Utilizing Music in the Middle School Classroom Dr. Keith Smolinski
Utilizing Music in the Middle School Classroom By Dr. Keith Smolinski
On a Personal Note
INTRO: FINISH THE LYRIC THERE ARE MULTITUDES OF SONGS OUT THERE THAT YOU KNOW BY HEART. SEE HOW YOU DO WITH THESE.
Do You Have Any Moments in Your Life Defined by a Particular Song? Take a moment to recognize songs that you remember because they have connections to your own life What is the song? Why do you remember it?
Goals for this Presentation To gain an understanding as to why we are wired for music To learn strategies to apply music to YOUR teaching To eliminate apprehension about trying to use music in your classroom.
Why Music? We are musical: it is part of our basic human design. The human brain has specialist areas whose prime functions are networked for musical processing. (Welch, 2005, p.117) Music is important to children and there are few who do not revel in it. They welcome opportunities to think and act muscially, and they do so with exuberance. (Campbell, 1998, p.42)
Music IS in Look how popular music is NOW: Hamilton the Musical, Glee, technology (devices) constantly used We need a way to connect to our kids in this fast paced world we are in and music is it Think about how our young children learn with music (ABC s, etc. My own son with pop songs)
Music and the Brain Music is processed in the brain of all individuals. (Koelsch and Freiderici, 2003) Music triggers the reward centers in the brain just as food and narcotics do. (Blood and Zatorre, 2001) Music s properties such as rhythm, pitch, and syllabic stress may help learners chunk material. (Ozdemir, Norton, and Schlaug, 2006) fmri data has recently shown that there are neural pathways wired for music and its perception (Trafton, 2015)
MUSIC AND REGIONS OF THE BRAIN
The Physiological Effects Words and music of songs generate emotions which can alter BP, heart rate, and temperature (Krumhansl, 2002) Music stimulates the release of the feel good chemicals known as endorphins (McCaffrey & Good, 2000) Music can cause the release of epinephrine, which has been thought to encode memories (Miyashita and Williams, 2006) Music can stimulate anxiety reducing oxytocin (Grape et al, 2003) Music can boost immune system response (Kuhn, 2002)
Music and Memory Long term memory of tempo is very accurate (Levitin and Cook, 1996) Intervals, contour, keys, and pitches all aid in the recall of musical melody (Dowling, 1994) Rhythm and melody together aid in the recall of music (Hebert and Peretz, 1997) Words and melodies act as cues for one another and seem to be placed into our memory as associations (Ginsborg &Sloboda, 2007) Text and tune may aid each other, especially in verbal recall (Hebert and Peretz, 2001)
Music Memory (2) As Sacks (2007) stated, Entire books can be held in memory The Iliad, and The Odyssey, famously, could be recited at length because, like ballads, they had rhythm and rhyme (p.238) Chazin and Neuschatz (1990) found that music helped students short-term memory of material Yalch (1991) found that advertising jingles help consumers to retain information Calvert and Tart (1993) exposed college age students to Schoolhouse Rock s song about the constitution and found that when music was used twice a week for 4 weeks, listeners remembered far more words with the music than just the spoken text.
Music and Memory (3) Wallace (1994) found that simple, repeated music promotes recall due to the cues it provides with the text and the brain s ability to link information with the music McElhinney and Annett (1996) found that college students exposed to songs had more effective recall, most likely because of music s chunking properties. Rainey and Larsen (2002) found that music may be an effective mnemonic device for the initial learning of more meaningful material and could aid in long term memory.
My Doctoral Study Concurrent Triangulation Mixed Methods Design Quantitative Data collected in the form of pretest and posttest scores of 93 7th grade choral students and 93 nonchoral students before and after a 4 week unit on cells. Qualitative data collected in the form of individual interviews (10 participants) and focus group interviews (3 groups of 8 participants)
The Cell Song
Quantitative Results Both groups (treatment and control) were of similar ability beforehand as indicated by pretest scores The posttest scores of students who received the music treatment were significantly higher than those who did not (t(184) = 3.412, p =.001)
Qualitative Results Common Themes Found in Individual interviews: First impressions, song enjoyment, and difficulty Song rehearsal after chorus Song as a memory tool Ranking of the science music Use of the science music again Themes found in focus group interviews: First impressions, song enjoyment, and difficulty Song as a learning tool Song as a memory tool Use of the science music again Recommendations for change
Qualitative Summary With the majority of the students desiring to use music again within their classes for other units, it could be interpreted that the students found the music helpful in understanding and learning their science content, and had a positive perception of it because of its benefit to them in their science unit on cells. The majority of the students gave the music a high ranking because it helped them in remembering their cell parts, aided them on their test, enhanced general topic understanding, and assisted in completing classwork and homework These results create a convergence of quantitative and qualitative data suggesting that science music aided students in content learning.
Classroom Applications Where to get music? Write your own Have students write their own music as part of their project Use karaoke tracks to aid you in using existing melodies to match new words Use online resources and decide what works for you Create a jingle using a simple melody like jingle bells Student/Teacher Involvement If teachers can play basic piano or guitar, you can have a singing session Teachers should always have lyric sheets, sheet music, or worksheets to go along with the music If students are really into music, then they can play. I have had students bring their own guitars in.
USE PARTIAL SONGS (FRAGMENTS!!!) Y = mx +b to the refrain of YMCA Y = mx +b, Y = mx +b If you want to find, The slope of a line, it s simple for you to see
Layers of the Atmosphere ex. Layers of atmosphere to the tune of jingle bells.
Ex. 2 Spanish
Ex. 3 Food Safety Music
Ex. 4 Geography
Ex. 5 Language Arts
You Don t Have to Sing You can rap, you can rhyme: Ex. Where to put Ind. And Dep. Variables on a graph are a huge problem for students. Independent s on the x, dependent s on the y Independent s on the x, dependent s on the y
ipods and CD s If your school has ipods, ipads, or other ways to share music then use it to incorporate into lesson plans (learning stations) Provide music to students to put on their own devices (careful with copyright agreements)
FOR THE SCEPTICS FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR CLASS IF YOU ARE TIMID ABOUT IT THEN LET YOUR STUDENTS DO IT START OFF SMALL AND WORK IT IN TO YOUR CURRICULUM START WITH SOMETHING YOU CAN HANDLE YOU CANT PLEASE EVERYONE YOU WILL HAVE STUDENTS WHO PUSH BACK NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO
Student Projects Modify existing projects so that students have opportunities to write their own original songs or incorporate songs into their project Incorporate performance elements into your rubrics, scoresheets, and projects Allow students to use an existing song and create new text. Many students can find karaoke tracks on youtube to help them. Be sure to screen materials when necessary!!! (Not all songs are school appropriate) You will be surprised to see how well students do with these types of tasks.
Example: Bacteria Unit Project Music as a Choice Project Choices Choice A Bacteria Wanted Poster Create a bacteria wanted poster that is colorful, creative, and no smaller than 8½ by 11. The picture must be hand drawn but the information can be typed. You should have a caricature of the bacterium as well as an actual picture. (see class example) Choice B Writing Piece Create a story from the perspective of the bacterium. The story should be a compelling narrative of the bad reputation of the bacteria. The story can be in comic book style but should be large enough for the class to see when the story is read for the presentation. Choice C Rap or Song Create a Rap or Song about the bacterium. You need to hand in a copy of the song as well as a fact sheet from your research with a picture of your bacterium. You must be prepared to perform the song for the class for your presentation.
For Special Education Students Work with your special education teacher to use music as a preteaching tool Use music as a continuous study aid throughout the week Use lyric sheets and song sheets to pull key terms and vocabulary Students are very receptive and even dance on occasion!
Breakout Session Create a group of discipline related teachers Pick a topic or vocabulary concept students struggle with. MAKE IT A SIMPLE CONCEPT THOUGH. DO NOT TRY TO DO THE WHOLE CONSTITUTION Pick a familiar tune, refrain, or song i.e. Jingle Bells, Mary Had a Little Lamb, or a pop refrain you know REALLY well. Create a BRIEF tune, rhyme, rap, etc. using existing tune or rap that you think would be helpful for your students Part II: Think about what units/topics you think using music would be helpful in your classroom.
The Hydrologic Cycle The$Hydrologic$Cycle$(Words$and$Music$by$Keith$Smolinski)$! Verse1:!Hey!Did!you!know?!The!water!you!drink!really,!really!old!! It s!been!recycled!from!over!4!billion!years!ago.!! It s!not!that!simple!as!you!may!think! To!get!that!precious!water!to!your!kitchen!sink!!! Bridge!1:!Waters!part!of!a!cycle,!and!it!exists!in!different!states.! As!a!solid,!liquid,!or!gas,!the!water!around!us!is!great!!! Chorus:!The!hydrologic!cycle,!heat!it!up,!cool!it!down.! The!hydrologic!cycle,!state!is!changing!all!around.!! The!hydrologic!cycle,!solid,!liquid,!or!gas.! The!hydrologic!cycle,!the!deluge!is!falling!fast.!! Verse2:!The!sun!heats!up!the!water!all!around!us,!yes!its!true.!! Evaporation!happens,!making!water!vapor!for!you.! Condensation!is!the!next!step,!when!the!vapor!gets!cold!that s!clear!! Changing!back!into!a!liquid,!forming!clouds!in!the!atmosphere.!! Bridge:!Precipitation!happens!in!the!form!of!rain,!sleet,!and!snow.! When!the!air!is!saturated,!the!water!has!no!place!else!to!go!!! Chorus:!The!hydrologic!cycle,!heat!it!up,!cool!it!down.! The!hydrologic!cycle,!state!is!changing!all!around.!! The!hydrologic!cycle,!solid,!liquid,!or!gas.! The!hydrologic!cycle,!the!deluge!is!falling!fast.!! Breakdown:!Evaporation,!condensation,!precipitation,!transpiration.! Evaporation,!condensation,!precipitation,!sublimation.! Evaporation,!condensation,!precipitation,!transpiration.! Evaporation,!condensation,!precipitation,!sublimation.!! Bridge!3:!Water!is!carried!throughout!plants!and!out!their!leaves.! It s!called!transpiration,!and!it!happens!in!every!plant!you!see!!! Chorus:!The!hydrologic!cycle,!heat!it!up,!cool!it!down.! The!hydrologic!cycle,!state!is!changing!all!around.!! The!hydrologic!cycle,!solid,!liquid,!or!gas.! The!hydrologic!cycle,!the!deluge!is!falling!fast.!!
Conclusion In a age where teachers endure constant standardized tests, high teacher standards, and pressure filled classroom expectations, perhaps one solution to improve stagnating student performance is constantly providing music. Music triggers emotions, makes people move, and stimulates the brain to think and remember. Schools may need to start looking at settings where drill and kill is not the only method to instruction and instead provide opportunities where fun and passion are integrated into the classroom through music. Instead of cutting back on music and arts budgets to reduce school spending, more should be done to unlock the potential of music in the classroom. Perhaps students would fare better in the long run. Only research and time will tell.
Contact Info Keith Smolinski Smolinsk.keith@snet.net www.smolinskimusic.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzmviib orta
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References Blood, A. J., & Zatorre, R. J. (2001). Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98, 11818-23. Calvert, S., & Tart, M. (1993). Song versus verbal forms for very-long-term, long-term, and short-term verbatim recall. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology,14, 245-260. Campbell, P. S. (1998). The musical cultures of children. Research Studies in Music Education, 11(1), 42-51. Chazin, S., & Neuschatz, J. (1990). Using a mnemonic to aid in the recall of unfamiliar information. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 71, 1067-1071.
References Continued Dowling, W. J. (1994). Melodic contour in hearing and remembering melodies. Musical Perception, 173-190. Ginsborg, J., & Sloboda, J. A. (2007). Singers recall for the words and melody of a new, unaccompanied song. Psychology of Music, 35(3), 421-440. Grape, C., Sandgren, M., Hansson, L. O., Ericson, M., & Theorell, T. (2003). Does singing promote well-being? Integrative Physiological & Behavioral Science, 38(1), 65-74. Hébert, S. & Peretz, I. (1997). Recognition of music in long-term memory: Are melodic and temporal patterns equal partners? Memory & Cognition, 25, 518-533. Hébert, S. & Peretz, I. (2001). Are text and tune of familiar songs separable by brain damage? Brain and Cognition, 46, 169-175.
References (3) Koelsch, S., Grossmann, T., Gunter, T., Hahne, A., Schröger, E., & Friederici, A. (2003). Children processing music: Electric brain responses reveal musical competence and gender differences. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 15(5), 683-693. Krumhansl, C. (2002). Music: A link between cognition and emotion. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(2), 45. Kuhn, D. (2002). The effects of active and passive participation in musical activity on the immune system as measured by salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA). Journal of Music Therapy, 39(1), 30-39. Levitin, D. J. & Cook, P. R. (1996) Memory for musical tempo: Additional evidence that auditory memory is absolute. Perception & Psychophysics, 58, 927-935.
References (4) McCaffrey, R. G., & Good, M. (2000). The lived experience of listening to music while recovering from surgery. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 18(4), 378-390. McElhinney, M., & Annett, J. M. (1996). Pattern of efficacy of a musical mnemonic on recall of familiar words over several presentations. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 82, 395-400. Miyashita, T., & Williams, C. L. (2006). Epinephrine administration increases neural impulses propagated along the vagus nerve: Role of peripheral β- adrenergic receptors. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 85, 116-124. Ozdemir, E., Norton, A., & Schlaug, G. (2006). Shared and distinct neural correlates of singing and speaking. Neuroimage, 33(2), 628-35.
References (5) Rainey, D. W., & Larsen, J. D. (2002). The effect of familiar melodies on initial learning and long-term memory for unconnected text. Music Perception, 20(2), 173-186. Sacks, O. (2007). Musicophilia: Tales of music and the brain. New York, NY: Knopf. Trafton, A. (2015) Music in the Brain: for the first time, scientists identify a neural population highly selective for music. http://news.mit.edu/2015/neural-population-music-brain-1216. Accessed September 8th, 2016. Wallace, W. (1994). Memory for music: Effect of melody on recall of text. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory & Cognition, 20(6), 1471. Welch, G. F. (2005). We are musical. International Journal of Music Education, 23(2), 117-120. Yalch, R. F. (1991). Memory in a jingle jungle: Music as a mnemonic device in communicating advertising slogans. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76(2), 268-275.