Any curriculum writing that music educators do going forward need to be grounded in the core arts standards for music. These standards were intentionally written to be highly compatible with the common core standards while maintaining crucial distinctive for arts education. The major emphasis is on the four artistic processes of performing, creating, responding and … Continue reading Highlights from the National Arts Standards Framework for Use in Music Curriculum Writing
common core
What Is The Difference Between Standards and Curriculum: A Primer for Music Curriculum Writers
Some of you who are music educators will be doing curriculum writing work over the summer, while others will be planning for the coming school year. In either case, it is important to understand the distinction between standards and curriculum. With the presence of common core in many states, standards have taken on a renewed importance in planning … Continue reading What Is The Difference Between Standards and Curriculum: A Primer for Music Curriculum Writers
Supporting A Claim With Evidence From A Text
One of the important things students will have to do under common core is to support a claim with evidence from the text. While this at first glance sounds like something that requires an article to read, music educators can strengthen students' proficiency at doing this using printed music as the text. Anything that is … Continue reading Supporting A Claim With Evidence From A Text
Building Vocabulary in Music Class: A Common Core and Music Friendly Approach
When teachers build vocabulary, often the word is introduced alone, and in the context of a sentence or paragraph, so that the meaning can be inferred. Once the word meaning is known, the entire sentence in which it is located can be understood. Language communicates explicit meaning. Music, on the other hand does not mean … Continue reading Building Vocabulary in Music Class: A Common Core and Music Friendly Approach
Tiering Musical Motifs like Vocabulary Words for Common Core
In the district where I teach music, the leaders have decided to roll out Common Core with an emphasis on building vocabulary. They have devised three categories for words. The first tier is for words that are learned early on. These are small words that would be known by any native speaker, and words that … Continue reading Tiering Musical Motifs like Vocabulary Words for Common Core
Process Before Product in the New Music Standards
Learning is a process. While there are signposts made of assessments and evaluations along the way, more is gained from the process of learning than from a completed summative product. When the product is valued above the process, corners can easily be cut, and valuable learning opportunities can be missed or avoided. “Teaching to the … Continue reading Process Before Product in the New Music Standards
Common Core and the New Music Standards
The Common Core Standards have generated numerous fears and apprehensions on the part of many teachers, including language arts and math teachers, and music teachers. Language arts and math teachers are concerned about suddenly raising reading levels on students who are already struggling, and on successfully teaching with more rigor and depth while still including … Continue reading Common Core and the New Music Standards
