REFLECTION COMMENTARY

Describe what the students learned in relation to the 3 Artistic Processes of Creating, Performing, and Assessing as a result of this Series of Lessons.

Creating:

The students learned how to isolate rhythms from popular music and then created rhythm examples using only the isolated rhythms. The students crafted opinions during class discussions and defended their comments using class concepts and music terminology. The students created connections between in-class rhythm concepts and real world contexts. They also began creating their own independent methods for rhythm performance based on the principles of Takadimi, Kodály, and Numbers.

Performing:

Students learned how to perform various rhythm examples in both simple and compound meters. Students learned the methodologies of Takadimi, Kodály, and Numbers, and they applied each methodology to rhythm study and rhythm performance. Students learned different ways of approaching syncopation. Students also learned tools for maintaining consistent pulse, accurately subdividing the beat, and placing rhythms inside the pulse.

Assessing:

Students participated in peer-peer feedback/assessment during the warm-up activity in Lesson 1. Students were also guided by my active feedback. Students became familiar with the rubric and expectations of a formal performance assessment. Students gained the experience of a 1-on-1 performance assessment. 

Analyze your musicianship and its effect on student learning. (Cite Evidence)

(1:30–2:00) I showcase an unprepared demonstration of rhythm beaming and appropriate aesthetics in 4/4 meter. My understanding of notation principles is evident. I simplify the rhythm concepts to meet the individual student need, and then I scaffold the application in the current context. (6:50–7:04) I identify steady-beat as a weakness of the group. After articulating the problem to the students, I first establish the steady-beat, and then I instruct the students to follow my modeling. After the steady beat has been established, the students perform the excerpts with teacher pulse accompaniment. (9:33–10:10) I showcase musicianship through the modeling of a difficult, isolated rhythm. To scaffold success of the group performance, I use a method from my own practice routine. I familiarize the students with the subdivision first, and then I have the students vocalize the rhythm while patting the subdivision. The final performance shows the effectiveness of this method. (13:12–13:48) “Listen first.” I demonstrate the appropriate Numbers and body percussion performance of this example. Students listen to the teacher modeling and analyze my performance in relation to their own. Students are engaged in critical reflection, connecting my model to the rhythms on the page– understanding the corrections needed to their own individual performances. Following this demonstration, I continue to scaffold to the final performance using off-beat accent strategies and teacher supported performance strategies. My musicianship helps me model effectively for my students. My strong musicianship also allows me to listen carefully to the music output of the students. I am able to identify specific areas of weakness, and through my professional training, I can prescribe the most efficient way of reaching student success.

Describe how your classroom environment promoted student learning.

In this environment, the students are sitting in close proximity to me, the instruction, and the whiteboard. Proximity allows better communication throughout the lesson. I am also better able to monitor student progress on individual activities. The pianos and music-themed decor contribute positively to the educational atmosphere. Students are surrounded by music (in various mediums), and thus the implementation of music instruction adheres to the expectations of their space. The only change I would make to the environment would be to remove the computers that are placed in front of the students’ desks. In the current layout, there is a semi-wall of Mac Computers separating the students from the front of the room. Even with the good proximity, it is not optimized with the computer barriers. 

Describe how you can improve the instructional design and implementation of this Series of Lessons for a similar group of students in the future. (Cite Evidence)

In the future, I would like to increase my pacing of the first two lessons. Although we accomplished a lot of material, my rate of speech and transition times were elongated. For example, the introduction to the warm-up and the transition into the notation activity in Lesson 1 (00:10–1:10). The overall time it took me to elaborate on a concept or explain an activity took away from the time students have putting the material into practice. The goals of the mini-unit also had to change, with the final assessment only incorporating one meter instead of the three I initially intended. The adjustment to the final assessment was also impacted by my over-planning. I underestimated the time it would take to get through each activity. Each lesson had the potential to fill up an hour of time; I only had thirty minutes. In teaching a similar lesson, I will apply realistic time frames to scheduled activities, and I will create a Series of Lessons that fits appropriately into the allotted class time. Overall, my instructional design could use more momentum and enthusiasm in the initial stages of introduction/practice. I would also like to better showcase time awareness in activity preparation. The last thing I would adapt would be the logical progression of learning in my primary objective. Students consistently met objectives in discussions and Takadimi/Kodály/Number practice, however; the final assessment did not reflect the learning in these specific areas. The methodologies helped students with the rhythm reading, but students were not required to demonstrate knowledge of different methodologies on the assessment. In reflecting, I think it would be logical to adapt the final assessment to require student demonstration of one methodology per example. In this way, all the aspects of student learning over the three days is reflected in the final assessment.