Hello, Bonjour, Hola  to all my fellow students (who become friends) of NWU. It was great working with all of you. I think I speak on behalf of all students, that we have learned a lot from each other. It was stressful, challenging, emotional, enjoyable, fun, interesting and everything in between. But we made it so far.

I Cannot believe we came at the end of the year, semester and module. And oh my gosh… was it an interesting semester. I’m just glad God has helped us get through it. But ya…here we are, at the end of the semester and     also our last  blog for this module.

1. Now let me share story as an LSKM 221 student by comparing my knowledge, skills, experiences, abilities and attitude towards music education from the start of the semester to the end of the semester.

At the very beginning I was very skeptical and afraid of the module. The reason for this is I had very little knowledge about music and the arts. I really thought I was going to fail the module. Was really very negative. And I also did not realize that music plays such an important role in teaching. This module was very eye-opening, and I learnt a lot during this LSKM journey. Music became a big part of my life as I learnt the benefits of it and have decided to incorporate it into my children’s life more. I have also learnt many new skills and learnt how to value and respect others’ opinions through the collaborative discussions. The blogs also helped me unwind at the end of each week, as I find blogging extremely relaxing.

2. What was your experience of the role of individual reflection as part of the teaching and learning process? Use the following prompts to reflect on your blogging experience and the role that individual reflection played (or not) in your teaching and learning experience this semester:

What did you learn from your individual reflections?

The individual reflections helped me a lot. It helped me to understand what I have learned. I gained so much knowledge and became aware of so much. The individual reflections that other students wrote were interesting to read; this allowed me to learn from them too.

What did you find challenging?

In the beginning, everything was Greek to me. I was so so stressed. The most difficult part was learning how to interpret music. Also Study Unit 5 about lesson planning.

Did you find the individual reflections meaningful? Please motivate your answer.

Yes, I did find the individual reflections meaningful because I reflected back on what I learned. Blogging also learned me more about what I was taught and made me understand even better. It was interesting to read the individual reflections of other students. As I was saying right in the beginning of this blog entry, we have learned a lot from each other.

What would you change if you had the opportunity in future?

Nothing, absolutely nothing. It was perfect just as it is. I think the lecturer covered all the information that is needed to know about music education, and that’s all that matters. O and also she made it 100%  worth it and very interesting.

1. Please share what you would change in the LSKM 221 module if you had the opportunity. The following prompts can guide your reflection:

What did you find interesting and meaningful?

Everything was interesting and meaningful. From the beginning up untill the end! All of the topics covered in this module were interesting to me. The unit I enjoyed the most was study unit 3.  I found it really interesting how musical games are presented in foundation phase and the role musical play plays in development.

 What challenged you, and what do you still struggle to understand?

The whole module was challenging, but that what made it interesting and fun. Learning about arts integration was a little challenging for me and I also struggled to understand it because my taught was how can we interpret art in another subject? But at the end I am at ease now and understand it much better and I understand it much better.

What didn’t you find valuable for your future teaching practice?

In my opinion, everything in the module is important. And the things learned in this module are things I can apply in my own classroom in the future.

I cannot believe this is our last blog entry. Blogging was one of the things I enjoyed so much because I did not like it at all in the past. For the first time I can say with honesty that I will miss a module.

Thank you mam for making this module so interesting.

Take care.  Keep yourself healthy.  Be positive, we are almost done with the semester

Goodbye to everyone!

  Love u all. 

HELLO MY FELLOW STUDENTS…..FUTURE TEACHERS. 

Part 1:

I am so glad that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It has been a hectic two weeks for me,  especially at work. But hey ... I'm through it.  All the hard work is really paying off and I am ticking everything off day by day. I do feel a little drained and tired but this usually at the end of every semester.

Part 2:

This week I became aware of how intricate the lesson plan really is and how much time, effort and thought goes into it. There are so many aspects to consider! The concept that was most significant to me was that as teachers we need to include EVERYONE and I don’t only mean all races or all genders, I mean students with emotional problems too. I realised that the classroom really needs to be a safe and loving space where children can forget about the negative things they are experiencing and just live in their ‘classroom bubble’ for a while. I became aware of how to identify and evaluate appropriate assessment strategies for music as part of life skills in foundation phase, how to incorporate music, games and art integration in the planning of a lesson for life skills.

Part 3

In your opinion, reflecting on and synthesising all that you learnt in LSKM 221, what are the most important aspects to keep in mind when planning foundation phase lessons?

• There must be an intro, teaching and learning phase, and conclusion.
• The teacher must include a variety of activities (from lower to higher order levels).
• In the introduction phase the teacher should begin the class with a fun activity that grabs students’ attention.
• In the teaching and learning phase learners should actively engage, have opportunities for peer scaffolding, manipulate concrete materials, do authentic activities, and discover and internalise new skills. The assessment (continuous) is also very important.
• In the conclusion phase the learners should be given a chance to show what they have achieved. Maybe act it out or do a performance. The teacher should be able to tell whether or not the students have reached the desired outcomes. Even at the end of the lesson the students should still be engaged.
• Extremely important aspect is inclusivity. All learners must be included and catered for regardless of whether they have a specific disability or not.

Reasons why assessment is neglected in the Performing Arts and Music in the Foundation Phase. Possible reasons may be:

• Time play a very important role in the assessment neglection. There is just not enough time for teachers to prepare a proper lesson.
• The classroom environment is very important.
• The lack of resources in many school has a big impact on lesson planning.

Many schools in the country do not have the necessary technology every day. And that puts a damper on planning any lesson.​​​​​​​

I really enjoyed the study unit. It taught me a lot. Lesson planning has always been an obscure aspect for me, an unnecessary aspect of teaching, but the study unit made me realize that lesson planning is an extremely important aspect in education. 

Till next time.....goodbye.

Hello everyone.     ​

Part 1:

 This week has gone pretty well compared to last. I am feeling ready to take on the world. I got my assignment's mark back this week and I'm quite proud of myself. Hard work pays off. Nothing has inhibited my learning this week except for the Northern Cape's heat. O boy its that time again for us here in the warm Northern Cape. What lies like a mountain in front of me is the WVOS 222 assignment and test. Guys I'm super worried about the subject. But I know with the help of the Lord and hard work I will make it.

Part 2:

This week, as I worked through the content, I became aware of all the different ways that teachers can integrate the Arts into their lessons and how closely the Arts are actually connected to our every day lives without us even realising it. I became aware of how integration of the arts in the foundation phase makes the lesson so much more fun and that every student, no matter their race, gender, background, learning style or even current level that they are on, is able to join in, express themselves, showcase their knowledge and enjoy themselves.

I learned that because of the rich experience that the arts bring the students really connect to and internalise the knowledge that is being learned. The concept that was most significant for me this week was that even though children may come from different backgrounds, and specifically disadvantaged backgrounds, they can take part in activities which integrate the arts and can actually get to the appropriate level in a much more fun way than simple, conventional teaching

Till next time!!!

Keep save.

Hello everyone 

Well it's been an interesting week so far, productive week i must say. Few tests behind the back and two tasks handed in. Today one of our family members have tested positive for Covid. But God has protected us so far. And for that I can only be grateful.

I really learned a lot from study unit 3. It was very interesting to work through.  I never knew that a musical play has so much purpose in the foundation phase. To learn about all the different types of play, was interesting.  In the past I thought a play was just a play. Now I know why we play in the classroom and also what types of play there is. I have also learned the importance of play in education.

I enjoyed learning the genres of play and games and also the examples of a play. WHO knew that a play had so much educational outcomes, well i did not. Learning the 7 elements of a play was most significant to me.

 I have now learned that music is very important. I now know you can play music games in classrooms .... which is very informative for me. I knew that music plays an important role in Life Skills .... plus point for me.

What possibly made some learners uncomfortable during these activities?

Songs can be incorporated with different languages. It could be different songs in one lesson, or even a song with different languages ​​in the song. In this way learners learn new language and get used to it. The one learner did not understand Zulu. Unfortunately, the song the students sang was in Zulu. The other learner felt uncomfortable dancing in front of the boys in the classroom. The one learner also felt that it was wrong to dance to this song since it was the wrong thing to do according to her culture.

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

In the future, the educator may use more than one song. In this way, all the children in the class will be accommodated. For example, I would divide the class into groups, boys into a group and girls into a group. The girls can dance in class and the boys outside.

It is the duty of the teachers to learn more about the cultural values ​​of the learners in the class. It is important that educators explain the term culture to the learners and also its importance. And importantly .... learners must learn that all cultures must be respected.

Well that is all from me for today.....untill next time. Please be save.

Introduction:

Hi, my name is Chamain M Visagie. I am a single mom and have a beautiful daughter called Lucinda . We live in a small  town Keimoes in the NC province. I want to be a Foundation Phase teacher because I want to make a positive difference in young childrens’ lives. I am passionate about life in general. I am very excited for this module. I believe that I will find it valuable and i hope to start using this new knowledge one day in my own class. I expect this module to give me new insights into how I can use music and musical activities to one day help my students to grow and develop in all aspects.

Part 1

This past week has been horrible! I feel so overloaded with work and information and due dates for assignments and tests. I feel overwhelmed.......  but I know  I am good at planning, so I just need to do my planning and stick to the due dates. 

Part 2

This week I learned that music can be used as an amazing tool by the teacher  to help develop  learners physical, social, emotional, cognitive and personal  skills. Learners build relationships with peers, they learn interaction as well as communication skills, music provides relaxation to learners. Music promotes learners' self-esteem as well as self-confidence because everyone works together and is not shown individually. Music development and promotion also of great motor skills because playing instrument is a physical movement. I learned this week that learners need to think in critical ways to perform the activity in the right way and it requires a lot of concentration.