Guitar strings can talk
I have the pleasure of owning a simple acoustic guitar and within these past two years of studying and doing placements or going on teaching practice, I have learnt some very beautiful waiatas. I kept the guitar at the pre school which is great advantage to both the children and the staff so that they could enjoy the musical instrument whenever they can.
About a month ago, while playing the instrument, child D and child B as usual came over and began strumming the guitar with me. I gave each of them to have a turn at playing the guitar, the delight look on their faces when they sang "twinkle twinkle little star" was such a joy to be part of. Even though the instrument was new to them, as stated by Katz that every young children have active and lively minds from the start (Clark, 2004, p.2).
To be able to enhance their learning and development in technology, I gave them the opportunity to experience playing the guitar themselves and be able to listen to the sound the guitar was making. I believe that when we offer children opportunities like these, it becomes meaningful to the children because only then they will be able to apply and develop their own skills and knowledge.
Reference
Clark, A. (2004) Changing classroom practice to include the Project Approach. Early Childhood Research and Practice. 8.2 Fall 2004. Retrieved from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v8n2/clark.html
*image from Google.com
About a month ago, while playing the instrument, child D and child B as usual came over and began strumming the guitar with me. I gave each of them to have a turn at playing the guitar, the delight look on their faces when they sang "twinkle twinkle little star" was such a joy to be part of. Even though the instrument was new to them, as stated by Katz that every young children have active and lively minds from the start (Clark, 2004, p.2).
To be able to enhance their learning and development in technology, I gave them the opportunity to experience playing the guitar themselves and be able to listen to the sound the guitar was making. I believe that when we offer children opportunities like these, it becomes meaningful to the children because only then they will be able to apply and develop their own skills and knowledge.
Reference
Clark, A. (2004) Changing classroom practice to include the Project Approach. Early Childhood Research and Practice. 8.2 Fall 2004. Retrieved from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v8n2/clark.html
*image from Google.com
It's so good to introduce an instrument that is new for the children to explore and extend upon their interests. Doing this enables the children to develop their own working theories about how the guitar can be used and also enhances the children’s learning and development by supporting their “construction of knowledge” as they hear and identify the various sounds that it makes while playing different notes and strum beats (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997 cited in Mindes, 2006, p. 111). When the children are engaged in this type of activity, “it is the ‘doing’ that is important, rather than the ‘product’” in the “process approach to technology” (Smorti, 1999, p. 6).
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like it was a great experience for the children. It's great that you have introduced a new instrument that was new to the children. I liked that you gave the children the opportunity to freely explore and experiment with the guitar and make their own discoveries and use their own ideas. It is through experiences such as these that children are able to explore and experiment with their curiosities but it is our responsibilities as teachers to provide children with these opportunities otherwise children may not have the opportunity or chance to be exposed to experiences such as these.Through this experience children are able to bring current knowledge and learn new knowledge about their creativity, music and the operational functions of the guitar to name a few. A suggestion you could consider would be as the children were interested in the guitar and enjoyed singing along to the sound of the guitar, you could have possible shown them a cord or two but overall great learning experience!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great experience for the children. I think it's greatly important for children to be involved with music. It's also very enjoyble for children to be involved with different instruments. By letting children learn and discover through music and letting them play around with their own ideas using instruments it helps them discover they can use instruments to make their own music and tunes. You could extend on to this interst by making a stage for the children to play on and letting the children choose their own instruments and you could video and record them so they are able to watch themselves interact in this fun and delightful experience. Well done Lorraine what a great job!
ReplyDeleteSerena,
ReplyDeleteLorraine I really like how you have your own guitar and have shared your guitar with children in your home center or on your teaching practice's. Introducing your guitar to the children in your centre has offered the children an opportunity to create music regardless of whether it sounds like Michael Jackson or not. Hearing sound come from the motion of running their fingers over the strings on the guitar can be very rewarding. Children can develop, "an increasing familiarity with a selection of the art, craft, songs, music, and stories which are valued by the cultures in the community" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.80).
These children have both interacted with you and the guitar on other occasions and obviously gain great pleasure from hearing the sound that it makes and by singing along with songs they already know, or waiata that you teach them yourself or from other staff, whanau and members of the wider community." sung play episodes can evolve into delightful musical dialogues that are not so much words oriented as word-play oriented, often using nonsence syllables or rhymes simply for effect" ( Wright, S., 2003, p.197)