Trimester 1, 2017-18 Summary

Trimester 1, 2017-18 Summary

What have we been up to this trimester in Mrs. Jensen's music classes?  

Our focus for all grade levels this trimester has primarily been on RHYTHM!  Students have been working hard on being able to identify, read, sing, play, perform, and compose these rhythms in the charts below.  (If you look closely, you will see how the concepts are divided by grade level.) 

What did we do in class to become successful with this learning?  

In order to climb this musical mountain...

We played games, 

Constructed notes and composed music with pipe cleaners

Played songs containing the rhythms on instruments 

Composed songs and assessed music literacy with the help of our Chromebooks

Stretched and pushed ourselves to become better musicians! 

EXAMPLE: In this assignment, the students needed to compose the music in the measures, but some were able to challenge themselves even more and take it to the next level!  Here is are a couple of outstanding examples from 5th grade!  

As you can see, we have been very busy learning about rhythm this trimester! But that's not all we've been up to! 

Each grade level voted on their favorite songs from the books and then we incorporated them into the lessons.  We played stick passing games as a way to deepen our understanding of beat and rhythm AND work on those life skills of cooperation, team work, and perseverance.  We created a realistic rhythmic rain storm using instruments (gathering drum, hand drums, rain stick), body percussion (snapping, clapping, etc) and some "special effects" (light switches = lightening).  It was so powerful and exciting!  Make sure to ask them about it! Several classes even danced, splashed and jumped "in the rain."

The time with my first two kindergarten classes went by waaaaay to quickly!  They were absolutely adorable, sweet and energetic learners.  We sang, danced, played, and became beginning music readers!! I can't wait to see them again in 1st grade!  I will miss them!  My next batch will begin this week.  I hope they are ready for some fun!

My 1st and 2nd graders have begun to work on their music for their HAPPINESS CONCERT on January 18th as well!  They sound amazing.   We have been able to discuss the power they possess in their voices.  When they begin to sing, it is like the light is turned up brighter in the room.  The beauty, fun, and emotion they create with song is truly amazing.  I can't wait for them to showcase all of their hard work and talent! 

It's been a wonderful Trimester 1...I am excited for some more fun, learning and growing in Trimester 2.

Tip for managing stress: Finding your "Happy"

Find your "Happy"

Where is your "Happy"?  For everyone, it can be different.  It might be found in nature, drawing a picture, building with your hands, dancing.  Of course our happiness also is deeply tied to those in our lives that we love.  But I want to know WHAT (not who) is your "Happy" !!!

My "Happy" is Music.  Not just any music...Fast, Fun, Loud, Groovy, Funky music.  That slow stuff is great when I want to calm down, but if I need a quick pick-me-up I'm turnin' on the tunes with BIG bass and BIG beat.  If I have to do the dishes or clean the toilets, my neighbors are gonna hear some funky tunes coming out of my windows!  Play it loud.  Play it proud.  I'm talking about Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Prince...you know what I mean?! 

Give it a try.

First, make a "happy" playlist.  Only YOUR favorite songs will do.  Start with a list of 10 or so... Give it a listen.  How do you feel?

Still not working?

Keep looking... the next time you find your mood change from a sour lemon to a beautiful sunny smile, figure it out.  Did you just find YOUR Happy?

Trimester 3, 2017 Summary

Trimester 3, 2017  Summary

K-2nd Grade Focus on Music Literacy

This trimester, we have spent a LOT of time on reading melodies, and composition.  We began by discussing this big question "Why do we write the notes down on the staff?"  Even the composers of the past did this so that today we can still play their music.  When you don't write it down, it can be forgotten!  Just like those good old grocery lists, right?!

Over the past few months, the students spent time identifying the notes on the staff, listening and critically thinking about melodies, searching and finding musical patterns and working together to build their music literacy skills.

Ask your children about some games we played to reinforce our learning.

• Echo me game (with ukuleles)
• Point and play
• Roll and play
• Composition station
• Heads up 8 up (with pitches on staff)

Of course, we also had fun in class moving, singing and playing instruments!  There is never a dull moment here!

In these past few weeks, we spent some time learning about musical ostinato (or plural: Ostinati).  This is a repetitive musical pattern, which can be rhythmic, melodic, etc.  A wonderful (and super fun) site to reinforce this learning is called http://www.bitesizebeats.com/
This must be done with an adult, as there is an age requirement.  It is an adorable example of the great power of repetitive musical patterns (ostinati) ... all in the package of some funny M&Ms!

We enjoyed making our own ostinati live too...some using voices and some using instruments!

Just a warning...Your ostinato will get stuck in your heads!  Haaha :)


3rd-5th Grade Focus on Performance 

Congrats on a totally RAD 80s musical!  Our 3rd-5th graders poured their hearts into this year's performance.  I asked my students about some things they will remember or take away from this experience.  In the kids' words, here are some valuable things they learned this trimester because of our musical production.

"I learned that you need to speak slowly for the audience to hear you." 

"I learned that we needed to use more of our voice so the audience can hear us clearly." 

"I learned sign language.  I can communicate now in a different way.  When I'm older I can help others because of this."  

"I learned that it is okay to laugh at ourselves. Not to be so serious all the time." 

"We learned to listen to the cues for all of our transitions." 

"I learned to be more open with music.  Before choir, I didn't sing and dance a lot.  Now I like to dance and sing and listen to music." 

"When there are a lot of people I used to have stage fright.  Because of this show, I conquered my fears and I even tried to stand out!!!!"

Targets of this experience...

1. Analyze musical concepts through performance
2. Practice, improve, and perform artistic ideas
3. Develop personal interpretations that consider creators' intent and appropriate to the audience and content
4. Explain how music is related to history, culture and our daily life
5. Evaluate and refine personal and ensemble performances, individually or in collaboration with others

*For information about the national standards hit during this trimester, check out the "Performance" section of this document: http://www.nafme.org/wp-content/files/2014/11/2014-Music-Standards-PK-8-Strand.pdf

Trimester 2, 2017 Summary

Summary of Trimester 2, 2017

Focus on Pitch/Melody

For all grade levels, our learning targets for this trimester have been centered on reading, composing and performing MELODIES on the staff.  Much time has been spent diving into this complex topic.  Our favorite learning tool for this unit has been our beautiful ukuleles (or as we call them sometimes, our "uke-a-babies!").  These delightful instruments have been incorporated into lessons for every grade level K-5.  K-2nd grade use them to read the "open" pitches (which require no pushing) G, C, E, A on the staff.  To remember these string names we sing "Great Cats Eat Ants."

Grades 3-5 stretch further by beginning to learn how to play closed pitches (pushing): On C string -D [2nd fret), and on the E string- F [1st fret] and G [3rd fret].

Movement games, dance and singing have been integrated into the lessons to prep the students for their instrumental experience.  Alongside of labeling pitches with alphabet letters, we also incorporate the "solfege system" (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do) which uses hand signs for each pitch.  Our intense study of pitch/melody has been built upon our previous unit of study, rhythm.  

All students have done an amazing job learning these pitches and all of the concepts that accompany this unit: playing melodies alone and with a group, the concept of "on a line" and on a space", reading structure left to right, note values and rhythm structure.  At this point, our melody assessments have primarily been performance based.  Assessments to reinforce the study of rhythm have occurred in a array of forms: An online site called Rhythm Trainer, Google slide compositions, and performance-based assessments (alone and group).  Needless to say, we've been busy!  

Musical Performances!

Our music performances at A.G.S. continue to be exciting authentic learning experiences!  My 1st-2nd grade and 4/5th Chorus absolutely shined at their winter concert "Once Upon A Tune!"  

All 3rd-5th graders continue to dig into their songs for our *80s musical that will occur in May.  The songs used in these productions naturally become the center for rich classroom discussions about song form, dynamics, genre, textural features and meaning.  

*More information about the spring musical will be coming your way soon.

  

Looking ahead...

As we enter Trimester 3, we will begin using more manipulatives (staff paper, chips, staff mats, etc) to dig deeper into this study of melody and pitch.  Our older students (grades 2-5) will use their Chromebooks to compose digitally on the musical staff.  Another fun application of pitch reading will be with the fun site SFSKids.  On this site, student's Chromebooks are transformed into instruments by using the numbers on their keyboards! In addition, we will begin using our wonderful "keyed" instruments- glockenspiels, xylophones, and metallophones- to reinforce our learning of pitches and melodic construction.  Along with this, students will learn proper mallet technique and compare the structure of these pitched percussion instruments to that of pianos and keyboards.

One more exciting note...

3-5th graders have the opportunity to check out a ukulele and bring it home!  With our reinstated "Ukulele Check-Out System" they may take home a ukulele and method book for 3 days!  Already 45 students have taken advantage of this special privilege. Permission forms are located outside my classroom door.

   

My Teaching Philosophy and Practices

by Mary Jensen

Maintaining an environment for student success

First and foremost, my intention is for students to feel safe, loved, appreciated and valued in my classroom. All other aspects of my teaching branch from this core value. This, above all else, is crucial so they can feel safe to learn, grow and explore the wonders and magic of music. It is my responsibility to provide this environment that will help their minds thrive! I want all of my students to remember my classroom as being a fun, positive and welcoming place. A wonderful experience in music as a young child will make them more likely to pursue music-making and have an appreciation for this precious form of art in the future. A negative experience can do the opposite. By maintaining a connection that is authentically affectionate, kind and supportive I believe that they can hold onto their happy memories for a lifetime!

Brain-building, Music-making and Successfulness

I desire to constantly stretch my students’ thinking. Our classroom activities, concerts and lesson objectives are meant to “exercise their brains!” Reading music, moving to music, playing music, creating and composing music, listening to music...these all activate different areas of their brain! Every teaching moment is an opportunity to help their minds grow and change. What an unbelievable, amazing and humbling responsibility we educators have!

What are the details of their learning and products of their understanding? While under my care, my students learn how to read, play, and compose complicated rhythms; construct melodies that they sing and play; compare and contrast music structures; and investigate social and the historical background of music. We use many instruments in class! Our ukuleles and percussion instruments are a couple of their favorites! We dance with scarves to explore musical expression (dynamics and tempo). We dance, march, clap and hop to feel steady beat and rhythmic changes. We sing, perform, laugh and play.

How do I know if THEY know what they need to know?

● Performance Assessments - Often, my students are asked to show their learning in a performance assessment for either just me or in front of a group or the class. After they compose a melody, song or rhythm they are asked to share what they have created. Ideas can lead to other ideas, right?! So many kids benefit from seeing what others have made. This is a wonderful and natural way to spark their own thinking!

● Utilizing Technology - Teachers in our district often integrate technology for formative and summative assessments. We are fortunate at A.G.S. to be a 1:1 school. All of our 1st graders use Samsung Tablets and 2nd-5th graders use Chromebooks. They often bring their Chromebooks and Samsung tablets to my classroom. They access assignments on Google Classroom and use them to navigate my blog/website which includes links to educational music sites. My colleagues and I enjoy finding new apps, sites and uses for these devices in our music classrooms to support and assess their learning. In January, my elementary music team and I presented to a group of over 200 music educators of Illinois about how to use a variety of Google Suite products to enhance teaching, assessing and support peer collaboration. My personal favorite G Suite product to use with my students? Google Slides (sent via Google Classroom, so they each get their own copy of the assignment)! They must click on rhythms and pitches, and move the icons into particular spots on the slide. We even use Google Forms for pre and post assessments, giving us “real-time” results on knowledge, pinpoint common misconceptions and identify their strengths and areas needed for growth.

● Assessments and Learning Through Games and Play - Most of all, though, I love to assess through games and play!  We have enough puppets, dolls, costumes, and props to fill toy shop! Need a foam apple? We’ve got 10. Want a plate of delicious plastic toy food? We have a tub full of ‘em. How about some ladybug ears? Princess tiara? Viking helmet? Giant spoon? No problem, We’ve got you covered! Any song can be made more exciting with a silly or fun visual. Any difficult concept to learn can turn into a super-fun-challenge with the right tricks.

In these past (almost) 17 years, I’ve discovered a few important things about children. When we can fill our days with engaging lessons using games, instruments, technology, smiles, laughter and joy not only will our learning process be fun… we can have a blast SHOWING our learning!

Information about "The Road" Song Contest

Today launches a brand new music contest only for the Tri-City area of Batavia/Geneva/St. Charles.  The contest's creator, Scott Corbin of The Jank Guitar Store, has made a really cool opportunity for our kids!

It is called "The Road" Song Contest

Here are the bullet points:

• Open to kids ages 10-19 (and doesn't have to be students in band, orch. or chorus.  ie could be dancers/guitarists/etc), with parent's signed permission and a $3 entrance fee. 
• The winner receives $2,000 for the town, $2,000 for their music program, and a $10,000 scholarship for themselves!
• They will be given a recording and sheet music of the song "The Road" by Casely and The Jank (whom Scott is half of), and must interpret it through a music cover, remix, or dance performance.
• It isn't really a focus on pure musical talent or skill. Think "creativity" first! How can the student's apply their knowledge? 
• The contest is open from 2/14 to 8/25.
• They must upload their submission to YouTube, and the winner will be announced in December.

Feel free to email Scott if you have any questions along the way: corbin11@hotmail.com.