CRITICAL REFLECTION IN TEACHING VIDEO: Critical Writing

Why was this the lesson that I chose to tape as my presentation? Why did I feel it was necessary to reteach rhythms to this, my intermediate class. First, I want to say, they were more mature than they were at the beginning of the year when I reviewed this content for them. They were very antsy shallow thinkers last year, and if I had my 8th graders, whom I thought I would have seen today, they would have had deep questions for me, showing me their thought process has expanded. It is true, my 8th graders, even new students, grasp concepts better than the youngest members, the 6th grade. Let me tell ya though, this group of 6th graders that have had strings in elementary school and have come to middle school orchestra highly recommended by their strings teachers, will be a tremendous force in the orchestra as 8th graders. I am already planning on next year's festival musical selections.

There is no way I could have ignored the fact that the older students needed me to reteach the lesson on the eighth notes and other rhythms. Really, what I was able to record barely scratches the surface of the things I needed to and did cover. The students needed to slow things down to focus. The 6th graders have not had the true proper benefit of my classroom instruction in theory, because I have been so pressured to GET THEM PLAYING. Of course, any dynamic teacher will teach notes values and placements, but an exemplary teacher breaks it down and divides the class into learning stations, and balance theory and practical.

CRITICAL REFLECTION ON TEACHING VIDEO: Analytic Writing

According to the GPS Standard the students of the orchestra were taught by the MMSBO.1, 2, and 3. Although they spent a great deal of time in the video writing and notating music, the ultimate goal was to put theory into practice, getting the eighth note rhythms concrete so that they are second nature to play. It is not enough to just pic up an instrument, but the methods are essential for growth. Clear connections were planned with an outcome in mind in this lesson, and the students appreciated the time that was taken to make sure they were making this connection. This is not the first lesson on rhythms for this class, and you may have heard me refer to this class as the intermediate/ advanced orchestra. Most of children in the orchestra(many more who were not scheduled to be present today, have a good bit of technique down, but this lesson was being retaught to allow students to better understand, infusing supplemental methods books to assist them in the basics. I also gave them new ideas to check positions as they went about their daily activities. When many of them returned later during the day, they were disappointed that I wasn't recording them anymore. My mother is very insistent that I record them and let them hear how they are sounding, which is another strategy to making improvements.

I was able to model for the students the correct way to really dig in an play, but before I did that, I made a connection to them, that it is much better to give too much and I need to tell them to back off in sound, as opposed to telling them they are not giving me enough. I remember my teachers growing up always trying to break us out of being timid both in the choir as a kid and in the band in high school. When we did bring it out from the belly, they gave us tons of praise, and we sounded very bold and confident. This is what I want for my students: that confidence, and I believe they will enjoy their playing more when they attain that confidence.

I really learned from the Gardner to synthesize, although I can't say it enough, I am glad my group focused on that chapter. As I composed my lessons plan, synthesis is one of the higher critical thinking levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Synthesis is the actual compilation of strategies put together to achieve the goal I set out to achieve. One of my essential questions required the students to quiz themselves to be sure they are achieving the goal.

CRITICAL REFLECTION ON TEACHING VIDEO:Descriptive

To describe what you are seeing first off, I tried to make my 1 minute pan of the room to be really detailed with every artifact that best represents the environment. I started the pan with my Big Idea which sets the tone for the rest of what you will see.

Big Idea "Bowing Techniques: Eighth Note Essential Drills. Enduring Understandings: It is understood: Finger placement placement is essential to a great sound. Proper bowing techniques effectively communicate your musical intentions to your listener! Proper pressure must be given, so your instrument's voice is heard. PERFECT POSTURE WILL NOT GO AWAY. Essential Questions How can you improve your intonation? Why is hand placement on bow essential to bowing performance? How could you test yourself to be sure eighth notes will be played correctly?

Objective-Students will:

1. "Clap and Tap" to demonstrate simple rhythms

2. Review and demo. Perfect Posture, right and left hand techniques,

3. Discuss how right hand position effects how eighth notes will sound.

4. Apply visual aids and placement exercises in music practice.

Sponge: 10 mins Students will use the various method books to view fingerings and hand positions to compare and make modifications as necessary. Classroom Rules, Teacher's Vision Statement, Classroom Management, lesson plans and GPS Standards are present in the front of the classroom so that students are clear on what is expected of them.

The room is filled with print-rich materials, Word Wall, CMCD Management and SFA reading materials to make the orchestra room wealthy as a learning environment. There are three learning stations LS#1 is the classroom like setting where students complete journals, take notes and study theory. LS#2 is the typical orchestra set up.LS#3 is the computer station. There is also the "Mozart Music Corner" a carpeted area that contains reading materials, a boom box, and a relaxing "Barnes and Noble" feel for students to use any time.

Today's lesson brief was about students correcting some basic positions in order to play eighth note rhythms in our musical selection. I started class by having the students really think about how they achieve their sound, making sure they apply correct techniques. The students really reviewed their rhythmic patterns because some had trouble, reteaching COUNTINGS UNDERNEATH. Countings are the reason students' playing seemed a little off. As I made sure they understood counting and count placement. Notice, I used the same rhythm for tapping and clapping as in our musical selection. I had to begin on the board for my visual learners, then put theory into practice at the end of the lesson in the practical.

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One Minute Pan of Classroom (actually it turned out to be 2:58 :-)

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My ArtsAPS Action RESEARCH

I have chosen to complete my Action Research on a topic that I already had begun seeking a remedy for. It has been an issue that I have dealt with and really wasn't too sure on how to even approach it to achieve a resolution until now. The topic I have chosen is Uniformity and Etiquette: What is the Direct Connection Between the Two?

I think for the children I teach, Uniformity and Etiquette is something that will not just fix itself over night, as my children still do not see the importance. I still have kids who would rather go to "step" practice and cheer leading, than come to class. This is even after I have called parents and have issued deficiencies.

The components that come into play under this umbrella is students in school uniform/performance attire, and student behavior. My principal said that this topic was so compelling to her, that she completed her thesis statement on this very topic many years ago.

The lessons that I will be able to present as documentation will be based on Concert Etiquette, and are ongoing and are usually done right before performances. Other documentation I will be able to present will be in the form of data and supporting documents from the beginning of the year to show my efforts increasing morale and making the Long Middle School more visible on campus and throughout the community. My latest effort involve more student input.

Synthesizing

I was glad that our group had to read the synthesis chapter, because I believe it is how I process my information in the classroom. Synthesis is compiling information in order form an organized product. Mainly, it's what I have to do to pass this ArtAPS course! I need to be able to make certain connections to compose an organized and completed structure that may be beneficial to other teachers.

The information given by ArtAPS required one to really analyze current methods of pedagogy both strengths and weaknesses to be able to recall from what I have studied, adding what I learned from other teachers and workshops, finding the Internet as an invaluable tool. The synthesized mind is innate in it's ability to categorize information in order to better aid the students.

As I think back over the last few days where I had an "aha" moment. The lesson was dealing with placing the fingers of the left hand in place where the F# would be in tune. Their left palms were still flat resting against the bottoms of the neck of the instrument. In one of my essential questions, I instantly thought to have the student open the hand as if she was palming a softball or very large grapefruit. I had the student practice walking around the room instead of tagging other students, to practice holding his hand in playing position. So when that class left, you better believe I began to rethink how to teach that student and thinking what visuals I could provide for him and from where, and has there been any research done on my particular challenge area. The more I dove into finger placement, the more i was able to come up with printable materials to deal with that student one on one. I came up with "Steps to Good Hand Position" lesson where everything I found as a resource was implemented in steps to assist the struggling finger placer.