Simpedia

Laurie Richards, Nebraska

Well… yes remember about finding the balance between guidance and discovery. Much like we talked about recently re: C&I, some students need more guidance before the process clicks.
A few things I’ve done in the ‘guidance’ arena:

Created the handout below to help students know what kinds of questions to even ask, or what to look for.

Provide copies of one page of music – have students (at home) write all over it whatever they notice, be it a shape, a broken chord, a pattern, etc., bring it back and compare with others (if a shared lesson)

Teach a classmate (or you) a specified (short) section of a song in a playing-based manner.

Ask “what’s the same” from one measure to the next. Then be QUIET.

THose are all generative ideas. Hope that helps, Unmani!

Mary V., California

This is a post I’m passionate about so thank you. In my studies with cognitive training and with classical education approach with homeschooling, the Socratic method became foundational. It is the asking of questions to guide or as Reueven Feurstein of the Instrumental Enrichments cognitive program calls it, “mediate” with purpose of reaching learner how to think/learn. For example: when looking at clues for first time of any foundational song or new exercise or new stream or new reading project, I ask, “What do you notice?” It is a window into that learner’s thinking process. Following questions navigate with sole purpose of the learner discovering connections. A simple example is leading them to notice that lyrics is used as a memory tool for Deep River as it can be used as a memory tool in I’ll Be There. Some learners need more mediation than others and most students if not all, need significant mediation in the beginning. But, oh, how powerful and empowering the level of conversation and interaction we have now within sessions. Even the simple opening question of, “How did your piano training go this week?” results in so much more than “Good.”

Another frequent question when identifying notes, “How do you know it’s a quarter note.”

Mediating provides learning skills as it guides learner to generate the information. The process is actually quite exciting for me. 😀

Un Mani, Australia

Thank you Mary V. yes it is exciting. That’s why I love teaching development levels. And I’m thinking a lot about conveying how the students them selves take ownership of the questions without prompting. That’s my misssion. Otherwise I’m taking ownership of the question asking. This has just occurred to me recently.

Mary V., California

Un Mani to learn anything, must have models. Andrew Pudewa taught writing by using short paragraphs from which students choose key words to rewrite the same paragraph but with sentences student constructed. Of course, basic skills grammar required. So teaching someone how to ask questions requires that they first notice details and how they relate. You the coach, model the sequence of questions.