For
most kids, classical music is not especially their cup of tea. “Boring”,
“dull”, and “uninteresting” are all words grumbled under students’ breath when
the teacher announces that they will be learning about music history. But the
fact of the matter is that classical music is the foundation of all of today’s
music. So how can we as educators engage our students in classical music? “Classics for Kids” is an excellent resource for teachers to find lesson plans, audio, a
musical dictionary, and many other valuable links for children grades K-5. But more importantly, with it's kid friendly design, games, and links it is a great way to get kids using technology to further their musical knowledge.
My
personal favorite part for teachers of the site is the lesson plans feature. Each lesson is
incredibly detailed and contains a step-by-step approach that teachers can use
as a framework. Each lesson plan includes links to media that could be
included, little songs that could enhance the lesson, and other resources that
a teacher could find valuable.
By
working classical music and composers into a lesson as opposed to merely studying
music history, students can become engaged without even knowing it. This
website is an excellent resource for teachers who are struggling to figure out
a way to spark their students’ interest, and a great way to work technology into a lesson. I will definitely keep this website in the back of my mind as I embark on a career in music
education.
This sounds like an awesome website. I have already run into situations where kids don not like classical music because it is "boring" etc. I definitely think this site would be great to use in the classroom to help overcome that initial judgements of classical music. It is important to educate the younger generations about classical music to keep it alive for future generations to come. I looked at the site and some of the games seem really good and fun for the students. I hope that we, as future educators, can contribute to the new found love of classical music.
ReplyDeleteMusic History was such a boring class in my High School, that students stopped enrolling in it. They eventually canceled the class because no one wanted to take it. This site seems like a great way to both revamp Music History in schools and to incorporate it into our classes. It is a useful tool for incorporating number 9 of the National Standards; the history of music AND music in history. Great Resource!
ReplyDeleteThis website sounds so great! I agree with Becki, my Music History class was rather boring in High School, and I think that this website really could have provoked interest in lots of other students in my class. I also think it's a wonderful way to introduce younger children to classical music in a way that is fun and interesting to them!
ReplyDeleteNice find. What age level are these lesson plans appropriate for? I enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteI believe you could use this website for kids of all different grades! The lesson plans are merely a bases in which a teacher can expand upon and craft a lesson. By taking the general concepts behind the lesson, teachers can tweak the lesson to fit different age groups.
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