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JUNIOR HIGH/ELEMENTARY MUSIC DIVISION Jane Nelson, Vice President


Qualities of Lasting Value


My mom had a Jewel Tea pitcher in her kitchen that she used for as many years as I can remember. It was the one she always used to make iced tea for our family. I have no idea what ever became of it over the years, but just the other day I was in an antique shop with my husband, and there on a table was a pitcher exactly like the one my mother had once owned. After overcoming the shock of how much the antique dealer wanted for it, nostal- gia overcame me and I purchased it and took it home. I washed it in my dishwasher, and decided that I’d make some iced tea in it for my husband. I’ve found that it’s the perfect size to fit in my refrigerator, and it actually pours more easily than the one I have been using. My husband applauded my putting this pricey antique to practical use rather than just setting it on a shelf to gaze at from time to time. Te simple fact is . . . some things are just timeless and practical in their use. Tey will always be needed, and will never lose their value.


Te four “Cs” listed in the Partnership of 21st Century Skills document are equally timeless and practical in their application to music educators. Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity are the four elements of a quality music education that have always been and will forever be needed to successfully instruct our students. Te commitment to excellence must never waver and these elements serve as benchmarks to insure success.


While these skills are timeless to our students, teachers must examine the most efficient, relevant ways to teach music concepts so that all young people from Kindergarten through high school can get excited about learning and we can reach our overall teaching goals.


In this issue of the journal we are sharing examples of how to implement the four “Cs.“ Last year, I asked my fifth grade general music students to form into groups of four in order to create, title, and perform an eight measure rhythm exercise that they would play on per-


cussion instruments. We had just completed a unit on reading, writing and performing rhythm patterns, and it was a way for me to evaluate how well they understood these concepts. Te cacophony of sound as they prepared their compositions was deafening, but they enthusiastically stayed on task and completed their group assignments.


We worked on this project for three class periods. Each group member had to decide which instrument they wanted to play, but they had to consider blend and balance, as well as practice the rhythmic patterns they planned to play. Te boys and girls were free to discuss their compositions and instrument choices with me, but ultimately each group carried out their own plan. As each ensemble performed their final product, I was pleased to see that the rest of the class sat quietly focused and applauded their classmates’ efforts.


In retrospect, I considered the lesson a suc- cess in encouraging my students’ creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. I wish I had asked each group to communicate in writing a brief description of their instrument choice, the rhythm patterns they chose, the title of their composition and how it related to what they performed. Had I the opportunity to do this again, I would have included the element of communication into my lesson plan. It would have provided another means of measuring their competence.


I wouldn’t presume to tell you how to teach; mine was a simple example, and, as you can see, I could have improved what I did, even though there was a measure of success. I would challenge you, though, to plan your lessons/rehearsals with the four “Cs” in mind, and once the lesson is completed . . . perhaps at the end of the day . . . sit down for just five or ten minutes and think through the learning activities your kids participated in each class period, and analyze what your goals were, how you executed that plan, how the students reacted, and what you can do to improve the lesson for next time.


May I suggest you look online at www.P21. org, at the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website where you will find some sug- gestions for possible lesson plans ideas designed for the arts. In some cases, you may find that the suggestions may lack relevancy to your unique teaching situation but study- ing it will give you a positive groundwork from which to build the four, timeless pillars of education . . . creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.


Another effective way to hone your twenty-first century teaching skills will be to attend the IMEA All-State Conference in Peoria this January. Your JEM Repre- sentatives worked very hard this summer to create a workshop line-up that will set you up to succeed in the music classroom. Roger Emerson will be with us for two ses- sions. Randy Delelles and Jeff Kriske will be with us for two sessions on Saturday. Marjorie Troeh will share some creative lesson plans for music lessons stimulated by children’s books.


Ben Waggoner will share some quality music that middle school students love to sing. Ben will return during our Open JEM Meeting to share some ideas on saving and strength- ening your music program in the district where you teach. Martha Riley, Katherine Bell, and Giovanni Davila will be presenting workshops designed for all elementary music educators K-8. Please come and join us; you return to your classroom with renewed energy and tons of great ideas to implement.


In conclusion I want to remind you that IMEA and JEM both have Facebook pages. If you haven’t done so, look us up. We would love to hear from you. Perhaps you have some lesson plan ideas incorporating the four “Cs” that you’d be willing to share which would benefit your colleagues around the state. Let us hear from you!!


May we all teach and live our lives with quali- ties of lasting value.


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Illinois Music Educator | Volume 71 Number 2


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