I'm wondering how others in our group define basic terms.
I know that this isn't closely related to Orff process, but I have found that my intentions for using and defining terms has an impact on some aspects of my process. I believe strongly in the philosophy that "experience comes before theory," and I fashion a lot of what I teach around this principle. Eventually though, it becomes necessary to stop singing and moving and discuss the terms and concepts related to all of the things that we are doing.
In my district we are struggling to formulate the SLO's and testing that will be used for the next few years. As I consider this I realize that there is no singled document that I can look at that says, "this is how we define the term 'beat:'" Maybe it wouldn't change much of anything in my teaching approach if such a standardized definition existed, but it seems to me that coming to a consensus about such content is probably important.
I'm wondering if any of you are working in districts where basic terms are defined in your curriculum, or is it left to you to establish your own way of talking about them. I'm wondering how and when you discuss these things in detail with your students. I'm wondering about the language that you use when you have these conversations.
These are the eleven terms that I would like to be able to cover in my program between K and the end of 5th grade. I hardly ever have time to discuss "texture," but I keep it on the list.
Beat
Tempo
Meter
Rhythm
Pitch
Melody
Harmony
Timbre
Dynamics
Form
Texture
It's probably too much to tackle all of these in one post, but I'm hoping that some of you will share how you define one or more of them. When do you try to teach the definitions for these terms? Do you have them write definitions down? I'm hoping for now that we can focus on the language that we are using. Perhaps we can discuss the experiences that lead up to the conversations at a later time.
Rob,
ReplyDeleteOur district has no standardized definitions, I can tell you mine...
I have work walls and most of these words are on the wall for one or more grade levels. Here are a few and my shorthand "talking points" when we discuss them.
Beat- The pulse of the music (example-heartbeat)Kindergarten and on...
Form- The way the music is organized. Defined in 2nd grade
Melody- the "main tune" that you hear. Defined in 1st grade
Harmony- the "helping parts" that support the melody. I use this term earlier, but do not expect them to define it until 3rd grade.
DOn't know if this is helpful...I agree that common definitions within a district (and even further-reaching) are going to become increasingly important as we move forward with assessments...
I appreciate your response.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually both helpful and unsettling. My approach seems to be different, and I sense that this is an area that I need to revise.
I'm insecure about what I have chosen to do in this area, but I'll try to briefly explain it. I use these terms throughout the grades, but I don't assess the students grasp of their meaning very directly until fifth grade. A significant portion of fifth grade is spent working with each of these terms and the skills and concepts that are related to each. The students are given a worksheet which simply lists the terms with enough space for them to write out the definitions as we cover each term.
Another aspect of my insecurity about this is the definitions themselves. I suspect that my approach to some of these terms may be too far reaching; however, I struggle against the notion that things have to be made simpler if I sense that the simplest approach might inaccurate or incomplete.
I appreciate the simple, direct way that you have defined the terms you mention above. This will help me wrestle with my own definitions.
Here are the definitions that I have been using. I hope that you (and others) will feel free to share your honest opinion about the accuracy and accessibility of these definitions.
BEAT: A steady repeating pulse used to measure time in music.
TEMPO: The speed of the beat
METER: A repeating pattern of beat groups in which the first beat is usually accented or strongest.
RHYTHM: A series of long and short sounds and silences that create movement in music.
PITCH: The highness or lowness of a sound.
MELODY: A rhythmic series of pitches that create a musical statement.
HARMONY: Two or more pitches heard at the same time.
TEXTURE: The way that melodies and harmonies are layered in a piece of music.
FORM: The organization of the sections of a piece of music.
DYNAMICS: The loudness or softness of the sounds in music.
TIMBRE: The unique sound quality of a voice or instrument.
Honest feedback will be most helpful and appreciated.
Hi Rob (and Everyone)!
ReplyDeleteI will NOT be at Level 3 this summer. I need another summer off from Grad work, getting my professional certification really did me in.
I have used a word wall the past two years, and here are the definitions from it. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3PpBSTOOlkZejBNcGlNdkVycUU/edit?usp=sharing
The definitions have worked well with my students (grade 6, 7, and 8).
Hope this helps, and I hope all is well! This has been a pretty exhausting (in a bad way) year for me, and I'm looking forward to the summer followed by a fresh start!
Karen