Baby Steps to Teaching Music Composition - Part 2 FREE DOWNLOAD!

Based on my previous post, I am not ashamed to admit that I was thrilled when I was able to help my students travel through a composition process that got them to where they could create work that looked like this.   However, when I consider this work I can see room for improvement in the lesson I present.  

1.  This composition is randomly rather than musically produced.  At this point in the process only a few of my students demonstrate any notion that their piece should start or end on tonic.  This happens because even though they have an instrument (the recorder) that they can use to hear their piece, it is not something they can use well because recorders are loud and they are composing in a room filled with other students also using the recorder to test out their compositions.  

2.  This composition has not been placed on the staff. When I first started taking students through the process of music composition, once my students were able to compose 16 beats of rhythm and then attach a pitch I would hand them some staff paper and hope for the best.... Well.... I didn't get the best... I caused frustration and then we would be out of time, and there wasn't really good way to move further through the process.  

In order to address the first problem I plan on including a mini lesson about the relationship between the scale degrees and the importance of ending on "do" .  I also plan waiting for the full project until my students can play low d, low e and f sharp on the recorder so that we can compose in D Major pentatonic.  If a particular class isn't ready to move that far on recorder, then I will have them create their compositions for xylophone in C Major.  

To address the second problem, I plan is to invite my students to take their chart and transfer their work to the chart below that has a staff.   

I plan on testing both charts and hope to report back here about which one had more success.  

FREE DOWNLOAD!  HERE! 

10 modifications and accomodations for Recorder! - FREE DOWNLOADS

Playing recorder is rather complex and it is often an area where significant modifications and accommodations are needed in order to meet the instructional needs of ALL students.  Here is a quick list of the modifications and accommodations that I use most frequently. 

1.  Preferential Seating -   I can often make quick adjustments for those who need it, simply by making sure that they are close to me.  Sometimes this is as simple as pointing to music or being able to quietly repeat the instructions

2.  Recorder Buddies - I'll often have another student who is making good progress on recorder be a "mini-me".  They can sit next to the student in need and call out note names or model fingerings

3.  Time for independent practice - One of the best ways to keep students progressing without frustrating those who need more time is by using independent practice wisely.  I have a silent practice rule in my class.  I'll assign different groups different songs to practice.  Then they take turns playing in small groups out loud for the class.  This allows me to provide more support to those who need it. 

4.  Note Labeling - Generally I don't allow students to label the notes in their recorder books, but when a student needs the support, it can be very helpful and provide another avenue for practice. 

5.  Note name calling - Sometimes students can play at speed who might not be able to read at speed.  If I call the note names to those who need it, they can play what everyone else can play.

6.  Finger modeling - Sometimes I will model the correct finger positions during a particular song which allows students see what to do instead of worrying about reading it.   I use this sparingly.  I want them to continue to develop literacy, but if they don't get to "play" they might give up, so it's important that they develop sound as well s literacy. 

7.  Letter reading - Often students who cannot read traditional music notation have no problem reading letters.  If you use "letter notation" you can get them to progress pretty far along.  Dashes can be used to determine the length of the note and rests can be incorporated as needed. 

8.  Big is often better - I have enlarged copies of the book we use because for so many students, simply making the print larger enables them to read real notation.  This works really well in tandem with my projector.

9.  Personalized music - Sometimes I create music just for specific children in mind.  This is especially useful if there is a para-professional who travels with the student as they can work with the student who has a personalized book side by side with the class. 

10.  Alternate instruments - Sometimes in order to accommodate for the physical limitations, you can use alternate instruments.  All soprano recorder music can be easily changed to xylophone.  There are even recorders designed for children with at least 6 fingers that can be adjusted to fit their abilities. 

Here is a link to the adaptive recorder

FREE DOWNLOAD!

Easy Recorder  - part 1

 

Jingle Bells - Letters only

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back To School - Music Room Tour - part 2 -2014

One of the joys of not being new anymore is that I've had all year to inhabit my classroom and learn how the room flows with students in it.  As a result, my room set up is a little more refined and indicative of the way that students actually use the space. I finished my room last Friday and decided to hurry up and take pictures of everything before I messed it up again!    I'm very pleased with how things turned out...

The view from the entrance

 

my teaching nook

 

My computer area.... My personal CD collection is not yet put away because it is in need of some TLC

CD player and CD cabinet

The red bucket is where I keep my "today" teaching things.  The notebook is where I will keep printed lesson plans.  Objectives and reminders will be written next to the grade levels. 

I have the electric keyboard in the front of class because although I'm not a great accompanist, I like to play for class.  I'm much more likely to be successful if I am seated rather than standing on tiptoe over an upright.  I almost never use the removable music stand and prefer to play with my music flat on the keyboard so that I can see my students better. 



Our Orff instruments are always out.  We don't want them to get dusty.  Bandanas from Hobby Lobby some in a ton of colors and patterns and work great.  2 cover a bass.



I left this bulletin board blank on purpose because it will hold anchor charts as we create them.  The genre posters I hope to use during listening lessons

The recorders on top will eventually be assigned to students who need them so they don't have to share.  The drawer below has extra new recorders for 5th graders who might not have purchased a recorder yet.   Oh yeah, here is my pencil sharpener! :)



Managing instructional materials for 6 grades can be tough especially if some materials are shared.   Extra copies, shared resources, things that we are getting ready to teach.... THIS is the area where I will organize those things. 



This the view of the back wall from my "real" piano.... :)



I am going to try to house my textbooks like this.  I don't know if I'll like it, but I didn't think my plan last year was very effective.... SOOOO we'll try this and see how it goes. 

Each class has a folder to help me keep track of student work. 



When I look at this picture, I realize that I've got to sort my mallets. 
These bins are the perfect size for a class set of recorders.



pocket charts for my word wall. 



The empty shelves at the back will hopefully be the right size to store some of the things we may need for our upcoming performances. 



Have you ever notice that things accumulate over the year?  I think  I've finally left room for things I will receive.... like giant boxes of recorders, or performance shirts



Oh my goodness!  I have a desk! AND it's cleaned off!



Having been a teacher for so long I have a fairly extensive collection of things that I have made over the years that I keep on my laptop.  My resolution for the year is to actually set up my laptop everyday so that I can have access to those hidden treasures if I need them.  I would also really like to keep a clean desk.  After 15 years of teaching I don't know if it's possible, but its a new year and I can try.  MAYBE my desk decorations will last through the end of the first day....maybe not.... double sided tape is my friend.... If it gets messed up.... oh well!   This also reminds me that I need to do a post about sub plans.... one of these days! :)



who can resist musical bathroom passes? 

With school starting on Monday, I may not be free to write again for awhile, but I hope that everyone has a great time going back to school this year!

Building Practice Skills in Elementary from the Ground Up in 4 easy steps.

My students cannot wait to take their recorders home!  From the minute we order them until the day finally arrives, they beg and plead and wheedle, trying to get me to let them take their recorders home.  But so far, I haven't ever been entirely pleased with the progress my students make once they go home.   I've noticed that 3 things often happen. 
1.  Some students keep practicing because they LOVE IT!  - They love music, they love me, they love playing recorder and they are enthusiastic in everything they do. 
2.  Some students struggle on if I reward them enough..... Recorder Karate and other such programs, is perfect for the type of student that benefits from constant feedback and encouragement
3.  Some students give up and sometimes get angry.  They might love music, they might even love me, but no amount of incentive will clarify for them HOW to transition from making noise to making music.  Sometimes these students have other learning issues going on that they bring with them to music and asking them to practice recorder when they have no idea HOW to practice is like asking them to empty the Atlantic with a spaghetti sieve.  These are the students who we work with most during class while the other students are working more or less independently.  Sometimes these students are perfectly bright and capable and often gifted learners, but they are perfectionists who struggle with the process of developing a new skill if it's not easy the first time. 

Regardless, one of the most valuable reasons to take recorders home and have students figure it out at home is because when we teach our children to develop any skill independently, we are teaching them not just how to play an instrument but how to succeed in life. 

I've decided that this year, when it's time to take our recorders home, it will be after we have had a lesson in building practice skills. 

These anchor charts were developed with that in mind. 

I plan on starting with a blank house with numbers..... 

1.  A beautiful tone is the __________________
2. Correct Rhythms create the _____________
3. Correct Pitches create the _________
4. Beautiful phrases and articulation add ___________ 

As a class we will discuss the chart and fill it out. 

This will be on a large tablet.  As we discuss each section starting with the foundation and moving up, we will gather ideas about how we could practice that specific skill at home. 

The 2nd step will be when we use post it notes, or pop corn ideas to create what will become a practice skills sheet that they take home with their recorders.     My version is cleaned up and it is what I will guide them toward, but you know, I bet they come up with some ideas and some ways of thinking about practice that will be better than my "summer brain" came up with. Once we've created the take home version, the large version can go up on the wall as a reminder.... we might even right key words around in the different areas. of the chart so that students can refer to the chart during class. 

One aspect that I am going to highlight is the "Try Again Tree" - persistence, doggedness, tenacity, determination.... those are the words that I use to describe the people who I know who are most accomplished in life.  I don't care if my 5th graders ever play another note on recorder after I send them home, BUT, I do want them to remember that good things happen when we try again. 

Once the ideas are gathered, the students will synthesis their knowledge and decide what should go on their class practice sheet.  I'll make regular 8.5x11 of our guided collection of ideas..... This is my "cheat sheet" to help me keep them on track to make sure that they end up with at least these tips to help them..... Theirs will probably be better. 

I also want my students to understand the illusively artistic idea that there is ALWAYS one more thing that can be more beautiful.  That is why my musical house has a "try again" tree in front.    Our tone can always be more pure.  Our rhythm can always be more accurate.  Our pitches and how we move between them can always been cleaner and our interpretation can always become more beautiful.   I'm hoping that this anchor chart and resulting home-practice sheet will not just build better musical practice skills in my students but build better people.  :)

Silent Practice - Anchor Chart

I love teaching recorder! Last year I developed an anchor chart similar to this one in order to help my students develop good independent rehearsal skills for those times in class when I need to hear a small group of students rather than the whole class.  When I am working with a small group I remind everyone to "go through their check list".  

Before expecting them to be independent at this I demonstrate with a sort of silent practice "think aloud".  I want them to get used to thinking of their recorder method book as a non-fiction text. Before setting them loose, I make sure thry know where to find the places in the book where certain rhythms are introduced as well as where their note name chart and fingering chart exist. 

Ocassionally I take grades on how they practice. Even when we practice "outloud" we refer to the chart

I noticed this year that my recorder classes were MUCH more productive and students were on task much more often because I was able to give them clear expectations about what to do when they need to be occassionally quiet.  

Confessions of a Tired Music Teacher! - Two Unrelated Truths I've Unexpectedly Uncovered.

This was a tough week.  In terms of school it is a tough time of year because the calendar is not our friend.  Both teachers and students are suffering from fatigue.  After all we have been in school for a very long time.  Yet, in Texas we have our heaviest round of standardized testing this coming week and for elementary music teachers at schools like mine that means that we are gearing up for our heaviest performance season all year..... the month of May.  When you take an already tough week and add the national tragedies we've experienced this week it means that at least for me, this has been one of my most challenging weeks ever.  I didn't have any "extra" work this week, but I admit that doing an ordinary days work took a whole lot of extra ordinary effort.  I would come home and watch the news, sleep fitfully and then start over. 

Imagine my surprise when I also had two totally unrelated truths that I've discovered about how I want to be as a teacher that I wanted to take the time to capture here.  

True Statement 1

Choice is a powerful motivator,  I just have to learn to stack the deck in my favor without revealing my hand. 

In other words you can sink or sail your ship by the way you turn a phrase. 

Explanation:
At this time of year even students who are ready and prepared for learning can become hesitant and reluctant.  At the same time, students who often need lots of extra support and discipline to stay involved are not responding any longer to the structures, encouragements and consequences that have kept them on track all year.   Consequently, I am the only one who can guide my students past their reluctance and in some cases tendency toward active sabotage toward an engaging lesson that is worth their time and effort. 

When "that" class came in.... you know the one.... the one that makes you work harder than all the others combined?.....  I was ready......My objective never changed, but my delivery did.  I introduced what was in my mind the "consequence" assignment as an ordinary assignment with equal weight and validity as the "better choice" assignment.  I spoke of both with equal sincerity and mild enthusiasm so that my students were convinced that both were true options for their choice.  I ended up with the entire class on board with the more active of the two lessons without any fuss.  This was much more effective than introducing my choice of an assignment followed by a curt impatient description of an alternate punitive assignment for those students who failed to agree with my choice.

I think it worked because I surprised my students.  I think it worked because it disarmed students who enjoy being the squeaky wheel. I think it worked because I was fully set up for both options.  The benefit was that we had a good class and no one sabotaged the work because in their minds they got to choose.

True Statement 2

By the time my students leave the 5th grade, I want them to feel successful on recorder whether it takes two years, a pair of headphones and a patient partner or whether it takes five minutes  in the hallway on the way to class after breakfast.

In other words spiraling the musical experiences I provide for my students provides an avenue for growth over time. 



Explanation:
One of my more sensitive students has a particular aversion to the sound a recorder makes.  When we began recorder in fourth grade he had a terrible time trying to stay in my room.  He was fine until recorders started and then he would escape the noise by visiting the art room.  Since he was otherwise engaged in music, I let him demonstrate mastery in other ways.  We continued with recorder throughout 4th grade and now here we are in the second half of April at the end of 5th grade and without any invitation from me, but because his buddy from class invited him to, he has earned his white belt on recorder!!!!!  Also today, I had a 5th grader arrive who had never even held a recorder before ( that's what happens when you move schools often.)  Five minutes in the hallway after breakfast and he already has his first belt.  I'm so glad that I decided to stretch our recorder experiences over time so that my students could catch more music with their "learning nets".  At schools like this one with high mobility rates, providing a solitary experiences or even isolated units of study will miss lots and lots of students.  It's better to provide spiraled experiences where you can revisit and deepen some things from weeks, months and years before.  As I've been planning for next year I've been reflecting the effectiveness of  how I use the recorder and after these two unrelated experiences I can say that I am happy with the outcomes and find the extra time worth the effort.  

Marvelous Mondays - Recorder fingering chart foldable

 My favorite way to help students remember the notes they can play and read on recorder is to have students make their own "cheat sheet".  Now ya'll know that a "cheat sheet" is nothing more than a student created fingering chart, but there is something powerful about facilitating an opportunity for students to write down for themselves what they know.    This is particularly useful if you are trying to remind students about what has been taught either the semester or year before.  My 4th and 5th graders are about to pick up their recorders again after a two month break, so this will be a good review and reteach.

  

We start with a plain piece of paper

Fold it in half

Fold this in half again.   I find that folding the paper is VERY important because it helps my students  pace themselves.   Especially for my students who need more support, folding the paper keeps them from being overwhelmed. 

I always write on my paper in marker so that my students can see the work.
 Often I'll fold chart paper so that I can make mine bigger too.
 I ask my students to draw five parallel lines.

Depending on the students and where they are,  I may or may not ask them to draw a treble clef. 

After asking students to draw a blank fingering chart, I provide one piece of information, either the note, the fingering or the note name...... Then I facilitate the discovery, or the recall of the other information, either the note, the fingering or the note name.  Some students are more certain than others, so some will just fill their chart in while others wait for confirmation.  We watch carefully for error because the students know that they will be able to use these later. 

Unlike the pictures here, I encourage and model keeping my paper folded up.
Keeping the paper folded up while writing helps students focus on one note at a time.  

Depending on how far a particular class has  progressed this may be as far as we get. 

The nice thing about drawing with pencils is that you can easily use both sides of the paper.  

Another option if you want to have room for middle (low C) is to double up a note as I do with F and F sharp

Recorder Karate to the Rescue!

Last year I had a very strange experience because my 4th graders HATED to play the recorder..... When you find yourself with a group of students who aren't inclined to enjoy what you are doing, you have a real problem. "I hate this, this is stupid" really means "I'm frustrated because I don't understand" Either way, the problem is like a disease, it spreads quickly and can devastate learning because even the kids who WANT to do the activity are swayed by popular opinion......

 For years I've taught recorder and everyone has always been excited and thrilled to get to play them and it's not long before everyone feels accomplished and musical. So last year when I came up against a group of 4th graders who hated to play I was totally unprepared..... Afterall, what I had been doing before had always worked so well..... I tried EVERYTHING I could think of. I read blogs, I tried different projects, I mean it was a sort of mini-obsession. In the end, I decided to hit the "pause" button on teaching recorder to that group of students and I was comforted by the fact that I would have a summer and another chance to redeem the recorder experience when they got to be 5th graders.

 I wanted to try Recorder Karate from Music K-8 but I really didn't have funds for all the belts.... I thought about trying to bankroll the project on my own on the cheap, but knew that my students wouldn't be excited about a piece of embroidery floss and it would still cost a pretty penny. So, I decided to create a project on donorschoose.org and leave the final decision with funding. If we got funding, then we would try it and if not, then I'd have some more thinking to do.

Music K-8 - Recorder Karate Page

Music K-8 - Recorder Karate Belts Page 

  The project

• I had to save up enough points to create a project from Music K-8 because they aren't a vendor for donorschoose.org, so I earned and saved 6 points. 
• I created a project that would provide enough belts.... for two grade levels to participate for two years......with the little pesky rings and some mint flavored mouthpiece cleaner. 

Well we got funded so then I had some thinking to do 

Dilemma 1:  Only about 30% of my students purchase recorders each year. For years I taught at a school where everyone purchased their own recorder each year, but when I came to my new school I came right up against the reality that purchasing even a pencil for school was just not a priority. So, again donorschoose.org came in handy because I was able to acquire enough recorders for everyone to have their own. That's great - but how can they practice if they don't take them home..... You are right.... they can't..... so I let them take them home..... they are supposed to bring them to school every day and return them if they move. I'm planning on checking them all in during the month of December as I expect to have significant turn around over Christmas.  More than likely if I get 90% back, I'll hand them out again.... It's funny, now that they have them at home, I have more requests to purchase them, so in the end, I believe that I will have a larger percentage of my students buying them which for so many reasons is ideal.

Dilemma 2: Remember those students who hated recorder, I wanted to give them a chance to redo their experience BUT we had to get ready for the symphony which was very early AND we our big program for 5th grade right before Thanksgiving, sooooooooooo  I took just 1 lesson, just last week and reviewed what they already sort of knew and sent them on their way...... I see them every morning as they are headed to their "reading station" before school, so if they are ready to play, they take their test..... My 5th graders haven't yet earned as many belts as 4th grade, but they are also having to find the time to test on their own unlike 4th grade who gets some class time to test. For some of them, their performance can't finish soon enough, they are ready to play recorder.... What a blessed change!

Dilemma 3: There aren't enough hours in the day to test everyone as often as they would like to be tested.....  So in the morning as they are transitioning to their reading stations I test on a first come first serve basis.

4th grade
4th graders have been working toward earning the privilege of taking their first belt test and taking the recorders home since the first day of school..... As in years past their enthusiasm was contagious and a little hard to contain but since I allowed them to take their recorders home last week, they have taken off like a rocket!  After three weeks of working toward testing on recorder, we took the time this week to do a mini-lesson about meter and then it was time for them to have their first opportunity to practice in small groups and test for a belt..... Oh My!

My students are BEGGING to take a belt test.... truly my only limit is time and my ability to discern if a student will be successful when playing.  Often the "belt test" turns into a very necessary reteach  or "recordervention" so that I can individually reinforce good habits and retrain students out of old ones.  The funniest part is that no matter how many times we practice the song in class, I have had so many students have "lightbulb" moments about an element of reading the melody or rhythm during those conferences.  All of my students are playing better, but as always some of them are still missing the point....

In these early days when the songs are pretty easy, many of them still don't understand that I don't just want them to memorize some notes that they hear, I want them to read the notes and LEARN the song......  Case in point, Yesterday while the students were supposed to be practicing the first song in small groups while I called up groups for belt tests, I actually had an impatient student who had just earned her first belt, come up to me during a test and wave the next song in my face..... while she did this she very impatiently said, "Ms. Spadden, I'm gonna need you to write the names of the notes on this one for me....."...... Yep, she didn't quite get it, but..... she WILL get it!

Tips!  - I bet I'll come up with more as I refine how Recorder Karate will work in my room.... Hope this helps

1. Wear an apron - During the times when I know that I will be testing, I wear an apron with lots of deep pockets filled with the belts that I think I will need and spare rings.  That way, I'm not sending students off somewhere to get a belt and risk them being tempted to "grant" belts to all of their buddies.  Belts come only from me.

2.  Keep track of who has what - Obviously, this is a perfect assessment, but if you don't know who has tested then you can't prioritize and you will miss someone.  Because my records are in good shape, I can go back and seek out students who haven't voluntarily played for me.... they may be shy or in need of some extra support.

3. Have plenty of songs ready - Depending on what you order, you may have purchased the student book.  I am using Recorder Karate in conjunction with another method book, so the "test" songs are all loose pieces of paper that I've copied (with permission). The students take them home to practice, but while the recorders generally make it to class, the music rarely does, so I've got plenty on hand.