Over the years, one of the things I have found that often confounds music educators, is how to go about writing instructional objectives, or even what exactly are instructional objectives. One little piece of the confusion is the term instructional. These objectives can more accurately be called, as they once often were, behavioral objectives. Thinking … Continue reading Verbs for Instructional Objectives in Music
music literacy
What Are The Answers To Music’s Essential Questions?
Music educators now have essential questions on which to base their instructional units and by extension the lesson plans within those units. These questions are meant to get at the heart of the discipline of music. They are not like questions students might be asked such as "what is binary form?" or "who was John … Continue reading What Are The Answers To Music’s Essential Questions?
Essential Things To Consider When Writing Music Curriculum
Many school districts engage administrators and faculty in doing curriculum work over the summer. It is a good time for this type of work, because teachers are not encumbered with planning and providing instruction for and to students, respectively, and many teachers benefit from writing curriculum from a position of being able to reflect on … Continue reading Essential Things To Consider When Writing Music Curriculum
An Approach to Lesson Planning
Lesson plans are only as good as the learning they bring about. For that to happen, the lesson plan must be executed well by the teacher, and the students must complete the learning tasks that are part of the plan. This is a dynamic process, not a static one. In other words, teaching a lesson … Continue reading An Approach to Lesson Planning
Restoring the Practice of Subdivision
Imagine you are going to build a deck for your home. We've all heard the adage, "measure twice, cut once." So you take out your measuring tool, and measure out your lumber. But in my example, there's a catch. Your measuring tool only has feet marked on it. You need a piece cut to 7 … Continue reading Restoring the Practice of Subdivision
The Other Expectations
Today I would like to discuss expectations, but not the usual sort. Often, when expectations in education are discussed, they are the kind teachers have of students. These may be behavior or performance expectations, and both are important. There is, though, another sort of expectation that is embedded in the how successfully people perceive and … Continue reading The Other Expectations
Pros and Cons of Stick Notation
Stick notation is a method for teaching music reading that involves presenting written notes with the note heads removed. The method is most often associated with the Kodaly method, but is used by non-Kodaly teachers as well. In this article I will consider reasons for using stick notation, and also some drawbacks. Stick notation is … Continue reading Pros and Cons of Stick Notation
Games in the Elementary Music Classroom
My students love to play games. No matter what else I may have for them to do on a given day, as soon as I mention that we will be playing a game that day, they all smile and get excited. Music games are fun, yes, but there is also a learning goal to be … Continue reading Games in the Elementary Music Classroom
Setting Up Your Classroom with Lessons in Mind
As I write this post, it is three days before the first day of school for students in the new school year. Part of a teacher's ritual during those final days leading up to classes starting is to set up the classroom. New bulletin board backgrounds and borders, posters, word wall, rules, and other subject-related … Continue reading Setting Up Your Classroom with Lessons in Mind
My Approach To Composing
One of the things I enjoy about summer break is the opportunity to do musical things I don't have time for during the school year. Since my high school days I have enjoyed composing. I was encouraged in this by a high school band director who allowed me to try out my band composition on … Continue reading My Approach To Composing
