Last Field Reflection

What:
Although it was only a three week period of time, I didn't realize I would still get attached to the students. They had just recently started learning how to play the recorder, and I would love to return and hear how they are coming along in their playing.
So What:
I am beginning to realize that even a brief experience with the arts can make a difference in someone's life. Children respond so quickly to the arts in a positive way, and as a teacher, I need to capitalize on that precious time.
Now What:
Reflections on how my future classes will experience the arts changes constantly with every fun and novel idea I come across. But, however I choose to introduce or incorporate the arts into what the students are learning, one thing remains constant. There will be many experiences learning through creative arts methods.

Reflection #12

This week in field we showed our Digital Story created for social studies and Instructional Media. The topic was "Mountain Men and Tall Tales" This story was told through music and pictures only. We chose music from the following website: http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/FineArt/Core_Curriculum/General/songbook.htm

The students were asked to watch this digital story about Mountain Men and to pay close attention since there would be an assignment for them to write their own Tall Tale after the lesson.

We then read/told them a story about Paul Bunyan from a book which illustrations were made with a woodcut technique. This art form was briefly talked about with the class.

The students also were VERY creative with their tall tales and we were able to hear some of the stories. About 8 students were chosen to read their tall tale in front of the class. Some of the students were able to use their words to create imagery very well.

My favorite was a man who would blow cheese out of his nose and the village was able to eat for 2 weeks. They didn't mind where the food came from. He also blew some cheese to the moon to get a pesky giant rat to leave their village and it followed the cheese trail to the moon. Great creativity!! Some children also drew sketches to go along with their story.

In my future classroom, I will take every opportunity to integrate the creative arts in all aspects of my teaching. Changing things up and pointing out artistic forms will benefit all the students. They need to feel safe in trying new things and exploring unknown territory- especially in the arts! Vive la arts!

Field Reflection #11

This past week was very educational with hands-on experience teaching 4th graders in ParkView Elementary School. The class is very social and although they are getting older, they still need to have a variety of activities happening each day.

One of my favorite activities was 5 minute dance party. The teacher will playthe "cha cha slide" on her ipod and the kids LOVE it. They do every movement the song asks them to...stomp your right foot. Now slide to the left. hop 5 times, cha cha...etc. The beat is very fun to hear and you can't help but move around when you hear it.

Some of our lessons we taught this week was about the Utah explorers. We had the children write obituaries about their assigned explorer, then we showed them examples of tombstones and how they represent the life of someone who has died. The children were placed into 6 groups and all helped make a tombstone to present to the class about their explorer.

It was very fun to see one particular group who pretended their tombstone was very heavy and they were acting like they were almost going to drop it during their presentation. All the tombstones were made on black paper and had at least one symbol drawn on it to represent an important event in their life. The students did a great job being creative.

Every day there are opportunities to use the creative arts in the classroom. I hope maybe we have helped the cooperating teacher increase a desire to do this as well.

First Field Reflection #10

What:
Meeting for class on Monday, and being in the elementary school 4th grade classroom on Wednesday was quite a switch. I enjoyed hearing all the ways to incorporate information to be learned into a song.
On Wednesday, Jessica and I were with our 4th graders from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A full day with it being early out day. It was great to see an entire day of what a teacher has to go through. During the "morning meeting" all of the children sat in a circle in an open area in the back of the classroom and part of the meeting was that the children had been assigned to come up with actions to go along with a song written about the water cycle.
So What:
During this water cycle song, the children were quite creative coming up with motions to go along with the concepts of evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Some came up with a partner (which enabled some students who may normally have been too shy to come up alone to more easily participate ). I loved it!
Now What:
I truly think music in the classroom has an important role in helping students learn in every aspect. It is so much easier to connect information to something if there is music attached to it. I substituted first grade today (friday) and even sang a song to the tune "If you're happy and you know it" with the following words..."The first thing on your paper is your name, (repeat), If it doesn't have your name, then they all look the same. The first thing on your paper is your name." Another one I sung to have the children go to sit on the carpet was "Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat. Everybody have a seat on the floor. Not on the ceiling, not on the door, everybody have a seat on the floor." Both songs worked wonderfully and the children would sing along.
I plan to continue this practice when I soon have my own classroom!

~JaNae