MUS 342 Music Education In Secondary Schools
Course Syllabus
Instructor: April Stephens Contact info: Gosser Fine Arts Center
Office phone: 789-5237
1. Text: Lamble, W. (2004). A handbook for beginning choral directors. Bloomington: Indiana
University Press. ISBN: 0-253-21698-2
Prerequisite: Foundations and Principles of Music Education
2. Course Description: Music Education in Secondary Schools is a required course for
vocal and/or piano music education majors. The course deals with methods and
materials used in teaching choral music and music appreciation/Arts and Humanities in the
senior high school. Objectives, programs, problems, and practices will be examined.
3. Objectives:
A. The student will develop an awareness of the normal social development of the secondary
school student.
B. The student will develop an operate philosophy for teaching music in the secondary
schools.
C. The student will become aware of the professional aspects and obligations of an
educator/choral director.
D. The student will become aware of the curricular diversity in the secondary schools.
E. The student will become aware of teaching techniques for general music, choral music
and Arts and Humanities.
F. The student will become aware of materials and resources for secondary school music
teaching.
G. The student will become aware of procedures to accommodate the integrations of
exceptional students in the regular classroom.
H. The student will become aware of the procedures to implement the principles of the
Kentucky Core Content for the Arts and Humanities as well as a Program of Studies for
Music, and the National Standards for Teaching Music.
2
I.
The student will be provided opportunities to practice teach and observe music teaching
in the public schools of the surrounding areas.
4. Course Outline: Provided
5. 5.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Evaluation:
Preparation of 2 Units
Mini-lessons
Compendium
Field Hours/reflections
Participation/Journal
Three written exams
Final Exam (teach in schools)
TOTAL
Grading Scale:
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(F)
100 pts each
25 pts each
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts each
100 pts
1000 pts
100-93
92-85
84-78
77-70
69-0
6. Course requirements: (Linked to KY Teacher Standards)
A. Regular and prompt attendance. 3 absences will be allowed. For each absence over 3,
the final grade will be lowered by 1/3 of a grade. (An A average with 4 abs.=A-; A
average with 5 abs.=B+, etc.)
B. Reading assignments. (KTS I)
C. Designing two units for secondary school (Choral and Arts and Humanities) connected to
Kentucky Core Academic Standards for Literacy (KCAS), Program of Studies, Core
Content, and National Standards for Music Education (NSME) (see below). (KTS 2)
D. Preparation of lessons for presentation at public schools. (KTS I, 2, 3)
E. Field hours with reflection from public schools—12 Hours (KTS 6)
F. Active participation in class/journal topics. (KTS 6)
G. Compendium of materials. KTS 1)
Unit I—Plan a unit of 4 rehearsals for a high school chorus. Assume that rehearsals last 50
minutes for 3 rehearsals and 85 for 1 rehearsal. Plan one or two points (elements of music, sight
singing) to teach in each rehearsal in addition to singing pieces of music.
Unit II—Plan a unit of 5 AH lessons for a secondary school. Assume that class periods last 85
minutes for the AH lesson. Plan several different topics and/or activities for each class. Allow
for student involvement in terms of cooperative learning situations.
Compendium—A notebook of materials will be collected and organized by each student. A
three-ring binder with the following sections is required:
 Philosophy/Journal Entries (NSME 9)
 Vocal Warm-ups (KTS 1)
 Sight-Singing (NSME 1/5)
 Behavior Plan (KTS 3)
 Standards-Based Units (KTS 1, 2,3)
 Lessons taught plus Reflections (KTS2, 3)
 Choral Literature (NSME 1/5/7)
3

Web Sites (KTS 9)
Instructional Procedures: Music Education in Secondary Schools is a course that requires in-class and
out-of-class participation. Classroom instruction will include group discussion, presentations of assigned
reading, practice teaching, and cooperative learning/discussion groups.
Students will practice teach in the public schools. One teaching event will take place in a choral rehearsal
and /or a music appreciation or Art and Humanities classroom. Students are responsible for scheduling
these events and informing the instructor of his/her date and time of instruction. If the instructor is unable
to observe in person, videotape must be made of the presentation and turned in for a graded analysis.
Both Unit Projects must be prepared for submission into the students Portfolio. Units will be corrected
until deemed acceptable by .Ms. Stephens for the portfolio.
Participation credit is received through class attendance and contributing to class discussion—come
prepared to engage in dialogue related to the subject or assigned reading.
7. Suggested Reading/Book List:
Althouse, J. & Robinson, R. The Complete Choral Warm-up Book. Alfred Publishing
Co., Inc., 1995.
Bruner, J.S. Toward a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge: Harvard University Press,
1966.
Demorest, Steven M. Building Choral Excellence Teaching Sight-Singing in the
Choral Rehearsal. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Gordon, Lewis. Choral Director’s Rehearsal and Performance Guide. West Nyack,
NY: Parker Publishing Company, 1989.
Klotman, R. The School Music Administrator and Supervisor. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 1973, Chapter 4.
Lamb, Gordon. Choral Techniques 3rd Edition. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown
Publishers, 1988.
Madsen, C. & Madsen, C. Teaching/Discipline 3rd Editon. Boston: Allyn & Bacon,
1981.
Phillips, Kenneth. Directing The Choral Music Program. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2004.
Roe, P. Choral Music Education 2nd Edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,
1983.
Music Educator’s Journal/ Teaching Music Current Issues
Choral Journal (American Choral Director’s Association)
Course Outline
MUS 342
Spring 2008
Tentative
Jan.
16
18
21
23
25
28
30
Feb.
1
Introduction
Choral Music History Review/Choral music philosophy
Martin Luther King Jr. Day No Class
National Standards/Topic: Arts and Humanities
Standards based units/Teacher Performance Assessment
Philosophy Position Paper due (share)
Discipline/Classroom management (Journal Topic: Classroom Behavior
Plan)
Cont.Strategies (group activity, Collins p. 119)
4
4
6
8
11
13
15
March
April
May
Lamble Ch. 1 Journal Topic: Show/Jazz Choirs
Share journal entries/Review
KMEA Conference
No Class
Field Day
Test 1
Choral conducting/rehearsal techniques (Journal Topic: Error
detection/correction.
18
Techniques continued
20
TBA
22
Chapter 2 (Homework: warm-ups for the following: breathing, vowels,
legato, harmony)
25
Warm-ups continued/ teach warm-up to class
27
Chapter 3 /(Journal Topic: Sight Singing Method)
29
All-State audition piece/ sight singing activity/Choral music unit due
3
Chapter 4 (Journal: Habits of your favorite choral conductor)
5
Share/Review
7
Test 2
10
Field Day
12
Teach choral piece to class
14
Teaching continued
17
Cont/peer review/(Journal activity: create a budget)
19
Share budget with class
21
Good Friday
No Class
24-28 Spring Break
No Class
31
Chapter 5
2
Chapter 6
4
Guest Speaker (?)
7
Test 3
9
Lamble p. 93
11
Arts and Humanities Unit Due—Present to class
14
Peer teach lesson from unit
16
Peer teach lesson from unit
18
Peer review/discussion
21
Compendium Due—share with class
23
TBA
25
TBA
28
Teach in Schools
30
Teach in Schools
2
Teach in Schools
5-9 Final Weeks
**All Field hours/reflections and Compendium due by May 8h at noon!
Local School Calendar:
No School—
 January 21
 February 18
 March 24-April 4