MIENC Music Learning Leadership Institute
2008-2009 Team Certificate Program

The Atrium School: From Behind the Lens

This portfolio uses a power point format to guide us through an extensive collection of video artifacts that document not only the progress and curriculum at the Atrium School, but the process of documentation itself. The portfolio’s objective is to effectively chronicle the activities at the school and simultaneous activities in the NEC seminar, but also to demonstrate the effectiveness of these very documentation methods.

This portfolio highlights the back and forth transfer of inquiries from the perspectives of teacher and scholar, and the effectiveness of video documentation in demonstrating that transfer. Fluid connections are made between happenings in the NEC seminar (the scholar perspective) and lessons taught at the Atrium School (the teacher perspective). Slides #9 and #10 exemplify this well: the connections between Josh’s and Jessica’s activities in the seminar and their subsequent teaching in the school are clear.

Preview C.M.’s portfolio by Clicking Thumbnails Below

Coming Soon: C.M.’s portfolio for Download (ZIP File will include videos, etc.)

Overview

This portfolio explores the connections between rhythm and dance—specifically tap—and the extent to which a musical education can help dancers gain a more thorough understanding and better control of their art. Ultimately, it is about the value of multiple representations (in this case, using physical, verbal, and visual representations as modes of access to rhythm, and rhythm as an additional mode of access to an understanding of dance patterns) in learning. Its core consists of unit and lesson plans, with rationale statements accompanying and explaining these plans.

The extensive and detailed segment on assessment, beginning with slide #39, allows for a clear and objective look at the skills being developed in the unit and lesson plans. This focus on assessment brings a clear picture of the objectives in teaching musical skills for transfer into a related but separate discipline.

Preview J.B.’s Portfolio by Clicking Gallery Thumbnails Below

Overview

Joshua’s portfolio documents a semester of interning at the Atrium School, as well as private studio voice teaching. The majority of the portfolio is comprised of outlines of lesson plans, supplemented with still pictures and videos of teaching. Through this documentation and analysis, Joshua exposes his teaching experiences in areas including basic recorder and introductory solfege, as well as his role in the Creating Opera program.

Of particular interest is the tie-in with the psychological research of Gardner and Medina on slides #29-31. This gives us a clearer picture of why Joshua uses the techniques that he does, and how they affect the learning of the students.

Click gallery thumbnails below to preview J.M.’s Portfolio.

Coming Soon: J.M.’s Portfolio for Download (ZIP file includes videos, etc.)