Just from the preface: Things that excited me! (my own comments are in italics.)
page vii--'In search of simplicity and understanding, the human brain intuitively organizes and categorizes facts into theories' Remember that from Ed. Psych? Assimilation and Accomodation: Our brains first try to assimilate new information into categories we already know. If our brains cannot do that, it then accomodates new information
page viii--'Because course content is organized as part of a sequential program, everything students are learning builds logically from what they have already learned. As a result, students find what they are learning makes sense and can immediately implement acquired knowledge and skills as they performa a variety of types of music.' Of course! We are currently working on sequencing our course content. How very important this work will prove to be!
page ix--'By giving meaning to music, students are able to perform not only great music of others, but also to compose and improvise their own.' Yes! Give meaning! That's exactly what we want to do. What if we taught students in such a way that we purposefully taught understanding of music, not just the mechanics? Wanna talk about seeing students in All-Region/All-State?
Of coures, there was a whole lot more that excited me, but I thought I'd just give you a few things. What excites you?
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2 comments:
I read a couple of chapters while getting my brakes fixed.
I agree with the author in that trying to teach a music student by rote or imitation is comparable to teaching literacy by reading a book aloud to a child.
I recently started on flutophones with my 4th graders. They told me that when they used them last year that they were just shown which finger holes to use on songs like "Mary Had A Little Lamb". They did not read music at all.
We are currently using flutophones to apply the knowledge students have been gaining througout the year on pitch and rhythm. They are not allowed to watch me while playing and must match the steady tempo by nodding or tapping with their foot.
Those students who naturally learn by ear (audiate) don't need extra help in that area, and those who do not have the same ability would be totally lost in simple imitation or rote learning. Sight-reading is a must for all!
Students should not just be fed information. They must hypothesize and discover a lot on their own. When they see patterns and purpose in music, they are much more likely to retain and problem-solve on their own.
My students are often amazed by the amount of math involved in music. So much of what students learn about music is taught by relating concepts to things that they are already familiar with. This was addressed in the book also.
Oh, by the way. I'm still learning this blogger thing. The anonymous is me, Tammy.
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