Music 3715-D Fine Arts Teaching Methods Course Syllabus

Course Syllabus
Music 3715-D
Fine Arts Teaching Methods
Instructor Information:
Renate Kesler, Ph.D
University of Utah
Department of Distance Education/Music
Email: RenateKesler@comcast.net
Office Hours: contact me for an appointment
You are highly encouraged to read, reread and understand this entire syllabus prior to
beginning the first lesson. In addition, please explore and become familiar with the entire course
site.
Prerequisites:
None
Basic Requirements:
Music 3715-D Online, Fine Arts Teaching Methods – Music, consists of seven lessons, each
with an assignment. It also includes two projects (which require teaching music lessons in
elementary school class rooms) and a final examination. The course carries two semester units of
credit through Continuing Education at the University of Utah.
Access to the following is required:
The Internet
*Finale Notepad Trial Version (Download at
http://www.finalemusic.com/NotePad/Demo.aspx. A tutorial is listed in Blackboard.)
**A digital recording device (accepted formats are .wma, .wav, .mp3)
An elementary school class
Current email address that you check often.
Up-to-date computer hardware and software for your PC
*You don’t have to purchase finale notepad but you will need to download the 30-day free trial.
Be sure not to start your 30-day trial until you are ready to use it.
**Some PC’s have built in microphones. If you are using Windows, it is typically located in your
Start Menu/accessories/entertainment/sound recorder. If you are using a Macintosh, Garageband
has a recording feature.
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Course Syllabus
Course Introduction:
Music 3715, Fine Arts Teaching Methods will help future and current elementary school teachers
to integrate music into their classroom. Teaching music enriches children’s lives and helps them
succeed better in other areas of the school curriculum.
This course covers music fundamentals as well as materials and methods for teaching music in the
elementary classroom and will provide you with musical knowledge, experience, and confidence. It
is designed for non-music majors and presents a holistic approach to music education. You will
learn how to teach music and also use music as a means of promoting cognitive development
across subject areas.
Required Course Materials:
This course requires the following textbook:
Integrating Music into the Elementary Classroom (8th Edition) by Anderson, W.M. and J. E
Lawrence. Schirmer Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9780495569855
You will also need access to the Music Education Resource Center. If you purchase a new textbook
there should be an access card packaged inside. If you buy a used textbook, you can purchase access
at http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/en/US/storefront/US?cmd=catProductDetail&ISBN=978-
0-495-57190-2. You can also find this link in the Weblinks tool in Blackboard.
This textbook may be obtained from Internet booksellers such as Amazon or Ebay. Make sure you
get the correct version by noting the title, author, edition, and ISBN number.
Course Format:
It is the purpose of this course to provide you with the knowledge and experience necessary to
integrate music into the elementary school curriculum.
There is a great deal of difference between the musical abilities of students in a Kindergarten class
and those in a sixth grade class. To best prepare you for actual teaching, you will need to focus on
one grade as you proceed through this course.
This focus group will be referred to as your “target grade.” If you are not currently teaching or are
un- sure of the grade you would like to teach, either make your best guess or select a middle
elementary grade such as third or fourth. Please only select one grade level. Using your
endorsement designations, such as K-4, as a target grade for this course is too broad. Lessons can
always be adapted later for different situations.
Seven lessons are contained in this course. This course provides commentary that supplements and
further explains the material in the reading assignments.
Intro Quiz/Student Information Sheet:
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The introduction quiz is designed to help you become familiar with important aspects of
the course. You must pass the quiz with 100% to view any course lessons. You may take
the quiz as many times as needed. It covers material in the syllabus and Start Here folder.
Also you must complete the Student Information Sheet located in lesson 1. You will not
be able to submit any assignments until this has been completed.
Assignments:
Each of the seven assignments is designed to help you understand musical terminology,
obtain musical skills, and integrate them within your classroom. Assignments must be
submitted in the order re- quested and must be typed and double-spaced unless
otherwise noted. Please contact the instructor if you have any questions about the
assignments or course material.
All assignments must be submitted through the assignments submission tool in
Blackboard.
Lesson Plans:
I believe that the best way to gain competence in teaching music is through participation
in actual teaching experiences. Therefore, you will create a lesson plan as part of each
assignment. Writing these lesson plans will give you opportunities to push the creative
envelope. I will give you feedback for improving each lesson you create so don’t worry
that you don’t yet know enough about music to write meaningful lesson plans. Your first
few plans will be graded mostly on effort and format so just dive in and do your best!
You will learn quickly.
The format to use in preparing these plans is given to you in lesson 1. You must use this same
format for each lesson plan, and each one must be typed and double-spaced. SAVE COPIES
OF ALL OF YOUR LESSON PLANS! They will assist you in completing the two
projects, and will also be an in- valuable resource for you as a teacher in your own
classroom. It is strongly suggested that you compile these lesson plans into an organized
notebook so that you can easily locate and implement them in the future. Then you will
walk into your own classroom with several complete and useful music lesson plans — a
major head start!
Projects:
Your first project consists of one 30-minute teaching visit to an elementary school
classroom. The class should be your target grade. During this visit, you will use one of
the lessons you designed and submit- ted as part of assignments 1-4 to teach to the class.
You may not submit project I until assignments 1-4 have been graded and returned to
you. Upon completion of this teaching visit, you will submit a detailed self-evaluation,
the original lesson plan and revised lesson plan. Be sure to highlight any revisions!
Complete instructions for project I follow lesson 4 in this course manual.
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Project II also consists of one 30-minute teaching visit to an elementary school
classroom. This class should be your target grade. If possible, return to the classroom
where you completed your first project. During this visit, you will use one of the lessons
you designed and submitted as part of assignments 5-7 to teach to the class. Upon
completion of this teaching visit, you will submit a detailed self-evaluation, the original
lesson plan, and revised lesson plan. Be sure to highlight any revisions! You may not submit
project II until assignments 5-7 have been graded and returned to you. Complete
instructions for project II appear at the end of lesson 7. Also, the host teacher has to fill
out a form for both projects I and II, located at
http://continue.utah.edu/distance/music3715. This form must be filled out by the
host teacher and not the student.
Final Exam:
The final exam is comprehensive and so covers all course material found in Blackboard.
A matching exercise, short answer, and essay questions are included. You may take the
final only after all assignments and both projects have been graded and returned to you.
To help you prepare for the exam, a study guide has been provided in Blackboard located
at the end of lesson 7 and under the “start here” link on the home page. Allow two hours
to take the exam.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions during this course. My email
address is listed at the top of this syllabus.
The final exam is electronic so you will need access to a computer with Internet.
Students are required to make their own exam arrangements, which must meet the
requirements of the Distance Education Office (i.e., through a university or college
testing center). This has to be done several weeks before the exam - so it is recommended
that you plan accordingly! To take an exam, you will need to submit an Exam Request
Form through Distance Education. The Distance Education Office will assist with
arrangements, but cannot guarantee that arrangements can be made. In addition, there
are costs associated with proctors and the amounts vary depending on the institution. If
you have any questions regarding exams, please contact the Distance Education office at
(800) 467-8839 or email at distance@aoce.utah.edu. For further information see the
“Final Exam Request” link on the Music 3715 homepage in Blackboard.
You must pass the Final Exam in order to pass the course. If you fail this exam, you
will fail the course. This is a requirement of U of U Distance Education courses.
Course Policies:
Grading:
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Assignments (7 total)
Project 1
Project 2
Final Exam
700pts
240pts
240pts
100pts
Total: 1280 pts
Your final grade is determined using the following point totals:
A 93-100% C 73-76%
A- 90-92% C- 70-72%
B+ 87-89% D+ 67-69%
B 83-86% D 63-66%
B- 80-82% D- 60-62%
C+ 77-79% E Below 60%
What Successful Students Should Expect To Do In This Course:
Successful students follow instructions. The syllabus, lectures and assignments are the primary
sources of instructions in any college course; so successful students read them carefully and refer
to them regularly.
Successful students write down any instructions given by the professor; they are also careful to
make sure that they have taken accurate notes and ask questions.
Successful students look up information first so that they ask informed questions, not questions
they already have the answers to. If they can’t find the answers, they contact the instructor.
Successful students pay close attention to how they can best and most easily learn the material in
a particular subject area.
Your Course Responsibilities:
This course requires significant self-motivation. Lessons take several hours to complete. Don’t
try to do them in one day. Please note that not all lessons are created equal. Some may take a bit
more time than others.
You would normally spend 3± hours per week in “class” for this course. Allow yourself several
hours to complete the lessons on-line, including the time spent writing to discussion boards,
assignments, and other required activities. You should plan additional time to read the text and
study for the quizzes. In the beginning, the lessons will probably take longer than they will once
you are familiar with the system.
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Some people believe this a much easier way to study this subject than in the on campus
framework because they love to read and avoid parking problems. Others may feel very
intimidated at first. Be patient as you work your way through the first few lessons. If you are
serious about the material, you will learn as much or more than most on campus students about
this subject and develop reading and communication skills that are vital to the workforce of the
21st century.
Planning Time:
Successful students (those that get A’s, B’s, and C’s) use their time wisely. Just like a face-to-face
course, the standard formula for college coursework is that for every one hour of class time will
result in three to six hours (and sometimes more) of homework; so a three-unit course will
require an average of 9 or more hours of homework (reading, research, studying) per lesson. As a
result, successful students plan their time wisely so that they keep up with assignments by
maintaining a pace that fits the course schedule. They also communicate with the instructor
often so that they can receive much needed feedback on their work.
Online Course Responsibilities:
This course requires significant self-motivation. Some lessons take a considerable amount of time
to complete. Please note that not all lessons are created equal. Some may take a bit more time
than others. Some people believe this to be a much easier way to study this subject than in the
on-campus framework. Others may feel very intimidated at first. Be patient as you work your
way through the first few lessons. If you are serious about the material, you will learn as much, if
not more, than most on-campus students about this subject and develop reading and
communication skills that are vital to the workforce of the 21st century.
The following is a list of general notes as they relate to the course:
All course communication with the instructor should be completed using the email listed
at the top of the syllabus.
Assignments are to be submitted in Word format ( .doc or .docx)
The exams will be proctored. Refer to the Distance Education Office web site or the
Final Exam Request link in Blackboard for further information.
Online Courtesy & Communication Policy:
Extreme consideration for the feelings of others is expected. People cannot see you smile and
may not know when you are joking. Do not tell people they are stupid or wrong. Do explain
why you believe differently. If someone has the facts wrong, direct them to the source of accurate
information or politely offer your alternative “facts.” Use of profanity or direct/indirect insults
which defame a person’s character, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. are inappropriate and will not be
tolerated.
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Academic Dishonesty & Plagiarism:
Cheating will not be tolerated in this course. Anyone caught cheating will fail the course and will
be reported to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, in accordance with the Code of
Student Rights and Responsibilities.
Successful students always make sure that their work is original. This is important because the
instructor must be able to gauge what the student has learned. Therefore, copying the work of
another person, whether an essay, answers on your assignments or during a test, is considered
plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Any time a student uses someone else’s work and does not give
that person credit, it is plagiarism. Anyone who plagiarizes will receive a failing grade on the
assignment. If this is repeated, the student will fail the course and can be expelled from the
university. If you are “suspected” of plagiarism, you will bear the burden of proof. You must be
able to present rough drafts or related materials and discuss the topic intelligently. Refer to the
University of Utah Plagiarism Policy for more details and/or the University of Utah - Policy and
Procedures Manual.
ADA Policy:
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for
people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the course, reasonable prior notice
needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services (CDS), 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-
5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for
accommodations.
All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior
notification to the Center for Disabilities.
THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE/MODIFY
THE CONTENTS OF THIS SYLLABUS
COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION
Copyright notice to students taking online courses:
Notice to students that materials used in connection with the course may be subject to copyright
protection.
TEACH Act Copyright Notice
The materials on this course Web site are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for
purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.
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