BEST Cluster Project: Principles of Learning and Teaching in Action NamePOLTSchool address Estelle Alder2.2End Hills

1. What was the teaching and learning challenge to which you responded? Which PoLT did you address? The students had previously learned to play instruments independently of each other. Students did not perform or work in groups. I felt there was a need for collaboration, creativity and performance to be built into the curriculum. PoLT 2.2: The learning environment promotes independence, interdependence and self-motivation. The teacher uses strategies that build skills of productive collaboration.

2. What was the focus of the unit of work? i.e. Key Concepts; Understandings; Essential Questions? Students Composition Unit The focus of the work was to encourage students to: Compose their own music using provided stimulus Learn to work as a group to compose music Perform their own music Assess their own and other ’ s performances

3. What could the students already do alone? What did the students already know? The students already knew how to play the keyboard and the guitar a little. Students had different degrees of proficiency on these instruments. Students also knew how to play various percussion instruments.

4. How were the students assisted? eg. scaffolding, modelling, questioning, mind maps etc. Show or list resources used and length of learning sequence. The unit consisted of student working in groups and compositing a short piece of music according to the task descriptions. Students had to work to a deadline for the brainstorming, composition, rehearsal and performance of their work. After each performance students completed self- and peer-assessments. Before each activity the class brainstormed ideas and links were made with existing knowledge, eg. Advertising jingle.

5. Review. How successful was the learning sequence? What will the students do next? Some positive outcomes: Students enjoyed creating their own music Students enjoyed working together in groups Students enjoyed the variety of the tasks Students enjoyed listening to other ’ s performances Some difficulties: Some students struggled to come up with ideas for their composition Some students had problems working effectively with the people in their group Sometimes students had trouble focusing their composing and using time effectively Students found the peer assessment proforma difficult and time consuming Some students found the open-ended nature of the tasks confronting and unfamiliar and therefore struggled to complete the task effectively.

Changes for next time: More scaffolded activities for performance and composition Modelling of the process of composition and the finished product to students before the activity More structured brainstorming before activities to aid students in developing ideas for composition Activities arranged in order of complexity and abstract thinking Re-write the stimulus sheets and evaluation sheets to be more specific, and completed more efficiently

6. Evidence: Attach relevant classroom materials, worksheets, rubrics, surveys, photographs and student work. Click here