juliannrosizky

Current Mood: confused

I choose this article firstly because the title caught my attention when searching for an article.  The title “Turn up the music with digital technologies” initially brought up the idea of how music has grown and developed the way that is has.  I still remember growing up; I was begging my parents for a record player.  Then came a walk man, disc man, and now everyone has I-pods, or cell phones that play music.

I believe that children growing up in elementary schools should have the opportunity to have music class.  This article states a lot of very true and interesting facts…some in which I did not even think of when I first think of music.  For example “Music is one of the multiple intelligences described by Howard Gardner (1993). Music intelligence is the ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch, and timbre and have an appreciation of the forms of musical expression. Music is for the whole brain and possibly the first of the intelligences to develop”.  I believe, coming from an Early Childhood Education background that if children are first learning the English language, music can help with learning words.  This will in turn help them express themselves.  Children will be listening to music, and will be able to pick up meanings of words through the rhythm and beat of the music.

This article also makes a very good point that music can set a mood in the classroom.  If a teacher is dealing with a busy and very loud classroom, he/she should try playing music...and see what happens.  From my own experience in placement, I was placed in a very loud senior kindergarten class.  The teacher and I tried everything we could to get them to settle down, when it came to doing work, however nothing seemed to work.  She then had an idea to bring in some soft, calming music.  Right off the bat, the children we quiet and were listening to the music.  This not only made the room quieter, but the children seemed to calm down a great deal, as this music set “the mood” of the classroom.

“Music can open the mind to learning across the curriculum and pave the way for independent learning. Music embodies the multiple intelligences described by Gardner (1993).  This quote from the article states that music can be learned and taught in many different ways.  Children, whether they are listening to music, making their own music up, or even playing around on the internet use a part of their brain that requires complex critical and creative thinking.  If the teacher can incorporate music into his/her classroom once or twice a week, the children will be able to use their creative thinking in ways that is not only obvious to the teacher through writing or reading.  They will be able to explore music in many different ways, if the teacher provides opportunity for them.

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