pedagogy portfolio
core
the core section includes materials and resources from the core curriculum classes for the major, including, but not limited to: elementary methods, secondary methods, and multimedia.
media
the media section includes materials, links or resources outside of traditional classroom materials. these include, but are not limited to: webliographies, screencasts, and podcasts.
core
elementary methods
lesson plans
rote songs
presented below are elementary school lesson plans from course [me211]. additionally, there is a curriculum map, outlining a 7 month course for the 4th grade, including one unit per month, and 4 lessons per unit.
presented below are additional lesson plans created with specific teaching methods in mind, suitable for elementary school students, created and presented in response to course [me212].
below is a presentation of a simulated rote song lesson, intended for a group of elementary school students from course [me212]. included are some teachings of rote songs and an analysis on what students could learn from singing these songs. given the nature of a rote song and the short length of the ones chosen, analysis is brief but can still be helpful to identify so that specific elements can be taught and targeted.
tinga layo: students will have to sing in a different language, as well as having to sing in a wider range than they may be used to. this song also has repetition and first/second endings, which serves as a good introduction for the concept of repeat signs and sets them up for form.
betty martin: with a downward shaped melodic contour, this song could be used as an introduction to scales or practice for more advanced students' kodály hand signs, as it includes sol, la, ti, do, re. students can also work on clear diction through the plosive sounds.
o' how lovely: the lesson plan for whole and half notes actually uses this song as a reference/tool to get into the idea of long notes. the melody is simple and appropriate, and can also be used to help students understand singing long tones on vowels.
dance the kolo: seeing as this song is in a minor key, this song would be a great transition from typical uptempo, major key rote songs, or seasonal transition. this piece could also be used to teach minor key solfege, as it is slow and has a lot of the characteristic minor solfege notes.
kookabura: this song has a relatively wide range, and, while it is diatonic, has more bigger jumps and has an interesting melodic line that feels strange and then resolves nicely. this is also a nice song to mix disciplines, with topics such as geography (kookabura birds are native to australia) or animal trivia (how birds typically sing, but this one laughs).
teddy bear: this song is good for teaching students movement (awareness of space and body) in conjunction with singing. it also plays with repetition of the melody but not the lyrics, which is a good introduction to the concept of verses. this song can also be turned into a “follow me” type game for student engagement, by having students demonstrate and echo.
au claire de la lune: this can be used to teach whole and half notes, or to teach students how to count in time together, as it is sometimes harder for students to do slow and deliberate songs, as opposed to fast ones. this song is also in french, so students get foreign language exposure
recorder proficiency
below are video recordings of a recorder proficiency performance. first is now is the month of maying for the course [me212], in conjunction with the course [me152] recorder project. beside it is an ascending and descending chromatic scale from c4 to g5.
secondary methods
lesson plans
presented below are graded secondary school lesson plans for course [me311]. these lesson plans are presented during class in conjunction with powerpoint slides. below there is also a video explaining and discussing details for the lesson plan.
presented below are the aforementioned accompanying slides for the above lesson plans, which act as visual aids to accompany verbal instruction, or to express diagrams.
to the left is a video demonstration and explanation of the intro to intervals lesson plan, including slideshow materials. the video explains the intentions, reasoning, and some alternative approaches to the lesson, similarly to the lesson plan.
recorder proficiency
multimedia
below is an accompaniment track & score for the course [me152] recorder project, in which the task was to create an accompaniment for the piece now is the month of maying. the track and score was also meant to be used for the course [me211] recorder proficiency. the software used to create the accompaniment track was garageband, and noteflight was used to create the score.
course reflection
what are the key areas in which you learned new skills/information about technology this semester?
”as the realm of technology advances, one of the difficulties that comes with that is definitely having to adapt to it and learn how to implement technology in the classroom, especially when it comes to music, which has often been taught in a very traditional way. at the time of writing this, i and many others are currently going through a pandemic in which we have been staying indoors and navigating the world of virtual learning. this experience has really made me realise just how valuable technology is in teaching/learning, and so i really tried to learn as much as i could about virtual tools for teaching. out of the tools we covered for this semester, i feel that screen-casting was one of the ones that left a lasting impression on me. i used to think that recording your computer screen was this high tech thing that i would take weeks to learn, but i found that it was incredibly easy to record and edit. i certainly see myself using this application again in the future!”
what are the key areas in which you increased your knowledge about integrating technology into your teaching?
“i think one of the key things i was able to learn this semester would have to be learning about methods of teaching other than the standard lecture form where i just talk at students and hope they understand. the integration of technology in my teaching can certainly help me in my assessment of my student's understanding, and also to create a more interactive and immersive learning experience. if what i have learned thus far regarding integrating technology into my teaching has already helped me this much, i am very eager to learn more and see even more positive changes in my teaching style.”
of all the topics we addressed this semester, which one (or more) would you still like to learn more about?
”i would love to learn more about edpuzzle or similar applications. i think that being able to create lessons with assessments built into it is a very useful tool, and not only would it be perfect for circumstances like we are in now (covid19 pandemic), but it would also be an effective way to ensure students are able to catch up on classes they've missed or allow students who are absent for other reasons (school trips, mild sickness, etc.) to participate in the class' learning for that day. i would be able to check their answers immediately and easily evaluate their understanding for the topic at hand.”
how would you compare or contrast what you learned this semester from the way technology was used by your teachers during your k-12 schooling?
“my k-12 experience had a lot of pen & paper tasks, and if ever we did use technology, it was very minimal. all subjects in school are now evolving with technology and implementing technology in their classrooms, and music should be no different. as much as traditional music (singing, playing "real" instruments, etc.) is a hugely important aspect in music education, learning how to use daw or notation software is something that should be adopted by everyone who intends to teach music.”
how would you describe your attitude toward technology now compared to the beginning of the semester?
”i had always been open to using technology in the classroom, but had been a little skeptical as to how effective/enjoyable some apps would be in teaching music. however, i now feel that technology in the music classroom is a very valuable tool that will only improve with time, and i am excited to learn more about it in order to further my teaching ability, and create engaging and fun lessons for my future students.”
media
webliography
theory
screencast
musictheory.net: musictheory.net is a website dedicated to ear training and music theory education. not only is it free to use, but it also has mobile versions so that students can learn on the go! this is a very unique feature for music based websites that are not simply for listening, which really sets this website apart from other ear training/theory sites. the site provides exercises and practice questions for the student, and has lessons on theory for all ages.
edpuzzle: edpuzzle is a great tool for the music educator, as it can easily customise pre-existing videos to suit whatever lesson is being taught by inserting notes, open-ended questions, and multiple choice questions. videos created by other educators can also be accessed if their lesson is well made and applicable to the respective classroom.
teoria: teoria is a great music theory website that has videos to go along with the in-depth music theory lessons. there are also helpful audio recordings accompanying the available exercises and tutorials, as well as a lot of ear training functions that help students with sight singing, identification of chords, intervals, chord qualities, etc.
8notes: 8notes is a really simple to use and straightforward website that has links to lessons on all kinds of theory topics. lessons on the website are in order of what students typically learn when it comes to music theory, starting with clefs and staves, moving along into more advanced and complicated topics such as neapolitan chords. the site also includes some ear training exercises such as chord identifiers, interval identifiers, key signature trainers, etc.
musiquest: musiquest is an app made by a fellow music educator, jacob zax, who guest spoke at the berklee nafme meeting. this app is highly recommended, as not only does it support a fellow alumni, but it has all the elements that are needed within a music classroom, as well as interdisciplinary subjects. it allows the student to create music, reminiscent of a daw like garageband or soundtrap, lessons that integrate other fields of study (ie: maths, science, emotional literacy, etc.), and student data reporting based on assignments. so far, it is a supplemental software, used mainly to work alongside/in addition to an educator's main curriculum.
presented below is a video made with the purpose of instructing anyone on how to use the basic functions of flat.io, which is a free online notation software tool. in the video information on the audience most suitable for the website, its purpose, brief overview, and a demo of the features are provided, as well as a personal recommendation for the site.
podcast
creation
soundtrap: soundtrap is a cloud based daw with an easy to use interface that allows users to easily create music using either pre-provided midi files that can be cut and transposed to fit tracks, or compose midi clips to use. the interface is simple to use and the available midi clips to choose from are diverse and interesting. however, this is a subscription based program (either monthly or yearly), so that's something to consider, but overall it's worth the price for what users can get from it.
incredibox: incredibox is a fun, visually stimulating website that enables users to drag and drop "people" with pre-assigned beats or melodies to create loops with. these loops come in "sets" or "themes", so that anything dragged in will always fit and mesh with whatever else is already playing. this website is definitely more suited towards a younger audience (elementary or early middle school), but is still a cool website for older students to explore as well, especially if they are interested in loop based freestyle tracks.
flat.io: flat.io is a great free cloud based online notation software that has simple user interface that makes it easy to use for students of all ages. there is the option to become a premium member, but it is unnecessary to get the most out of this website. it's suitable and useful for all ages and it is perfect for when more complicated or complex notation softwares are not accessible or not needed. a more in depth review and site description can be found on the screencast section of the portfolio.
groovepizza: groove pizza is a rhythm based application in a circular, pizza shaped interface. it's comparable to incredibox in its playful visuals, and employs mathematical concepts like angles, shapes, patterns, etc., and is a great interdisciplinary tool for the educator to use with a younger class. it can help students to identify rhythmic patterns and differentiate quarter notes, eighth noters, 16th notes, etc.
musiquest: musiquest is an app made by a fellow music educator, jacob zax, who guest spoke at the berklee nafme meeting. this app is highly recommended, as not only does it support a fellow alumni, but it has all the elements that are needed within a music classroom, as well as interdisciplinary subjects. it allows the student to create music, reminiscent of a daw like garageband or soundtrap, lessons that integrate other fields of study (ie: maths, science, emotional literacy, etc.), and student data reporting based on assignments. so far, it is a supplemental software, used mainly to work alongside/in addition to an educator's main curriculum.
presented below is a an exploration about "psychology in the music classroom: how we can integrate fields of study to further effective teaching" in a podcast format. the slides below can also be used to accompany the audio. all media (cover art and background music) are original works. a transcript of the audio can be provided upon request.