EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
Module 6: Music Integration
Learning Journal Module 6
Date/Reading
Tuesday
November 28, 2017
Cornett, C.E.
(2015). Creative meaning
through literature and the
arts: Arts integration for
classroom teachers (Fifth
Edition). Boston, MA:
Pearson.
Quote
Music has great power, but
this power can and has been
abused. Music integration
should include discussions
about the downsides of
music euphoria, such as
hateful lyrics that have
provoked aggressive
responses. Clearly, moral
leaders such as teachers
should question any art form
that demeans a person or
group (p. 469)
Chapter 12 and 13
Due December 2, 2017
Response
As a kid, I always heard my
parents saying, Dont listen
to that stuff. It will rot your
thoughts. I wasnt allowed
to listen to certain types of
music. Id roll my eyes and
tell them they were too old
fashioned. One day in high
school, my mom asked me if
I knew wat the song I was
singing meant. No, its just a
song. Then she took me
through just a few of the
words in the lyrics. I was
appalled. The song, Greased
Lightning.
Now days, I listen to the
words. The rhythm may be
exciting, the guitar licks
might be fabulous, but if the
words are derogatory or
degrading, I dont care how
cool the music it, the words
ruin it for me. I do not
believe people when they
say, Oh, I just like the music.
I dont really listen to the
words, but then they are
singing right along with the
words.
Hmmm (playing Devils
advocate here) Should we as
teachers take on the title of
moral leaders as the quote
suggests? If so, like
everything else in the world,
who are WE to say what is
right or wrong? Yet again,
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
Tuesday There is agreement that
November 28, 2017 making music involves
organizing sound in time and
Cornett, C.E. space. Furthermore, it would
(2015). Creative meaning seem that understanding the
through literature and the nature of music would be
arts: Arts integration for highly dependent on a
classroom teachers (Fifth certain body part, the ears.
Edition). Boston, MA: However, Beethoven, and
Pearson. others with acquired
deafness, continued to
compose, and today schools
for the deaf include
marching bands and choirs
(Jensen, 2000). Indeed, we
perceive rhythm and beat
with the entire body;
producing and
understanding music
requires cognitive, physical,
and emotional perception
(p. 270)
why do we wonder why our
society is embracing the
violence and demeaning
attitudes toward certain
people or groups? Is society
a product of our music or is
music the product of our
society?
This quote made me reflect
on two things. First, we
assume that the ears are
required to understand
music. I know this is not a
fact. Years ago, I traveled
with an organization called
Up With People and our
dance and performance
captain was amazing. He
could dance and move like
no one else I had ever met.
He got his whole body into
every dance he taught us. His
face expressed every
emotion that the songs we
sang and danced to were
supposed to evoke. And he
did all of this as a deaf man.
When we asked him how he
did it, he told us he did not
hear the notes from the
songs, but he felt the beat
through his feet and hands.
He read lips and we had
some basic Sign Language
we learned. When he learned
a new dance, first he would
read the words to
understand the emotions
and message they were
telling. Next, our sound
engineer would turn up the
volume and Ross would put
his hands on the speakers to
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
get the rhythm and beats of
the music. Finally, with the
subwoofers on the floor so
he could feel the beat, he
would dance the dance and
teach us hearing people the
dance steps and how to feel
the music. It was so
awesome to watch him and
then learn from him.
Second, I always knew that
music requires (and
affected) emotional and
physical perception, but I
had never considered the
cognitive perception. The
idea that music increases
cognitive function is
something to consider when
integrating music in the
curriculum. The affects
different types of music has
on learning, relaxation,
alertness, etc. Why wouldnt
music be a key component
in the classroom?
Thursday Some of these areas of focus This quote reminded me of
November 30, 2017 were beyond my students when I was teaching
Reaves, M. (2017). Module 6 English developmental kindergartners and first
Music - The Great levels. Yet they were able to grade students Spanish. The
Connection. Retrieved fully participate and grow curriculum, Teach Them
from from where they were. Spanish, always started each
https://www.msubon (unnumbered) unit off teaching children a
line.net/d2l/le/conte corresponding song using
nt/440290/viewCont familiar music and lyrics
ent/3197858/View based on the new
vocabulary. Even though
they didnt know the
language, by listening to the
music, One little, two little,
three little pumpkins they
picked up the words to the
Spanish version quickly, Uno,
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
dos, tres amigos I would
hear them humming it in the
hall, and a few times, I heard
them teaching the classroom
teacher the song so they
could sing it along with their
morning routine. Just like the
quote says,
they were able to fully
participate and grow from
where they were.
Saturday 13. Public Speaking More I loved this list that Mr.
December 3, 2017 so than spiders, snakes, and Dunbar put together. I also
Dunbar, F. (2008, April 1). even heights, public speaking like that it uses technology.
Teaching With Tunes: is our number one fear. It's Using technology always
21 Ideas for also one of the most valuable wins cool points with
Incorporating Music skills in the workplace. students now days. There
Throughout the While kids are sometimes were several ideas I liked
Curriculum. Retrieved reluctant to "stand and and that I think I might try in
from Tech & deliver" a book report or my own classroom. This one
Learning: speech, give them "Mr. stood out to me because
http://www.techlear Microphone" and a melody, public speaking is something
ning.com/news/0002 and watch as their that all students should have
/teaching-with-tunes- inhibitions waft away. With the opportunity to practice. I
21-ideas-for- The Who and U2 as role know it is hard (I hated
incorporating-music- models, have your young speaking in front of others),
throughout-the- orators practice their body but it is a skill worth all the
curriculum/65593 language, inflection, and effort put into it. There is not
voice projection live, on a single career I can think of
stage and in concert! that does not use public
(unnumbered) speaking at one point or
another, either in front of a
large group of people or to
an individual in sales or on
the phone, public speaking is
necessary. Using music as a
way to help students
practice body language,
inflection, and voice
projection in this fun way
should give them confidence
when they need to speak
publicly in life.
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
Thursday Music and the language arts I guess Ive always know
November 30, 2017 have a lot in common: Music this, but only in my heart.
involves decoding symbols, When Cornett put it into
Cornett, C.E. fluency, comprehension words, I realized why I enjoy
(2015). Creative meaning (understanding), and both writing stories and
through literature and the composition (writing). (p. poetry, and trying to make
arts: Arts integration for 519) songs out of some of the
classroom teachers (Fifth poems I write. I like the idea
Edition). Boston, MA: that music is a form of
Pearson. language all on its own. Even
if there are no words, the
feelings and energy can
make apparent exactly what
the artist/speaker is trying
to get across. Years ago,
there was a song out by a
Christian recording artist
named Sandi Patti called
Love in Any Language. It was
one of my favorite songs and
I performed it in a
competition. Music is the
language of the love and the
music of the soul. It doesnt
matter what _____ a person is,
music can reach every heart
with the same message.

Thursday America the Beautiful was Hmmm, even though this

November 30, 2017 the national anthem. But
then, President Wilson
Cornett, C.E. ordered all Army and Navy
(2015). Creative meaning bands to cease playing it and
through literature and the play The Star Spangled
arts: Arts integration for Banner. Why did Wilson
classroom teachers (Fifth order the change?.... His wife,
Edition). Boston, MA: Eleanor, declared that
Pearson. America the Beautiful was
too peaceable for a country
about to declare war. Thus,
Keys song became our
national anthem. (p. 532)
was part of a Seed Strategy, I
found this story intriguing. I
knew that Francis Scott Key
had written the song, but the
other details are new to me. I
took a second look at the
Seed Strategy Song Experts
and though how interesting
it might be to use this as a
way for students to learn
more about the background
of a specific era in our
history. What about all those
patriotic songs or folk songs?
What do they tell us about
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
the culture and times when
they were written? Is there
something else behind the
writing of these types of
songs? How could they
enlighten students about a
certain time in history
without having to read a dry
textbook? I like this idea a
lot.

I hope you can read all my writing. I chose to make a Dynamics Dial (a Seed Strategy from
Ch. 13) as an indicator for students of when certain levels of sound are appropriate for
them to make. What I learned are some Ah-hh, thats interesting thoughts. I studied music
extensively in my undergraduate work (years ago), but I never knew these things about
music. My question comes from a knee-jerk reaction I have from another quote in the text,
EDCI 517
Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary Curriculum
Shannon Foster
Clearly, moral leaders such as teachers should question any art form that demeans a
person or group (Cornett, 2015). My story is this. I attempted to do just this in my last
school when I tried to call to attention the demeaning and derogatory comments and
quotes from songs that the boys were using on the girls. I was told by my administrator
that I shouldnt do that because, my values do not reflect the values of this community
and I shouldnt be forcing my values on my students. This is a public school. What?! I
didnt realize that respect, manners, and treating others kindly were values a community
didnt wanted their children to embrace. Evidently, by questioning students choices of
words and music, I was forcing my values on my students. Hmmm? How does a teacher
combat that (il)logical thinking?

Works Cited

Cornett, C. E. (2015). Creating Meaning through Literature and the Arts. Boston: Pearson
Education, Inc.

Dunbar, F. (2008, April 1). Teaching With Tunes: 21 Ideas for Incorporating Music
Throughout the Curriculum. Retrieved from Tech & Learning:
http://www.techlearning.com/news/0002/teaching-with-tunes-21-ideas-for-
incorporating-music-throughout-the-curriculum/65593

Reaves, M. (2017). Module 6 Music - The Great Connection. Retrieved from

https://www.msubonline.net/d2l/le/content/440290/viewContent/3197858/Vie
w