FINAL BLOG POST:

 This week is much less stressful. I am finally caught up with my varsity work and I am so happy that this semester is coming to an end. However, work is extremely busy, as we are trying to prepare the children for the end of the year.

1. As a music student, who has grade 8 saxophone, I expected more from this module. Although I learnt a lot about how to teach music in foundation phase classrooms efficiently and how to integrate it with lessons, I expected to learn more musical terms and more about rhythms, beats, time signatures and the basics on reading music.
2. Throughout this module, I have learnt about the importance of music within the foundation phase. I have learnt how to integrate music within my future classroom. I also now know how to efficiently and plan a music lesson for Foundation Phase and what needs to be included and why. The blogs forced me to learn the study units thoroughly. I also learnt a great deal of knowledge through reading other people’s blogs. Although I learnt a lot from the blogs, I found it difficult to stay on top of them and there was always confusion as to when the blogs were due.
3. I found all the activities that were used in the study units interesting. It taught me a lot about how I can include music within my future classroom. I didn’t find it meaningful that we were taught to asses music lessons. I believe music should be fun for the children and that it should be there to improve their fine-motor skills. If a child has a talent for music, they will be assessed in the higher grades, individually, on their instrument.

STUDY UNIT 5:

PART 1: I am feeling VERY stressed this week. I have so much uni work due and it is hard to stay on top of it. I have also had to substitute for a few teachers this week, so I have not had much time to do work at school. Work is extremely busy at the moment, so much to do, but so little time.

PART 2:  I learnt about the basic principles to keep in mind when planning a music lesson or a non-music lesson, which include music activities. I also learnt about what a well-planned music lesson would contain. I think learning about what a well-planned music lesson would contain, is the most important aspect of this study unit.

PART 3: I believe this study unit is extremely important, because as future teachers, we need to get taught what should be expected in a lesson and how to plan a lesson efficiently.

INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION:

I think that the assessment could be neglected from Foundation Phase classrooms, because teachers are not taught in varsity about the important of teaching music in their classroom, as well as the importance of assessing music activities. Another reason could be that most teachers don’t see arts as important as other subjects such as languages and maths.

I would go to the HOD and telling him/her about the importance of using music within Foundation Phase classrooms and why it is beneficial to the children. I would also explain how to integrate music within Foundation Phase classrooms.

PART 1: This week has been a bit better, even though I taught a class everyday this week again. I have managed to stay on top of my varisty work and get things done. 

PART 2: During this study unit I learnt about the value of art integration in the Foundation Phase and the benefits thereof, as well as how to integrate art within other subjects. I even managed to use some of these methods to teach my kiddos this week.

PART 3:

1.      I believe integrating arts in the foundation phase is extremely important, because it develops children emotionally, socially and cognitively. It also develops their fine and gross motor skills, which are extremely important. Besides this fact, music and art capture a child’s attention. It makes them interested in the work being taught. Also, some children are not academically inclined, but are talented in the arts. This therefor makes these children feel included and feel like they are excelling at something. Arts is also fun for the children and it is something they really enjoy. Therefor I believe art integration is important.

2.      I found the whole study unit interesting. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I found anything challenging.  Being a student teacher, I see much art integration happening in the classroom I am in, therefor I think already understood how to integrate art within your classroom and when to do it. 

PART 1: In the beginning of the week, I felt like I was drowning in work. Being at work every day as well as having to teach 4/5 days this past week, was extremely tiring. I was so tired by the time I got home, but I still had to carry on with university work. This past week was long and draining, however I have managed to catch up with all the tasks I have needed to do for the week.

PART 2: During this study unit, I became aware of how important it is to include culturally diverse songs and literature within your classroom. However, it is also important to consider children’s culture and religious values, as well as consider things that children would be comfortable with doing in front of each other. I have also learnt that children learn best through play and that using music in your classroom develops children physically, emotionally, cognitively and socially.

PART 3: This study unit is extremely valuable and it has taught me the importance of play in a child’s life, as well as the importance of learning about music through play.

What possibly made some learners uncomfortable during these activities?

Some learners felt a bit uncomfortable, because some of them might not have understood the meaning of the Zulu song and game, which would have made them feel excluded from the lesson. Some children might also have felt embarrassed to dance in the middle of the circle whilst the other children were watching them, because they are not confident to dance in front of other people and they might feel like the other children will make fun of them.

Why were some learners uncomfortable?

One learner felt excluded as he didn’t understand the meaning of the words in the Zulu song. A girl felt uncomfortable dancing in front of the boys to house music due to religious reasons.

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

If this were my classroom, I would have first made the children aware that they will be learning songs in all different languages, because it is important to make sure everyone feels included. If I had to have chosen a song in Zulu, I would have taught the children the song and I then would have translated it into English so that the non-Zulu children could understand and therefore would also feel included. With regards to the game where a child would dance in the middle of the circle, I would rather have just let all the children dance freely throughout the game, instead of putting the children on the spot and making them dance alone, because not all children are confident enough to do this.

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

In diverse classroom, we need to include songs in different languages and thus translate them into English so that all the learners understand the song. We also need to include games from different cultures. We need to be aware of cultural and religious values and ensure that all our activities make everyone feel included and respected.