Final Blog Post - Shannon Joubert

I didn't think I'd want to include music education throughout my foundation phase teaching at the start of this semester. I am unable to play a musical instrument or read musical notes. As the semester progressed and we drew near the end, my perspective on music education shifted dramatically. As a future teacher, I will include music education in my classroom now that I am aware of the numerous benefits of music on a young learner's brain. I knew I'd use songs in my classroom, but after gaining knowledge through LSKM this semester, I now have more options for learning through music than just singing in a classroom. I can plan activities that will help Foundation Phase learners respond to music with non-loco motor and loco-motor movements, discuss the importance of singing in the Foundation Phase, evaluate and choose appropriate teaching methods to plan activities that will help Foundation Phase learners respond to music with non-loco motor and loco-motor movements, and identify, plan, and present various types of musical games suitable for Foundation Phase learners. I can plan activities and lessons for the subject Life Skills in the foundation phase that focus on arts integration, identify, evaluate, and choose different strategies for arts integration in the foundation phase, and identify and evaluate how movement activities contribute to the holistic development of Foundation Phase learners. From the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester, I can confidently say that my knowledge, skills, experiences, abilities, and attitude toward music education have significantly improved.

I learned a lot, if not all, about the study units from the individual reflections. Each individual reflection had a question about the study unit, and as I answered the questions, I learned more about that study unit. Individual reflections allowed me to think about what I had learned and provide my own thoughts and observations. In my opinion, the questions in which I had to choose between two options were the best. I enjoy debates, and I believe those questions provided me with a great opportunity to express myself.

In a reflection, I found it difficult to express my own feelings about my personal life. Others' blogs, which I read, allowed them to talk about their personal lives. I included a small amount of personal information in each of my reflections, but I did not want to reveal too much. I mostly talked about university work and how quickly we get swamped with assignments. Another challenge I encountered was keeping track of all the tabs in LSKM on Efundi. I sometimes lose track of what I've already read or completed because there are so many tabs open.

Yes, I found the individual reflections to be instructive. It was extremely beneficial for me to be able to reflect on what I had learned during a study unit. I gained a better understanding of topics, and I believe it helped me with all the assignments and tests we wrote or completed. I read other people's reflections and came across some funny stories, I read about busy mothers, and I came across a great quote that I now live by every day. The quote is: When you focus on the good, the good gets better. Reading other people's reflections was a great way for me to get to know them better.

I wouldn't change anything; rather, I'd add more options for students to choose from. I loved the study unit one questions where we had to decide whether to include Music or Physical Education in the Foundation Phase curriculum. It was a fantastic question! I'd also like to thank Ms. Rina Francis for all her videos in which she played instruments or sang a song. Those were excellent videos for demonstrating the topic, and I now have some fantastic ideas for my future classroom. The semester plan was also well-organized, and I had a clear idea of what was expected of me each week.

 

This entire module is about music, including how to use it in the classroom, how to use it to improve learning, and how music concepts and experiences relate to Life Skills, Mathematics, and Language education. The entire module piqued my interest. I've never learned about music in such depth before, and it was incredible. Study unit three was, without a doubt, my favorite to learn about. The nature and value of play in the foundation phase, as well as how to incorporate elements of play into music activities throughout the day in a foundation phase classroom, were the focus of this study unit.

Some of the questions in the study units were challenging to answer, but I overcame the challenge by rereading the unit and then answering the question. On the Efundi chatroom, Ms. Rina was always available to answer my questions and concerns. After asking her, I felt reassured as well. I'd like to express my gratitude to her for hosting a Zoom meeting where students could simply ask questions about assignments or anything else they were unsure about.

There isn't a single thing I don't value. This was an excellent module in which I was able to expand my knowledge of how to incorporate music into education in various ways. I've come across some fantastic ideas, songs, activities, and movements to use in my future classroom to help my students learn. My last and final blog will end with the following quote: “When children listen to music, they don’t just listen. They melt into the melody and flow with the rhythm. Something inside starts to unfold its wings – soon the child and the music are one.”

Thank you Ms. Rina. This has been a wonderful module to complete in my second year.