Course Syllabus Instructor: Adam Kruse Course Time: Mondays & Wednesdays 11:30am-12:20pm Email: kruseada@msu.edu Course Location: Music Building Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays Room #145 12:30pm-1:30pm Music Practice Building Course Website: http://www.edmodo.com Office #221 Group Code: 79tk4f Course Goals: To explore teaching identities, foundational topics, and social issues in music education. To challenge our own positions and experiences as well as the dominant narratives affecting our assumptions and beliefs about music teaching and learning. To grow as individuals and as a community of learners, educators, and musicians. Required Materials: Readings and other materials will be posted online at http://www.edmodo.com. Policies & Procedures Attendance: Students are permitted two absences during the semester. Each absence beyond two will result in lowering a students grade by 0.5 (on the 4-point scale). Every two instances of tardiness will be counted as one absence. Students are not required to contact the instructor ahead of time regarding absences, but advanced notice and prompt communication are appreciated. Participation: This is a seminar format class, which depends on all students participation. Students will participate in full class and small group discussions in person and through the course website. Students will be evaluated on the quality of their participation and their preparedness for discussions. Classroom Etiquette: This classroom will support an inclusive learning environment where diversity and individual differences are appreciated, respected, and recognized as a source of strength. It is expected that all participants will respect differences and demonstrate diligence in understanding how other peoples' perspectives, behaviors, and worldviews may be different from their own. Written Assignments: The development of writing skill is an important attribute for a successful teacher. Assignments will be evaluated with a rubric on the basis of content and writing mechanics. Rubrics will be posted to the class Edmodo website. Writing assistance is available for students by appointment at http://writing.msu.edu. All written assignments (other than Edmodo responses) should be submitted as attachments in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) to kruseada@msu.edu. Assignments should be written in 12-point Times New Roman font, be double-spaced, and have 1-inch margins all around. Do not turn in paper copies of assignments. Due Dates: All assignments must be completed and turned in by 11:59pm the evening prior to the due date listed on the syllabus regardless of a students class attendance. Late assignments will be reduced by 0.5 (on the 4-point scale) for every day that they are late.
Academic Honesty and Integrity: It is assumed that the student is honest and that all course work and examinations represent the student's own work. Violations of the academic integrity policy such as cheating, plagiarism, selling course assignments or academic fraud are grounds for academic action and/or disciplinary sanction as described in the university's student conduct code. Incidents of plagiarism are taken very seriously and will be pursued. Students are strongly cautioned not to copy any text verbatim or use someone else's ideas on class quizzes, tests, reports, projects, or other class assignments without using appropriate quotations and source citations. For University regulations on academic dishonesty and plagiarism, refer to http://www.vps.msu.edu/SpLife and http://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/plagiarism.html. Accommodations for Disabilities: Students with disabilities should contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities to establish reasonable accommodations. For an appointment with a counselor, call 353-9642 (voice) or 355-1293 (TTY). The course instructor may request a VISA Form (Verified Individual Student Accommodations Form) from a student requesting services. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: MICHIGAN BASIC SKILLS TEST Music education students MUST take and pass the Michigan Basic Skills Test in advance of application to the College of Education in the second year and the Advanced Standing process in the College of Music. The music subject portion can be taken at the same time or at a later date. Information is available at http://www.mttc.nesinc.com. Study guides are provided on the website. You must register by the deadline, typically March 1 st . Assignments DISCUSSION Classroom Participation: This course relies heavily on class discussion of assigned readings and other materials. All students are expected to contribute respectfully to classroom discussion, which includes completing all readings and coming prepared to discuss assigned topics, participating consistently and thoughtfully without dominating the conversation, and actively listening to the input of other students. Due: Ongoing Edmodo Responses: Assigned readings and other materials will require a posted response (around 200 words) to the class Edmodo website. Prompts for response will vary based on the topic of assigned materials and will be posted to the Edmodo website prior to the due date. A typical response prompt will involve three parts: (1) a brief summary of the material, (2) a statement of response (e.g., why you might agree/disagree with the authors position OR a personal experience you can relate to the topic discussed), and (3) a relevant question posed to the class for consideration and discussion. Due: Ongoing Edmodo Responses will not be accepted late. MANDATORY ASSIGNMENTS Mini-Lesson Teaching & Reflection: Each student will lead the class in a 5-minute (no longer!) learning activity. Students will type a description of their learning activity including the specific musical concept that will be covered (e.g., melody, rhythm, harmony, tonality, texture, tempo, expression, timbre, form) and the activity in which the class will participate and email the description to the instructor prior to the class when they will teach. Students are encouraged to discuss their planned activity with the instructor prior to teaching. (Suggestions: Do not plan to lead an activity about reading/writing music notation, and do not plan to lecture or talk at the class for five minutes.) Following the teaching episode, students will write a 1- to 2-page reflection considering the following questions: (1) What went well? (2) What did not go well? (3) What would you do differently if you led this activity again? Due: Teaching activity dates will be arranged during the semester. Reflections will be due no more than one week after the scheduled teaching occurs. Classroom Observations & Reflections: Students will complete three observations in local music classrooms. Students are expected to dress professionally (e.g., no jeans, sweats, t-shirts) and arrive at least ten minutes in advance of class. They should check in at the schools main office (prepared to show photo identification) and be sure to introduce themselves to the teacher they will be observing and thank her/him for allowing them to observe. Reflection papers should be 2 to 3 pages in length and include a description of what the student observed as well as a personal reflection on how the observation influenced the students thoughts and feelings about music teaching and learning. Due: Observations will be scheduled outside of our class time during the semester. Reflections will be due no more than one week after each observation takes place. Observations cannot be made up! CHOICE ASSIGNMENTS (Complete 3 of the following assignments. A fourth assignment can take the place of a grade for a previous CHOICE ASSIGNMENT only. Skipped assignments will not be accepted after the due date.) Personal Narrative: Students will write a 3- to 4-page narrative describing their personal background in music education. Using rich description, they will tell the story of their experiences with music teachers and describe their journey to becoming a musician. The narrative will also explore students personal strengths and weaknesses as they relate to adopting the role of music educator. This should include personality characteristics, prior preparation as a musician and/or teacher, and any other factors they feel might impact their ability to lead others. Due: September 16 th
One Students Story: Students will arrange to interview a young student (K-8) that they know (e.g., a relative or friend) who is currently enrolled in a school music course. Interviews should focus on what the young student values in her/his music education and why. Questions during the interview might include: Why do we have music in school?, What do you learn in your music classes?, What would you like to learn in your music classes?, What makes a good musical performance?, How do you know if youre good at music?, etc. Students will write a summary of their interview experience including a description of their interviewee (using a made-up name) and her/his musical background, a description of the music class(es) in which the interviewee is currently enrolled, and the important topics and responses from the interview (while not required, using direct quotes from your interviewee will strengthen your paper). The paper should conclude with a brief statement about what music educators should consider in light of the interviewees statements. Paper length will vary for this assignment. Due: October 16 th
This I Believe: For this assignment, students will create an audio or video recording of a personal statement between 3 and 5 minutes in length and upload their file to the Edmodo website. The recorded statement will relate to a students belief(s) and experience(s) relevant to the music education foundations, topics, or issues discussed in this course. It is highly recommended that students write this statement and rehearse reading it prior to recording. Sample essays on a variety of topics are available online (http://www.thisibelieve.org) as well as writing guidelines (http://www.thisibelieve.org/guidelines). Due: November 27 th Final Exam - Critical Reflection & Internal Inquiry: The final exam will be a written paper of at least 5 pages exploring students perspectives on music education. Guiding questions are as follows: How did your past experiences affect the way that you approached this course? How will past experiences and those from this class impact your future experiences in music education? What did you learn about yourself and music teaching that surprised you this semester? Have your beliefs about what it means to be a music teacher changed? How so? What areas of personal growth do you feel are necessary for your development toward becoming a music educator? Due: December 11 th Grading
Discussion (40%) Classroom Participation (20%) Edmodo Responses (20%) Mandatory Assignments (30%) Mini-Lesson Teaching & Reflection (10%) Classroom Observation Reflections (20%) Choice Assignments, choose 3 (30%) Personal Narrative (10%) One Students Story (10%) This I Believe (10%) Final Exam (10%)
Grading Scale 4.0 = 100% 3.5 = 90% 3.0 = 85% 2.5 = 80% 2.0 = 75% 1.5 = 70% 1.0 = 65% below 65% is a failing grade Course Schedule Date Topic(s), Readings and/or Materials Assignment Due Wednesday, Aug. 28 th
Establishing a Positive Learning Environment Introductions, Course & Syllabus Overview
Monday, Sept. 2 nd
Labor Day No class
Wednesday, Sept. 4 th
Teacher-Student Relationships Video: Every Kid Needs A Champion Pierson Edmodo Response Monday, Sept. 9 th
Teacher Identity Reading: The Courage to Teach Palmer Video: Fish is Fish Lionni (Bring scheduled commitments for the semester to this class.) Edmodo Response Wednesday, Sept. 11 th
Philosophies of Music Education Reading: Philosophies of Music Education Labuta & Smith Edmodo Response Monday, Sept. 16 th
Early Childhood Music Education Guest Lecture: Dr. Cynthia Taggart Personal Narrative Wednesday, Sept. 18 th
Observation Skills Preparation for classroom observations
Monday, Sept. 23 rd
The Aims of Education Reading: The Aims of Education Walker & Soltis Edmodo Response Wednesday, Sept. 25 th
Healthy Musicianship Guest Lecture: Dr. Judith Palac
Monday, Sept. 30 th
The Culture of Competition Reading: Lindys Story: One Students Experience in Middle School Band - Scheib Edmodo Response Wednesday, Oct. 2 nd
Competition, Personality & Teaching Guest Lecture: Dr. Mitchell Robinson
Monday, Oct. 7 th
Music Education Pedagogy Reading: Music Teaching Labuta & Smith Edmodo Response Wednesday, Oct. 9 th
Differentiated Instruction Reading: Demystifying Differentiation for the Elementary Music Classroom Hillier Edmodo Response Monday, Oct. 14 th
Popular Music & Vernacular Musicianship Reading: Popular Music in School: Remixing the Issues Woody Video: Rockin Education: Redefining Music in School Janov Edmodo Response Wednesday, Oct. 16 th
Mid-Term Reflections & Discussion One Students Story Monday, Oct. 21 st
Centeredness Reading: Stepping Aside: Teaching in a Student-Centered Music Classroom Blair Edmodo Response Wednesday, Oct. 23 rd
Social Class & Music Education Reading: Social Class and School Music Bates Edmodo Response Monday, Oct. 28 th
Environmental Contexts Reading: The Rewards of Teaching Music in Urban Settings Bernard Edmodo Response Wednesday, Oct. 30 th
Race & Music Education Reading: Missing Faces from the Orchestra: An Issue of Social Justice? DeLorenzo Edmodo Response Monday, Nov. 4 th
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Reading: The Skin That We Sing: Culturally Responsive Choral Music Education Shaw Edmodo Response Wednesday, Nov. 6 th
Exclusion in Music Education Lecture/Discussion: Adam Kruse
Monday, Nov. 11 th
Gender & Music Education Reading: A Womans Place Is At The Podium Lawson Video: The Story of Jazz Edmodo Response Wednesday, Nov. 13 th
Religion & Music Education Reading: Rethinking Religion in Music Education Hoffman Edmodo Response Monday, Nov. 18 th
Sexual Orientation & Music Education Reading: Sexual Orientation and Music Education: Continuing a Tradition Bergonzi Video: What Do You Say To Thats So Gay? Edmodo Response Wednesday, Nov. 20 th
Exceptional Learners & Special Education Reading: Disability in the Classroom: Current Trends and Impacts on Music Education Abramo Video: I am a Person Edmodo Response Monday, Nov. 25 th
Bullying & Music Education Reading: A Safe Education For All: Recognizing and Stemming Harassment in Music Classes and Ensembles Carter Video: To This Day Project Koyczan Edmodo Response Wednesday, Nov. 27 th
Postmodern Education Lecture/Discussion: Adam Kruse This I Believe Monday, Dec. 2 nd
Postmodern Education (continued) Video: Changing Education Paradigms Robinson Video: Why I Hate School But Love Education Breaks Edmodo Response Wednesday, Dec. 4 th
Discussion of Classroom Observations & Course Evaluations Final Exam due 11:59pm on Dec. 11 th