Creative Arts: Music

PART I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Structure of teacher’s guide

This teacher’s guide is designed for the teacher who teaches music lesson in lower

primary . This teacher’s guide was written according to the curriculum of Fine art

and Music based on competence which was prepared by Rwanda Education Board (REB) in 2015.

This teacher’s guide consists of three units. Each unit concludes with general assessment which will help the teacher to assess the competence of the learners to ensure that she/he can proceed with the next unit or to repeat in the lessons which was not well understood. Each unit consists of 5 lessons. In this teacher’s guide there is exemplary lesson which will help the teacher to prepare and give his/her lesson properly.

In this teacher’s guide there are different exercises aimed at assessing competence of learners at the end of every lesson. However, those exercises are not permanent.

Therefore, the teacher would start by looking for others according to the level of learners.

As a music lesson is aimed at developing children’s talent, we believe that this book will help the teacher to teach well music lessons as well as making learners love singing, so that it helps them develop knowledge and competences they already have as it is clear in different lessons they will be taught.

1.1. Teaching and learning

1.1.1. Developing competence

Since 2015, Rwanda shifted from a knowledge -based to a competency-based curriculum for pre-primary, primary and general secondary education. Thus learning and teaching which gave the teacher more time was replaced by teaching and learning which gave the learner a great role. In this learning also, the learner is given practical knowledge and skills which help the learner to put in practice what he/she has studied and giving answer to the problems faced in his/her life and that of others.

In competence based learning, learners play a big role in their studies. The teacher starts from what learners already know and capable of, and helps them to discover other things while sharing ideas in their groups. When learners work in groups the teacher guides them by helping them where it is needed. After sharing ideas in their groups, they highlight their achievement and then work with the teacher to refine the key points they can remain with. Learners should not be treated as if they do not know anything. The teacher should not feel as the one who has the knowledge to pack them.

Apart from the main competence which is included in the lesson, learners gain other cross cutting issues depending on how they study and how they live. These are one of the examples of cross cutting issues that learners can gain from music lesson.

1.1.2. Critical thinking and problem solving

Music lesson will help learner to increase his/her critical thinking which will make him/her to be able to find solutions for different problems in his or her daily life.

• Research and problem solving

This is the ability to help the learner solve problems by using basic knowledge and explaining issues based on basic information.

• Creativity and Innovation

This is the ability to help the learner be initiative and bring ideas based on basic

knowledge to be creative.

• Communication Skills

This is the ability to help the learner to communicate to each other freely and sharing ideas in proper verbal or written communication. So teacher must make sure that the language is being used properly.

• Teamwork, Cooperation, Personal and Interpersonal management and life skills

This is the ability to help the learner to work together in groups in every kind of work with proper attitudes and values respecting each other’s right, ideas and attitudes.

This will also help learners to do different activities related to environmental conservation, advocating for their health and their families, careering hygiene and nutrition and also addressing challenges they face in life.

• Lifelong Learning

Gaining this ability will help the learner to keep up with the time gaining knowledge and practical skills without having to be helped in everything.

1.1.3. Addressing cross-cutting issues

Among the changes in the competence-based curriculum, there is the integration of cross -cutting issues as an integral part of the teaching learning process.

The eight cross-cutting issues identified in the national curriculum framework are the following: Gender, Peace and values education, Financial education, Standardization culture, Inclusive education, Environment and sustainability and

Genocide studies. Some of cross-cutting issues that will be focused on in this music course are the following:

• Peace and Values Education

This will appear when teacher is teaching a song and learners are following carefully without disturbing.

• Gender balance

This appears when teacher form groups of both boys and girls and ensure equal participation of both during a given task.

• Inclusive education

In case there are children with different impairment, the teacher must respect and take care of them as their colleagues and give them special assistance where it is needed.

• Financial education

Here the teacher shows the beneficial part of learning music as a lesson which will play a big role in financial terms, by showing them examples of many artists who gain income from singing in different parties and ceremonies.

1.1.4. Careering learners with special educational needs

In the classroom, learners learn in different ways depending on their learning pace, needs or any other special problem they might have. However, the teacher has the responsibility to know how to adopt teaching methodologies and approaches in

order to meet the learning needs of each learner in the classroom.

Also teachers need to understand that learners with special needs need to be taught differently or need some accommodations to enhance the learning environment.

This will be done depending on the subject and the nature of the lesson.

In order to create a well-rounded learning atmosphere, teachers need to:

•  Remember that learners learn in different ways so they have to offer a variety of activities e.g. role-play, singing and dancing, word games and quizzes, outdoor activities, and practical works.
• Maintain an organized classroom (art rooms) and limit distraction. This will help learners with special needs to stay on track during lesson and follow instruction easily.
•  Vary the pace of teaching to meet the needs of each learner. Some learners process information and learn more slowly than others.
•  Break down instructions into smaller, manageable tasks. Learners with special needs often have difficulty in understanding long-winded or several instructions at once. It is better to use simple, concrete sentences in order to facilitate them understand what you are asking.
• Use clear consistent language to explain the meaning (demonstration or showing pictures) if you introduce new words or concepts.
• Make full use of facial expressions, gestures and body language.
• Pair a learner who has a disability with a friend. Let them do things together and learn from each other. Make sure the friend is not over protective and does not do everything. Both learners will benefit from this strategy
• Use multi-sensory strategies. As all learners learn in different ways, it is important to make every lesson as multi-sensory as possible. Learners with  learning disabilities might have difficulty in one area, while they might excel in another. For example, use both visual and auditory cues.

Below are general strategies related to each main category of disabilities and how to deal with every situation that may arise in the classroom. However, the list is not exhaustive because each learner is unique with different needs and that should be handled differently.

1.1.5. Strategy to help a learner with developmental impairment

Use simple words and sentences when giving instructions;

• Use real objects that the learner can feel and handlerather than just working abstractly with a pen and piece of paper.
•  Break a task down into small steps or learning objectives. The learner should start with an activity that she/he can do already before moving on to something that is more difficult.
• Gradually give the learner less help.
•  Let the learner work in the same group with those without disability.

In the subject of Creative Arts, you should get more information from:

•  Using internet and a Library
•  Creating a School Library
•  Collecting data through observation
•  Looking for art materials from nearest environment
• Strategy to help a learner with visual impairment:
• Help learners to use their other senses (hearing, touching, smelling and tasting) to play and carry out activities that will promote their learning and development.
• Use simple, clear and consistent language
•  Use tactile objects to help explain a concept.
• If the learner has some sight, ask them what they can see.
• Make sure the learner has a group of friends who are helpful and can allow him/her to be as independent as possible.
• Plan activities so that learners work in pairs or groups whenever possible.

• Strategy to help a learner with hearing impairment:

Strategies to help learners with hearing disabilities or communication difficulties;

• Always get the learner’s attention before you begin to speak.
• Encourage the learner to look at your face.
• Use gestures, body language and facial expressions.
• Use pictures and objects as much as possible.
•  Ask the parents/caregivers to show you the signs they use at home for communication, use the same signs yourself and encourage other learners to also use them.
•  Keep background noise to a minimum.

• Strategies to help a learner with physical disabilities or mobility difficulties:

•  Adapt activities so that learners who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids
• (learners who have difficulty in moving) can participate
• Ask parents/caregivers to assist with adapting furniture e.g. The height of a table may need to be changed to make it easier for a learner to reach it or fit their legs or wheelchair.
• Get advice from parents or a health professional about assistive devices.
• Adaptation of assessment strategies:

Each unit in the teacher’s guide provides additional activities to help learners achieve the key unit competence. Results from assessment inform the teacher which learner needs remedial, consolidation or extension activities. These activities

are designed to serve the needs of all categories of learners; slow, average and gifted learners respectively.

• Easy activities should be given to learners with physical and mental disabilities
• Use tangible materials and textual for learners with visual impairment.

During the assessment activities of this subject of Fine Art and Craft, teacher has to take into consideration the visual impaired learners. So, the tasks to be given can consider the level of visual impairment of learners in the classroom.

1.2. Learners’ learning styles and strategies to conduct teaching and learning process

There are different teaching styles and techniques that should be used and ways of achieving them. The selection of teaching method should be done with the greatest care and some of the factors to be considered are’ the uniqueness of subjects, the

type of lessons, the particular learning objectives to be achieved, the allocated time to achieve the objectives, the instructional available materials, the physical/sitting arrangement of the classroom, the individual learners’ needs, the abilities and learning styles. There are mainly four different learning styles as explained below:

• Active and reflective learning

In active learning, learners tend to retain and understand information best by doing something actively with it, discussing or applying it and explaining it to others.

Reflective learners prefer to think about it quietly first.

• Sensing and intuitive learning

In sensing learning, learners tend to like learning facts whereas in intuitive learning, learners often prefer discovering possibilities and relationships. Sensing learning often solve problems by well-established methods and dislike complications and surprises while in intuitive learning, slearners like innovation and dislike repetition.

• Visual and verbal learning.

Visual learning helps learners to remember best what they see; pictures, diagrams, flow charts, time lines, films, demonstrations, etc. In verbal learning, learners get more out of written words and spoken explanations.

• Sequential and global learners

In sequential learning, learners tend to gain understanding in linear steps, each step following logically the previous one. In global learning, learners tend to learn in large groups, absorbing material almost randomly without seeing connections, and then suddenly “getting it.”

Additional activities can be added for learners who are quick and extensional activities for those who are slow.

1.3. Teaching methods and techniques that promote the active learning

The different pupil learning styles mentioned above can be achieved, if the teacher uses active learning whereby learners are really engaged in the learning process.

1.3.1. What is Active learning?

Active learning is a pedagogical approach that engages learners in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing. In active learning, learners are encouraged to bring their own experience and knowledge into the learning process.

1.3.2. The role of the teacher in active learning

• The teacher engages learners through active learning methods such as inquiry methods, group discussions, research, investigative, group and individual work activities.
• The teacher encourages individual, peer and group evaluation of the work done in the classroom and uses appropriate competence-based assessment approaches and methods.
• He provides supervised opportunities for learners to develop different competences by giving tasks that enhance critical thinking, problem solving, research, creativity and innovation, communication and cooperation
• Teacher supports and facilitates the learning process by valuing learners’ contributions in the class activities

1.3.3. The role of learners in active learning

Learners are key in the active learning process. They are not empty vessels to fill but people with ideas, capacity and skills to build on for effective learning.

A learner engaged in active learning:

•  Communicates and shares relevant information with other learners through presentations, discussions, group work and other learner-centred activities (role play, case studies, project work, research and investigation imitating, exploration, …)
•  Actively participates and takes responsibility for his/herown learning.
•  Develops knowledge and skills in active ways.
•  Carries out research/investigation by consulting books or online documents and resourceful people and presents his findings.
• Ensures the effective contribution of each group member in assigned tasks through clear explanation and arguments, critical thinking, responsibility and confidence in public speaking.
•  Giving conclusions based on the findings from the learning activities.

1.3.4. Main steps for a lesson in active learning approach

All the principles and characteristics of the active learning process mentioned above are reflected in steps of a lesson as displayed below. Generally, the lesson is divided into three main parts whereby each one is divided into smaller steps to

make sure that learners are involved in the learning process. Below are those main part and their small steps:

Introduction

Introduction is a part where the teacher makes connection between the current and previous lesson through appropriate technique. The teacher opens short discussions to encourage learners to think about the previous learning experience and connect it with the current instructional objective.

The teacher reviews the prior knowledge and skills,values and attitudes, which have a link with the new concepts to create good foundation and logical sequencings.

Development of the new lesson

The development of a lesson that introduces a new concept will go through the following small steps; discovery activities, presentation of learners’ achievement, exploitation of their achievement, synthesis/summary and exercises/application activities as explained below;

• Discovery activity

Step 1

• The teacher discusses convincingly with learners to take responsibility of their learning.
• The teacher distributes the task/activity and gives instructions related to the tasks (working in groups, pairs, or individual to instigate collaborative learning, to discover knowledge to be learned).

Step 2

• The teacher let the learners work collaboratively on the task.
•  During this period the teacher refrains to intervene directly on the knowledge.
• The teacher monitors how the learners are progressing towards the knowledge to be learnt and boost those who are still behind (but without communicating to them the knowledge).

• Presentation of learners’ productions

• In this unit, the teacher invites representatives of groups to present the learners’ productions/findings.
• After three/four or an acceptable number of presentations, the teacher decides to engage the class into exploitation of the learners’ productions.

• Exploitation of learner’s productions

• The teacher asks the learners to evaluate the productions: complete one, incomplete and false
• Then the teacher judges the logic of the learners’ products, corrects those that are false, completes those that are incomplete, and confirms those that are correct.

• Institutionalization (summary/conclusion/ and examples)

The teacher summarizes the learnt knowledge and gives examples that illustrate the learnt content.

• Exercises/Application activities

• Exercises of applying processes and products/objects related to learnt unit/ subunit. Exercises in real life contexts.
• Teacher guides learners to make the connection of what they learnt to real life situations. At this level, the role of the teacher is to monitor the fixation of process and product/object being learnt.

Assessment

In this step, the teacher asks some questions to assess achievement of instructional objective.

• During the assessment activity, learners work individually on the task/activity.
• The teacher avoids intervening directly. Infact, results from this assessment inform the teacher on the next steps for the whole class and individuals.
•  In some cases, the teacher can end with a homework assignment.

1.4. Assessment

Assessment is the teaching and learning checking that collects information about how each learner learns and deciding on learner’s achievement based on criteria set before assessment. Assessment is therefore an important part of teaching and

learning. Assessment is composed of different kinds which are the following;

1.4.1. Continuous/ formative assessment

During continuous assessment, teacher may use usual strategies which are used at school to check if the learner is learning properly. As the teacher prepares the lesson, the teacher must determine criteria for assessing what learners have learnt

and skills expected before they start a particular topic. At the end of each unit, the teacher is required to ensure that all learners demonstrate properly generic competence in the unit based on criteria in the assessment before starting the next unit.

This kind of assessment in this teacher’s guide is of 2 types: exercises that teachers give to the learner at the end of studies and general assessment at the end of unit.

1.4.2. Summative assessment

When assessment is done in order to take decision in competence or what learner is capable of doing, that assessment is measuring the level of learner. The summative assessment shows the view of competence the learner has achieved in specific

time.

The first purpose of assessment is to see the level of learner and to see if the objective of the lesson is achieved. So the assessment is prepared according to specific objectives of the lesson or according to the order of assessment in each topic.

Assessment is prepared so that it requires the learner to apply what he/she has learnt. However, there are also few questions that require a learner to demonstrate his/her knowledge of what was learnt. In the preparation of this assessment, questions are arranged based on levels of learning and teaching objectives which was set by an expert in the field of education bloom. That is to say, the problems at the highest level of the goal are given more priority in this guide than the problems based on the lower levels of knowledge.

In the music lesson, the focus is mainly on cognitive assessment. This assessment is of great value in the teaching of lesson because each exercise gives the teacher the time to know the progress each learner has made in the lesson and therefore corrects what has gone wrong. On the other side, each learner get time to do exercises individually or in groups.

In this teacher’s guide, there are problems of all lessons which were taught in all topics consisting year one program. During assessment, teacher should consider the following key points.

• Melody
•  Rhythm
• Memorizing

• Self-confidence in front of audience
• Correlation between emotions and message of the song.

PART II: SAMPLE LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

The teacher’s guide provides more than one lesson plan taking into consideration the type of lesson in the subject using the CBC format.

Teaching requires good preparation to be effective. This is the only way that learning can be enhanced and assured. The teacher will find work easier if goes to class well prepared with the lesson content organized in logical manner. Even the experienced Fine Art and Craft teacher needs a lesson plan in order to use the lesson time effectively.

Below is a sample of a lesson plan.

Competence-Based lesson plan

School name ………………………………………. Academic year: …………...

Teachers’ Name...............................................................