My Final Blog Post

Good day fellow bloggers!

I can’t believe that we are in the month - November already. I was stunned when I went to the store earlier this week and saw Christmas decorations being put out – to be quite honest, I AM NOT THERE YET – I can feel that my body is beginning to operate more slowly and I’m more tired than usual. Luckily, we can all look forward to the holidays around the corner and having time to rest.

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

At the start of this semester, I was on my nerves to have LSKM 211 as a module – I was afraid that I would fail to succeed. I always joked and said I have no musical bone in my body! My knowledge about music was on a low level, I had this idea in my head that the assignments in this module will expected us to sing a song and record it on video - thank goodness that was not the case. Now I know music is so much more than playing a piano and singing a song. I was surprised that children learn through music and I gained so much knowledge on how to use music elements to my advantage to educate. I implemented what I learned in LSKM and had great success in my classroom.

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?

Individual reflections gave me the opportunities to learn from every study unit, as well as my fellow students’ opinions and how they interpreted every study unit. I also learned that opinions differ but all opinions should be valued equally. I also learned that I am not the only one who struggles to keep my head above water. There are a lot of students with busy secludes - just like mine - and this helped me not to feel so alone.

• What did you find challenging?

I found it challenging to integrate music with other subjects, but now I have better understanding on how to do such a lesson because of the assignments given to us.

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

No, I feel that it is quite time consuming and I preferred doing the blogs rather. With the blogs and individual reflections all other students could see your work and thoughts – this made it easier for students to not do proper research on the study units but rather just copy and paste strong opinions and to claim it is their own work.

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

I would not change anything because learning outcomes were achieved. I could close this chapter well educated to teach Foundation phase learners about music – “do not fix something that is not broken”

3. Please share what you would change in the LSKM221 module if you had the opportunity. The following prompts can guide your reflection:

• What did you find interesting and meaningful?

I find it interesting how learners learn better when music is integrated. It was significant for me how music-education prompted academic performance.  Music promotes all areas of learners’ development; emotional, intellectual and even language skills. The shock factor was how music is neglected in schools. I believe that if statistics can prove how meaningful music-education is in the Foundation Phase they will incorporate it in all schools.

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

It was a challenge to create my own music activities, but after a while I got used to it and it became an enjoyable experience. Now at the end of the module I am satisfied with the knowledge I gained and have a better understanding on how to educate music. Our lecturer walked the extra mile for us to make sure we understand the content. If there were any uncertainties - she replied to us individually. I could tell that she wanted us to succeed in this module.

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

I highly regard this module. All study Units I could benefit from and learn valuable skills that I will never forget. However, one should always keep in mind that we don’t always have all the resources to educate music. As a teacher one should always be creative - like making your own instruments or to use your voice as an audio.

It was a privilege to learn and grow as a teacher during this module.

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” – Plato

Good day, Goeie dag, Dumêla.

I hope everyone is healthy and coping well with all your duties and responsibilities. I have a tiredness over me that I can not explain, I find myself falling asleep on my arms while doing my studies. Is it because of it is the end at the year? Is it because I have to look after and educate my own Grade R class of 22 learners? Is it because I am married and have too much housework? I DON’T KNOW! What I do now is my faith always pulls me through and God gives me new strength when I need it most – I am nothing without my faith.

While working through the content of Unit 5 I became aware of strategies that is used for when planning music lessons – This also helped me to get a better picture of how to complete Assignment 4. I learned a lot of do’s and don’ts – one that stood out for me was to never play music without a specific aim. I learned that any music that is listened to in the class must contribute towards reaching the lesson aims.

What was most significant for me in study unit 5 is that there should always be music at the beginning and end of a lesson. I always tend to only use music at the end of a lesson, but now I shall use music at the beginning and at the end of the lesson.

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

• Firstly, lack of time – there are not many school hours in a day you only have a couple of hours to teach children Mathematics, First Language, second Language, Life Skills, Music and Performing arts. Teachers of today are under the impression that music and art integration activities are too time consuming.
• Lack of resources – Not all schools are in a financial position to provide teachers with all the resources we need to educate Performing arts and music.
• Teachers are not educated to teach performing arts and music
• Most schools prefer to spend more time on other subjects that is more likely to raise scores on standardized tests.
• While there are learners that love these subjects, some learners find it “boring” or loses interests fast while teachers are teaching the subject.

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.

First of all, I would do my own research – so that I am prepared for any questions they might have. I would show them the statistics that proof that it is only beneficial for the learners.

I will show the HOD my own ideas of how music can be integrated with other subjects as well, and how learning outcomes can be achieved.

I will show them where the curriculum states that performing arts and music is compulsory.

That is all for me for today

Until next time bloggers

Unit 4

Good day future teachers...

Oh boy oh boy… Is it just me or can this year just come to an end!  We live in an era where the expectations are so high of young people that sometimes I find myself drowning in my own responsibilities. To be honest it is even affecting my mental and physical health. I did come to the realisation that no one is going to take care of me - only I can make that decision to look after myself. But enough about struggles, I am still thankful for this life I was given - every day is a blessing.   

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

I learned some valuable information during this study unit; I did not realise that through arts integration - foundation phase learners will develop problem solving and critical thinking skills.

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.

“Some people” are uneducated. No relevant research can support this statement, art integration is not optional especially in the foundation phase. It has even been found that art integration improved results with regards to learners’ mathematic performance as well as decreased disciplinary challenges. I read a report by “Americans for the Arts” that states that learners who participate in the arts regularly are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement than children who do not participate. Despite that - learners love to participate in these activities and it would be unfair to withhold them from these experiences. Art instruction helps children with the development of fine motor skills, language skills, social skills, decision-making, risk-taking and inventiveness - therefore I say art integration must be mandatory in every school.

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.

What was interesting for me is how art integration can affect other subjects like mathematics if not integrated. The amount of research that support this statement was remarkable.

What did you find challenging? Please explain why.

The content of study unit 4 was put together in such a manner that I could understand all the concepts discussed and not only that but also how to take what I learned to a practical manner. I thoroughly enjoyed this study unit and I am very passionate about art integration now.

Hellooo fellow students.

This week I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all my responsibilities. I am a hardworking person and always just want to keep everyone happy but I struggle to do so - I sometimes tend to forget about myself. I struggle to say no when situations don’t suit me and I don’t like to let people down but at cost of my studies - is it worth it? I will have to do some introspection and better planning to fit everything into my schedule or else I will set myself up for failure.

What possibly made some learners uncomfortable during these activities? / Why were some learners uncomfortable?

• Self-esteem and confidence- Dance is social and visual. I can relate to this because I am generally shy and would not prefer to dance or sing in front of others – however, as a teacher I sing and dance everyday in front of my Grade R learners and have no issue with doing that – children at that age do not judge or see shortcomings and they love and accept me just as I am.
• If learners don’t know the words of the song it will make them uncomfortable and unable to sing along.
• You will never know about their cultural background – It can be against their cultural beliefs.
• They are not interested- not everyone likes to sing or dance or it is just not cut out for it, or they don’t pick up choreography fast enough.

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

• Children who do not like do dance can have other roles. In a concert or play these learners can be used as props like trees or flowers. Also - instead of dancing they can rather use an instrument for background music. All learners MUST be included.
• It would be advised to use music learners are familiar with – this will help them engage more in the activity.
• The activity should always be age appropriate for the learners so that they will understand more easily.
• Teachers must be aware of learners’ cultural beliefs and respect them. If dancing is against their beliefs they can only sing along.
• Depends on the age of the learners - I would prefer that from the age of 10 - boys and girls dance separate to avoid embarrassment.

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

• I am privileged to teach at a Christian school where everyone has the same beliefs and values that the school policy states - this makes teaching easier. In a case of diverse learners, learners must always be accommodated by participating in activities that suit their beliefs.
• Always compromise - no learner should feel left out.
• When using songs, use the language that is used in class.
• Children should always feel safe - We as teachers have to ensure that all students feel comfortable when dancing.

That is all for me today, strongs for the week ahead!

Good day bloggers!

I hope that you are all doing well mentally and physically. This has been a great week for me because I managed to cope with all the assignments and tests that were due for this week!

On Friday I got some good news! I will be starting a new job at a local primary school teaching Grade 2 learners and I am so excited to start this new journey and share with the learners what I am learning in LSKM!

While working through Study Unit 2 - I became aware of: The basic elements of music:

• duration (of tone) – including music concepts of beat, meter, rhythm and tempo
• pitch (of tone)
• intensity (of tone)
• quality (of tone) texture

Concepts such as beat, accent, note values, meter, rhythm and tempo involved duration was most significant for me in this study unit.

Individual reflection

1. As a Foundation Phase teacher you have to choose between utilizing 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 would say it depends on the age, cultural group and interests of the learners. If I had to choose for the Foundation Phase I would choose contemporary commercial music which include: music theatre, jazz, rock, pop, gospel, R&B, country, folk, rap and alternative (and maybe other styles). I think the learners would prefer this music and it would be more familiar with them. Learners will also be more eager to participate if they know the music and they will be able to follow a beat and to sing along. I believe that using familiar (contemporary commercial music) will help the class to recognize the different music elements as well.

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

Yes, I do believe that the content offered in Study Unit 2 is inclusive because it included all of the content that we need to understand this unit. Enough examples of music  were provided in contemporary commercial and Western-Art, however I feel that more examples could be included of the different elements of indigenous African music. I loved how the different languages in South-Africa were included because it allows learners to learn new words in different languages.

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.

It doesn’t come to mind at first because it took me such a long time to work through the content and activities. My personal opinion is that it was well put together, but I was still struggling to get a better understanding of what “found instruments” are. I am not sure if it is self-made instruments that can be found in the class like pencils (to tap together), or if it is instruments that you will usually find in a foundation phase class like: drums, triangle and shakers. This made it a little harder for me to get clarity on how to do Assignment 2. And maybe another language could also be included such as traditional Afrikaans “boeremusiek”. Over all I am happy with the new knowledge I gained. I am starting to feel like a “pro”.

That is all from me today.

Enjoy your week and stay safe!

Good day Bloggers

How are you all doing? I am a bit disappointed in myself because I could not have spent as much time on my studies as I would have liked to. I feel so overwhelmed with all my responsibilities, it is hard to work and to study especially when you are tired. This week my dog got sick and had to get surgery. During surgery she lost a lot of blood that makes recovery even harder. We are staying positive - we still have so much to be thankful for!  

During all the chaos at home, I managed to cope and to work through Unit 1 as expected of us. I learned more about the three learning theories:

1. Vygotsky's theory that is based on the social interaction that is fundamental to cognitive development.
2. Erikson's theory believed that a child should have a strong sense of perception and individuality.
3. Piaget's theory focuses on understanding how children acquire knowledge, and the understanding of the nature of intelligence. Piaget’s focus on 4 main strategic stages: sensorimotor intelligence, preoperational thinking, concrete operational thinking and formal operational thinking. Piaget also believed that all children pass through these phases from birth to their teenage years.

I can now see why it is important for foundation phase teachers to have knowledge about music elements and music development. If we don’t have the right knowledge about music, we will not be able to teach it to the children and they will miss out on all the benefits like the learning of sounds and meaning of words which are an important part of their education.

Individual reflection

1. At this stage I am not confident about teaching music. I do not have the adequate knowledge and skills to educate music YET.  I don’t ever want to give students 50% knowledge. I want to give them the best knowledge. I am grateful for having this module to learn how to teach music, I believe that LSKM will equip me with the necessary skills that I will need as a teacher and I am more than willing to do my part when it comes to self-study.
2. My choice would be to incorporate music education into the foundation phase. I don’t even think it is negotiable, children learn through MUSIC, and it is beneficial for their holistic, social and cognitive development. Not all children thrive in physical education, but I believe with music all learners can partake and learn while having fun. In my lifetime I have witnessed children learn to sing in another language before they can even understand the language. Music changes the atmosphere in the classroom for the better.

Thank you bloggers!

Remember “ die lewe  is ‘n lied”

Good day future teachers!

This is my first blog, I am a little scared and uncertain but here goes nothing!

My name is Melissa Reyneke, I am 24 years young and from a small-town called Klerksdorp in the North-West province. On the 2^nd of November I will be married for 3 years to my high school sweetheart- Jaco. Together we own a fur-baby called “Snowy”. I am a foundation-phase distance student at the North-West University. I have to say what a journey it has been! We are the “pandemic students” of the decade! We need an applause... we don’t have it easy! It has been a rollercoaster ride, but this is only preparing us for what still is to come.

I want to be a foundation phase teacher because I believe it is my calling and not a career. Since high school I knew I wanted to be a part of little children’s lives, but unfortunately due to financial issues I could not go to university. At that stage I went to a beauty college because it was more of an affordable option for my parents. Anything I do - I do to the best of my abilities and with that being said I was one of the best known beauty therapists in my town BUT I was never fulfilled. Last year I got the opportunity to follow my dream to study at the NWU and since then I never looked back! I am so happy and when you love what you do it will never feel like work and that reflects in every semester report I got. There is hope for everyone...I did not know anyone due to my age and I also did not know what e-fundi was!  I had to do a lot of “group assignments” alone due to lack of confidence. I had to step out of my comfort zone and made such great friends during the last year.

I am passionate about mental and physical health - being diagnosed with Anxiety and IBS, I believe that is important to take good care of your mind, body and soul! I prefer to go on long walks everyday and to exercise regularly, I call it “me time”. I am religious and am always happy to talk about my faith.

I am excited to learn more about music because I know nothing (sorry Mrs. Rina Francis) bear with me I am teachable. I love music but my husband prefers that I do not sing. My expectations for this module are to learn how to read notes and how music plays a role in educating young children. I hope that this module will teach me how to incorporate music in my classroom. I believe it must be an enjoyable activity but that my learners are still gaining knowledge while having fun.

I am looking forward to another great semester and blogging with all of you wonderful people.