Metamorphosis

I have never been in a classroom that was aesthetically pleasing. They are ugly, uninviting, utilitarian, concrete boxes. Yesterday I spent some time in my daughter's third grade classroom. Her teacher had succeeded in transforming the room into something reasonably attractive. One corner, what I presume was the reading corner, since it was carpeted and had no furniture but a single chair, has been framed by shades of green and blue tissue paper streamers hanging from ceiling to floor. Large leaves have been cut from similarly colored tissue paper and hung from the ceiling and taped to the windows. Exotic stuffed animals are hanging about, monkeys, snakes, and the like. It has been made to resemble a rainforest. And it has made all the difference between a drab, uninviting classroom and one that welcomes you. It is amazing how this simple change in outward appearance metamorphoses the room and I can only hope, and strongly suspect, that it makes the children who spend their days there, my own daughter included, feel better about being there.

fashion as a means

I've been reflecting on this idea of "fashion". Fashion as the way we present ourselves to others. Fashion as the outward appearance that either attracts or repels. Fashion as a reflection of self image. Fashion as the way we want others to see us. Fashion as a means of taking what's good in us and making it better. Because you can't make something out of nothing, the basic beauty or aesthetic quality must be there to begin with. We simply use make-up and haircuts and knowledge about skin tones when choosing wardrobes as tools to enhance the inherent.

I have seen this use of "fashion" in education. A perfect example is children's literature. When I was learning to read, we read "See Dick run. See Jane hop. See spot jump." Neither the language nor the illustrations were the least bit flashy. They certainly were not designed to appeal to one's sense of aesthetics. Today, children's books are sophisticated. Both the language and the illustrations are clearly intended to attract attention. And the book's covers are made to entice consumers to buy. I believe it is meant, on the part of the publishers, to aid in turning a bigger profit, but also to make kids want to read more. And they do. Want to read more. These books also appeal to me as a teacher and as a parent. I have enjoyed reading these beautiful books to my students and to my own children.

Fashion as a means of making reading attractive.

Elements of Music in Education

Rhythm:
There is no music without rhythm. Likewise, timing in teaching can be critical. Not allowing enough time means having to continue a lesson the next day or prolonging a lesson, which can tax younger students. Moving too quickly means having unstructured time remaining in which many students exhibit misbehavior. Pace can be important as well. Allowing time for students to comprehend and then practice the content of the lesson is important to the learning process.

Melody:
There is nothing so calming or comforting as a familiar tune. In the classroom, predictable expectations, fairness, and shared responsibility create a safe and cooperative environment.

Harmony:
Certain musical pitches, when combined just the right way, sound pleasing to the ear. Add flavor to your lessons. Read poetry and picture books (whatever the grade level you are teaching), play music that reinforces the lesson, incorporate art, go outside and explore the natural world, take a field trip (providing there are resources), make something, out of words, or paper, or technology, or popsicle sticks, or empty shoe boxes.

Movement:
Our body responds to music. We tap our foot, nod our head, shake, rattle, and roll. We dance. Students will respond to the educational process when it is infused with a sufficient degree of motion. That is to say, lessons that involve them and engage them, that get them out of their seats, that require them to think rather than simply process information.

All in a song....

Music can inspire you to do great things. It can challenge you to be the best that you can be. It can get your body moving even when you're feeling tired and lazy. It can lift your spirits when you're down and out.

It can nourish your soul. Fuel your mind. Speak your words. Express your deepest emotion. It crosses cultural barriers. Cries for peace. Screams for love. Believes there is hope.

It unifies. Clarifies. Sheds a light.

....all in a song.

Imagine what we could do with education if we would harness the power of music. Learn its secrets. Release its soul in our classrooms.

Every Corner

I think music is one of the most powerful forms of art. It defines cultural boundaries, inspires nations to patriotism, calls people to worship, organizes political protests, teaches children, has theraputic value in medicine, signals soldiers to rise for battle, mourns the dead, and celebrates life, love, and all that is good. In my opinion, no other art form has wielded any where near the same degree of social influence so consistently in every corner of the world.

Music itself has multiple uses in the educational environment. It's potential for teaching and learning crosses all academic fields of study. This one fact alone is reason enough for us, as educators, to carefully consider what it is about music that makes it so universally compelling and so powerfully able to impact every area of life.