This course is designed for music education majors with vocal/keyboard emphasis. Other music majors desiring to teach general music are also welcome. The course will focus on methods, materials, and techniques of teaching general music with emphasis on activities for the early childhood and elementary children. Actual experiences in planning and teaching music lessons will be stressed. Students will be encouraged to develop professionally through regular reflection of the teaching/learning process and to test-drive original teaching ideas.

Course Objectives:

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Express their philosophy of music education for children and describe the role of music teachers in today's elementary school;

2. Identify concepts of tempo, dynamics, rhythm, melody, harmony, form, texture, timbre, and style;

3. Understand the need and nature of musical growth in children by arranging musical concepts into sequences that enable maximum musical growth;

4. Describe, evaluate, and demonstrate teaching techniques developed by prominent music educators including Dalcroze, Kodaly, Orff, Carabo-Cone;

5. List and evaluate resource materials suitable for use in the elementary music classroom, and create teaching strategies to use these materials;

6. Discuss music in relation to other arts, school subjects, and various cultures;

7. Demonstrate skills necessary for music teachers including singing, playing or accompanying songs with classroom instruments with fluency;

8. Design music teaching/learning utilizing the latest technology;

9. Write thematic units, and teaching plans reflecting their knowledge in using different strategies in music teaching for varying learning styles of children;

10. Design music learning to align with the Kentucky Program of Study, Kentucky Learner Goals and Expectations, and National Performance Standards for Music;

11. Demonstrate creativity in guiding others in creative musical experiences;

12. Devise assessment strategies to measure musical learning progress towards the National Music Performance Standards and State Arts and Humanities Assessment Standards.

Office: 421 Rose Street , Tel. 257-8203, email: cecilia.wang@uky.edu

Office Hours: MW 11 -12

MUS 361 Requirements:

1. Required books:

ԇ        Discovering Orff by Jane Frazee, Schott

ԇ        MUS361 Course Packet (available at Johnny Print)

ԇ        MUS360 Course Packet from previous semester.

ԇ        Soprano Recorder---Baroque fingering

ԇ        Alto Recorder---optional

2. Class attendance:

Most of the learning in this class will take place during actual experiences in music activities, thus class attendance is expected from every student. Students may have up to four absences (including excused absences) without penalty. Five absences will be deemed excess and will result in a drop of the final letter grade. Students with nine or more absences will not pass the course. Tardiness or leaving class early for 15 minutes or more will count as one absence. 

3. Field experience:

Each student will do observation and mini-teaching in an elementary school for a total of 10 hours individually. Each student will work with a supervising teacher in a school, observing and assisting the teacher at the beginning of the field experience. In the later part of the field assignment, he/she will conduct musical activities to children under the guidance of the supervising teacher and the instructor. In addition, the class will visit different schools together as a group. Arrangements will depend on availability of teachers.

4. Assignments:

Article reports, teaching ideas, mini teaching, lesson plans, music arrangements, and evaluation/reflection statements will be required throughout the semester. All work must be submitted on time in order to receive a grade.

All written work should be typed.

5. Music skills:

Students must demonstrate proficiency in singing and performing musical instruments required of general music teachers. A competency list for singing, playing the recorder, autoharp and bar-instruments will be provided.

6. Participation:

Students are expected to participate in all activities during class and while visiting schools. Participation also includes communication with the instructor as needed inside and outside of class, arriving class on time, be prepared for class activities and presentations, and interacting with your classmates.

Grading:

   Assignments, presentations - 30%

   Thematic Unit and Final Teaching - 20%

   Field work and related reports - 30%

   Music skills - 10%

   Participation - 10%

   A=3.6-4            B=3.00 minimum            C=2.00 minimum            D=1.00 minimum