Field Observation Report

Throughout the reading this week, the information presented in David Elliott and Bennett Reimer’s texts stressed the importance of music and more specifically, music education. “People everywhere find music rewarding, and everywhere we find people engaged in formal and non-formal efforts to teach and learn music.” (Elliott, 2014, p. 4)

Students will gain an understanding of how form in dance and music relate. They will increase their knowledge of movement vocabulary by applying it through choreography. Weekly exposure to new movements

* “when you speak with great educators, and look behind the test scores, the lessons learned in studying music, learning to play an instrument, playing in a band, learning to read music, all provide a richness to a child's education that will last a lifetime,” (par 1).

Upon reading both the Mississippi Arts Frameworks and the National Core Arts Standards, it became very apparent that there were similarities and contrast in both their structure and content. Both of these frameworks still have the overall goal of increasing both individuality, creativity, and important life skills in students. Both of these frameworks highlight important artistic processes and content, but both differ in the components that they contain as well. Additionally, both frameworks still have the same universal goal as other subject area, which is to inform readers of what a student should know and be able to do at different grade levels. Similarly, both standards are also offer itself as guides and models for educators to plan their instruction. Both standards offer a multitude of resourceful information that can guide teachers into designing a curriculum in which performance is assessed rather than paperwork.

I can say I’m a multi-instrumentalist. I can play the harmonica, the trombone, the ukulele, the bass, the piano, the electric and acoustic guitar, and I’m probably forgetting one. But really I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her” (Montes). “One of the big things I teach my kids is how through hard work, you can accomplish anything. Whenever a kid shows up to a lesson, I always ask them if they practiced, and sometimes they say no because they don’t have a piano at home. It reminds me of the days when I couldn’t even afford a piano, but I push those thoughts away and work towards helping these kids fulfill their dreams as I’ve fulfilled mine. Music teaches the kids how to work through a tough song, and through time and practice, they always get it at the end” (LaBeau). Ronnie’s School of Music has performed annually for several of the city’s prominent events: the Arroyo Lighting at Christmas, Saint Anthony’s Fall Festival, Winter Texan festivals, and many more. LaBeau teaches students of all ages, from three to ninety seven. The majority of her students, however, come from Saint Anthony Catholic

As a result of reading the forward of “The National Core Arts Standards: A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning”, I saw that there was some information that I learned from past classes that I already understood. I knew that the standards was first established when Goals 2000s made dance a core subject in all schools. When that happened a council was formed to create standards to make sure that it included the most important concepts and ideas. Art programs are really important for school systems to enforce. The arts help children understand the world and society. The information students learn will help them understand the material they are learning in their other subjects. Having dance classes, will reiterate the information they are working on in other

My understanding of underserved rural environments is limited to what I have read and what I have observed while visiting the Pacific Northwest and the Appalachian region. However, my familiarity with more urbanized underserved regions is much keener. I have discovered a common theme in many of these underserved areas.

Establishing new national fine arts standards and programs from previously attempted standards will give students equal opportunities to succeed and develop themselves to their full potential. These standards would be a refined and reshaped version of the 1992 and 1994 attempted national standards for fine arts, but would be integrated with Common Core values and lessons (National Association for Music Education). Refining the following standards to meet today’s technological standards would be beneficial for fine arts students because they would have applications to what they are learning and would be able to use Common Core’s goals to positively impact each student; three sections by grade level: K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 all with different but similar standards (6 in total) and benchmarks (44 in total) for each different fine arts

While observing during my fieldwork assignment I had the pleasure of speaking candidly with quite a few teachers. It was Chanel Thompson’s conversation that stood out to me most. It seems we are like minded in many ways. Currently she works at Francis Elementary, a school that is currently plagued with the daunting tasks of trying to enrich not only the academic careers but the lives of its students. Francis Elementary is one of the many Houston schools that services children that fall in the bottom of the lower middle class, in terms of socio economic statuses. Like me, Chanel stated that she picked this profession because of the impact she would have on various children that she would teach from year to year. After teaching for just four short years she still feels the same way. She went on to say “Teaching will be the hardest yet most rewarding job you will ever have.”

Across the United States many elementary school music classrooms are filled with simple and popular tunes such as Hot Cross Buns and The Ode to Joy, played on the recorder, while high school students may be playing collegiate or professional pieces of music such as Armenian Dances and Carmen Suites. I have been very fortunate to have gone on the journey of progressing through different music education programs within Fairfax County Public Schools. If I was never exposed to music while in elementary school I might not have ever found one of my greatest passions or been able to create such fond and unforgettable memories. While music education programs across the country appear large and strong, many schools are beginning to experience budget reductions. As a result, music is often the very first component of a school 's curriculum or programs to be cut or significantly reduced, but I believe this is not the right course of action. It is important to preserve and promote music education in public schools because of the proven cognitive, character,and academic benefits for students.

The field work that I have done was at the Foundation daycare between 9am and 10:30 am. The daycare is next to the Shaar Hashomayim on Metcalfe and Kensington Avenue in Westmount (o). When I first went to the school I went through the courtyard which had cemented pillars and archways (O) as well as a row of plastic play houses of a variety of colours and sizes (O). The doors are all locked therefore I had to ring the Foundation school doorbell (O). The school has 2 stories (O); the first story is where the daycare (O) is and the second floor is where the elementary school (O) is located. There are 6 classrooms (O) and each classroom has a specific age group (O). While walking to the classroom, there are rows of cubbies and hooks along the walls

The National Association for Music Education has several general standards put into place (the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards). These standards center around the theme of music literacy and attempt to improve the three most important aspects of music learning: creating, performing, and responding. These aspects are designed to be applied to a student 's musical performance as well as their conduct in the community. The standards are used throughout the United States, introducing new topics throughout a child 's preschool-8th grade education. They are also provided in small "strands" throughout high schools. Teachers implement these techniques through the teaching of theory, music history, collaboration, creating and performing throughout their own individual curricula. They also have created "Model Cornerstone Assessments," which are designed to measure a student 's academic achievement and performance within the Core Arts Standards. As far as arts in the schools go, NAfME also has several organizations which help to promote music in schools across America. I believe that having these national requirements is extremely beneficial in that students across America will be learning similar concepts in the same efficient manner, giving each individual student an opportunity to thrive as well as any other fellow American student. I do think, though, that there should be ways for these codes can be more enforced, as I had never really heard of

Middle school is very different from Elementary school. The students are beginning to change and the structure of things are very different. The students have about seven teachers that they see throughout the day. I think this is very important because each teacher, teaches differently, therefore, at least one of the seven are more likely to have a teaching style that the students like. Each teacher as their own teaching methods and a different subject that they teach. Through my field experience I was able to observe three different teacher that teach three different subjects.

My first day of observations had finally arrived. Filled with excitement, I opened the doors to Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, and walked into the front office to sign in as a guest for the day. I made my way to the second grade wing to do my first observation for my field experience report. The second grade instructor greeted me as I entered her classroom, with a big bright smile I found made her classroom warm and inviting.

The first approach of student-centered learning that will be discussed is a teaching method called the Learning Cycle. A study was done with fifth grade students learning about sound. There were some students who were taught using the Learning Cycle, and some students were taught using the textbook approach. To see which method produced a greater understanding of sound the students were randomly selected, and an interview method was used in both groups to see what the students previously knew about sound. Then, in the instruction part of the procedure an instructor was used in both methods. In the Learning Cycle approach there were three phases: "exploration, concept introduction and concept application". During these three phases the students worked together in-groups while discussing their ideas and using manipulatives to act out the concepts. Also, the teacher would act as a facilitator, while the students discussed their ideas, and created more ideas and situations to figure out. During the lessons, the students were in active control and they could lead the lesson with their ideas and conclusions. The students were very excited to work together and the groups encouraged some of the students to share their ideas more willingly (Barman, & Barman 1996). Dinan