Module 5

Module 5, the last module! This class sure went fast. Module 5 covers chapters 12, 14, and 15. I discovered valuable information from each.

Chapter 12 - Motivation and learning in teaching

In chapter 12, I learned about motivation, needs, goals, beliefs, and applications of these concepts. First, motivation is an internal state that arouses, directs, and maintains behavior (Woolfolk 480). This concept has been studied, and tells us how and why people initiate actions directed toward specific goals, how long it takes them to get started in the activity, intensity, and persistence. I see and encourage this frequently in my private violin studio. I set goals with students, and like to see how long it takes for them to catch on, how intense they are in practice, and how long they can stick with it!
Chapter 12 also needs and goals. There is a chart on page 449 that breaks down Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. At the bottom, and largest category, is physiological needs. Next are safety needs, followed by love/belonging, Esteem needs, cognitive needs, aesthetic needs, and finally, self-actualization. It is important to remember that the needs of each student are different. When I teach violin, I can have two students at level 5 who need completely different instruction. One may be self-reliant, and I offer more criticism. Another student may be struggling with self-image issues, and I have to be more encouraging.

Chapter 14 - Teaching every student

I found chapter 14 to be rather interesting. It covers methods of studying teaching, and teaching approaches. Researchers have used many methods to learn more about teaching: classroom observation, case studies, interviews, experimentation, stimulated recall, and analysis of lesson transcripts. On page 533, Woolfolk says "Planning done at the beginning of the year is particularly important, because many routines and patterns, such as time allocations are established early" (Woolfolk 533). In my area, orchestra, planning is crucial. There are deadlines that can't be extended in an orchestra class. For example, the winter concert can't be postponed if the orchestra isn't ready to play! Careful organization and rehearsal planning is required to ensure that students have learned the appropriate material by the appropriate times.

Chapter 15 - Classroom assessment, grading and standardized testing

My favorite chapter! Classroom assessment, grading, and testing are three subjects I'm very interested in. We learn that grading can have two effects on students - positive or negative. We always wonder how students are affected by failure. Sometimes it is necessary. Students need experience in coping with failure, so standards must be high enough to encourage effort. (Woolfolk 606). In orchestra class, failure is a given. The standards of music performance are set so high that all performers fail regularly. It is what makes us better! Grading is also an interesting concept in orchestra. It can be difficult to demonstrate accurate assessment of student performance. I've researched the topic, and plan to integrate a program called "Smartmusic" into my classroom. I know that it will be fun!