INTASC Standard #2
Knowledge of Human Development and Learning
The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development.
[Headings for INTASC standards are taken from - Campbell, D.M. et al. (1997). How to develop a professional portfolio: A manual
As teachers, we need to remember that we are always teaching students, not a particular subject matter. My medium for educating students is music, but the student is always the focus. Ingrained in this philosophy is a necessity for the understanding of the development of students. Through my experiences in the field with students and my educational psychology courses, I have developed a thorough understanding of the intellectual, social and personal growth of students and how to connect that to musical development.
Development and how it effects or should affect pedagogy is very important where adolescents are involved because of their rapidly changing bodies and mentalities. Adolescents are going through a change second only to that of infancy and therefore there are some very specific and vital considerations when working with adolescent students. The typical adolescent student is constantly seeking acceptance among their peers and is very self-conscious and susceptible to low self-esteem. As a result students need to be given opportunities to succeed and be recognized for their strengths. Adolescents are very curious and greatly prefer active-learning experiences to passive ones.
Adolescents are undergoing rapid physical change as well. They may be able to perform certain tasks one day and the next it is a physical impossibility. Teachers need to recognize the changes taking place and make their classroom a place in which success can be found through a number of avenues and the inability to perform a specific task will not be seen as a failure. All adolescents go through a voice change, however, it is most prominent in male students. They will go through a change in which their vocal range will drop about an entire octave. They will have times in which they cannot sing except a very limited range and will be embarrassed to sing. Teachers can provide options in the classroom that provide the changing voice with equally important roles that can help ease the awkwardness of the changing voice.
Adolescents continue to develop rhythmically and tonally through continued musical experiences. However, they are experiencing changes in their bodies that inhibit their ability to perform always what they want. For example, students who have a firm understanding of steady beat may find themselves unable to keep a steady beat physically. Equally, students whose voices are changing may find themselves physically unable to match a pitch that they are able to audiate.
Knowledge of development and learning is vital to teaching regardless of field or specialty. However, there are some specific considerations when considering teaching instrumental music to students. Due to the age at which students generally start in instrumental music and the design of some musical instruments found in the band or orchestra, there are some physical limitations to be considered. We want all students to experience success in our programs. Therefore, consideration of whether or not a student is physically developed enough to handle large instruments or the fine motor skills associated with many instruments is vital to providing learning opportunities that will allow our students to grow through music.
A concern specific to programs like band and orchestra is the idea of having multiple access points. Most classes can be joined at any point when the student wants to or is developmentally ready. Often, if students are not ready for instrumental music in the 5th or 6th grade, they are denied the opportunity to join. Teachers who understand the development of children and adolescents in particular, will be more sensitive to the issues of developmental readiness for instrumental music education. Providing multiple access points to band or orchestra is one solution to alleviate some of the issues associated with beginning instrumental instruction.
My knowledge of student development and educational psychology influences my instructional decisions daily. I work to create active learning experiences that educate students through music. Through focusing on teaching the different learning styles, aural, visual and kinesthetic and planning instruction to educate students in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains, I am educating students from a perspective that considers their development intellectually, socially, musically and personally.
Development and how it effects or should affect pedagogy is very important where adolescents are involved because of their rapidly changing bodies and mentalities. Adolescents are going through a change second only to that of infancy and therefore there are some very specific and vital considerations when working with adolescent students. The typical adolescent student is constantly seeking acceptance among their peers and is very self-conscious and susceptible to low self-esteem. As a result students need to be given opportunities to succeed and be recognized for their strengths. Adolescents are very curious and greatly prefer active-learning experiences to passive ones.
Adolescents are undergoing rapid physical change as well. They may be able to perform certain tasks one day and the next it is a physical impossibility. Teachers need to recognize the changes taking place and make their classroom a place in which success can be found through a number of avenues and the inability to perform a specific task will not be seen as a failure. All adolescents go through a voice change, however, it is most prominent in male students. They will go through a change in which their vocal range will drop about an entire octave. They will have times in which they cannot sing except a very limited range and will be embarrassed to sing. Teachers can provide options in the classroom that provide the changing voice with equally important roles that can help ease the awkwardness of the changing voice.
Adolescents continue to develop rhythmically and tonally through continued musical experiences. However, they are experiencing changes in their bodies that inhibit their ability to perform always what they want. For example, students who have a firm understanding of steady beat may find themselves unable to keep a steady beat physically. Equally, students whose voices are changing may find themselves physically unable to match a pitch that they are able to audiate.
Knowledge of development and learning is vital to teaching regardless of field or specialty. However, there are some specific considerations when considering teaching instrumental music to students. Due to the age at which students generally start in instrumental music and the design of some musical instruments found in the band or orchestra, there are some physical limitations to be considered. We want all students to experience success in our programs. Therefore, consideration of whether or not a student is physically developed enough to handle large instruments or the fine motor skills associated with many instruments is vital to providing learning opportunities that will allow our students to grow through music.
A concern specific to programs like band and orchestra is the idea of having multiple access points. Most classes can be joined at any point when the student wants to or is developmentally ready. Often, if students are not ready for instrumental music in the 5th or 6th grade, they are denied the opportunity to join. Teachers who understand the development of children and adolescents in particular, will be more sensitive to the issues of developmental readiness for instrumental music education. Providing multiple access points to band or orchestra is one solution to alleviate some of the issues associated with beginning instrumental instruction.
My knowledge of student development and educational psychology influences my instructional decisions daily. I work to create active learning experiences that educate students through music. Through focusing on teaching the different learning styles, aural, visual and kinesthetic and planning instruction to educate students in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains, I am educating students from a perspective that considers their development intellectually, socially, musically and personally.
Artifact 1: Developmental Standards Paper
This artifact is a term paper that I completed for my first Educational Psychology course. In this assignment we were asked to discuss a specific issue that students face in school and research the impact that it has on those students' development. I chose to research the impact of bullying and discrimination, especially against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population, in secondary education. This paper demonstrates my knowledge of student development in secondary education and specifically my knowledge about bullying and discrimination as issues that students face in schools that can significantly affect their development intellectually, socially and personally.
Artifact 2: Educational Psychology Poster
This artifact is a poster that I completed as part of a class activity for my second Educational Psychology course. We were asked to research a topic in educational psychology, apply it to our specific field and present the information in a poster. I chose to discuss anxiety and motivation as it relates to music and how we can help reduce anxiety and increase motivation in the music classroom. This poster demonstrates my understanding of anxiety and motivation as issues that students face in schools that can affect their intellectual, social, personal and musical development.