This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My school is a creative arts school! As a part of my music classroom, we spend a lot of time working on music literacy through the Orff Schulwerk Method using barred instruments like xylophones. I love seeing students' eyes light up when they finally are able to read music and play music on their own!
Music is such a part of all of our lives and I love that I get to help students experience it through these lively and fun lessons.
I don't have kids of my own so my students are my babies! They come to school every day and are so enthusiastic about learning new music and playing fun songs. I am grateful I get to spend my days doing life with these kiddos. Work is not work when you love what you do!
My Project
Since the beginning of time, children have not liked to study. They would much rather play, and if you have their interests at heart, you will let them learn while they play; they will find that what they have mastered is child’s play.” – Carl Orff
The Orff approach teaches children through experiences in music, speech, and movement.
Feelings precede theoretical knowledge. Students develop understandings from discovery. Their early music education often begins with experiencing rhythm through childhood chants and children’s’ rhymes. Children go on to explore music and movement in ways similar to “real life” musicians and dancers. Learning is structured so success is immediate. For example, children might play a steady beat drone on barred instruments to accompany a pentatonic song. These first harmonies echo the traditional instrument drones that historically have accompanied folk songs and tunes from nearly all cultures around the world. While very simple or elemental, these accompaniments are effective. As children accompany a song, improvise a melody, create a dance or work with musical forms, they are engaged in real-life tasks. Through joyful music-making, movement and words children learn through child’s play.
This professional development will increase my knowledge in this teaching method. It will allow me the skills to implement it in my Magnet Creative Arts School. I believe the students will benefit just as the founder stated, learning through singing, saying, dancing, and playing.
The funding you provide will cover the cost of my books & instrument materials for this 10-day course. The materials I will need are: Alto Recorder, Soprano Recorder, Music For Children Vol 3 & 5, Recorder Improvisation & Technique Vol 3, Recorder Consort book 2, and The Elemental Stylebook. The instruments and textbooks will be what I use during my pedagogy & recorder classes.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. B. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
