Part 1:

Hi guys! Hope you are all well and coping with your studies:)

This has been a hectic couple of weeks!

Ups and Downs galore, but I am still on track with all my due dates.

I am feeling very overwhelmed at the moment, lots to do in so little time, but I am not giving up :)

I love this Modules Blog post platform, this is the time where I can be creative and just unwind.

Keep up the good work and do not give up, we have got this semester covered :)

Part 2:

The new things I became aware of were the different approaches to music education and how each approach is so different yet so important in regards to teaching music in the Foundation Phase. The most significant concept was how the different approaches to music education have different criteria on how you can make music fun and creative within the classroom; this being said as a Foundation Phase teacher, I can now use these different approaches and use them to suit each individuals needs and learning styles in my classroom. Because everyone learns and thinks in different ways, these approaches have really open my mind to incorporating each approach in my music lessons to help all my learners grasp the knowledge and concepts required in order for them to fully relate to and understand what music is and how each individual can express themselves in their unique ways and having the opportunity to do so based on what I have learnt thus far.

Part 3:

1. I would utilize indigenous African music; the reason for this is that the demographics in my classroom are more compatible with this type of music due to their cultural backgrounds, they can relate more to this type of music and in a whole they will grasp the concepts quicker. This is not to say that I will solely use this type of music, I just think as a teacher one should focus on the majority in your classroom; you enable the children to be more confident and excited in learning the music and in return this develops social developmental skills for the minority and they can learn about different cultures in the process. Needless to say, I believe one should utilize all types of music and the culture it brings in your classroom; this ensures that each individual will relate to the content being taught, and it enables the learners to learn new things regarding different cultures and backgrounds. 

2. Yes, the content offered in this study unit is definitely inclusive. The instruments presented are both Western and African; this means that learners can learn about different instruments from different cultures and that will enable them to engage with one another and learn from one another rather than stereotyping or mainstreaming them when it comes to music. The song choices offer songs from both Western and African cultures; even though children can easily engage and participate in music activities, selecting a variety of songs from different cultural backgrounds allow all the children to feel important and can take part in the activities because they can relate to their heritage, culture or beliefs.  

3. I think overall the content is inclusive, but I would add different types of Western cultures meaning not only Afrikaans and English songs; the community I live in are majority German speaking and I have a few German speaking children in class; I would say one could incorporate different cultures music and songs depending on the demographics of your classroom and the different cultures each individual represents. 

Good evening Abbie

I enjoyed reading your blog and I agree with you regarding using all types of music in the classroom. Being a diverse country, we should be making use of all the music that is available so that all learners and cultures are included.