Education
A (Personal) Cyber Safety Lesson
A (Personal) Cyber Safety Lesson for Music Educators by Debbie O’Shea Teachers, we all have a responsibility to teach our students about the ethical and safe use of ICTs. I would like to share one of the most powerful activities regarding this topic that I have experienced. As often happens, these magical moments spring from…
Read MoreUnderstanding and Respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Culture
Understanding and Respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Culture for Music Educators by Debbie O’Shea In music lessons, we need to address the Australian Curriculum Cross-curriculum priorities, one of which is ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Histories and Cultures’. This must be done in an appropriate way for our students and with the greatest respect…
Read MoreNavigating the Minefield
How to manage the first few weeks of school This blog has been written by Guest Blogger Belinda Dolan. Belinda has been a teacher of music for more than 25 years teaching in State Schools and Lutheran education – Secondary and Primary. She will commence teaching at Earnshaw State College this year and continue to…
Read MoreBehaviour Management in the Music Classroom
Click HERE for a PDF version of this blog post, beautifully published as a Quick Guide, to keep for handy reference. Mindset and Strategies In the music classroom, very little meaningful work can be done when behaviour is not well managed. The music room represents a different environment, a different teacher, different expectations, a different…
Read MorePractising Rhythm Using YouTube
I have a confession to make. I LOVE YouTube. Seriously, I really love YouTube. I rely on it in my music lessons. Do not get me wrong, I could operate without it; modestly I could say I could operate quite well without it. However, I love sprinkling a little YouTube magic in my lessons. Instant…
Read More6 YouTube Clips to Practice Letternames
However you teach letternames, whatever sequence you use, there is always a need to revise and practice. Of course, we all sing and play music from the staff, and that would include letternames, but this post is not about methodology or pedagogy. Here are my six favourite YouTube clips for practicing Letternames. 1. Every Good…
Read MoreFire and Smoke – music style
This is a quick card game that I learned from a high school maths teacher.So much fun -fill in activity -maybe played backstage to help occupy waiting performing groups as it can be relatively quiet.I thought I would give it a music twist. I thought I would give it a music twist. Give it a…
Read MoreTwo old tortoises going for a walk
Two old tortoises going for a walk, “Hello,” said one, “would you like a little talk?” “Yes,” said the other, “I do enjoy a chat.” So they walked along together with a natter, natter nat. This fabulous little rhyme is lots of fun for your young students. I begin with using index fingers to represent…
Read MoreG Whiz Composition
I came up with this simple idea and ‘G’ it worked well so I thought I would share. I am sure you have all done versions of this before, but in case it gives you a new idea, or variation to your ideas, here it is… We are beginning recorder and I wanted to spend…
Read MoreNew Minecraft Resource for Music Teachers
Why not make the most of this craze that is still lingering? Even my sons, at 19 and 23, still occasionally get on and play. These three Minecraft hidden pictures come in three variations: Included is a special blank grid for your students to create their own Minecraft picture!So easy to use. The students identify…
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