Conversational Solfege TM: Teaching Music Literacy
Monday - Friday July 23- 27, 2012 - 8:30 - 4:30 pm
Champlain Elementary School - Burlington, VT
Betsy Greene, instructor
Cost and Registration
Facilities
Text
Course Syllabus
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Course Description:

Conversational SolfegeTM (CS) is a pedagogical method used to develop music literacy and was created by leading music educator Dr. John Feierabend of the Hartt School of Music.  Based on the same premise used to teach conversational foreign languages (one should learn with his/her ears before learning with his/her eyes), CS first develops an understanding of music through the use of rhythm and solfege syllables at a conversational level, then gradually evolves into traditional music notation.  Teachers will learn how to carefully sequence activities to enable students to joyfully assimilate the skills and content to be musically literate, as well as learn various techniques to allow acquisition of music reading and writing, dictation, improvisation, and composition in an intuitive manner.  CS also will address lesson planning, unit planning, and assessment.   This class is applicable to all music educators. Instructor is Betsy Greene, a graduate student of Dr. Feierabend, and highly respected music educator in the Burlington Schools.

 

Content:

Class Dates and Times: Monday – Friday , July 23-27, 2012 8:30-4:30 PM

 

Cost: $1350 5 days of workshop with 3 graduate credit and housing at Champlain College
                 $1200 5 days of workshops and 3 grad credits (no housing)
                 $900 5 days of workshops and housing at Champlain College (no grad credit)

                 $750 for workshop credit only - 40 hours total (no housing and no grad credit)
Graduate course credit number - MUS 5710 C02 or EDU 5515 C09 - grad credits will be issued by Castleton State College. Payment for this contract course must be paid to the course sponsor, Vermont MIDI Project, Inc, an non-profit educational organization serving music education. Contact Sandi if you have questions about this.

Register: Click here to register
sponsored by non-profit organization - Vermont MIDI Project
to support music literacy in our schools

NEWRegister by June 20th and receive your choice of an early registration reward:

Conversational Solfege, Level 1 – CD

Book of Canons

Pitch Exploration Pathways - Flashcards

Pitch Exploration Stories – Flashcards
View more information about the Feierabend resources we've offered as your reward.



Facilities: air conditioned classroom at Champlain Elementary
nearby restaurants and deli for lunch
easy, free parking
overnight accommodations include 4 nights and 4 breakfasts on the beautiful Champlain College Campus

Required Text: purchase online at www.GIAmusic.com -
Feierabend, John  Conversational SolfegeTM – Level I:  Teacher’s Manual; GIA Publications, Inc    Chicago:  2001

More information: read complete course description below and then direct additional questions to
instructor  - Betsy Greene - bgreene@surfglobal.net
or course facilitator - Sandi MacLeod - sandi@vtmidi.org - (office) 802-879-0065 or (cell) 802-578-8580
Vermont MIDI Project, a non-profit educational organization is providing support for this course to enhance music literacy in our schools

Course Requirements:
Learning Objectives: 

The student will be able to:

Understand the philosophy, history, and learning sequence presented in Conversational Solfegetm.

Understand when and how to teach music literacy using Conversational Solfegetm.

Develop teaching skills necessary to present lessons with appropriate materials and music activities using the method of Conversational Solfegetm as well to ensure the National Music Standards are being addressed within that music curriculum.

 

Course Schedule:

Monday                      Introduction

Philosophy

Correlation to National and Vermont Standards

Music Aptitude and related research

12 Step Method of teaching music literacy

Assignment:  Read Article on Music Literacy

                        Read Introduction and Planning Lessons from CS I

 

Tuesday                      3D Music Education

Break into small groups for technique practice from Steps 1 – 3 with

each student learning and sharing in class one technique

from each step

Unit 1 Literature and literature selection

Class discussion on article

Informal Assignment:  Begin to reflect and take notes for assignment due on Friday;  Choose literature you would like to use from first Unit and place into templates (do the same for Units 2, 3, and 4) – due Thursday

 

Wednesday                 Break into small groups for technique practice from Steps 4 – 6 with each student learning and sharing one technique from each step

                                    Unit 2 Literature and literature selection

                                    Unit Planning

                                    Lesson Planning
                                    CS Class demonstration with elementary students

                                    Assignment:  Fill in Unit Templates using literature

selection templates.  Place fictional dates in one unit

                                                Select one date and write learning objectives for lesson

                                                If confident, go ahead and write lesson plan, otherwise wait

                                                for class feedback and hand in on Friday.

 

Thursday                   Break into small groups for technique practice from Steps 7 - 9 with each student learning and sharing one technique from each step
     Unit 3 Literature and literature selection
     Sample Lesson Plans
     Assignment: Finish reflection piece, Lesson plan, Unit plans, Literature selection templates to hand in.

 

Friday                        Break into small groups for technique practice from Steps 10-12

with each student learning and sharing one technique from each step

Composition

                                    Unit 4 Literature and literature selection

                                    Evaluation and Assessment – using rubrics (teacher made and published)

Final Exam

Assignments:

Daily assignments listed in course schedule and outlined here:

                        Monday Assignment: Read Article on Music Literacy            

                                                              Read Introduction and Planning Lessons from CS I

                        Tuesday Assignment:  Begin to reflect and take notes for assignment due on Friday;  Choose literature you would like to use from first Unit
                                                and place into templates (do the same for Units 2, 3, and 4) – due Thursday

                        Wednesday Assignment:  Fill in Unit Templates using literature

selection templates.  Place fictional dates in one unit

                                                Select one date and write learning objectives for lesson

                                                If confident, go ahead and write lesson plan, otherwise wait

                                                for class feedback and hand in on Friday

                        Thursday Assignment:  Finish reflection piece, Lesson plan,  Unit plans, 

Literature selection templates to hand in.

 

 

One research project:  comparative study/reflection

Practicing teacher – Describe your current methodology or teaching practices and the rationale behind your choices.  Compare your teaching practices to Conversational Solfege (same and different).  Project your future teaching practices and reasons for change or no change. Please list resources or bibliography.

Student teacher – Compare another methodology (for example - Orff-Schulwerk, Kodaly, Dalcroze) to Conversational Solfege   Project the professional teaching choices you will make in the future between those two methodologies and the rationale for those choices.

Please list resources or bibliography.

 

Assessment and Grading:

Due Friday 

Final Exam   35 points

Reflection Piece  25 points

Due Thursday or Friday

Lesson Plan  50 points 

4 Unit Plans (one with fictional dates) with 4 Literature Selection Templates 20 points

Due in class each day as learning progresses, a presentation of a technique from each of the 12 Steps of the Learning Sequence   5 points each for total of 60 points  

 

Class Participation and Attendance:    It is expected that participants will attend class.  Participants will play an active role in the class discussions and in applying and practicing new teaching techniques. Students will receive 20 points per day for attendance, 10 points for half a day of attendance.  Total possible:  100 Points

 

Assessment Checklists for Scoring:

 

Unit Plans Check List           

 

_____            Unit literature meets criteria for bringing to reading stage

                        for tonal or rhythmic content.

_____            One unit plan shows an understanding of the 12 Steps through the choice of fictional dates.

_____            Shows understanding of techniques through correct labeling in Unit Template.

_____            Shows understanding of use of literature through correct

                        placement of unit literature in Unit Template.

 

Lesson Plan Check List

­­­_____            Able to apply Unit Plan to Lesson Plan by choosing objectives correctly.

_____            Able to write an objective.

_____            Assessment present.

_____            Three literacy objectives – past, present, future.

_____            Both “doing and about” objectives included.

_____            Procedures for literacy objectives written out in lesson.

_____            Lesson shows the understanding of “flow” by presentation order of objectives and activities – opening, closing, etc..

 

Reflection Piece Checklist

_____            Describes current practice/methodology.

_____            Supports or gives rational for choosing practice and choices.

_____            Cites references when necessary.

_____            Compares CS to current practice.

_____            Projects future practice or teaching with rationale for change or no change.

 

Percentage Contribution of Each Assignment:  Each assignment will count a certain value amount (see above).  Total points for all assignments and exam is 290 points.  Grading is:

                                    90 to 100 % of points earned = A

                                    80-89% of points earned = B

                                    70-79% of points earned = C


Castleton Center for Schools and Castleton State College Academic Honesty Policy: As a community of scholars, the administration, faculty and students at Castleton expect all to maintain the highest integrity in scholarly work. All tests, papers, assignments, and projects must be the work of the individual or group assigned. Any work that is not original must be properly credited or it is plagiarized. Any violation of academic honesty will be considered cheating and will be dealt with accordingly by the individual instructor.

 

Grading Policy:

Grades are indicated by letters with a designated “quality point” value assigned to each as follows:


A+             =         4.0

A            =            4.0

A-            =           3.7

B+            =          3.3

B            =            3.0

B-            =           2.7

C+            =          2.3

C            =            2.0

C-            =           0.0


Cost and Registration Facilities
Text Course Syllabus More Information