Entry 3 2
Entry 3 2
Entry 3 2
The candidate plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning
goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, technology, curriculum,
cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the
community context.
The candidate should complete a unit of instruction and submit for this entry a unit plan
detailing content knowledge, use of technology by teachers and students, integrative
content, and multiple pedagogical strategies.
In preparation for every lesson, it is important to first consider how best the students can
experience and learn the material. How best can I reach each student through my instruction,
through activities, and through songs? In planning for instruction, I aim to include activities and
points of the lesson that include all learners, whether visual, kinesthetic or auditory. Using an
instructional sequence from An American Methodology: An Inclusive Approach to Musical
Literacy, my lessons taught the concept using physical, aural, and visual activities.
In the unit of instruction, the lessons began with many movement games and play songs
that allow students to learn the music and concept through physical motion and activity. While
students may not directly be singing the song yet, they are still able to hear the music and audiate
while also focusing on their actions. The physical activities allow students to engage by
movement, repeating motions and connecting them with the music.
Next, the concept is presented aurally to students. The aural instruction is layered with
the physical activity. In this stage, students hear the music and repeat it orally. Several repetitions
are included for students to become more comfortable with the music, in addition to the
movements. By scaffolding the aural instruction on top of the physical instruction, students are
able to use multiple learning styles instead of just focusing on a single one.
The third instructional focus is the visual presentation of the concept material. Once
again, the visual instruction is an addition to the physical and aural instruction that has
previously taken place. The visual instruction allows for students to see how the music is written
and represented, presenting them with another aspect of the music that they have just sung or
played. In this unit, the visual representations were done with powerpoint, SMARTboard
activities, flashcards, and whiteboards. The students are able to physically interact by writing or
drawing the notes and names in the songs, while focusing on the visual portion of the lesson.
Planning for instruction is such a vital part in setting up students for success during the
actual lesson. In preparing the unit curriculum, structuring the lessons and the order of the
lessons can have an impact on the instruction. Timing and structure of the scaffolding are
essential in preparing the instruction that will soon be taking place. The focus in planning has to
be on how best the instruction that lies ahead can reach students. Student learning has to be kept
in mind throughout the planning and teaching of the curriculum.