Creativity in the Classroom!

"Show students that you value creativity,  that you not only allow it but also actively engage in it." - Beth Hennessey (1997)

 

I personally adore creativity and am always encouraging pupils to be as creative as they can with what we are learning. One of the ways I encourage this is allowing pupils a range of options of how to present their final assessments – based on the success criteria, they can fulfil these requirements in whatever modes they see fit! Could be word, powerpoint, audacity, movie maker, drama, singing, solo / duet, ensemble, rap, dance – combinations of these elements, whatever meets the success criteria, they can choose!

The NDT Resource Centre strongly advocates creativity in the classroom:

“Students need to understand that there is usually multiple paths that lead to understanding. They should be encouraged seek out and experiment with new things or ideas. They should be taught to ask questions and investigate when things do not make sense. The need to learn to view mistakes as an opportunity for leaning rather than something that was unsuccessful. Students should also follow their interests and think "outside the box" whenever possible. It is also valuable for them to be open to other's ideas so that they can learn how to build upon and reconstruct their own conceptual knowledge.” http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/ClassroomTips/Encouraging_Creativity.htm

 

Mike Fleetham, an education consultant and trainer outlines 12 principles of creativity:

• A belief that creative potential is inside everyone and can be found everywhere

• A belief that creativity can change things and improve things

• A belief that mistakes are to be celebrated, learned from and used

• A belief that creativity can be a natural response to pain, suffering and boredom

• An attitude of positivity towards surprising and unexpected events

• An attitude of openness to new ideas and experiences when they appear

• An attitude of ‘smart risk-taking’

• An attitude of non-judgement

• An ability to actively seek out new ideas and experiences

• An ability to see familiar things in new and different ways

• An ability to use both analytic and holistic thinking

• An ability to make, think or do things that haven’t been made, thought or done be

http://www.thinkingclassroom.co.uk/ThinkingClassroom/Creativity.aspx

 

Iowa State University, a Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching very rightly remind us that we cannot expect creativity from our pupils if we are not teaching in a creative manner ourselves:

‘In order to teach creativity, one must teach creatively; that is, it will take a great deal of creative effort to bring out the most creative thinking in your classes.’ This site has lots of methods of how to add a little twist to the common tasks in the classroom with Assumption Busting, Brainstorming, Concept Mapping, Role Playing, Story Boarding, DO IT, Random Input, Decision Tree, Laddering and many many more techniques, worth a look! http://www.celt.iastate.edu/creativity/techniques.html

 

I will continue to be creative and provide opportunities for my pupils to do the same! Will you?

A :) x

Sometimes it's the small things that matter!

 

Highlight of Last Week

 

 

 

Hi everyone,

 

Thought I would share my highlight from last week, out of the five days of teaching, this moment sticks in my head the most :)

 

There was a pupil in school who was rather down, feeling a little lost and needing some time to gather his thoughts. I have to say, I'm useless in these situations, I never know how to go about finding out what's wrong and showing lots of sympathy (an area I need to work on!) My HoD in music is the SENCO and she is fantastic at this sort of thing, however, she was away in America for the week so I was left thinking, hmmmmmm, what do I do......

 

I'd been playing around with a melody, just messing about as a method of chilling one evening, and decided to sit down at the piano and play the melody with the first lyrics that came into my head! I knew all about this pupil's fascination with his pony so the lyrics that came out of my mouth were based around that .....

 

"I've got a pony called Joe

He's so hard to control

All I want is for him to obey

He runs a mile down the field when I tell him to yield

All I want is for him to just stayyyyyy!"

 

Well, it's a pretty pants verse and piano playing but in that moment his face lit up and he started to laugh. He even came back at lunch time, smiling, and said "I cant get that pony song out of my head!" This, made my day. It actually made my week. Being able to do something, no matter how small, no matter how silly I sounded, to cheer someone up and help them along their day was great.

 

Note to self: take time out of the norm and do more random acts to help make more pupils smile!

 

A :) x



 

Music and Me!

My two favourites

 

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Helloooo :)

I thought that seeing as I addressed 'Why Music?' for the pupils yesterday, I would write a wee post on 'Why Music?' for me! How come I've ended up as a Music Teacher? My dream job.

 

I was 4 years old when I played my first piano notes, chords of a Richard Clayderman piece. My Grandad was an organ fanatic, buying the latest Hammond organs of the time and playing them into the early hours of the morning. My head is filled with memories of lying in bed upstairs and the beautiful music floating up for hours and hours, I was enchanted by music from this early age. 

 

 

 

 



My father has been a church organist since he was 14 years old and still plays the organ faithfully every single Sunday in the same church. My Granny, who passed away just in October there, was a wonderful singer, loving to solo and sing as part of a choir - I guess it is fair to say that appreciation of music runs in my family.

 

With all of these influences in my life, my passion for music grew from a very early stage. I began with piano lessons - briefly - but unfortunately the tutor I had really put me off, and I quit! This didn't stop me wanting to learn - I continued the piano, but teaching myself, and also started a new instrument .... the saxophone! I caught onto this instrument very quickly and thinking that Woodwind was my 'thing,' I also started the clarinet - wow, what an instrument! I fell in love with it and have to say, this is the instrument I love playing the most.

 

 

 




 



 

 

I like to play around with other instruments, not an accomplished performer on any of these, but I have an accordion, violin and drum kit - oh and a didgeridoo too! - that I like to unwind with, just playing by ear and enjoying making music! My next purchase is going to be a soprano saxophone, very soon!

 

Before becoming a teacher, I was part of a choir, a church band, a youth orchestra and my university band & choir. My best experience was playing alongside the Ulster Orchestra, what a magical performance. I always knew I wanted to have music as part of my career - time was spent in my school library looking up various music careers and I very nearly embarked upon an Ethnomusicology course. With a passion for being creative and working with children, I settled for a teaching degree.

 

For me, music is an immense part of my life. "What would life be without music? How would we be able to feel or hear about people's emotions? Our body would not move to rhythms nor shed tears to beautiful melodies. Music is the base of our body. It begins with the rhythm from your heart and spreads out through your soul." - The Music Foundation (2004)

 

I have to say as cliche as it sounds, I'm really living the dream right now! Sharing my passion for music on a daily basis with my pupils is fantastic, seeing those who respond to my enthusiasm for music is even more fantastic and inspiring children to start an instrument is just 'wow'  - long may it continue!

 

A :) x

Why Music?





Why Music?

Hello everyone!

 

When I started teaching Music about 5 years ago, I used to always get asked the question, 'Miss, why do we have to study music?? It won't help me." As a beginning teacher in 2008 I never quite knew how to answer that and I think I probably said "Just, because you have to!"

I decided to set out on a mission to have a display somewhere in my room which clearly explained to pupils why music is in the curriculum - the immense benefits this subject can have, no matter if they are a musician or not! I looked up the CCEA Music Specification for KS3 and summarised the main advantages:

• Music forms a part of your identity - a positive interaction with music can develop competence as learners and increase self-esteem.
• As an integral part of culture, past and present, music helps you to relate to others and develop cultural understanding, developing important links between home, school and the wider world.
• Music can influence your development in and out of school by fostering personal development and maturity, creating a sense of achievement and self-worth and increasing your ability to work with others in a group context.
• Learning music develops critical thinking and the ability to 'think outside the box' - it encourages you to be creative and think for yourself.
• Music brings together intellect and feeling and enables personal expression, reflection and emotional development.
 

With new Year 8's in their induction lesson in music, I draw their attention to this board and highlight these points, putting them into simple terms. I have not been asked that 'Why Music?' question in about 4 years! Must be working!

 

 

 

 

Group work is an integral part of this subject - not just developing musical skills but life skills. One of my favourite topics in Year 8 is our Ostinato topic which allows pupils to be extremely creative! Using Harry Potter Puppet Pals as an example, pupils have to work in groups to create their very own Puppet Show - the central component being that it has to include 5 Ostinati ! A task like this involves time management, communication, listening, deligation of roles, self-discipline, and oodles of creativity! The musical skills of using a style, voices on the keyboard, creation of the ostinati, being in time with the beat, counting in, addition of percussion are all developed alongside these life skills.

The final performances are done with a class-made stage and filmed by their peers using the Flip Camera. The sense of achievement and delight they get, never mind the skills they see they have been developing when they reflect and evaluate, is a brilliant motivational factor in their initial year of this subject. 

 

 

 



Alongside the skills development, it's essential to try to encourage the use of musical lingo! As a teacher of GCSE Music too, (in a different school - blended learning! - a post on this at some stage me thinks!)... I cannot describe the difference it makes if pupils are coming through from KS3 having been taught these words and encouraged to use them often! One board in my room is dedicated to an array of words I want pupils leaving Year 10 having a knowledge of - the definition of 'major' and 'alto' are currently sitting on my desk as they fell down - seeing this pic reminds me to get them back up pronto!! haha! 

 

 

Now my OCD is really kicking in when I look at this pic - first thing Monday morning I will be straightening these posters ;)

I do a Classroom Rules session with Year 8 pupils during their induction, not spending a long time on it, but enough to set the tone of what I expect and will not tolerate. A few reminders are displayed in colourful stars. The Musical Elements posters are there as part of a unit we do called 'Elements of Sound.' Pupils have to musically present the DDTTP - High 5! Knowledge of Dynamics, Duration, Tempo, Timbre and Pitch is given in the form of a hand, with each letter in a fingernail and the keyword and defintion down each finger. The group task is to be musical and creative to present their information to the class, remembering they must interpret the meanings in their presentations. I've had some amazing work from raps, vocal solos, dance routines, sketches to full blown movies created in Movie Maker with their own filmed footage!

 

So as my years in this classroom progress, the question of 'Why Music?' is disappearing and the evidence of why they do music is clear - not only are they developing musical skills, knowledge of music and essential life skills, they are able to have fun as they learn :) A subject like this is necessary in the curriculum :) << in my opinion ;)

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

A x :)

 

 

Open Night!

A welcoming display for parents from a Year 8 pupil

 

 

Hi everyone!

Last night our Open Night was a huge success with a fantastic turn out of parents who were delighted with what they saw - praise, encouragement and congratulations received from many! The whole school really pulled together to make it a brilliant evening.

 



 



2013 LJHS Prospectus



A lovely prospectus was put together showcasing what we can offer new pupils, highlighting our emphasis on respect for self and others and responsibility, displayed in the 3 R's of the school tie. Have to say, I was really impressed with the content of this booklet, a lot of hard work went into its production and the final product is really impressive.







 



So what did we do for music in our little corner of the school?? Well .... we had fun!!!

 

 

DVD of pupils' work and musical activities





As we do not have an Interactive Whiteboard in our department - yet! (fingers crossed for one/or preferably two! ASAP!) I made a make-shift version so that I could put on a DVD of pupils' work and musical activities. The clip shown is a fantastic sketch of the Gangnam Grannies! A group of Year 10 girls who dressed up as Grannies, carried out a little drama and busted some wonderfully hilarious dance routine moves to the 'Granny' Gangnam Style song. It had the crowds at our recent concert in stitches and the crowds in my room last night in fits of laughter too!

 

 

 



As the DVD was running, myself and another music teacher laid out our xylophones into a wee ensemble and started to play some duets! Attracting the crowds and grabbing interest, the children soon began to join in! With every group that came in, we had some fun and the kids left feeling happy - which meant the parents left feeling happy! The time from 6.30pm - 9.30pm did go in rather quickly due to this entertainment, both for us and the visitors!

 

Next week we have a P7 sampler day to further reach out to those entering KS3 in September. I will let you know how it goes too!

 

Hope all your Open Evenings go fantastically well, make them fun!

 

A :) x

Welcoming Schools!

Hellooo!
As tonight is our Open Night, I thought I would write a wee blog post reflecting upon the proceedings leading up to this special school occasion.
This term we have been partaking in a new initiative in Northern Ireland, known as the 'Welcoming Schools' project. Never heard of it? Me either! - until one member of staff embraced the opportunity to take secondment to be in the depths of it and our full staff were involved in an interactive training day! So, what is it? Well according to the Welcoming Schools Project Team:
'The project aims to develop within schools a welcoming ethos and atmosphere built on the principles of inclusivity, respect for others and an embracing of diversity within their own school culture. It focuses on whole school support for developing a welcoming schools agenda and supports work with parents and the whole community.'
So what does this mean? Well in practical terms it really means that you simply employ a little common sense! It applies to everybody in the school building- from the school receptionist, the Senior Leadership, teaching and non-teaching staff right through to the visual appearance of how the school and classrooms look. Essentially, the school needs to pull together to try to enhance the 'welcoming' nature, which is what our staff have been working towards with Open Night.

So what have I done to try to implement this?? Like I said - common sense really! Here are a few things I've highlighted:

• I have always made sure I am outside my classroom when pupils arrive, to ensure they line up appropriately and are ready to enter into my practical environment. With 'Welcoming Schools,' I have really been conscious of making sure I welcome the pupils to class, even a simple 'Hello' and eye contact is valuable to them!
• If a pupil has missed a lesson or has moved class after Christmas/Summer exams, I did help them to catch up, however, perhaps not as dedicated or focused on a one-to-one as 'Welcoming Schools' implies. I now try to be proactive and keep a tighter record of who has missed a lesson, making a point of spending one-to-one time going through the material and ensure the pupil is content - all in the next lesson they are back.
• With my classroom environment, I've concentrated on the first entry to the room - the door. I've found Pinterest and Twitter very useful for classroom display materials and came across a fantastic 'Welcome' acrostic. The materials on my door are colourful, appealing and set the tone for the creative environment within.
• I am keeping display boards inside and outside my classroom updated with a focus on celebrating pupil learning. I have decided to capture learning through photography and have created a number of photo boards of pupil activity. I have also encouraged pupils to record their work using the Flip Camera - this is good practice anyway but as part of 'Welcoming Schools' it is inclusive, involves everyone and celebrates their learning.
• I'm also working on starting a 'Music Club' after school - this is aimed at anyone who wants to learn modern music on the Keyboard. Pupils can tell me what pieces they would like to learn and spend time after school working on these with my help. The thinking behind this is to help promote the subject to everyone and anyone and spend time with those who are most keen to learn after school.
• As ICT Co-ordinator, I have set up a school facebook account that is secure to parents only. The purpose of this account is to celebrate achievement. Any successes inside school or even outside school, we highlight this to show how proud we are of our pupils, sharing these triumphs with parents. This helps to promote our welcoming, inclusive and encouraging ethos.

These are just some of the ways I personally have tried to embrace this project in our school. I know there are many more things I can do and will work on as the year progresses. Baby steps!

If anyone else has experience of this project, I would love to hear from you!

A :) x

Introductions!

Hi everyone!

Well this is my first blog post so I thought it best to use it as a wee intruductory post of who I am and what my intentions are for this blog!
I'm Alanna - hi! - a Music teacher and ICT co-ordinator in a lovely school in Northern Ireland. I started out my teacher training in Stranmillis University in Belfast, a specialist teacher college, where I completed a 4 year BEd. As I always like to be busy doing things, I decided I would love to continue studying and delve a little deeper into the world of Education by completing a Masters degree. The 3 years within this degree were mostly fantastic - I say 'mostly' because of the compulsory module which I did not enjoy, a module based on History of Education! My passions were with learning about education now, how I can best improve my practice, how I can best help children learn! Therefore my other two modules on Behaviour Management and How Children Learn Today were invaluable.
I'm still mentally debating whether to pursue these studies and embark upon a Doctorate degree or whether to concentrate on my role of co-ordinator in school and develop the use and breadth of ICT across the curriculum. To be honest the latter is the direction I'm swaying to the most at present, basically due to this Using ICT Assessment which CCEA are making statutory in September 2013 ... It needs to be highly organised and structured in school so will require a lot of time, training of staff and patience!
I am hoping to use this blog as a means of sharing various resources that transpire as being useful! I might even post some random updates that show what's going on inside my classroom!
Anyway, introduction is over, I'm delighted to have you reading this as I am always up for collaboration with other teachers! Why not follow me on twitter too @mrsamccrory
Thanks folks!

A :) x