5W Why we have to start with a review? Where – not relevant or not? The minds as a place Who is involved? Where lessons happen? Certainly, in the specific school where we work. However, the main ‘place’ where teaching and learning happen is in teacher and pupils’ minds. Teacher’s mind is the first safe environment for pupils. Teaching and learning is an intersubjective event that happen in real time. Who - teacher/assistant/students/school How – strategies and tactics Chat Certainly! Let's delve into some practical strategies and tactics for implementing the practice of beginning each music lesson with a short review of previous learning in English secondary schools. 1. **Interactive Quizzes or Games**: Incorporate interactive quizzes or games that revisit key concepts and terminology covered in previous lessons. This could include trivia-style quizzes, musical bingo, or interactive online platforms that allow students to test their knowledge in a fun and engaging manner. 2. **Peer Teaching and Peer Assessment**: Encourage students to take turns leading short review sessions where they summarize key points from the previous lesson or demonstrate specific musical techniques to their peers. This not only reinforces their own learning but also promotes collaboration and peer-to-peer support within the classroom. 3. **Quick Warm-Up Activities**: Start each lesson with a quick warm-up activity that revisits fundamental skills or concepts relevant to the day's lesson. This could involve simple vocal exercises, rhythm clapping exercises, or melodic patterns that students have previously learned and can quickly recall. 4. **Reflective Journals or Learning Logs**: Encourage students to maintain reflective journals or learning logs where they document their thoughts, questions, and insights from each lesson. At the beginning of each class, allocate a few minutes for students to review their journals and share any observations or reflections with their peers. 5. **Incorporate Technology**: Utilize technology to facilitate review sessions, such as using educational apps or software that offer interactive quizzes, flashcards, or multimedia presentations to reinforce previous learning. Virtual platforms can also be used for collaborative review activities where students can work together remotely. 6. **Concept Mapping or Mind Mapping**: Introduce concept mapping or mind mapping exercises where students visually represent their understanding of key musical concepts and their connections to previous learning. This visual tool helps students organize their thoughts and identify areas where further review may be needed. 7. **Regular Peer Feedback Sessions**: Incorporate regular peer feedback sessions where students provide constructive feedback to their peers on their performances or compositions based on criteria established in previous lessons. This encourages students to reflect on their progress and apply feedback to improve their musical skills. 8. **Integrated Review Activities**: Integrate review activities seamlessly into the flow of the lesson by incorporating review questions or brief recaps at natural transition points. For example, before introducing a new musical piece or technique, take a moment to review related concepts or terminology covered in previous lessons. 9. **Formative Assessment Strategies**: Use formative assessment strategies such as exit tickets, mini quizzes, or thumbs-up/thumbs-down check-ins to gauge student understanding at the beginning of each lesson. This provides valuable feedback to inform instructional decisions and identify areas where additional review may be necessary. 10. **Student-Led Discussions**: Facilitate student-led discussions where students have the opportunity to share their insights and ask questions related to previous lessons. Encourage students to draw connections between new material and concepts they have previously learned, fostering a deeper understanding of musical concepts over time. By incorporating these practical strategies and tactics into music lessons, educators can create an interactive and supportive learning environment that promotes continuous review of previous learning, leading to enhanced student engagement, retention, and overall success in music education. Gemini Absolutely! Here are some practical strategies and tactics to implement the "Begin Each Music Lesson With a Short Review of Previous Learning" approach in UK secondary schools: For Key Stage 3 (11-14 years): Music bingo: Create bingo cards with key terms or musical symbols from the previous lesson. Play music snippets or definitions, and students mark off the corresponding squares. Quick "Show and Tell": Ask students to share an instrument they practiced at home or sing a short phrase learned last lesson. This reinforces individual practice and identification of specific skills. Musical charades: Act out musical concepts like dynamics, tempo, or articulation for students to guess. This adds a fun and collaborative element to the review. Starter quiz: Use online quiz platforms like Kahoot! or Mentimeter to create brief multiple-choice or true/false questions on key learning points. For Key Stage 4 (14-16 years): "What do you remember?" activity: Briefly present musical excerpts or notation from the previous lesson and ask students to write down everything they recall on individual whiteboards. Discuss as a class, highlighting important points and addressing any gaps. Collaborative composition challenge: Review key musical elements like chords, scales, or rhythmic patterns.Divide students into groups and challenge them to create a short musical piece incorporating these elements. "One step forward, two steps back": Review two or three concepts from the previous lesson, then introduce a new one that builds upon them. This helps students connect new information to existing knowledge. Peer assessment task: Ask students to pair up and share their work from the previous lesson. Encourage them to provide constructive feedback and identify areas for improvement. This develops self-reflection and critical thinking skills. General Tips: Vary your review activities: Don't stick to the same format every lesson. This keeps things interesting and caters to different learning styles. Connect reviews to current lesson objectives: Clearly show how the review material paves the way for new learning, increasing its relevance and purpose. Keep it short and focused: Aim for 5-10 minutes of review at the beginning of each lesson. Be flexible: Adapt your approach based on the specific needs of your class and the topic at hand. Most importantly, have fun! Engaging and enjoyable reviews make learning more effective and enjoyable for everyone. By incorporating these strategies and tactics, you can turn review into a valuable and engaging part of your music lessons,ultimately leading to increased student engagement, improved understanding, and a deeper love of music.
