And just like that, we have finally reached our very last blog...

At the start of the semester, I myself did not necessarily find music education to be as important as some other subjects as Mathematics, Life Skills, Language and Art itself, but then I got to realise as the semester went on that music is also deemed as an art, and it is just interpreted differently by everyone. Now, as we reach the end of the semester, I feel that no learner should go through the Foundation Phase without having music worked into their curriculum. 

Individual reflection has taught me to really look at the study units in more detail, and through writing and compiling my individual reflections with all the information out of every study unit in this subject. I have learnt that the blogging made me look at all aspects and ideas around the whole idea of music as a subject and the integration of arts into the curriculum as well as everything related to music in general actually...

I did however find it challenging to get around to actually start the blogging, I kept feeling like it was a waste of my time and that I have so many other assignments and tests to do, that I didn't even really feel like doing the blogging, but once I actually started, I couldn't stop, and it ended up getting me to really concentrate on what I read and studied throughout this subject, making me grateful to the blogging at the end of the day.

I found my individual reflections very meaningful, because it made me feel like my own reflection and / or opinion is important enough to be heard, even though I wrote my reflections about each given study unit, I still feel like I could make it sound like my own and be HEARD...

If I had the opportunity to change anything, I don't think I would to be honest, I believe that in every blog I wrote, I was writing it as myself, the real me, the me that dreams of being this amazing teacher that her learners will never forget. I learnt everything that I could, and now I feel that I am ready and able to apply music to my lessons and classroom.

In the LSKM 221 subject, I found it interesting to see how music can be applied to any and almost all classroom situations, I found myself to be grateful to know all the values of music as well as arts integration with and to other subjects. I found it meaningful to know how much I ended up loving this subject. What challenged me in this subject was if I'm still honest, even though I ended up enjoying it, the blogging, it forced me to really think about the work that this subject covers and the intensity of really focusing on key points in order to write the blog. I do not think however that I struggle to understand something specific that is related to this subject, but I do think I obviously would need to practice what I've learned before I can fully be able to answer that question. I can honestly say that there isn't a single thing I didn't find to be valuable in this subject and everything that I studied and did in it...

That's it from me for now... Thanks for listening! :)

So here we go, our very last study unit, meaning our very last blog about the study units... luckily I'll give you a glimpse into the future, because there'll be one more final blog post up next... 

For now though, it's still study unit blogging time, so let's get to it...

Lesson Planning:

Reflecting on and evaluating the scenario by using the following prompts as guidelines...

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

Poor lesson planning... in my opinion, some, if not most teachers regard music as one of the subjects that can still be neglected, because it's not deemed to be as important as the other subjects namely Math, Life skills, Languages etc. Assessment of it is thus also deemed as unimportant or at least then less important, as can therefore be neglected by many, and in many ways. 

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.

In an education system, where we often prioritise product over process, we forget that music has an important role to play. If we look at transformation through music education, I believe that when learners learn within fun, safe and relaxing environments (emphasising the process rather than who gets it right first), learners tend to learn optimally. Suppose we teach in ways that prioritise learning through discovery, collaboration and play. In that case, learners will develop the skills they need to solve problems and discover new knowledge and skills independently and collaboratively. Learners will also be enabled to rely on existing knowledge to solve new problems. Learners will have confidence in their abilities to discover and explore unfamiliar concepts and skills by building on prior knowledge.

And so we get closer and closer to the end of the blog posts, with this being our second last study unit to blog about...

Life has been hectic, with all the assignments and tests from all the different subjects, if I'm honest, the blogging seemed like a waste of time to me at the beginning, but it has really helped me to understand the work covered by this subject, and to really focus on it in more detail, so even with all the other work, I'm rather working on this right now, which shows me especially, that wasn't such a bad idea after all... so let's get into it now, and look at study unit 4.

Arts Integration in the Foundation Phase:

1. Some people might say that arts integration is a waste of time in Foundation Phase education. Please explain how you would respond to such a statement by explaining your view on arts integration in the Foundation Phase.

Arts integration in the Foundation Phase promotes teaching and learning strategies which address outcomes in various subjects at the same time, while encouraging learners to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts and skills through the arts. Arts integration promotes active engagement in teaching and learning activities, experiential learning, authentic learning activities, collaborative learning, problem-solving skills, and reflection. 

2. Which aspects of study unit 4 did you find the most interesting and challenging?

I found it interesting how many values there are to arts integration, and I find it to sound challenging to make sure the integration is completely 50/50 with one subject to the other...

2.1 What did you find interesting? Please explain why.

I found it very interesting how many different values there are to arts integration in the Foundation Phase. It can access a learners prior knowledge, contribute towards higher motivation levels among learners, support academic achievement and socialisation amongst learners. Arts integration has even shown an improved result with mathematic performance as well as decreased disciplinary challenges. It is fun, fosters collaboration and connection and promotes learners innate curiosity, creativity and imaginative abilities. There are many more reasons, and I'm not going to go and name all of them now, but I find that arts integration can merely be described as a good thing and I would definitely want to add it to my classroom.

2.2 What did you find challenging? Please explain why.

I found that it could be challenging to be sure that there is a seamless integration of the two or more subjects, like music and visual arts; music and language; music and maths; music and life skills) and that both the subjects must be experienced and engaged with at the same time within the activity. This is challenging in my eyes, because of how important it is to make sure the learners experience with the subjects have to be absolutely equal at all times. Even to engage them so much that it activates their prior knowledge, this sounds easy, but sometimes things aren't necessarily what they seem. 

I cannot believe this is the "middle" study unit, which means we're already half way! Just two more to go, then a lifetime of being a hopeful, successful and knowledgeable teacher...

Musical play in the foundation phase:

Analysing the scenario by using the following prompts...

1. What possibly made some learners uncomfortable during these activities?

Firstly, listening to a song of which some learners do not understand a single word would make anyone uncomfortable, because it keeps leaving you unsure, because you never even know if a swear word is used or what the song is about. Secondly, the awkwardness of making a circle and being forced to one-by-one, dance in the middle of this circle is uncomfortable for anyone, I am 22 years old, and I still would not do that, so the fact that it was required as part of the lesson would've made me uncomfortable for example, but some learners might have loved it, if they have a love for dance. Thirdly, listening to songs that are against your religion or culture would make a person uncomfortable as well, I know this is always a lose-lose situation, because there probably isn't a single song that covers absolutely everyone's religions and cultures, but it could still make it an uncomfortable situation. 

2. Why were some learners uncomfortable?

A boy was uncomfortable because he did not understand any of the words in the Zulu (first) song. Another learner, but this time a girl, was uncomfortable with the fact that she had to dance in front of the boys, and to house music (the second song), because it's not acceptable with her religion, and her words were "due to religious reasons" it made her uncomfortable, so if these learners were the only two to speak up, there were most likely more learners uncomfortable for these same reasons and maybe other reasons as well.

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

If I personally had to change these issues, I would firstly choose a song or songs that are more in the range of pop (the genre), and something in English, as by Grade 2, learners are supposed to all be able to understand English at least. Then I would change the second game of dancing in the middle, and make sure to never put someone on the spot like that, or if I do keep the same game (which I doubt), I would talk to the learners first and make sure everyone is comfortable with it, and if they are not, then they can sit it out, or just not move to the middle, or the game will be changed, depending on how many uncomfortable (with the activity) learners there are.

4. How can we accommodate diverse learner profiles in our classrooms? What must we beware of? 

We can always make turns, and give every learner in the class the opportunity to pick their favourite song, if the teacher deems it appropriate, it can be played, if not, they get the opportunity to choose a different song. This way, all learners will have their chance to bring in their choice of culture or religion or just a popular song into the mixture of the classroom. We do however need to be aware of the fact that none of the songs can offend another learner's culture or religion, that is why I mentioned that the teacher needs to "approve" or "decline" the song request deeming it be appropriate or not.

I've really been getting into this whole blogging thing, I guess in a way it makes me feel like I am learning more about each study unit and the entire subject every single time I make an entry, but anyway, let's jump right into it...

Listening and Responding to music:

1. As a Foundation Phase teacher, you have to choose between utilising indigenous African music, Western Art music or contemporary commercial music (including popular music and film music) in your classes. Which would you choose? Please motivate your answer.

If I had no other choice than to choose, I would choose contemporary commercial music, because it will be popular at that time, making it ever-changing along with the learners and their ages and what is considered responsible at that time, they will know the songs, because it will most likely come from their favourite movie or show, or they might have just been hearing it on the radio, as it will be popular. If I could choose not to choose, then I would teach both Indigenous African music, Western Art music or contemporary commercial music, because I believe all of them to be important in a learners experience with music lessons, as through all of them, it will teach them about our cultures, traditions, history, and still combine with the popular, which the learners can relate to at that stage in their life.

2. Do you think that the examples and content offered in SU 2 are inclusive? Please motivate your answer.

No, because it does not include enough options to make sure it relates to any and all people, it just simply, in laymen's terms, explains music as it would be a subject, meaning, it would teach you about all the music notes, tones and textures, etc. but it does not necessarily include enough options to be put out there as a study unit that delivers to all cultures and people who obviously differ.

3. What suggestions do you have for making the content more inclusive? Please provide examples of how the content and activities presented in SU 2 could be changed or adapted to be more inclusive.

Inclusivity means that its content serves, and resonates with many people with varying characteristics. This study unit does not fully qualify to be inclusive, because I believe that it cannot exactly relate or resonate to any and all people, it does not for example cover other genres of music, or even all the options of activities that learners could do in a music class. I feel that more activities of different aspects in music could be given, to make it more inclusive, and also more genres of music, so that every learner in the class feels like their traditions and cultures are covered in the music classroom, and not just some.

So okay, I haven't blogged in a while, but life has just been crazy busy, it literally feels like there aren't enough hours in a day to get to everything that I need to do... so, let me just get straight to it...

The value of music for the holistic development of foundation phase learners:

1. Would you please 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 your answer, please also refer to your confidence to integrate music into your teaching practice currently.

I feel confident in my current level of knowledge and skills to teach music through movement in the Foundation Phase, because I understand all the points given under study unit 1 of this subject, I can now honestly say that I would be able to interpret all the points of the unit, such as the learning theories (Erikson's stages of psychosocial development as well as Piaget's cognitive development theory, which includes the pre-operational stage and concrete operational stage, as well as Vygotsky and the zone of proximal development), musical development in the foundation phase, music and the holistic development of foundation phase learners (physical development, cognitive development, social development, personal development and emotional development).

To integrate music into my current teaching practice, I now feel is possible, I learnt so much about what ages children do best in, like between the ages of 2 and 6, children are best at play, drawing, imitation, images and speech. This makes me more confident as to when the learners will be best at learning movement related to music and makes it easier for me to do my best as a teacher and make sure the learners get the best out of every lesson.

2. When thinking about facilitating holistic development in the Foundation Phase, we need to consider, for example, cognitive development, personal development, social development, emotional development and physical development. We also need to consider literacy and numeracy skills, language  acquisition, creativity, problem solving and midline crossing.

Both music and physical education play important roles in the holistic development of the young learner. However, 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? In your answer, please explain which would be the best choice to ensure the opportunity for the holistic development of the learner and motivate your answer.

If I had to choose between music education and physical education in the Foundation Phase, I would have to admit that I'd choose physical education. Not only can you incorporate music into physical education, through dance and even playing a musical instrument will promote physical education. Therefore, physical education will help learners develop more along the way, then what music education would, everything linked to physical education such as fine and gross motor skills, as well as hand-eye coordination and midline crossing, are very much needed attributes to have, in all children and people's lives and future's. 

I do however feel that music education is also important and can never be cut out of a learner's curriculum completely, even if they just get access to it then in the case of using it as a means to teach physical education (or any other form of education type), as long as they still get exposed to it in general.

This is me...

My name is Leriesa Mostert, I am 22 years old, and in my second year of distance learning. I am from Malelane, a small town on your way to Mozambique's border, I currently live in Nelspruit, which isn't too far from Malelane, but not nearly as hot.

Everyone has always told me that I'd make a great teacher, because of how much I love kids, I could of course never see myself in that position, so just after school, I started studying Psychology, after my first semester, some difficult things happened to our family, and I missed some exams, and then I ended up not going back for my second semester, since during all this, I realised that I didn't really want to. During my off months, I decided to go intern at a private school and ended up loving it a lot. Of course by the time I came to this realisation, I missed the deadline for applications at universities, so I took a gap year, and applied during that year (2019), and now, we're here.

I am passionate about a lot of things, my boyfriend actually has told me that I love too many things sometimes, not that he complains, he just doesn't know how I do it, is what he says... anyway, back to the point, I love animals, and we actually have five of our own, most of them being rescues. I love to read, I love the outdoors, even with having Asthma, which makes being outdoorsy a little more difficult. To be honest, I don't even think it's worth naming all the things I am passionate about, there's just too many of them. 

After doing the first assignment for LSKM 221, I really started liking the subject, I've never really thought much about the music aspect of teaching, as the school I worked at as an intern had a qualified music teacher come in for all the grades of the school, and the teachers only used music to keep the children busy or when showing them a video or something like that. Looking at the assignment, I ended up thinking of all the aspects that teaching really entails, and I just loved it even more.

My expectations for this subject can pretty much just be summed up as me trying to get all the information I learn be applied in my own classroom one day.