Innovative Practitioner
Effective urban educators are Innovative Practitioners who are able to demonstrate the ability to problem solve, develop ideas, and use creative methods.
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Show us evidence from your portfolio that demonstrates an innovative approach or strategy to motivating and/or increasing student learning.
I feel that my role in putting together Allendale’s first “Rock Concert” was an innovative approach to motivating student learning. Instead of teaching students to sing and play instruments using traditional methods and repertoire, I made the music more relevant to them. I used pop songs that the students liked and were familiar with and this definitely motivated and inspired them to learn. For the singers, I was able to teach proper pitch, intonation, and head and chest voice. For the guitar players, I was able to teach tuning, many basic chords, how to read chord charts, different strumming patterns and ensemble performance. Using this approach acted as a doorway into a deeper understanding and appreciation of music.
Click the link below to see some of the chord charts that I used in teaching the songs for the concert.
I feel that my role in putting together Allendale’s first “Rock Concert” was an innovative approach to motivating student learning. Instead of teaching students to sing and play instruments using traditional methods and repertoire, I made the music more relevant to them. I used pop songs that the students liked and were familiar with and this definitely motivated and inspired them to learn. For the singers, I was able to teach proper pitch, intonation, and head and chest voice. For the guitar players, I was able to teach tuning, many basic chords, how to read chord charts, different strumming patterns and ensemble performance. Using this approach acted as a doorway into a deeper understanding and appreciation of music.
Click the link below to see some of the chord charts that I used in teaching the songs for the concert.
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guitar101rockchords.pdf | |
File Size: | 189 kb |
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What evidence from your portfolio demonstrates an innovative or creative method of assessment?
As an educator, I am constantly assessing my students. Assessment tells me whether I should reinforce previous concepts or move forward and, whether a lesson or unit plan was successful or not. This goes on to further tell how I can fix my plan or what adjustments I need to make to help my students reach success. The recorder karate series that we introduced to the fourth grade contained a very innovative method of assessment and also acted as a great tool to reinforce reading of music notation. Each student received a recorder and a collection of songs that they had to learn. The five songs that they had to learn kept increasing in difficulty. New notes and different rhythms were introduced for each song. The students were shown the rubric and the performance-based assessments were done individually. Students were awarded a white belt for a successful performance of the easiest song. The belts were of different colors and successful performance of the hardest song meant you were awarded a black belt. We had a clip board with a list of every student and they had to put check marks next to the appropriate box if they performed the song up to the second standard of the rubric. This was a great way to assess individuals as well as overall class level. By tallying up the individual scores per class and per song/belt, I was able to tell which classes needed to revisit rhythmic patterns, note reading, or fingerings.
Showing each class how they ranked compared to the other fourth grade classes was another great aspect of the recorder karate series. It developed a healthy competitive spirit that helped the students excel.
As an educator, I am constantly assessing my students. Assessment tells me whether I should reinforce previous concepts or move forward and, whether a lesson or unit plan was successful or not. This goes on to further tell how I can fix my plan or what adjustments I need to make to help my students reach success. The recorder karate series that we introduced to the fourth grade contained a very innovative method of assessment and also acted as a great tool to reinforce reading of music notation. Each student received a recorder and a collection of songs that they had to learn. The five songs that they had to learn kept increasing in difficulty. New notes and different rhythms were introduced for each song. The students were shown the rubric and the performance-based assessments were done individually. Students were awarded a white belt for a successful performance of the easiest song. The belts were of different colors and successful performance of the hardest song meant you were awarded a black belt. We had a clip board with a list of every student and they had to put check marks next to the appropriate box if they performed the song up to the second standard of the rubric. This was a great way to assess individuals as well as overall class level. By tallying up the individual scores per class and per song/belt, I was able to tell which classes needed to revisit rhythmic patterns, note reading, or fingerings.
Showing each class how they ranked compared to the other fourth grade classes was another great aspect of the recorder karate series. It developed a healthy competitive spirit that helped the students excel.
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recorderkarate2014rubricandinformation_1.pdf | |
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recorderkaratepics.jpg | |
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Tell us about an innovative way to integrate content across curricular areas.
My lesson plan for “Kye Kye Kule” was an innovative way to integrate content across curricular areas. The song is a traditional children’s song from Ghana. Through Kye Kye Kule, we touch upon social studies and history by teaching about the culture and history of Ghana. The lyrics are in language of Ghana as well so a second language would be explored. Other performance art forms would be touched upon as well, such as dancing, group drumming, and singing. Leadership skills is an important aspect of this song also because individuals get a chance to lead the class in the singing and the movements.
My Unit Plan for "Listen to the Drums" is another great example of blending together a wide variety of concepts and curricular areas. Individual rhythmic ability was developed. Students were able to perform on bass drums, hand drums, sound shapes and congas. Ensemble drumming performance was developed also, which ties into the "Kye Kye Kule" lesson. Because group drumming is an important aspect of music from Ghana, the rhythms and group drumming that the students learn during "Listen to the Drums" can be used to accompany the singing of Kye Kye Kule. Leadership skills were also addressed since each student would get a chance to lead the class in the drum circle. Most importantly, reading rhythmic notation was introduced. We performed basic rhythmic patterns first, and then linked those patterns to the visual aspect of notation. In teaching the students to read musical notation, we are able to touch upon some traditional subjects as well. The division of a quarter note in half to make two eighth notes is a great example of how music relates to mathematics. Reading music is also very much related to reading literature. A series of notes come together to make a melody in the same way that a series of letters come together to make a word. By teaching the students to read musical notation, we are helping to strengthen their literacy in language as well.
Please find the link to my "Kye Kye Kule" lesson plan and my "Listen to the Drums" unit plan below.
My lesson plan for “Kye Kye Kule” was an innovative way to integrate content across curricular areas. The song is a traditional children’s song from Ghana. Through Kye Kye Kule, we touch upon social studies and history by teaching about the culture and history of Ghana. The lyrics are in language of Ghana as well so a second language would be explored. Other performance art forms would be touched upon as well, such as dancing, group drumming, and singing. Leadership skills is an important aspect of this song also because individuals get a chance to lead the class in the singing and the movements.
My Unit Plan for "Listen to the Drums" is another great example of blending together a wide variety of concepts and curricular areas. Individual rhythmic ability was developed. Students were able to perform on bass drums, hand drums, sound shapes and congas. Ensemble drumming performance was developed also, which ties into the "Kye Kye Kule" lesson. Because group drumming is an important aspect of music from Ghana, the rhythms and group drumming that the students learn during "Listen to the Drums" can be used to accompany the singing of Kye Kye Kule. Leadership skills were also addressed since each student would get a chance to lead the class in the drum circle. Most importantly, reading rhythmic notation was introduced. We performed basic rhythmic patterns first, and then linked those patterns to the visual aspect of notation. In teaching the students to read musical notation, we are able to touch upon some traditional subjects as well. The division of a quarter note in half to make two eighth notes is a great example of how music relates to mathematics. Reading music is also very much related to reading literature. A series of notes come together to make a melody in the same way that a series of letters come together to make a word. By teaching the students to read musical notation, we are helping to strengthen their literacy in language as well.
Please find the link to my "Kye Kye Kule" lesson plan and my "Listen to the Drums" unit plan below.
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lessonplankyekyekule.doc.pdf | |
File Size: | 65 kb |
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rhythmicnotationunitplan.pdf | |
File Size: | 152 kb |
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