Amanda wants to know if we retain more when we "Sing it."

I read an article recently entitled Sound and Sight: The Use of Song to Promote Language Learning which discusses the benefits of using song to teach concepts in other subjects, not just music.  Because songs are easily learned and memorized , studies have shown that when concepts are set to music, children absorb and learn the material.  With such a strong emphasis placed on standardized test scores, classes such as the arts take a back seat to main subjects like math and English.  This article suggests that higher test scores in math and English will come about if some concepts in those class are taught with the use of song. 

The article mainly talks of the education system in New Zealand, where it is part of the math and English curriculum to teach concepts like sentence structure, complicated vocabulary, grammar, times tables, and basic math concepts to elementary students using songs and jingles.  This, the writers suggest, allows for optimal results on standardized tests.  The article then  goes on to explain the cognitive benefits of teaching through music for elementary-aged school children and how young students find music to be fun, catchy, and engaging. 

My questions for you are as follows: What is your personal opinion on this matter? Do children learn through music in classes that are not music related? How could you, in your subject, use music and song to help your students memorize material?  Is this method only beneficial for elementary students, or can it be used in middle school and high school?  Would middle or high school students find songs in your class engaging or tacky? Please comment! I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter! Thanks!

Amy shares the changes being made to NCLB

The following article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/education/10-states-given-waivers-from-no-child-left-behind-law.html?ref=education talks about the Obama administration’s new approach to NCLB.  The Obama administration is now freeing 10 states, one being New Jersey, from the "No Child Left Behind Act" regulations in exchange for having that state embrace and encourage the administration’s perspective on the accountability and effectiveness of teachers. The federal Department of Education  wants to discourage teachers from teaching to the test and avoid labeling students as failures.  The Obama administration plans to do this by having schools set higher standards and then giving those schools the flexibility of choosing how they will reach those higher standards.   New Jersey state officials (NJDOE) are in the process of determining what evaluation instrument will be used in order to evaluate school growth and teacher accountability.  One possibility is to evaluate schools using an annual growth and progress criteria and then focusing time and money on the schools that fall into the lower percentage ratings in the growth area.  

 I would like to know everyone's feeling on the Obama administration’s recent policy change.  What are your opinions?  Is this the right thing to do?   Should we continue to have strong federal oversight of schools or should the state departments of education take the lead on education reform?   What do you think this means for teachers now and for us once we graduate? Do you think this change will benefit the school systems and teachers in New Jersey?   Do you have any thoughts that you would like to share?

Sara wants to know if a penguin can help rewire our brains.

I read an article this weekend about a program in a school that uses a program with a penguin called "Jiji." This particular program is intended to help students learn math through music.  The creators of the  program maintain that by using this program we can "re-wire" the children's brains and help them to think logically.  This program enables each child to learn at their own pace.  As they feel more confident about a particular math skill and as they pass certain test requirements, the student can move onto the next math skill.

I have mixed feelings about this program.  The great part of the program is that it is not only teaching them knowledge they will need for testing, but they are teaching the students to think for themselves and make real life decision.   For example,  if the students feels  comfortable enough to move onto the next topic they can do just that.  Another great aspect of this program, is that it appeals to all different types of learners and enables the students to move at their own pace.  The only thing that worries me about this program is that the teacher is not an integral part of their learning anymore.  The teacher receives print outs of each students progress and the computer tells him/her which students are struggling with which particular math skill.  

Do you think that this computer program is a good idea to have in a classroom?    Do you think that each student is learning basic skills through the use of a computer program? Do you think that computer programs like this make the teacher obsolete?   Do you feel that all students can learn in this manner………….using a computer program, that is?

In your estimation………………where does the teacher fit into all of this?    Let me know what you think!