Individual Reflection

1. At the beginning of the Semester I had little to no knowledge of music education and particularly it's importance in the Foundation Phase. I was under the impression that music is an extra curricular activity that should only be taught to learners who have a genuine  interest in learning music. I thought that music is a select skill that only a minority of people have excess to. As the semester past I became more aware of music in Foundation Phase teaching and its benefits towards overall academic performance. I became aware of the skills and knowledge learners acquire through the incorporation of music in teaching. I also learnt that a meaningful lesson doesn't always need the most resources to realize. 

2. Through these reflections I found away of capturing the content of each study unit by critically evaluating the information given. What I found most challenging was to interpret the information in the study units and then trying to make sense of it by my own understanding. I found the reflections to be very purposeful. In these study units I found a few useful tips that I can incorporate music into my lessons, enhancing my teaching and making my lessons more concrete and meaningful. In the future I would not only reflect on my personal practical application of music in my lessons. The reflection would than automatically improve myself evaluation and prepare me for being a Foundation Phase teacher.

3. I found lesson planning meaningful, because it teaches you how to exactly get the most out of a music lesson. What I still struggle to understand is how to listen and respond to music when you are not musically gifted. The beats and tone of the music was challenging for me to comprehend. I didn't find the composition of the music valuable seeing that the music will not be done on such a high level in the Foundation Phase.

Individual Reflection

1. What could the possible reasons be that assessment is neglected in Performing Arts and Music in the Foundation Phase?

• Too often teachers get caught up in the product rather than the process and music education must take a back seat. The following are a few reasons why assessment in the Foundation Phase in terms of Arts and Music is neglected: Teachers focus on what class progresses the quickest  and who scores the highest masks in various tests. Parents are also focus on who's child scores the most. Assessment is not always made fun and enjoyable for learners which could lead to important skills being neglected such as social communicative, physical, personal and cognitive skills. Teachers put pressure on learners to achieve milestones and goals instead of learners motivating and challenging themselves to reach personal milestones.

2. Please explain how you would advocate for and heighten awareness about the importance of assessment when speaking with your HOD about your concerns in this regard.

• I would encourage learners to demonstrate their understanding of new knowledge and skills through the arts. This will actively engage learners and improve interest in the arts. I would argue that music can help with overall academic achievement. Children who practice art and music are more motivated to excel academically. I would argue the fact that music can improve memory and enhance the creativity of learners. Children learn to take risks and express themselves through art and music. I would also argue that music improve social skills as well as linguistic skills such as reading and writing. This helps learners to developed social skills as well as collaborative work  with their peers which is fundamentally essential for development in the Foundation phase.

1.The Integration of art in the foundation phase is very important. It's importance can not be underestimate. Arts can have the benefit of addressing a variety of subjects simultaneously. It also promotes active learning in which learners are responsible for their own learning. It also has following benefits: experiential learning, authentic learning activities, collaborative learning, problem-solving skills and reflection.

The integration of arts is also a contributing factor in academic achievement seeing that learners are more motivated by socialisation and active learning. The tasks provided by teachers in arts are usually more fun and teachers get given the opportunity to tend to the developmental needs of learners. This can spark learners' curiosity, creativity and imagination.

2.What did you find interesting?

• The concept that was most interesting was the link between the arts and academic and social skills. The first example would be the impact of arts in developing and enhancing reading skills. Learners can learn  how to associate letters and words with sounds, thus improving their reading and writing skills. By arts such as drama learners enact a play, which gives them comprehension of a certain story.

What did you find challenging?

• The concept that I found most challenging was theoretical framework for arts integration in the foundation phase. The theoretical framework explained that the incorporation of arts in the foundation phase can be divided into six aspects. The concepts of "Teaching and learning from music" and "Teaching  and learning on music" was especially challenging because it was hard to distinguish the two. Finally, I was able to separate the two by looking at the activities you do during each concept. I also then learned that in one case there isn't necessarily  learning outcomes and is  mostly spontaneous play while the other prioritise  certain music outcome.

What possible made some learners uncomfortable during these activities?

Some learners could have been uncomfortable when they had to dance in the middle of a circle in front of all the other learners. Learners were also uncomfortable with the Zulu song that they did not understand.

Why were some learners uncomfortable?

The learners who felt uncomfortable dancing in front of other learners may lack the confidence to complete such  an activity. The learners that felt uncomfortable with the activity about the Zulu song was unhappy because of the language barrier. They could not understand the language and therefore can not carry out the activity, making them feel excluded.

Can you think of ways to address these issues in future? What will you change?

We can address these issues in the following ways:

• Make use of a language that is more universal to all the learners such as English.
• The learners that felt uncomfortable dancing could do another activity or begiven a chance to dance in an all girls group.
• If learners felt uncomfortable dancing because of religion they could be given a book or other material to keep them busy with.

How can we  accommodate diverse learner profiles in our classroom? What must we beware of?

We can accommodate diverse learners profile in the following ways:

• Create activities that does not stem from all type of people.
• Differentiate between different activities, so each learner can get the chance to do an activity in which they are most comfortable with.
• The teacher must be aware of any bias towards a particular group of people.
• Teachers must also be aware of any sign that learners are not participating , which may indicate  that they are uncomfortable.
• They must also be aware of the cultural backgrounds of each of they learners to prevent offending or excluding any learner.

Individual Reflection

1. As a Foundation Phase teacher I will utilize contemporary commercial music. Firstly, this music is more accessible to all learners. It is music that is generally listened to by all groups of people. This will also ensure that I do not exclude a certain group of learners. Learners are also more eager to learn when it's something commercial that is popular at that time. Children are also being expose to popular music on a daily basis for example television or radio.

2. Yes, the examples and content of SU 2 is inclusive. The activities used as examples all emphasize the importance of inclusivity in the classroom. The activities take into consideration all the different cultural contexts as well as the different needs  of learners. The activities is structured to promote participation from learners with special needs and learners  from minority heritage. In this study unit the emphasis is on equality appreciation and acceptance of all the learners and their differences. The activities also caters for a variety of learning styles and address various social inequalities.

3. One suggestion is to identify the needs of each learner and have a integrated lesson with a variety of activities, but instead of all learners doing one activity give activities in groups that addresses the specific needs of learners.

STUDY UNIT 1

Part 1

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed this week. I am working full time and trying to balance work and studies at the same time. On top of that I mostly work on my studies during the night. I am positive to make a success of my studies and learning more about this Module.

Part 2

The first new knowledge I gain was the importance of music in a child's development. Musical activities, dance and playing instruments for example promotes physical development. Music education better skills as attentiveness, multitasking and numeracy and literacy skills. The most significant concept of this unit was music and it's role in social and personal development of learners. It also connects with Vygotsky and Erikson's theories that emphasize social interaction.

Part 3

My understanding of Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, Erikson and Piaget's theories.

According to Erikson social interaction is very important. It has the effect of making children feel save, valued, supported and cared of. Piaget's theory consist of two stages (pre- operational stage and concrete operational stage. He emphasize the importance the of children of interacting with the word. New knowledge is based on exciting skills and knowledge. According to Vygotsky's social interaction and collaborative learning is key to learning. The teacher uses scaffolding and acts as a facilitator. It is based on a model called the Zone of Proximal Development.

My opinion on this study unit for teaching practice is the research done by these theorist. This study unit will help me understand the learner and also which teaching methods would be best for addressing certain types of development. These theories can be used to develop the holistic learner, for example a teacher can refer back to Vygotsky and Erikson with regards to cognitive development. For physical development a teacher can use ideas of the incorporation of music into learning. All these aspects will help me as a prospective teacher to gain valuable information on developing the holistic learners.

Hi everyone

My name is Welma Ferus and I am 28 years old. I live in a small town called Williston in the Northern Cape. I am a very creative person and loves to laugh. I enjoy travelling and being with friends and family. I work as a Cashier from 8:00 am till 06: 00 pm and trying my best to balance work and studies at the same time. I want to be a Foundation Phase Teacher because Foundation Phase Teachers have the exciting and rewarding task of teaching children the foundations of reading, writing and literacy. I love to work with children and as a great teacher I want to help children. I am passionate of children and always dreamed of becoming a teacher. 

To be honest I think I will master everything as I went on with this Semester. I am really excited to learn more about this Module LSKM 221. I expect that this module to widen our knowledge about the topics being taught in these different study units.