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Music for Elementary Teachers
Music 3824 Syllabus
Professor: Thomas Priest, Ed.D
|
| Classroom: BC 125, M-TH |
Office: BC 351 |
| 4 Credit Hours |
Office Hours: T & TH at 12:00 or by appointment |
| Telephone: (801) 626-7181 |
Email: tpriest@weber.edu |
Introduction
Music 3824 provides the elementary education teacher with an introduction into
the role of music learning in education. While continuing to develop your own
musical knowledge, you will become familiar with materials, strategies, and activities
which can be used with children from pre-K through grade 6. As a personal goal,
you should find your own path for continuing to
grow as an artistic educator.
Classroom teachers significantly influence individuals' musical development.
Since music is a part of our daily lives, a part of our heritage, a unique
form of self-expression, and a unique way of understanding our world, it is
essential that the classroom techer can build connections between knowing music
and knowing in other ways.
Bridges to Build 
- "During the first years of life, youngsters all over the world master
a breathtaking array of competencies with little formal tutelage. They become
proficient at singing songs, riding bikes, executing dances, keeping scrupulous
track of dozens of objects in their home, on the road, or along the countryside.
In addition, though less visibly, they develop powerful theories of how the
world works and how their own minds work."1
- Learning begins with the student's intuitive understanding of the subject
matter and not an academic understanding that abstracts this intuitive stage.
- "Teaching is something the teacher does; understanding is a condition
which grows within a student. Teaching is aligned with the teacher's perspective,
objectives, and attempts to communicate. Knowing evolves from one's own explorations
and attempts to invent, to develop, and to test ideas. While teaching may
serve to focus, motivate, and reinforce personal exploration, it is generally
profitless and often destructive when it is employed as a substitute for
intrinsic investigative experience. The additional time needed in schools
to permit understanding may be gained by reducing the time spent on teaching."2
- Humans have a tenacious need to create and communicate information that
is nonverbal and nonnumeric.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course you should be able to:
- provide a thoughtful and informed philosophy on music learning in general
education.
- develop your understanding of music through description, interpretation,
performance, and composition or improvisation.
- develop your repertoire of music for sharing with children
- apply the Facets Model for examining art works and discovering connections.
- analyze and evaluate musical materials for use in the elementary school.
- develop music learning activities for children that help build connections
between knowing music and knowing in other ways.
- explore musical timbres by building a musical instrument
Required Text
Music for Elementary Classroom Teachers. A collection of materials compiled
and edited by Thomas Priest, Ed. D. Available in the bookstore.
Required Materials
- An organized portfolio where you keep all class notes, handouts, and assignments.
It will help you and the class to keep your materials organized
- Recordings as needed
- Art supplies as needed
- Blank VHS videotape(s) or DVD-Rs
- Blank audiotapes or CDRs as needed (10 and 20 minute cassette tapes may
be purchased from the instructor).
Optional Texts
- Claudia Cornett (1999).The Arts as Meaning Makers: Integrating Literature
and the Arts Throughout the Curriculum. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
- Janet Barrett, Claire McCoy, and Kari Veblen. (1997). Sound
Ways of Knowing: Music in the Interdisciplinary Curriculum.
Course Assignments
The assignments are designed to help you meet the course objectives (See
above). In order to succeed in the class, it is in your best interest to
plan ahead and work on the more difficult assignments*** throughout the
semester. You may turn in assignments early.
| Assignment |
| (1) "Getting to Know You" (Objective 1). |
| (2) Examining Personal Musical Experience (Objective
3). |
| (3) "Does Music Make You Smarter?" (Objective 1)
Begin working on Music Repertoire Project and Music Instrument Project |
| (4) "A Virtual Panel of Expert Researchers" (Objectives 1, 2,
5, & 6). |
| (5) "Finding Flow" (Objectives 1, 2, 5, and 6). |
| (6) "Tarnished Trophies" and "Teacher Satisfaction" (Objectives
1, 2, & 6) |
| (7) *** Musical Instrument (Objective 7) |
| (8) ***Music
Repertoire Project(Objectives 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6) |
(9) ***Exam I (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6) This first exam
will take place
in the testing center outside of class time.
Begin Working on Facets Model, Music Learning Activities Plan, and Teaching
Episode. |
| (10) "Using Learning Modalities to Celebrate Intelligence" & "Touch
the Music" (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6) |
| (11) "Creativity in Music and Early Childhood" (Objectives
1, 2, 3, 5, & 6) |
| (12) ***Exam II (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6) |
| (13) ***Facets Model (Objectives
2, 4, 5, & 6) |
(14) ***Music Learning Activities
Plan (Objectives 2, 5 & 6)
(15) ***Teaching Episode (Objectives
2 & 6) |
| (16) ***Music Learning Software Evaluation (Objective
5) |
| (17) ***Final Exam (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6) |
Evaluation
Getting to Know You (10)
Examining Personal Musical Experience (10)
|
10 + 10 = 20
|
| Musical Instrument Project |
50
|
| Music Repertoire Project |
50
|
| Exams |
50+50+100
= 200
|
| Facets Model |
50
|
| Music Learning Activities Plan and Supporting Materials |
50
|
| Teaching Episode |
50
|
| Music Learning Software Evaluation |
50 |
| Total |
520
|
Since several assignments are designed to help you succeed in completing the
other more difficult assignments, all assignments must be completed (regardless
of total points) to receive a C or higher in the course. 10% will be subtracted
for each day an assignment is late. You may figure out your final letter grade
by dividing the sum of your points by 520.
A, A- = Outstanding completion of all course requirements or 90-100%
B+, B, B- = All course requirements completed with competence and accuracy
or 80-89%
C+, C, C- = All course requirements adequately completed or 70-79%
D+, D, D- = Some course requirements not completed or 60-69%
E = Several course requirements not completed or 59% or below
Attendance and Participation
Attendance and Participation
If you miss class, it is entirely your responsibility to attempt to make up
the missed work. It is inappropriate to rob class time to make up for your
absence. You are expected to attend class and participate. Since knowledge
and information will be shared that will not be readily available outside of
class, attendance is vital for your success in the course. In-class teaching
examples are designed to help you prepare for your Music Learning Activities
Plan and Teaching Episode near the end of the course as well as provide informal
assessments of your achievement. Students who miss class or are late to class
impede their own achievement as well as the achievement of their classmates.
For this reason, 10 points will be deducted for each unexcused absence. Arriving
late to class on 2 occasions will be considered an unexcused absence. If
you are late to class, please enter as quietly as possible as to not hurt our
sacred
space. It is your responsibility to meet with the instructor after class to
make sure the record of attendance is accurate.
Exams
The exams should help you learn and apply what you have studied throughout the
course. The first two exams will take place in the testing center. Questions
on the exams have been developed by hundreds of students who have previously
taken this course. If you would like to submit a question for a future class,
please do not hesitate to do so.
Library Resources
Music Collections
- "Spotlight on Music," Macmillan/McGraw-Hill (Media Kits on reserve)
- "Share the Music," Macmillan/McGraw-Hill (Media Kits on reserve)
- "The Music Connection," Silver Burdett Ginn (CDs and transparencies available).
(On Reserve)
- "Beginning Folk Dance," Demonstrations of folk dances from around the
world (5 videotapes), Phyllis Weikart, High/Scope press (On Reserve)
- "Rhythmically Moving," 9 CDs that accompany Beginning Folk Dance Series,
High/Scope (On Reserve)
- "Teaching Folk Dance: Successful Steps" (2 videotapes), Phyllis Weikart,
High/Scope (On Reserve)
- The Stewart Library collection of recordings
- Public libraries often have excellent collections of CDs and videotapes.
- Children's literature.
- You may have excellent musical literature to share with children in your
own personal library.
Textbooks on Reserve
- Janet Barrett, Claire McCoy, and Kari Veblen. (1997). Sound Ways of Knowing:
Music in the Interdisciplinary Curriculum..
- Claudia Cornett (1999).The Arts as Meaning Makers: Integrating Literature
and the Arts Throughout the Curriculum.. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
- William Anderson & Joy Lawrence (1998). Integrating Music into the
Elementary Classroom.
Reference Materials
- Appel, Willi. The Harvard Dictionary of Music, revised Ed. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University, 1986.
- Sadie, Stanley, Ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 18
vols. New York: Macmillan, 1981. (Also available on-line).
- These two resources along with other reference materials in the library
may be very helpful to you in completing your Facets Models.
Other Books/Media on Reserve
Banek, Reinhold, Sound Design: A Handbook of Musical Instrument Building.
Campbell, McCullough-Brabson, & Tucker, Roots and Branches: A Legacy
of Multicultural music for Children. (Includes CD).
Classical Music Illustrations, Clip Art
DeBeer, Sara (Ed.), Open Ears: Musical Adventures for a New Generation
Hunter, Simple Folk Instruments to Make and to Play.
Longdon, Sanna H., & Weikart, Phyllis s., Cultures and Styling
in Folk Dance, High/Scope, 1998. (Useful information on the cultural
context of folk dances from around the world).
Old Fashioned Music Illustrations, Clip Art
Popular Music Illustrations, Clip Art
Waring, Dennis. (1990). Making Wood Folk Instruments, New York:
Sterling.
Weikart, Phyllis S., (1998), Teaching Movement and Dance: A Sequential
Approach to Rhythmic Movement, 4th ed. High/Scope
Lesson Planning (videorecording)
Disabled Students' Notice
Any student requiring accommodations or services due to a disability must contact
Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Service
Center. SSD can also arrange to provide course materials (including this syllabus)
in alternative formats if necessary.
1Gardner, H. (1991) The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think & How
Schools Should Teach.
New York: Basic Books
2Biasini, A., Thomas, R., & Pogonowski, L. (1970). MMCP Interaction.
Bardonia, NY: Media Materials.
