What a journey it has been! This semester has been the most challenging one thus far; professionally and personally. It is also the semester that has caused the most growth of myself as a future educator. I have learned to manage my life in a more balanced way.

LSKM 221 has given me a fresh perspective on music in the foundation phase. I am not going to lie... I also over looked music when it comes to teaching and assessment in the foundation phase, but I am now equipped with the knowledge of how beneficial it is for the holistic development of young learners. I am now much more confident in my ability to teach music in the foundation phase, as I now have many more ideas and concepts to apply.

My individual reflection gave me the opportunity to see where I was still lacking knowledge and always kept me on track with the work. I found that collaborative reflections were more challenging than my own individual reflection. Trying to have a conversation between a group of people seemed difficult when not everyone responded. If I had to do the blog over I would've definitely spent more time on it, rather than having it a bit as an after thought.

Honestly all of the content in this study unit seemed meaningful and interesting to me. I would, however, have liked to see more practical examples for activities that could be used in the classroom. I haven't done music since primary school and I am still a bit unsure on how to integrate music into the classroom environment.

I will do my best to integrate music into my classroom in the future.

And so we are now preparing for our final examinations of 2021. The time has flied but much faster than I could have imagined, yet I still feel as though I have a mountain of work to do before I write my first exam. 

Assessment of the performing arts and music in the foundation phase is being neglected because the HOD does not feel the need therefor. Performing arts and music is in general not a subject that is seen as a subject of value. Therefor, the assessment thereof is also not seen as necessary. This illusion is due to the fact that some people believe that learners should only be taught and assessed concerning content subjects. They do not feel that any other subjects can be beneficial in the development of a child.

If I had to speak to the HOD about the matter I would definitely highlight the benefits of performing arts and music in the foundation phase. These benefits being:

• An increase in self-confidence
• Development of both fine and gross motor skills
• Enhanced collaborative skills
• Improved balance and coordination
• Learning different ways of expressing one self

I would also stress the idea of holistic development and how these subjects can contribute towards it. The feedback that learners will receive through assessment will also make them aware as to how they can improve themselves; not only in the classroom, but also as an individual.

The term has finally come to a close.

Our school has faced so many losses and sadness in the past few weeks. Even though I am not personally affected by this tragedy; I am very close to those who have and feel deeply for them. This week's rest could not have come sooner.

If I were faced with the statement that arts integration is a waste of time in the foundation phase I would strongly disagree. When hearing arts, you automatically think about visual arts, however, 'arts' refers to any form of artistic expression. this means that a child will be free to express their understanding of the topic at hand in any way they feel comfortable with. It strays away from the theoretical examining of a learners comprehension, but rather makes it practical. And I am a large fan of learning through doing. By integrating self expressive methods such as dancing, music and even visual arts and crafts; we can not only strengthen a learners understanding of the work, but also build their self-confidence and problem solving skills.

I found the theoretical framework for arts integration to be the most challenging aspect of this study unit.Whilst working through this section I found myself thinking of ways in which to accommodate arts integration in a lesson plan. I realised that finding the best suitable method to do so is not as easy as it seems. 

I found the value of arts integration in the foundation phase to be the most interesting as I strongly agree with the statement that arts integration is important in the foundation phase. I liked to see what exactly the benefits of arts integration entails.

The end is in sight.

The term is drawing to a close and I am finding it increasingly difficult to remain focused and motivated enough to complete my assignments with the week break lying ahead. I do, however, want to complete two of my assignments before the term ends and I am putting all of my time and energy into them.

The lack of explanation about the meaning behind the lyrics of the Zulu song could possibly cause discomfort amongst some learners. Not knowing what you are singing about can be uncomfortable and sometimes worrisome if you have strong religious values. This can also be worrisome on moral grounds as a learner could fear that the topic of the song may be unethical. Dancing infant of boys is frowned upon in some cultures as it may be seen as a sexual and inappropriate action. Therefor, some girls or even boys can feel uncomfortable with dancing infant of a group of people.

The learners were uncomfortable with not knowing what the words of the Zulu song meant as well as dancing infant of the opposite sex. In future it would be wise to always explain what a song is about if it is in a foreign language. To avoid the issue of dancing infant of the opposite sex; you can rather make two separate groups of boys and girls and give each learner a chance to dance in their same sex group.

We must always be aware of diversities in our classroom and make it our mission to include everyone in a respectful and comfortable way. We as teachers should find out what restrictions learners may have due to religions or cultures and should always make content clear.

What a week!

I am permanently employed at one of our local schools and COVID has hit our staff in full steam for the first time. I have been filling in for teacher who are in isolation for the past three weeks. Balancing studies and work has become a challenge this new semester. But, this too shall pass.

This week I was yet again reminded of the importance that the holistic development of a child plays in a classroom. To achieve this, focus was placed on the incorporation of music in the educational process. It is not always the first strategy that comes to mind, but it is a brilliant one!

I feel confident that I will be able to teach music through movement in the foundation phase. I am very aware of the gross- and fine motor movements that are essential for development amongst children. I will incorporate music into my current teaching practice in order to solidify the embedment of knowledge. This will be achieved by stimulating all of the senses. Associating a certain movement with a new topic will help learners to recall what has been learned as well as to make connection between previous and new knowledge.

If I have to choose between musical and physical education; I would hands down choose musical education. I feel that this will better meet the holistically development needs of learners in the foundation phase. This is because music can be stretched to aid every development factor of a child. Their cognitive development is stimulated by interpreting the meanings of the lyrics. They show personal development by developing a unique taste in music. They develop social by finding others who have the same musical interest as they do. They show emotional development by showing empathy towards the lyrics. And the develop physically when using dance with music.

Musical education does not only encourage holistic development, but it also teaches skills that are academically necessary. It teaches numeracy by counting the beat, language skills by broadening vocabulary, creativity by encouraging learners to create their own music, problem solving by letting them figure out what note has been played and it helps with midline crossing when dancing.