Date for Entry: (Monday 20th January 2020)
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Monday 27th June 2022)
Dear Diary,
The writing below is a profile and recording of the events and coursework done in the Department of Festival and Creative Arts (DCFA) Music Degree Course, Music Education 2. Mr. Sharma was the lecturer again for the course and it was a continuation of Music Education 1 from the previous semester.
Several works in this course were more PowerPoint lectures done by the students and document-making assignments that were to be submitted by email. There were no works of DAPHA Projects done for this course.
The first class began with a light joke about the final written examination of Music Education 1 and how everyone failed it. The class began shortly afterward.
Link(s):
ASSIGNMENT #1: REFLECTION PAPER.
* Wednesday 12th February 2020 *
This assignment asked us to write on teaching methods by Dalcroze, Orff, Kodaly, and Suzuki Talent Education. Two questions were also required to be answered:
- What aspect(s) of each approach do you think you can use in your own teaching style and why?
- Compose a concluding paragraph stating specifically what you would use in your own teaching practice (Include at least one aspect for each method).
I did one paragraph on each different method and included a response to the questions above. I could not believe how long it took me to complete this exercise. The assignment was sent in my email and the results came back within two weeks.
Link(s):
- Reflection Paper.** [Not Available.]
ASSIGNMENT #2: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY.
* Monday 16th March 2020 *
This assignment was two pages in length. It was not so difficult as the first. However, it made me question myself as a teacher and I questioned which of the several methods studied in class and those from the previous course would best suit me.
Link(s):
- Teaching Philosophy.** [Not Available.]
ASSIGNMENT
#3: CURRICULUM DESIGN.
* Monday 23rd March 2020 *
**email
I was asked to “design a
three-week unit of lessons” for any secondary class. I must admit I was very panicked
about doing an assignment like this because I had no idea what to do. I also
did not have an idea what I could design to teach in three weeks. Only coming
down to the final few days I was able to sit down comfortably in my gallery at home
and plan out what I wanted to teach.
**image of the plan
for the assignment.
I decided I would have my
curriculum assignment designed for a Form 4 class that would sign up for Music CXC.
It was an attempt to see how best I would have introduced the younger version of
Daryl to steelpan arranging.
Although the assignment was to be
a Form Four class as mentioned in the submitted assignment, my mind was
planning it out for a Form 3 class. It was my wish that there would have been
some form of steelpan education in music before music was ‘dumped’ overall upon
moving into Form 4.
One challenge given to us was
that we had to utilize several learning theories in the lessons. In addition, to
have work where the students were working together. This brought the idea for
steelpan arranging where the members of the class would be placed into groups.
They would be required to create a short melody on their own, learn how to
create a harmony for their melody, and apply rhythmic accompaniment for the
rest of the steel band. Six learning outcomes would have had to be presented as
part of the students’ experience in the project.
The rest of the project would
involve the students in using computer notation to put the arrangement together
and consult with their teacher on their progress. Towards the end, a written
portfolio would be submitted for a separate grading that would include a copy of
the score, journal entries, and other materials used throughout the three
lessons. The second part of grading would then focus on the group performance
based on the group’s creation.
Upon submission of this entire
assignment (on the printed date above), I also included a PowerPoint that would
have been used in all three lessons. This was not mandatory but I still did it
to illustrate the various topics that would have been discussed during class ‘plenaries’
to teach the students.
The plan was very helpful. The
next being challenge was providing a way to grade everything with the rubric.
Just looking at that long letter-sized page was super intimidating to me.
I will agree in saying that this assignment
was a last-minute done project with the amount of time taken to figure out what
I wanted to do and then being able to come up with a plan. Once the plan was made
for the lessons, I made a strategy in completing the entire assignment within
six days. It was workable and effective. The assignment was then ready for
submission by email.
Link(s):
- Submitted Assignment.
- PowerPoint Slides (Sample) – Lessons 1-3.
- Melody Worksheet. ** [For Request by Email.]
ASSIGNMENT #4:
OBSERVATION REPORTS.
* Thursday 28th May 2020 *
**email
The class was expected to get
permission from a school or whomever to observe the class for three lessons and
write a report on the conducting of the class lesson by the teacher and answer
some questions on the students by an understanding of the lesson, working
environment, any group working, etc. I was also asked as part of the
observation to make recommendations and other suggestions that may have been
better for the lesson.
This was an assignment that I did
not find much comfort in doing because it seemed unusual how they would ask us
to go out into a school for an assignment like this. In many ways, I thank the
conditions of COVID-19 which caused the assignment to be amended for better
production.
We were emailed a series of YouTube
links to study the class lesson as if we were there and write a report on them.
There were three observations required so I did one a day with a fresh mind to focus
on everything. Because of the lockdown, the deadline was pushed back. It would
be unknown but the submission date would be the date printed on the email
message.
Link(s):
- 4th Grade Rhythm Activity and Solfege Activity.
- Fifth Grade Lesson (Part 1).
ASSIGNMENT #5:
PORTFOLIO.
*Thursday 28th May 2020 *
**email
The course outline stated: “A
teaching portfolio is a collection of materials compiled by a teacher to
represent aspects of a teacher’s own practice. It is a vehicle for
self-evaluation, as it allows the teacher to reflect on his or her philosophy
and practice, to assess strengths and weaknesses, and highlight growth points
and accomplishments.” This to me sounded a little like my music journal. At that
time, my music journal was 14 printed volumes and 16 batches of unbound paper.
When I heard that the deadline
was moved to a further date too like assignment 4 because of the COVID-19 lockdown,
I got to work immediately. Everything was opened in the house and set down all
over the living room for photographs. All textbooks for UWI courses,
assignments, and other works I had done were ready to be written in this
assignment document. It was not difficult to do at all because I had written about
everything in my music journal. Other parts were required to be expanded for
the assignment.
Link(s):
Daryl Zion M. Ali
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