Final blog J

I was not sure what to expect at the beginning of this semester, since I struggled last time to juggle with work and studying. I was uncertain of what this module would entail. I thought I knew everything about music and doing performing arts such as role play etc. Going forward in this module it became clearer what and how I can incorporate music and performing arts in so many ways and in other subjects. I feel confident to talk to my colleagues about how to use your lesson plan to be able to incorporate music with other subjects. I am so excited and looking forward to use my knowledge that I gain through this module.

I struggled with my first assignment, when through it again to see where did I go wrong, I have a new perspective now and went back to my module and understood now. Having such a great lector made it possible to understood what is expected from you. It is said that arts and music does not seem to be that important as other subjects, but I can vouch that it is definitely not the case. As I have experience how children development through music and art and the ways that we can incorporate it. I would suggest that teachers would make use of this and see what the outcomes are.

I am really blessed and thankful for having to learn so much and the blogging at first was not my thing, but I really started to enjoy every bit of it. I will miss communicating with my fellow peers and their input on everything that we learned.

Hi everyone, hope you are well, and looking forward to the last stretch. We are nearly there.

I am a bit disappointed in myself with the previous assignment that we did, I did not do that well. But I am definitely looking forward to the group assignment, and also the last one.

I read through study unit 5, and one thing that stood out was lesson planning. If we don’t do proper lesson planning our day will go haywire. The appropriated assessment strategies and how to identify and evaluate music as part of life skills. It is excited to know how to incorporate music and games into the daily lesson plan. In Grade R it is so much fun, we are always singing or doing a rhyme, when there is a transition. Some of the children comes up with their own versions of songs and rhymes.

For me children are most happy when they sing, play, and doing art. Just to expression on faces, communication between them, using various types of things to create art, it is pure joy. I have come up with a games that we invented amongst this Covid 19 pandemic, where outside play is not allowed.

They even taught me a few of their games that they play, and we all enjoyed it.

Individual reflection

There is  not enough time is given towards this subject.  And recently with new Covid 19 way of teaching not enough time during the school day. Some teachers think that Mathematics and Language is more important that Arts and Music. It can be that the teachers does not have enough resources or knowledge regarding this subject.

I recently had an conversation with my HOD and another colleague about Arts and Music, I told her what I  have learned and she was very excited to hear all the interesting things that I had to share.

I would tell her the importance of lesson planning, and if it is done properly there will be enough time for music and art.

I will also have ideas of how music and art can be easily integrated with other subjects if it is well thought.

Than lastly I would explain all the benefits when using arts and music in the classroom.

I am planning a workshop regarding integrating Music and Art just for the Grade R for now. Keep your fingers cross that I will spread the importance of this.

Have a blessed week.

Hi everyone me and blogging does not sit well together. I literally forgot that I have to do this until I get a reminder. Between other assignments and school it is hectic, so I had to say to myself make time Letitia.

 

I learned about the different elements of play. It is very interested to have learned about it, and it made me more aware to watch my learners. It is very interested how children play and the type of games they have come up with under the Covid 19 regulations and rules. It is said that in any game children must structure their understanding in terms of making decisions and solving problems, and what I have notice the other day confirm it. The children are not allowed to play like they use to, so the learners in my class, has this clapping game sitting in their own space. They have this invisible person which they play the game with. And to me it was so much fun seeing them still having fun.

Play and musical play involves and develops senses and sensibilities, it facilitates a creative spirit, imagination. For learners in order to play they must be imaginative, playful, experiment and explore their surrounding

What possibly made some of the learners uncomfortable during these activities?

As a teacher we do take into consideration, the learners back ground, culture and religion. We play games and think children must just participate and enjoy them. It is important to think about the type games, songs and rhymes. In my class I have a boy who has difficulty understanding Afrikaans because of his culture. So in order for him to understand what we are doing I have to explain it first.

 

Why were some learners uncomfortable?

One learner explained to the teacher that he was unhappy with the Zulu song because he did not understand Zulu. A girl was feeling uncomfortable because she had to dance in front of the other boys with house music.

 

Can you think of ways to address these issues in future? What will you change? How can we accommodate diverse learners profiles in the classrooms? What must we be aware of?

Plan activities that will support the development of foundation phase learners. As a teacher I need to make sure that all games, songs and rhymes includes all cultures, religions. I can put up posters with songs and rhymes in languages that suits the need of the learners. I can ask the learners their ideas of games we can play, what do they usually play. The passing the stone game can be played with a twist, maybe change the song. With the other circle game, I would explain to learners that we will listening to  song with just instruments and learners can express themselves in their own way of dance.

Study Unit 4  - Art integration in the Foundation Phase

So reading through this study unit made me realise that it is important to integrate art in the classroom, and as whole in the foundation phase. It has a lot of benefits for the learners. There are children in my class who don’t want to draw, or say that they can’t draw. I am always telling them that none of us are artist, and that everyone draws in their unique way. I tell them to draw what they have in their head, and then you must see their drawings. It is so amazing just to witness these learners.

Art teachers learners about colours, perspective, balance and lots of other techniques. Learners by using books connects visualization with reading comprehension. Learners are challenged on different levels with art integration. By using art learners are can connect with their own culture and experience other cultures as well. Through the application of arts integration teaching strategies we design teaching and learning activities that are inclusive and provide multiple means of engaging and learning new knowledge and skills. The learners are engaging in role play of stories and texts that improves their reading comprehension. It enhance their idea on understanding of mathematics, strengthen fundamental cognitive capacity, such as memory, concentration and spatial reasoning, problem solving and creative thinking.

Teachers need to engage learners in teaching and learning activities where they are encourage to draw on their own prior knowledge, to discover new concepts and skills and to demonstrate their own understanding of how they experience it through art. Learners use their new knowledge and skills by engaging in authentic activities which have real live value.

Encourage learners to demonstrate their understanding through art, in order for us to create teaching and learning environments for them in which individual learning needs and abilities are met. We as teaching can design inclusive learning activities and provide multiple means of engaging using new knowledge and skills.

In the next term of school I would like to apply Van Vreden’s theoretical framework for music integration in my classroom, the six ways of development through teaching and  learning.

I have a shaker in my class which I use to create calmness in the class when they become noisy, and it works. When we have transition there is always a song included, such as our cleaning up song,  washing hands, and when we about to move to the carpet for story time.

I learned a lot through this study unit and definitely are going to use the knowledge I gained in my classroom and share it with my colleagues.

Study Unit 2 has shown me once again the importance of inclusiveness of learners. In the area where are school are situated there is a variety of learners with different environments and their needs are diverse. It is such a pleasure to hear them when they are singing in their own languages and the different type of beats and rhythms.

I would like to use a variety of music, not just one type, since they are so diverse. I will choose my music lesson upon a celebration of heritage and overall for the fun of it. Learners need to feel free to express themselves and enjoy the lesson presented.

I am definitely going to use some of the examples, since we have been using the instruments just to create tempos and beats. This study unit is really explained what is expected and I have gained a lot from it.

I love music, I have been singing in the children’s choir and through my adulthood in church. I just never knew there was so much more behind teaching music than just singing.

I am going to use every information that is coming my way to enhance teaching music in my class.

 

 

How do music concepts and related experiences relate to Life Skills, Mathematics and Language education?

Music has beats, rhythm and relates to the spatial properties, sequencing, counting and patterning. Through music learners learns all these abilities and thus enhancing their ability in mathematics.

Life skills links with music, because learners learn confidence, be themselves and express themselves through music.

Learners are taught a variety of songs which enhance their vocabulary and they learn and additional language as well.

Explain your understanding of Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development.

If we want to understand the learning need and developmental stages of a child, we need to take into consideration their society and all surrounding. Learners are capable of completing task, but they need the guidance of an adult, which can be their parents or their teacher.

1.Summarise the most important aspects of the learning theories of Erikson, Piaget and Vygotsky for your teaching practice as foundation phase teacher.

Erikson stated that a strong sense of individuality and perception is of outmost importance in the life of a child.

The four stages of Piaget focus is on   ,sensor motor intelligence, preoperational thinking, concrete operational thinking, and formal operational thinking.  Piaget believed that all children pass through these phases from birth to adolescent.

Here Vygotsky states that social interaction is of paramount importance to the cognitive development of a child.

4.Why is it important to have basic knowledge about the musical development of foundation phase learners?

Music development helps learners with the development of language and reasoning. It enables the learner to learn new words and concepts through activities such as rhymes, creating sounds using music instruments and sing songs that teachers them how to create rhythm. Exposing children to music helps them to learn sounds and meaning of new words.

5.Create suggestions for music activities which will support the various developmental areas of foundation phase learners (see Music and the holistic development of foundation phase learners). Formulate at least three music activities that could support and promote each developmental area.

* Imitate simple rhythmic patterns on music instruments, for learners to observe 

  different sounds of the various instruments.

*  Use music instruments to manipulate rhythm.

*  Walk or run in steadily on the response of varying drum beats.

* Incorporate movement and rhythm into lesson.

* Use a song to learn new concepts such as body awareness (body parts).

6.Write a short critique about the implications of knowledge about learning theories such as those of Erikson, Piaget and Vygotsky with regards to the way in which this knowledge informs your teaching approach as well as the way you approach activity planning.

Vygotsky, puts emphasis on scaffolding, which I as a teacher in my class incorporates. No learner can perform an activity without making use of the ladder concepts. Teachers should increase the activities from showing what to do and  gradually increases it to make it more challenging for the learner in order for them to understand the concept that is taught. His theory is based on teaching and learning should be done on guidance.

 

1.  Describe your confidence in your current knowledge and skills to teach music through movement in the Foundation Phase as you start your LSKM 221 journey?

In all honesty I was under the impression that learners just sing and use music instruments to learn any kind of songs related the theme of lesson and for them to enhance their language skills and to have lots of fun. That the movement that went along with these songs were for them to actually do as movement practise and to learn how to act out certain words with these movements.

When I started to teach I went into the classroom with this impression. I am now becoming to learn the why and the how. I am becoming more confident to teach music through movement and being said only in Grade R, I would love to learn more in my specific grade that I am teaching and also how it evolves in the other grades.

2.  If you have to choose between incorporating Music education OR Physical education in the Foundation Phase curriculum to meet the holistic development needs of learners, which would you choose?

I would choose to incorporate music education. Teaching music plays an important role in the holistic development of children. During the foundation phase period children learned rhymes, and songs that they are familiar with as well as new ones, and also to include body movements during these performing arts. When learners are grouped together they also learn from one another and also to expand  ideas from their peers, as Vygotsky indicates. Through music and movement their numeracy and literacy development are developing and most of all they love to express their emotions during the music  and movement ring. Children sometimes experience difficulties with midline crossing, and by teaching them how to develop it through fun songs and rhymes it becomes easier. Counting rhymes and songs stimulates their numeracy skills, and also helps to develop their literacy skills.

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Hi there!

My name is Letitia Pietesen I am actually from Knysna but moved 3 years ago to Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape. I am a Grade R teacher at Concordia Primary school. I have  another passion besides teaching and it is the children’s choir. I enjoy working with the children on this other level it brings so much joy to see how they live themselves out during our choir practises. 

The first time I realised  I want to become a foundation phase teacher was when I worked at a day care facility.  I was teaching in a grade r class, when I taught the children and saw how they sponge up every word I said and just blossom from there on made me realise that teaching is what I should do.

I am excited to start with LSKM, music and art are also very important in the curriculum and to integrate it into other learning areas.