Final Blog

I was very excited to start the module. We did not have much music in our school when I grow up. This was one of the modules I have learned a lot of things that I can use in my teaching and things I didn’t know about. My teaching skills have improved very much with this module. I will use music much more in my teaching because everyone will enjoy it students and teachers.

What did you learn from your individual reflections?

I have learned with doing this what I know and don’t know about the study unit.

What did you find challenging?

I found some of the learning content challenging because I am not really the best at music. But at the end this module made it easier for me to understand and to apply.

Did you find the individual reflections meaningful?

Yes, I did. Like I said it really helps you to see thing in another point of view. You can also see if you understand the content of the study unit.

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

I will not change a thing I really thing the module is perfect the way it is and our lecture is one amazing person.  But I will definitely change the way I teach to incorporate music in my teaching.

What did you find interesting and meaningful?

All the ways you can add music in your teaching without spend hours of your time on just teaching music. Also all the skill that you can teach children they can use through music.

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

I found reading music very challenging and to be honest I still struggle to read music. But the more I practise the better I will get.

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

There is not something specify that is stand out that was not valuable. I really enjoy it every step of the way even if it was very hard work to keep up with everything.

I would also like to use the opportunity to so thank you to our great lecture Ma’am Rina Francis of all of your hard work and always there to help us we really appreciate you.Thank you for everything.

Study Unit 5

Part 1: How are you feeling; how has your week been? – In general or just with regard to your studies.

This week is starting very rough but I am determined to get all the things done I set out to do.

What inhibited your learning this week? Would you care to elaborate?

Nothing yet.

Part 2: What new things did you become aware of when working through this study unit’s content? What concept/element/idea was most significant for you in this study unit?

The new things I have learned was the characteristics of a well-planned music lesson and the structured of a lesson plan.

Part 3: What is your opinion about the value of the content of this study unit for your teaching practise?

The value about this content is very helpful for us as a teacher so that we can ensure that we as teacher plan a sufficient lesson plan so we can teach them on a better level.

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

The teachers think children may not need it and see it as unimportant then the other subjects. They just think it is a waste of time and can learn it at a later stage.

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.

I really think it is important that children in the Foundation Phase learn about Performing Arts and Music so that they understand the concept when they go to the bigger grades. It helps children to learn more things in a way then never could. Learning through Performing Arts and Music can also help children develop skills and talents children never know about it if they don’t try it.  So we should try our best to teach the children about it.

Study Unit 4

Part 1: How are you feeling; how has your week been? – In general or just with regard to your studies.

This week was very good. I was on a roll with my studies I got a lot done and the week is not over yet so I am very happy.

What inhibited your learning this week? Would you care to elaborate?

No, not really.

Part 2: What new things did you become aware of when working through this study unit’s content? What concept/element/idea was most significant for you in this study unit?

Strategies for integrating music with other subjects was very interesting to learn about.

Also the development through teaching and learning was new and exciting to learn about.

Part 3: What is your opinion about the value of the content of this study unit for your teaching practise?

I persanally think the value of this content of the study unit is very sufficient and will help me a lot when teaching.

Individual reflection

• 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.

I don’t agree on that I really think arts integration is not a waste of time.  Children tend to learn more when the class is interesting and when they are having fun. You can teach children a new skill with an old skill that the children already have master. Children get board of the something over and over so that is why it is important to have art integration in the Foundation Phase.

Which aspects of study unit 4 did you find the most interesting and challenging? Please use the following prompts to reflect on your experience:

• What did you find interesting? Please explain why.

Theoretical framework for arts integration in the Foundation Phase I would that very interesting. The way they learning and teaching are the following ways:

• In
• On
• About
• From
• With
• through 

• What did you find challenging? Please explain why.

What I find challenging is to intergrade mathematics with music. Some children struggle to learn with music especially mathematics. Some children learn better or understand thing better when they can think without things to bother them in the background. So that is a bit challenging because some learner would enjoy it and other may not enjoy it so the choice is should you do it or not.

Study Unit 3

Part 1: How are you feeling; how has your week been? – In general or just with regard to your studies.

This week was a bit of a good week, I got a few things done and it went very good although we are very busy at work by the school.

What inhibited your learning this week? Would you care to elaborate?

Just the fact that I have a job and need to study but I don’t worry so much about it because while I am working I learn lot of thing that I will need to do my studies more sufficiently.

Part 2: What new things did you become aware of when working through this study unit’s content? What concept/element/idea was most significant for you in this study unit?

There was a few things that I have learned that was very interesting that I have learned:

• 7 elements of play
• Genres of play and games
• Characteristics of play

Part 3: What is your opinion about the value of the content of this study unit for your teaching practise?

Yes, I think so all the information of the content is sufficient enough.

Individual reflection

• What possibly made some learners uncomfortable during these activities?

Some learners could have feel uncomfortable because the song was not in their home language and other learners feel uncomfortable to dance in front of the boys or the girls.  

• Why were some learners uncomfortable?

One learner is not happy because they used a Zulu song that they did not understand and one girl felt uncomfortable because she had to dance in front of the boys.

• Can you think of ways to address these issues in future? What will you change?

Yes, I would speak to the learners and tell them that how importance it is to learn different language and different cultures.  The one thing I would change is that the girls and boys could maybe dance in different places that the girls or the boys don’t feel uncomfortable. If learners don’t feel uncomfortable they will do so much better in the activity they need to do.

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

We as teacher need to them that how importance it is to learn different langue and different cultures. We need to make sure that if we play songs we play songs of all the different cultures and not just one and then we need to explain to the children the words and what does it mean. We need to beware that no all children understand all the different language so we need to teach them.

Study Unit 2

Part 1: How are you feeling; how has your week been? – In general or just with regard to your studies.

This week has been very crazy at work, some of our teacher went away so our whole timetable have changed with new subject. Even though it is very busy I love to teach new subject to have more learning experiences.

What inhibited your learning this week? Would you care to elaborate?

The fact that my timetable is much work then it used to be.

Part 2: What new things did you become aware of when working through this study unit’s content? What concept/element/idea was most significant for you in this study unit?

The new thing I did become aware of was the music elements, the different music education approaches, Meter and Rhythm, Pitch, Dynamics and body percussion activities

Part 3: What is your opinion about the value of the content of this study unit for your teaching practise?

I have learned that music help children a lot. Children tend to learn more thing through music. I have also learned how to help children to understand how to teach the child in new and fun way for them to learn.

Individual reflection

 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.

I will choice the contemporary commercial music, the reason for this is commercial music is the current and modern music. This will help learners to keep the activities more interesting for the current students that likes the new music.  Children doesn’t like old boring music, they will not learn in this way.

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

Yes, I think so in SU 2 there is a lot of information that us as teacher can use in our teaching to do the best for our students so that they can get the best education that there is for them. The information that was given like body percussion and singing activities that we can give children to do.

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.

I personal would said that the information that was giving in SU2 is more than enough and sufficient so I would say there is nothing more to and to this Study Unit.

Part 1: How are you feeling; how has your week been? – In general or just with regard to your studies. What inhibited your learning this week? Would you care to elaborate?

My week was a bit rough will all the school work and the studies in between but if I can get trough that then everything is possible.  The thing that inhibited my learning this weak was that there was just too much thing to do. Some week there is not too much to do and other week there are more thing to get done.

Part 2: What new things did you become aware of when working through this study unit’s content? What concept/element/idea was most significant for you in this study unit?

The thing that I become aware of was the different stage to teach the different music skills or concept to the different age group. That made senses that you can teach little child to master the skill of reading music if they can even speak correctly. The concept that was the most significant was the fact that you can teach learners in a musical environment. Some child just learn better this way because it is not that ‘boring’ as the normal way of teaching.

Part 3: What is your opinion about the value of the content of this study unit for your teaching practise?

I think the value of the content is very good. For me as a teacher that is not very good with music, this will help me a lot so I can teach my children to the best of my knowledge even though I am not good at the subject myself. I really also like learning the content for myself and for future use as well.

Individual reflection:

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.

My confidence in my current knowledge and skills to teach music through movement in Foundation Phase is a little, as I am a teacher how as experience in teaching with the little children. I don’t have all his knowledge and experience to integrate music into my teaching practice.

2. 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.

I am a teacher that teach physical education so I see a lot of thing. In my point of view I think Music education is the better choose. The reason for this is that children of today don’t really enjoy physical education because they are unfit due to Covid. When you play music during physical education children tend to enjoy it more. So I would say Music education is to better option to holistic development. We can teacher children a song about months of the year and days of the week, children will remember the song with all the information, as where you only teach them the information that they might remember it. They think it is more boring without music.

Collaborative reflection:

We agreed that it is very good for the children because some of the children learn and remember more informations while they are learning with music education.

Hi, I am Valeska Zeilinga and I am 23 years old.

I am from Kriel, Mpumalanga. I want to be a foundation teacher because it is the most rewarding job there is, to see how child grows and develop over time. I am very passionate about teaching children to become better at what they do so that they can become successful in the future. I am very excited about LSKM 221 to learn new things. I am not very good about music but I am very excited to learn more about the subject. My expectations for this module is to learn more about this subject on how to teach children about music in the right why and in way everybody understand the subject.