisation in a Steiner music class, even though it is firstly based on a system of calls and answers in a simplified musical structure. “Don't control” as a first motto, rather give time to adapt!
Another recurring theme seems to be “don’t repeat”. Steiner music teachers only give short and simple instructions, such as “copy” or “echo”. NBCS’ music teachers take advantage of technology with a blue button functioning as a summary of what the student has already learnt, hence granting the teachers more time to answer questions when needed.
In her TED “What we are learning from online education”, Daphne Koller quotes Plutarche: “the mind is not a vessel that needs filling but wood that needs igniting”. Active learning should be at the centre of teaching principles: instead of a lecture-based format, let’s encourage creativity, imagination and problem-solving skills. A first step in being active is to connect with the body and the surroundings, a philosophy defended by Steiner and NBC schools both, while the Hilltop Public School of Sydney made the choice to broaden every student’s horizon with the use of a personal laptop (OLPC).
In a world full of inequalities, online courses as well as the use of technology can help reducing the gap caused and perpetuated by access to education. This however requires the insurance of secure settings for children, and of a very limited exposure to screen media for the younger ones.
References:
Dr Humberstone, J., Music class at Northern Beaches Christian School, https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/k6Kmr/music-class-at-northern-beaches-christian-school
Dr Humberstone J., Music class at Kamaroi,
https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/1nrkd/music-class-at-kamaroi
Dr Humberstone, J., Broader demographics,
https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/AvWpo/broader-demographics
Koller, D. (2012). What we're learning from online education. [Website.] Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_koller_what_we_re_learning_from_online_education?language=en 24th Jan, 2016.
Kugler, M. (2008), http://www.orff.de/en/orff-schulwerk/practice.html
Tezuka, T. (2014). The best kindergarten you've ever seen. [Website.] Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/takaharu_tezuka_the_best_kindergarten_you_ve_ever_seen 24th Jan, 2016.
MODULE 2
Where’s The Balance ?
Here comes our weekly assignment : « consider the importance of teaching not just popular music, but the popular music which is your students' own musical culture against teaching traditional music skills, literacy, and western art music ».
First of all, I have to admit that as a music teacher, I haven’t given many lessons based on popular music, whether it be the popular music that I like or what my students liked. It wasn’t part of my training, neither as a classical singing teacher nor as a music theory teacher. I couldn’t always find a good starting point or didn’t take enough time to value and understand my students’ own musical culture. However, they were in demand, so I tried my best a few times when teaching in high school. I would love to engage myself more in that direction, which is one of the many reasons I’m currently following this MOOC.
Having 4 different levels in most of my primary classes this year, the biggest issue was differentiation : answering my pupils’ various needs and expectations regarding a music lesson. Some of them already played an instrument and could read music (having received public/private music education outside of school), others knew a few basics on the recorder and on music notation (from the former music teacher at school), while a few children were new at school and had yet another musical background… or no musical background at all. I ended up chosing to make them sing a lot and learn some clappings, and added some music history for the oldest ones (10-12y), and they truly seemed to enjoy it (the story of the musicians’ life, their success, what their era was like, etc.). When asking them what kind of music they were listening to, I got a huge variety of answers. I dare to say that for most of the children, their parents’ influence could strongly be felt.
I join Richard Gill’s opinion in the « Counterpoint » interview : in primary school, there is already so much to do with ‘just’ singing, especially as it doesn’t require any budget, and as there is a tremendous range of styles to explore.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/7Hssp/counterpoint
As I wish to teach in high school again, I would love to begin the year by setting a common ground (whatever the students’ musical abilities or knowledge at that time), and by looking for the impact of music on their life and on society, avoiding for a certain time « transmissive pedagogy which denies opportunities for identity-work, self-expression, connection and community », as concluded in Rose, L. S., & Countryman, J. (2013). Repositioning ‘the elements’: How students talk about music. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, 12(3), 45-64.
I also found that Ethan Hein made a very good point when interviewed by James Humberstone in the video “Classroom Music is Alien”, https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education/lecture/BM92q/classroom-music-is-alien
He gave an example on how to change perspective by linking the popular music of the XXth-XXIst century to the African diaspora. Going backwards instead of starting from the past !
It is the current theme of the exhibition « Rythm & Roots » at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, a worthwhile visit until October 30, 2016 :
https://tropenmuseum.nl/en/exhibition-rhythm-and-roots, plus its provided soundtrack from 22Tracks : http://22tracks.com/ams/tropenmuseum/77571
I don’t think this approach would prevent me from teaching traditional music skills or the value of literacy and Western art music later on. On the contrary, it would make it more relevant when inserted into a broader context and more timely for the students when they can understand the interest of some music theory notions and concepts.