eJournal Week 7

Reflection
I used to think that instructional design was not as big a deal, now I think it is. So much more has to go into designing a course than I ever imagined. Perhaps this is because I have not made it into the classroom yet. Making sure each student is covered when it comes to learning styles, using different models to help you create the course and finally using something so simple as the five whys to help discover what the problem is. What an amazing course to learn. I will take everything I have learned with me when I finally get that teaching job!!

eJournal Week 6

Week 6

In your eJournal entry this week, identify the media that you’ll use to augment or deliver your instructional strategy or strategies. Provide rationales for your selections, whether those rationales are based on affordances or other media selection approaches.

The use of a computer connected to a projector will be top priority for these lessons. Rhythmic excerpts will be shown on the screen for all students to see. As well audio will need to be made available for students to listen to the example. Students will have the opportunity to view and hear rhythm exercises simultaneously and begin to develop a connection to rhythm.

A secondary media would be an iPad. There are various apps that are available in order to help teach students rhythm. This would help students who may be having trouble in the classroom setting to master the lessons.

eJournal Week 5

Identifying Instructional Strategies

The steps in the instructional design process covered up to this point have been deciding what you are going to teach; the purpose of this assignment is to determine how you are going to teach the instruction. An instructional strategy refers to sequencing and organizing content, determining learning activities, and the content delivery system. A good instructional strategy takes into account what is known about facilitating learning via research in educational psychology—what theory or theories should you apply? However, in designing your instructional strategy, you have to go beyond naming the theory or methodology. At a minimum, you also need to identify the following three major components that when part of an instructional strategy will facilitate learning:

1) motivation: how will you engage and motivate your learners to learn?

2) prerequisite and subskills: what is that they will learn and in what order?

3) practice and feedback: how will you know that they have learned it? and how will you let learners know whether they’ve learned?

In your journal this week, solidify your instructional goals and think through what theories or methods you’ll draw upon to help learners attain them. Then begin formulating your instructional strategies. 

The strategy that best works with this course is going to be the hearing/question/thinking technique. Rhythm has to become a part of the person learning it. It’s this reason that just seeing a technique will not suffice, the best way to learn is to hear it. There is a great lesson where students work in groups and listen to the excerpt and then discuss what they think it is.

The motivation will be difficult at first. The best way to attain this is to introduce things student already know. Music they’ve heard on the radio has rhythms that can be pulled and used to connect to lessons. This is the only prerequisite needed. To have listed to some form of music at some time in their lives. When they can recite the rhythms without teacher prompting, the lesson will be deemed successful.

eJournal Week 4

Analyzing Instructional Goals

Over the last couple of weeks, your analysis has focused on identifying an instructional problem, assessing needs, analyzing context, and determining characteristics of learners. In our class discussions, we’ve also explored a broader context than the school, institution, or organization for which you are designing instruction—examining the nature and scope of attitudes, skills, and abilities needed in the 21^st Century.

The result of these analyses should lead to the development of instructional goals broad, generalized statements about what is to be learned. Some like to think of them as a target to be reached, or "hit." They differ from objectives, which are clear and concise statements detailing what the learner will be able to think, know, or do as a result of completing the instruction. Instructional objectives also describe the context in which the newly learned attitudes, knowledge, or skills will be applied and any tools available to the learners within the performance context.

The formulation of goals and objectives usually comes in the design phase. However, prior to moving into that phase, instructional designers analyze various goals and subgoals for the types of learning required given the needs assessment, context analysis, and characteristics of learners. In your eJournal entry for this week, think through what types of learning will address your instructional problem and explore possible goals and/or subgoals for the instruction that you will design in the next phase of the process.

Special note: Make sure you consider existing curriculum (if any exists) coming from the state, approved at your school, etc. I’d like you to also reflect on the question posed by Ritchhart, Morrison, & Church: “What kinds of thinking do you value and want to promote in your classroom?”. You may also consider another question implied in the excerpt from their book, “What kinds of thinking are necessary to build disciplinary understanding?”

For more guidance on Writing Instructional Goals & Objectives, visit http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/Objectives/

The goal for this course is simple, learn basic rhythm skills. That being said, the way to get there is long and tedious. Students will have to start at the most basic of rhythms, quarter note, half notes, & whole notes, and move on from there. A hands on approach is going to be the best way to teach these skills. Making sure each student has mastered each phase before we move on. Also, assigning flash cards for students to take home may be a way to further what they’ve learned outside of the classroom. The process will have to be scaffolded, beginning with a solid foundation, in order to work out way to the top. That being the hardest rhythms, sixteenths, dotted quarters, etc.