Amy+Gardner

amyctg@gmail.com = = =**Assignment 1: Scavenger Hunt**= media type="custom" key="18678422"

__Reflection__ I had a lot of fun working on this project with my group. Eric suggested the Artisan Market in the Mariscal area of Quito and we all agreed that it would be an area ripe with possibilities for the scavenger hunt. The first object I encountered that gave me an idea was the bent chair. I had seen such small chairs/stools many times in China where I used to live. It always struck me as curious that people who worked so hard and for such long hours all seemed to use these miniature type stools for sitting in - what is the benefit I've always wondered? Is it because they are cheaper to make? In any case, it caught my attention as an example of an inanimate object that was communicating about who was using it. Another object that I helped to spot was the litter in the tree. We had decided to leave the market and walk to a nearby park and as we were walking down the street I noticed a plastic cup and some plastic bags stuck into a tree on the sidewalk. How funny I thought, that someone would go to the trouble of sticking their trash in a tree rather than dumping it on the ground or taking it to one of the nearby public trash cans. An example of someone doing a normal thing in a creative way!

In addition to helping spot several of the items we included in our presentation, I also helped to put together the presentation, uploading pictures onto the website. We then worked as a group to provide the audio track that goes along with the presentation. All in all I had a great experience working on this project - I hope you enjoy!

SOUNDS LIKE YOU BEGAN TO SEE THINGS IN NEW WAYS. BRAVO.

=**Assignment 2: Application of Creative Strategies**=
 * Given the timing of the course at the end of the year and just before 2 major performances, I will be unable to implement either lesson plan until the fall. However, I am very excited to incorporate these into next year's units - I look forward to seeing the results! NO WORRIES. I REALIZE THAT OFTEN LIFE IS ABOUT TIMING.

__Lesson Plan #1__ Intermediate Orchestra; building musical vocabulary
 * 1. Discipline and Topic**


 * 2. Learning outcomes:**
 * Build musical vocabulary
 * Develop a unique and personal relationship to the words studied
 * To recognize new words in the music we play and attempt to apply them to their playing

Creative dramatics
 * 3. Strategy**

This strategy involves the use of drama activities to teach and reinforce concepts. The example we did in class was a “play” in 5 acts where each character had just one or two words to say (except for the narrators who opened each scene with a sentence or two). The challenge then becomes to find ways to fill all of the empty space left when each person has so few actual words to say. We were challenged to use our bodies and our imaginations to make a story. I can see how this activity/strategy could be used in many ways – as an ice breaker, as a vocabulary builder, as a way to brainstorm for a creative writing assignment or as a way to demonstrate or picture difficult concepts. The steps involved for this activity are relatively simple. I would need to adapt the script to meet the needs of my particular class and unit being covered. It will also be important to have a store of ideas and prompts to help stir the children’s imaginations in case they are shy. As this is a music class and not a drama class, they may be slow to get into the activity at first.
 * 4. Description of the strategy and steps involved**

I will separate the students into groups of 5-6 and assign them a scene, explaining that each person may only say the words written for their character. After going through it once, I will make suggestions to each group to enhance their scene – examples of what I might say are written in parentheses below each scene. As for assessment, I will watch the children as they prepare for and act out the scenes to see that everyone is participating. For the actual activity, students will receive a participation grade only. However, at the end of the overall unit there will be a written assessment which asks students to define certain terms from those below. In addition, throughout the year there are playing tests, each of which incorporate certain concepts of those covered below – students will demonstrate their understanding through their performance on these as well.
 * 5. Implementation and Assessment**

__Scene One__ Narrator: We use dynamics to create exciting contrasts in music… One: piano, pianissimo… Two: mezzo piano, mezzo forte Three: forte, fortissimo Four: fortissississimo! //(Consider how you can use not only your voice but your body language as well. Could each dynamic be represented by an animal? If so, what animal would you be?)// __Scene Two__ Narrator: The tempo tells us how fast or slow we will play a piece of music. What is your favorite tempo? One: allegro Two: andante Three: moderato Four: largo Five: lento //(Do you think certain instruments prefer to play at certain tempos? Could you pretend to play that instrument? Or perhaps think of a song that you all like, could you each hum and dance to the melody but at the different tempos?)// __Scene Three__ Narrator: Different rhythms create exciting contrasts in music. One: quarter notes Two: eighth notes Three: whole note Four: sixteenth notes //(How many different ways can you use body motions to demonstrate the different rhythms? Could each type of rhythm have its own personality? What would it be? You can use you arms, hands, feet, any objects you can find in the room. Make sure that each of you relates to the person before you - for example, the eighth notes should be how much faster than the quarter notes?)//
 * The Wonderful World of Musical Words**

Following completion of the activity I will ask students to reflect in their journals on what they learned as well as the process itself. What did you like about this activity? What was difficult for you? Did you learn something new? What do you think you will remember about this activity in 2 weeks? THIS IS SUPER. I LOVE HOW YOU APPLIED THE STRUCTURE TO YOUR DISCIPLINE. 15 POINTS __Lesson Plan #2__ High school IB music class; composing
 * 6. Reflection**
 * 1. Discipline and Topic**


 * 2. Learning outcomes:**
 * To gain a more personal understanding of how composers borrow from each other
 * To gain a new perspective on the process of composing
 * To have a more sensitive eye/ear for patterns in music

SCAMPER
 * 3. Strategy**

This strategy can be used to pick apart the pieces of an idea or activity and see what aspects you can manipulate or change. In this case, I would like to elaborate in students' minds how music is put together and how composers can borrow from and inspire each other. I will start by showing some examples of pieces of music where one composer borrowed from another, how and where they did it. Then I will ask them to consider a composer that they admire - they will be asked to use a piece by that composer to inspire a piece of their own.
 * 4. Description of the strategy and steps involved**

Mimicing, copying and quoting previous works of music has always been a part of the composing process. Composers study those who came before them and use their material to inspire their own works. For this assignment, we will each pick a piece of music from a composer that we admire and use it as a starting point to create out own compositions. The parameters are that the piece of music should: In order to get the creative composing juices flowing, we will be using a technique called SCAMPER to help us get started. Look carefully through the score of the piece you have chosen to find aspects that you could mimic or borrow in your own composition. Your finished composition should be at least 20 measures long. Consider the techniques listed below: =S - Substitute= Does anything in the piece remind you of something else? Could you insert something from another piece? =C - Combine= Can you combine two different parts into one? Perhaps two different parts in the same instrument or parts from different instruments? =A - Adjust/Adapt= Transpose; Change from major to minor or nice versa; Change the instrumentation. =M - Magnify/Minify/Modify= Take a minor theme and turn it into the main melody; Take a harmony part and make it the melody instead. =P - Put to other Uses= Take a look at the instrumentation - could you toy with one part being used in a different way? For example, could you put a percussion part in the strings? =E - Eliminate/Elaborate= Take a simple motif and elaborate on it =R - Reverse/Rearrange= Invert a melody; Change the instrumentation
 * 5. Implementation and assessment**
 * 1) Come from a composer in the classical period
 * 2) Be written for 1-4 instruments

You are asked to use at least 2 of the strategies listed above, although you are free to define it differently from the suggestions listed above. You should submit a brief essay to accompany your composition which explains your use of techniques from SCAMPER.

Assessment: Students will be given a rubric which assesses how well they incporporated SCAMPER techniques to compose their piece of music. Were they able to explain and defend their choices? How did they use these techniques to rework a piece by a composer that they like?

Students will be asked to write a brief reflection in their journals following completion of this activity. What did you learn about the composing process that you didn't know before? What did you find difficult about this assignment? What did you like about it? Think about the composer you chose to emulate in this activity - has anything changed about how you think about him or her? If so, please explain. I DO LIKE THIS ACTIVITY AND FEEL THAT SCAMPER IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL FOR HELPING YOUR STUDENTS MAKE CONNECTIONS, SEE PATTERNS, AND TAKE RISKS. 15 POINTS =**Assignment 3 - Part 1: Pre Assignment**= __Write a summary of five main points you find compelling from Ken Robinson’s TED Talk and the article, “The Creativity Crisis,” by Scott Berkun.__ I started by watching Ken Robinson's TED Talk and I found many compelling points discussed in it - I will try to boil them down to just a couple! First, I was intrigued by the idea he put forth that everyone has the capacity to be creative, it is just a matter of nurturing it early and encouraging students to explore their creative side. I like this idea because I think as a society we tend to think of highly creative people as exceptions to the rule. But according to Robinson's idea of creativity - not being afraid of being wrong, being willing to have a go at something - it is a capacity that we all have within ourselves and it is most clearly seen when we are children. What if we could retain this capacity into adulthood? How different would society be? I AGREE This leads into the second point I found interesting from Robinson's talk, that we are "educated out of creativity," that current educational systems around the world are destroying creativity. In a way, his definition of creativity does run counter to our idea of education in that school is meant to teach us how things work, skills for understanding the world and surviving in it. In order for that to happen there has to be a degree of understanding that certain things are "right" or "wrong." 2+2=4; plants need sunshine and water to grow; fire will burn you; etc. The challenge is to find a balance between teaching essential knowledge without destroying the natural sense of wonder and imagination that Robinson contends everyone is born with. YES, EXACTLY
 * 6. Reflection**

The third compelling point I took away from Robinson's talk was the contention that creativity is just as important as literacy. He brings up the fact that almost all educational systems have a hierarchy of subjects which originally stemmed from industrialization, with the goal of perparing students for work on a theoretical "assembly line" of proper, stable jobs. However, the fact is, there are many possibilities in the world today for careers in creative fields and in fact it is those people who can imagine other types of work that move the world forward and create different ways of living and improving people's lives. Robinson contends that we must rethink the fundamental principles upon which we think about education and I agree with him.

Continuing this line of reasoning, I found it interesting that in the article, "The Creativity Crisis," Scott Berkun quotes a poll of 1,500 CEOs who identified creativity as the No. 1 “leadership competency” of the future. The article also quotes the Torrance Creativity Index study which showed a distinct relation between creativity in children and creative accomplishments as adults. If it so abundantly clear how important creativity is in terms of innovation and leadership, why is it that we don't have clear plans for how to foster creativity in the classroom? Finally, I found it interesting that Berkun made the point that creativity is not about freedom from concrete facts, but rather "fact-finding and deep research are vital stages in the creative process." He acknowledges that many teachers in the American school system feel overwhlemed by curriculum standards and feel there isn't time to incorporate creativity into the classroom. However, the issue isn't about making creativity it's own subject to put up against math or science, but instead to change the approach to all these subjects, shifting to a more project-based learning approach to these subjects

__Discuss how you nurture creativity in your students currently. Provide concrete examples.__ I am the orchestra teacher at my school, so there are definitely elements of technical skill that one must learn to become proficient at their instrument, however, I do try to incorporate as many opportunities for creativity and exploration as I can. One project I started this year with each of my classes was a long-term composing project. We started by talking about inspiration, where it comes from and how certain ideas and/or emotions might be translated into music. I used analogies to a creative writing assignment to get their creative juices flowing. Students were given certain parameters - such as form and key signature - within which they were free to be as creative as they wanted. The last part of the assignment was a peer concert where the students performed their pieces for each other and reflected on the process of composing. THIS IS GREAT. I AM IMPRESSED AS I LOVE BOTH CONCEPTS OF METAPHORS AND INSPIRATION.

Generally speaking, I also try to etch out time each week for the students to work in small groups, whether it be to work on a piece we are playing or to give each other ideas for a project like the composing one described above. The idea is that by working together they can help each other solve problems and think about new concepts in a different way, figuring it out for themselves. I believe there is some creative outlet in this process as they are not necessarily tied down to doing it the way I would when I lead the class.

__List three understandings or skills you would like to learn in this course on Creativity.__ 1. How to incorporate more project-based learning activities into my curriculum 2. Strategies for guiding students in project-based learning 3. Strategies for creating a safe environment for making mistakes

=**Assignment 3 - Part 2: Group Definition of Creativity**= =**FINE METAPHOR HERE.**= = = =**Assignment 3 - Part 3: Block Busting Activities**=

I think my box comes mainly from emotional blocks to creativity - fear of being wrong, impatience to get to the answer, occasionally getting stuck into thinking about something in a particular way. I know that I need to give myself time and space to be creative but I don't always do that. In terms of environmental blocks, I think we all have those. As much as I would like to be creative in my classroom and as much as I can come up with creative lesson plans, there is always the issue of time, or rather, the lack of it. Especially in my classes, which are expected to perform 4-5 times throughout the year, there is always the pressure of that next concert or performance weighing down on me and forcing me to put ideas on the back-burner. WE NEED TO CREATE ENVIRONMENTS WERE COLLABORATION AND NEW IDEAS ARE VALUED. =**Assignment 3 - Part 4: TED talk Analysis**= Have you ever looked around your classroom at the expressions on your students faces and thought of it as a reflection of you? In this talk, Benjamin Zander discusses the importance of inspiring "shining eyes" in those around you. His basis for communicating is classical music. Zander contends that everyone has the ability to appreciate classical music, it is just a matter of awakening a person's awareness or interest, helping them to listen with informed ears. Here is a short list of some ideas you may walk away with from this speech:
 * Benjamin Zander's TED talk: Classical Music with Shining Eyes**

- Everyone has the capacity to appreciate and be moved by classical music: an analogy for creativity - No one is tone deaf - otherwise, how do we recognize people's voices or gauge emotion when talking on the telephone? - How to play the piano with one buttock: learning to express oneself through music - Try to live your life as though everything you say could be the last - shining eyes! FINE POINTS =**Assignment 3 - Part 5: Math Problem**= Thomas and Rusesabegina were hunting antelope in a field. Rusesabegina tripped and speared himself. Thomas called an ambulance. The ambulance left the hospital located 200 miles from Thomas and Rusesabegina’s location and traveled at 60 MPH. At the exact moment the ambulance left the hospital, an antelope began charging in a straight line towards Thomas from 100 miles away at a speed of 35 MPH. If along the way, the antelope stops at a watering hole during the length of time it takes the ambulance to travel 20 miles, which will arrive first and how much sooner will it arrive?

Group: Ken Hadden, Belen Florez, Kristin Rinoldo, Ana Maria Egas, Jillian Parsons, Tammi Kreutz, Philip Dixon, Amy Gardner =BRILLIANT!!!= =**Assignment 4: Creativity Socratic Seminar**= Questions for the seminar: 1. I read the article, "The Value of Play" as part of my preparation for the Socratic Seminar. At my school, we celebrate birthdays but not much else. I wonder what are some other ways we can bring together the staff to “play”? When?? What do people do at their schools? 2. TED talk – Zander uses story-telling and imagery to pull his audience into the music he plays. As a musician I recognize the things he is talking about although he doesn’t go into the technical vocabulary. As teachers, we can do this sort of thing to grab the attention and interest of our students, but I wonder about how successfully we can use this initial spark of interest and translate it into real learning. I am curious if people have examples of how they have used story-telling or imagery to spark students imagination and then how they transformed that into a concrete learning activity?

EXCELLENT THOUGHTS.