ILLINOIS COLLEGIATE MUSIC EDUCATORS Cindy Tovar, Chairperson
Skills You Can Use Now and Teach Later
In this issue we continue our look into Te Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), a national organization provid- ing tools and resources in education and ensuring students are well prepared to enter the 21st century workforce. P21 has identified some important skills for the well-rounded student presented as the the four C’s, critical thinking, com- munication, collaboration and creativity. Teachers are asked to incorporate the four C’s into all core subjects including art and music. How lucky are we to be in a field where these skills are used so frequently. Tese are skills you use every- day in college, sometimes without even noticing.
How can we fine tune some of these skills and how will you best teach your student’s the four C’s?
You have just finished writing your final paper for world music, you have spent countless hours and have proofed it with a fine tooth comb. You are 100% sure it is flawless but just for kicks you give it to your roommate to look over. Within ten seconds he finds a typo, a big one, first sentence, eighth word. You had read and reread that sentence hundreds of times, how did it happen? When we are com- pletely immersed in something and its vocabulary we sometimes correct with our mind what we see with the eye and we need another prospective to nudge our minds into a broader view. As musi- cians, we become completely enthralled with all things music, in science we study acoustics, we find a way to study geog- raphy through songs and while other students are quoting movie scenes we are quoting musicals.Te four C’s are in constant use through band, choir and or- chestra and because it is such common practice we sometimes don’t notice it.
Critical thinking—Example–Focus on a tricky passage vs. watching the conductor for a cue. Solution–pencil in accidentals and watch for the cue. A young musician will have their eyes glued to the music espe- cially if is difficult, you may need to engage
Winter 2010 |
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them in conversation about the situation and let them explore possible solutions.
Communication—Example–We all are masters of non verbal communications, the tilt of the head to cue an entrance, the audible breath to direct phrasing, and the infamous grimace when you hit a wrong note. Making students aware they are communicating at all times will plant the seed for them to present and carry themselves well in the future.
Collaboration—Example–Preparing for a choral competition and a handful of singers can not memorize the foreign words. Using teamwork the choir works within sections pairing up those having trouble with a fluent speaker of the lan- guage. In full rehearsal, though not every- one needs the help, the whole ensemble will recite the words out load together. Your students may, especially when faced with resistance, start pointing fingers and
Teaching the Whole Individual
Jennifer Dennis ICMEA
State President
One of the greatest things about teaching music is that our sub- ject and class environ- ment lend themselves automatically to teach- ing more than just our material but the whole individual at the same time. We are currently working into curricu- lums across the nation the concepts of: com-
munication, collaboration, critical think- ing, and creativity with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills program. Trough these and music we teach humanity, by this I mean not only the skills needed to become a successful individual but we teach deeper connections and expression through music that are necessary for an understanding society.
Just focusing on communication and collaboration alone we can accomplish so much. In our classrooms and ensembles we use communication on many levels beyond just speaking to one another
passing blame. As teachers we must always be conscious of the ethical values we plant in the learning process. Working together and offering help beats pointing out some- ones down falls to make you look better.
Creativity is everywhere in music, don’t get to wrapped up in it that you forget what it was like to sit at your desk as a kid with your box of 64 crayons and figure out you can color your dog pur- ple instead of hush puppy brown. It is a continuous realization that anything is possible. Children have very few filters and are very honest, this changes as they become unsure of how people will react to their response. Te best thing you can do for your students is create an environ- ment where they are comfortable and not threatened by expressing themselves.
Please visit
www.p21.org to learn more about the four C’s and other resources in education.
from the pattern of the conductor, to the nod of a head in cue, to the phrasing of a line signaling a the next section about to enter, to sharing everything with the audience. None of this communication would be possible without collaboration. In the ensemble setting collaboration teaches responsibility and a sense of belonging; the student is expected to contribute by having his/her specific part of the greater whole prepared but can’t produce the final product alone and needs the rest of the group.
It is mainly through the emotion of music and the life skills of collaboration and communication that the whole child is taught. From these skills all others can come, including creativity and critical thinking. So the goals are to create individuals who can articulate their thoughts clearly through speaking and other forms of communication in a variety of settings, while capable and willing to lead and follow within a group working towards a common goal. Tis sounds a lot like the music classroom to me.
Jennifer Dennis 93
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