Presentation Video Link

I had a difficult time getting my presentation uploaded on YouTube. I did cut the beginning part out that plays the song as well as the end of the presentation, the end of the song. I did this to make it shorter so it wouldn't take as long to upload. So if it seems weird that I stopped and fast forwarded that is why. Go ahead and click on the link below to watch the video. Thanks!

Puff the Magic Dragon Presentation

Presentation Lesson

                                                            DAILY LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

 

NAME: Heather R. Hug
SUBJECT/COURSE: Kindergarten Reading with Music Integration                  DATE: 31 May 2013
 
CONCEPT/OBJECTIVE: (What do you hope the students will know/understand at the end of the lesson?)
Explain who the two friends are in the book.
Summarize what happens in the illustrations.
Come up with 4 things that begin with the same sound and draw a picture of each.
Sing the chorus of Puff the Magic Dragon.
 
STANDARD(S) MET: (List school and/or state standards addressed by this lesson.)
LA 0.1 Students will learn and apply reading skills and strategies to comprehend text.
LA 0.1.2 Phonological Awareness: Students will demonstrate phonological awareness through oral activities.
LA 0.1.6.i Generate and/or answer clarifying questions (who, what, when, where, why, how), supporting answers using prior knowledge and information from the text
LA 0.1.6.m Respond to text verbally, in writing, or artistically
LA 0.3.1.a Communicate ideas orally in daily classroom activities and routines
LA 0.3.3.b Demonstrate conversation strategies (e.g., face the speaker, listen while others are talking, take turns talking, eye contact)
LA 0.3.3.c Participate in learning situations (e.g., small groups, show and share, cooperative problem solving, play)
Music: Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
 
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR LESSON:
(by you):
Puff the Magic Dragon Book with CD
Brown paper bags (lunch size)
White paper cut into fourths (4 cut pieces for each student)
 
(by the students):
Crayons
Colored Pencils
Markers
 
INTRODUCING THE LESSON (Bell Ringer):
I will begin the lesson by having the students listen to the song from the CD. After the song is over, I will ask them to picture the land of Honalee in their minds and have them share what it looks like. I will then ask them how they picture Puff. Finally I will ask them what their views are of Jackie Paper. After each question I will give them quite a bit of think time before choosing students to share their thoughts.
 
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE: (How will you conduct the lesson? Content, sequence of activities, etc.)
I will introduce the book to the students showing them the cover and telling them that the song actually comes from the book. I will read the book aloud to them, stopping along the way to point out some significant things such as: the elements of friendship, how does Jackie show his love for Puff? How does Puff show his love for Jackie? I will encourage the students to look at the illustrations to indicate the close relationship the boy and the dragon have. I will then explain the reasons why Jackie leaves Puff towards the end of the book but first I will ask them questions such as: Why does Jackie stop visiting his friend Puff? What do you think he is doing instead? Do you think the grown up man at the end of the book is actually Jackie? Who do you think the little girl is? After listening to the song again and going through the illustrations in the book at the same time, I will conclude the book by telling the students that the book doesn’t have a sad ending after all because Puff has a new friend to play with.
I will then point out the illustration that contains the bag of “strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff,” and I will explain to the students that they strings and sealing wax both start with the /s/ sound. I will give them instructions that I want them to think of things they like to play with that start with the same sound, and draw a picture of those things. I will hand out pieces of paper that are cut into fourths and I will give them a bag to put their things in.
 
MODIFICATIONS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS: (includes high ability, low ability, physical limitations)
Students with visual impairments will be given a copy of the book to follow along and look at the pictures closer.
I will utilize a microphone for students with hearing impairments.
Students who have a learning disability will be allowed to utilize the book when creating their retelling of the story.
 
ASSESSMENT: (How will you assess students’ learning of the concepts/objectives?)
I will have the students share what they put into their bags when they are all finished. I will instruct them to let us know which sound the things in their bag start with. I will fill out a rubric as they share. 
 
CLOSURE: (How will you close the lesson? i.e. will you review key points, summarize, assign homework, etc.)
To close the lesson I will teach the students, through rote learning, the chorus of the song: “Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea.” Once they have that part down we will go onto the next part: “And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.” Once they have the two parts down together we will continue by trying to sing both parts twice in a row. Once the students are comfortable we will listen to the song and sing along when we hear the chorus.
 
BACK-UP: (Your emergency plan - what will you do if you cover everything above and there is still time?)
If we cover everything and there is still time left, I will have the students illustrate their favorite part from the book and possibly share the illustrations, or just tell their favorite part, depending on how much time there is.
 
COOPERATING TEACHER’S SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS:


 

Rubric for Presentation Lesson

	4	3	2	1
Task	The student completed all four picture.	The student completed 3 pictures.	The student completed 2 pictures.	The student completed 1 picture.
Accuracy	The 4 pictures started with the same sound.	3 pictures started with the same sound.	2 pictures started with the same sound.	There was only one picture with a beginning sound.
Oral Communication	The student was able to say the sound all of the pictures started with and say what each picture was that they drew.	The student was able to say what each picture was that they drew.	The student was able to say what sound all of the pictures started with that they drew.	The student refused to share their work with the class.

Final Presentation Proposal

For my final presentation I plan to integrate music with reading utilizing the book Puff the Magic Dragon and the song. I will have the students’ first listen to the song and then I will read them the book. At the end of the lesson I plan to play the song and have them sing the chorus.

Student Performance and Effective Teacher

I personally do not think that teachers should be paid based on student performance because there are so many factors that can contribute to a student's performance other than the teacher. It also seems as if teachers would start discriminating students without really knowing them as a person because their pay would be based on the performance each individual student makes. For example, if Suzie gets low scores on her NeSA test then her future teachers will see those test scores and say I don't want her in my class, because they assume she will get poor scores again or they will have to work really hard to get her caught up and make sure that she doesn't get low scores again while they are teaching her. 

I believe that an effective teacher will do anything and everything to make sure that all students are as successful as they can be. They are passionate about their profession and care enough about their students to build relationships with them. They are willing to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners and are flexible when it comes to different circumstances and situations. An effective teacher is planned and organized and helps their students set goals and challenges them while also helping them reach their goals. They are also knowledgeable in their content area and able to teach in a way that students understand, if students don't get it the first time, they are willing to go back and re-teach until the students do get it. Effective teachers also incorporate a variety of resources into their lessons such as technology. 

Teacher Unions and Tenure

When it comes to teacher unions and tenure I think reforms are needed because bad teachers do not deserve to be impossible to fire just because they are a part of the unoin or because they have been in the school district for a number of years. In my opinion they need to be held just as accountable as a first year teacher and they need to do what is best for the students.

Balancing Extra-Curricular Activities with Classroom Expectations

We can easily balance extra-curricular activities with our expectations in the elementary classroom, in a sport driven society, by making connections between sports and other extra-curricular activities and using them to teach with. For example if you are teaching a math lesson and incorporate a concession stand selling food at a game, the students will more likely be intrigued because it is something they are familiar with.

Students should be able to meet school expectations as long as they have good attendance. As a teacher I think we should really encourage students to come to school as much as they possibly can, and if they must miss for whatever reason then they are still required to do some makeup work or come in before or after school so they can e taught what they missed when they were not present. I think that if the attendance goals are made clear to the students as well as their parents and only small amounts of homework is given, if any, then balancing school expectations and extra-curricular activities should not be an issue.

However, I think teachers must also express the opinion that school comes before extra-curricular activities and if students start doing poorly in school then they should not be spending as much time doing extra-curricular activities. These extra-curricular activities should be thought of more as a reward or privilege and should be taken away if students are not meeting their school expectations so they have more time to practice whatever they are getting behind in or having trouble with.

Developmentally Appropriate Instruments

It is developmentally appropriate to introduce a recorder to students who are ages 9-11 because they must have large enough hands to cover all of the finger holes and have enough hand eye coordination to play the instrument. At ages 5-9 students may be introduced to the xylophone if they are only expected to follow a two or three note pattern. It is appropriate for rhythm sticks and finger cymbals to be introduced at ages 5-7 because the students are capable of using their large muscle movements and fine motor skills to operate these instruments in the correct manner. A kazoo can also be introduced to students ages 5-7 because it is fairly easy for them to put it up to their mouth and blow air through to make sound. 

Carl Orff

I think that the philosophies of Carl Orff would be perfect for the 21st century child because he connects music, movement, and speech. He believes in active participation and wants students to learn music through experience in all different subject areas. His philosophy also encourages children to learn music at their own level of understanding, this is perfect for the 21st century child because all children learn differently and we are well aware of that. It is best to make learning music fun, so students can play around with it and learn it more naturally. 

Sequential Learning, Teaching by Rote, and Lesson Plan Essentials

Sequential learning is important in the general classroom because students build upon prior knowledge. If the appropriate prior knowledge is not provided then the students are unable to build upon it.

The steps for teaching by rote are: divide the song into short sections, or phrases, and have the students echo or repeat what is sung. After singing with one phrase repeated, then sing it with two phrases at a time. Continue the process until they have repeated the whole song. When the students know all of the words and can sing the song comfortably, then motions can be taught to go along with the song.

The essential pieces of a lesson plan are: Objectives/Learning Targets, Aligned Standards, Materials Needed, Introduction/Anticipatory Set, Instructional Procedure/Teacher Modeling, Assessment/Check for Understanding, Guided Practice, Independent Practice/Closure, and Modifications.

Educational Philosophy Alignment with Student Needs and National/State Expectations

My educational philosophy aligns with student needs because I believe that as a teacher we need to adjust our teaching to meet the needs of our learners. This can be done by providing differentiated instruction throughout the various subject areas. My educational philosophy aligns with national/state expectations because I believe that we need to match what we are doing within our classrooms to the state/national standards in order to make sure that the time we are spending teaching is actually worthwhile when it comes to what the students will be held accountable to know (such as on standardized tests). As teachers we need to use the standards that are provided for us to guide our teaching and we need to make sure that we teach in a way in which students are able to actually absorb the information at hand. We must also assess their knowledge to make sure that they actually “got it”. If they did not get it the first time then we must go back and re-teach and/or try another method to help them understand what they are being held accountable for.

Music Therapy

My impression of music therapy is that it is intended to assist as well as keep everyone positive. I say this because it provides an encouraging way for students to learn new skills and can be used to address many of the goals targeted in IEPs. New skills learned in music therapy can easily be transferred to other parts of a student’s life. I think music therapy would benefit students in Reading/Literacy because they can learn new vocabulary words, learn pronunciations, practice using their voice, with correct tone and pitch, and learning to read by making connections between the words being said in the song and the lyrics at hand, this could also lead to stronger fluency. I think music therapy would benefit students in their development of Social Skills because they are able to practice communicating with others in a fun and exciting way. Music also encourages participation so everyone has the opportunity to do their part. When talking about incorporating music with social skills I think of morning songs that many younger students learn in their classrooms and sing to start the day (for example some sing a hello song as a way to greet one another). These morning songs help break the ice when starting the school day. Younger children can sometimes be shy or tired in the morning and songs help get them to start communicating with each other.

Special Eduaction & Differentiated Learners

What is your experience/perception with Special Education today in America? As educators, how do we truly meet the needs of differentiated learners?

 

I have had the opportunity work in a special education classroom as a one on one paraeducator before I took on my current position as a classroom assistant. The student that I worked with has pretty severe autism and the few other students in the room had significant disabilities as well. As far as being in the school, the students were included in many things such as field trips, recess, lunch, and assembly’s. The students who were in general education classrooms were very helpful and understanding. They tried very hard to play with our class and wanted to help them do little things such as walk to the line at the end of recess, or pull around the red wagon while a student sat in it, or roll a ball back and forth. I would say that the students in the general education classrooms were very aware that the students in our class were much different than them but at the same time they were very accepting of the differences. They did not make fun of the students who couldn’t speak, or control their actions. They simply did their best to ignore it and put it behind them because it really didn’t matter.

My perception with Special Education today in America, is that I feel as if too many people are not being exposed to people with special needs and/or disabilities. It seems as if some people don’t even realize that they exist and if they do realize it, they choose to deny it or completely ignore it. I think that our younger general education students are much more open to the special education students when they are exposed to them and are given the time to actually be around each other and try to make connections or understand one  another.

As educators, we meet the needs of differentiated learners by having different students do different things to prove their knowledge. This may be in the form of different assignments, different tests, different projects, different lengths of writing, etc. We also provide visual instruction, auditory instruction, and written instruction when appropriate. This makes it easier to reach all students and make sure they obtain the information as needed depending upon their learning style. We allow students to do things differently within the classroom such as sit in a closer/more distant spot in the room when instruction is being given; sit/stand when working at their desks; choose to work with a partner or independently; find a place in the room to read, aloud, silently, with a whisper phone, etc.

 

Compare and Contrast Bloom’s Taxonomy with 9 National Standards for Music Education

Bloom’s Taxonomy, like the National Standards for music education, is separated into various categories. These differing categories are: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The National Standards for music education are separated into nine different standards with each content standard containing more specific strands. Bloom’s Taxonomy also has more specific definitions for the various categories. Both of these have verb suggestions in which teachers can write learning targets with. Learning targets are beneficial because they tell students exactly what they are expected to learn from the lesson being taught. The difference between these two is that Bloom’s Taxonomy can be used across the curriculum in any subject area with any topic. The National Standards for music education will have a more limited integration with topics within a subject area.

Terms and Definitions

Cognitive Learning: gaining knowledge through thought or perception and building upon prior experiences
Cooperative Learning: working together as a group in a social learning experience individually contributing to the group tasks
Eurhythmics: Interpreting music through rhythmic physical body movements or gestures
Multiple Intelligence Theory: A set of criteria, or signs, that define intelligence based upon abilities
Rote Learning: memorization by repetition
Think-Pair-Share: A discussion strategy in which the teacher poses a question or a topic and then has the students think independently for a short time, then talk with a partner about their thoughts, and finally share their thinking with the class
Checking for Understanding: Using formative assessments to figure out whether or not the students comprehend the instruction, material, or process that you have provided for them

Response to Assertion #1 What Happens in Teacher Education?

"For teachers to help students meet the requirements of the Standards successfully, four things

must happen in and for teachers:

(1) They should themselves be competent exemplars of the context and skills they are teaching. At a minimum, teachers ought to be able to meet the K-12 National Standards.

(2) They should be able to teach from the base of their own knowledge and skills, not merely

model or present prefabricated lessons.

(3) They should be able to lead, in the sense of being able to provide content-based guidance to the uninitiated, the beginner, and the advanced student.

(4) They should be able to learn and develop on their own in the primary disciplinary fields

associated with their work."
 
I agree that teachers should be competent in the areas they are teaching. I believe that they should be able to meet the national standards but do indeed need to have grade level specific standards laid out with different strands to teach from. This will make it easier for them to produce a curriculum map for the K-12 students making sure that they receive all the skills and have enough time to practice and show mastery. I agree that teachers should be able to teach authentically although the curriculum that is commonly used today makes it seem as if teachers are supposed to teach directly from the teacher’s manual especially when the lessons are scripted out. Teachers need to be able to provide instruction that meets the needs of all students, not just some of them. I also agree that they should be lifelong learners and able to find new techniques and be willing to try them as they relate to their content area(s).

9 Music Standards

1.       Singing alone and with others, a variety of different music
2.       Performing using instruments, alone and with others, a variety of different music
3.       Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
4.       Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
5.       Reading and notating music
6.       Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
7.       Evaluating music and musical performances
8.       Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
9.       Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Music, Culture, and Early Childhood Development Video Response

After watching the Music, Culture, and early Childhood Development video on YouTube, I have concluded that this information is relevant to the elementary classroom in many ways. It mentions how music helps imbed memory and I completely agree that if we want students to really remember something important and we teach them a song about it then they are more likely to remember it. Music is also a way of discovery, when young children have different feelings that they do not know how to handle, music may be their best coping method. It offers them a way to express themselves.

Questions 1-8 from G:/Drive

1.      How do you use music in YOUR life?
I use music in my life as entertainment when I am doing things around the house or riding in the car. I use it as a sound control at work when trying to keep the students quiet. I also use it to as background noise when I am getting ready.
2.      What musical activities and interests did you have as a child?
I was in choir in middle school.
3.      Have you observed children at musical play?
I see this almost every day, as a classroom assistant. My students love music!
4.      Are there some musical skills you are able to teach to children more easily than others?
I can teach children the words to different songs and rhythm, but it would be difficult for me to teach them how to read music.
5.      What do you think that all children should be able to do, musically, as a result of MUSCIAL education?
I think that all children should be able to match a pitch and keep a steady beat.
6.      Have you ever observed a teacher integrating music into the classroom? Cite Examples.
The teacher who I currently work with integrates music into the classroom quite frequently. She has a song for each letter of the alphabet and all of the shapes and she teaches all of these songs to the students throughout the school year. These songs come from the Frog Street Press.
7.      How do you think music can be integrated into the elementary classroom?
I think music can be integrated whenever teaching important concepts students can either make up a song about it as a class, or you, as the teacher, can find a song that already teaches the concept you want your students to remember and  teach it to them.
8.      How do you think music can be used as an interdisciplinary tool in the elementary classroom?
It can be used as a tool for transitions and to set expectations for the noise level of the room. “You may talk but, I do not want your voices to be louder than the music.”