TPE Domain C (3)

Engaging and Supporting Students in Learning.

TPE 4:  Making Content accessible

Candidates for a Teaching Credentials incorporate specific strategies, teaching/instructional activities, procedures and experiences that address state-adopted academic content standards for students in order to provide a balanced and comprehensive curriculum.  They use instructional materials to reinforce state-adopted academic content standards for students and they prioritize and sequence essential skills and strategies in a logical, coherent manner relative to students’ current level of achievement. They vary instructional strategies according to purpose and lesson content. To meet student academic learning needs, candidates explain content clearly and reinforce content in multiple ways, such as the use of written and oral presentation, manipulatives, physical models, visual and performing arts, diagrams, non-verbal communication, and computer technology. They provide opportunities and adequate time for students to practice and apply what they have learned. They distinguish between conversational and academic language, and develop student skills in using and understanding academic language.  They teach students strategies to read and comprehend a variety of texts and a variety of information sources, in the subject(s) taught. They model active listening in the classroom.  Candidates encourage student creativity and imagination. They motivate students and encourage student effort.  When students do not understand content, they take additional steps to foster access and comprehension for all learners. Candidates balance instruction by adjusting lesson designs relative to students’ current level of achievement.

TPE 5:  Student Engagement

Candidates for a Teaching Credential clearly communicate instructional objectives to students. They ensure the active and equitable participation of all students. They ensure that students understand what they are to do during instruction and monitor student progress toward academic goals. If students are struggling and off-task, candidates examine why and use strategies to re-engage them. Candidates encourage students to share and examine points of view during lessons. They use community resources, student experiences and applied learning activities to make instruction relevant. They extend the intellectual quality of student thinking by asking stimulating questions and challenging student ideas. Candidates teach students to respond to and frame meaningful questions.

TPE 6:  Developmentally Appropriate Teaching Practices

Background information: TPEs describe knowledge, skills, and abilities for all credential candidates, and they underscore the importance of generically-effective strategies for teaching a broad range of students. The purpose of TPE 6 is to establish additional expectations that are of greatest importance in teaching students at distinct stages of child and adolescent development. It is not the intent of TPE 6 to describe practices that are appropriate or effective only at one developmental level. This TPE describes professional practices that are most commonly used and needed for students in each major phase of schooling, grades K-3, 4-8, and 9-12. 

TPE 6B:  Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Grades 4-8

During teaching assignments in Grades 4-8, candidates for a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential

build on students’ command of basic skills and understandings while providing intensive support for students who lack basic skills as defined in state-adopted academic content standards for students. They teach from grade-level texts.  Candidates design learning activities to extend students’ concrete thinking and foster abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills. They help students develop learning strategies to cope with increasingly challenging academic curriculum. They assist students, as needed, in developing and practicing strategies for managing time and completing assignments.

Candidates develop students’ skills for working in groups to maximize learning. They build on peer relationships and support students in trying new roles and responsibilities in the classroom. They support students’ taking of intellectual risks such as sharing ideas that may include errors. Candidates distinguish between misbehavior and over-enthusiasm, and they respond appropriately  to students who are testing limits and students who alternatively assume and reject responsibility.

TPE 7:  Teaching English Learners

Candidates for a Single Subject Teaching Credential know and can apply pedagogical theories, principles and instructional practices for comprehensive instruction of English Learners. They know and can apply theories, principles and instructional practices for English Language Development leading to comprehensive literacy in English.  They are familiar with the philosophy, design, goals and characteristics of programs for English language development, including structured English immersion.  They implement an instructional program that facilitates English language development, including reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, that logically progresses to the grade level reading/language arts program for English speakers. They draw upon information about students’ backgrounds and prior learning, including students’ assessed levels of literacy in English and their first language, as well as their proficiency in English, to provide instruction differentiated to students’ language abilities.  They understand how and when to collaborate with specialists and para-educators to support English language development.  Based on appropriate assessment information, candidates select instructional materials and strategies, including activities in the area of visual and performing arts, to develop students’ abilities to comprehend and produce English.  They use English that extends students’ current level of development yet is still comprehensible. They know how to analyze student errors in oral and written language in order to understand how to plan differentiated instruction. 

Candidates for a Teaching Credential know and apply pedagogical theories, principles and practices for the development of academic language, comprehension and knowledge in the subjects of the core curriculum. They use systematic instructional strategies, including contextualizing key concepts, to make grade-appropriate or advanced curriculum content comprehensible to English learners. They allow students to express meaning in a variety of ways, including in their first language, and, if available, manage first language support such as para-educators, peers, and books. They use questioning strategies that model or represent familiar English grammatical constructions. They make learning strategies explicit.

Candidates understand how cognitive, pedagogical and individual factors affect students’ language acquisition. They take these factors into account in planning lessons for English language development and for academic content.

Artifact 1: History / Music Era Classroom Posters

Artifact one is an example of informative classroom posters that are displayed for students to not only learn but also be intrigued, inspired, and engaged in lessons that are tied to required standards for their age level.  Students regularly utilize these posters during class lessons as they are used as a regular reference manual in addition to their class text and sheet music.

            Posters are important as they not only enhance the environment of the class but also give a picture to learn from instead of information only being posted in words.  Students have multiple intelligences and pictures not only access multiple intelligences, but provide additional information to build upon the student’s prior knowledge.  The posters allow for students to have an alternate method of learning and/or to delve deeper into the subject as on option.

Artifact 2: English/Spanish Music Theory/Notation

Artifact two is an example of a music theory poster that is tailored specifically to be shown in the English and Spanish languages.  The rationale and justification for this selection is that not only does it specifically adhere to TPE seven under Domain C-3 but also allows for an all-inclusive lesson that teaches students from both backgrounds the importance of a second language and multiculturalism.  In this method, the class would be more related to Spanish immersion instead of just having the students learn in a language with which they are uncomfortable.  What is quite alarming about this is that the lack of good posters and worksheets for students that need Spanish information.

Artifact 3: Literature Review:  "Music Education: Perspectives from Current Ethnomusicology"

Artifact three chosen is a review of supporting literature entitled “Music Education: Perspectives

 from Current Ethnomusicology” from the Journal of Music Education in 2003 by Jonathan Stock. 

This article is important and was selected for TPE Domain C, as mentioned in the above literature 

review, as it is related to the content within the domain such as making content accessible and being 

related to standards, student engagement, developmentally appropriate teaching practices such as 

teaching a broad range of students at a variety of age levels, and teaching English learners.  

*Click here for this article*

      The article to be discussed for TPE Domain C is “Music Education: Perspectives from Current Ethnomusicology” from the Journal of Music Education in 2003 by Jonathan Stock.  Jonathan Stock is Professor & Head in Department of Music of The University College Cork in Ireland and is an ethnomusicologist that specializes in a variety of music from a variety of Asian cultures.  This article was selected for TPE Domain C as it is related to the content within the domain such as making content accessible and being related to standards, student engagement, developmentally appropriate teaching practices such as teaching a broad range of students at a variety of age levels, and teaching English learners.

            This article covers a multitude of areas regarding ethnomusicology in music education.  The elements covered include ‘the focus of ethnomusicology as a discipline, pointing to its concentration on music examined as intersocial activity and identifying the methodological givens that follow from that assumption, concerns shared with researchers in the field of music education and the concept of music and topics of musical transmission and ability, and finally the introduction of the writing of ethnography which identifies further areas of mutual interest’ (Stock, 2003, p. 135).  The author states the specific aim of the article to “to look further at some shared concerns, pointing out areas and ideas in the accumulated body of ethnomusicological practices and literature that might prove useful to the educationist as well” (Stock, 2003, p. 136).  There is a section that is included specifically to infuse ethnomusicology as a utility for music educators.  (Stock, 2003, p. 137).  

            The article begins with the explanation of ethnomusicology and the importance of the variety of definitions because the “definitions are applicable to any kind of music from any kind of people, and each implies a particular emphasis on the study of music-making as a human science” (Stock, 2003, p. 136).  This is followed by discussing the “idea of music” and the importance of how to approach music from an educator’s standpoint in order to best educate music students for school and for life.  The following section discusses “musical transmission” and how the process of music-making and passing of musical knowledge is an important element of music education and musicianship.

            Following the initial processes described that are overarching elements of ethnomusicology in music education is the topic of ability.  Ability is not necessarily as large a factor in ethnomusicology as it is in a western music education setting.  ‘In general, ethnomusicologists have tended to examine musical competence on a cultural (rather than cross-cultural) basis, perhaps fearing that the bases for comparison are not yet well established as in  some societies musical ability is considered restricted to a limited proportion of individuals; elsewhere, almost everyone is deemed able (and expected) to make music, which is to say that there may be no indigenous category of musical ability or of the musician at all’ (Stock, 2003, p. 140).  Following this discussion and a variety of examples from ethnomusicology studies, is the element of “voices and writing.”  This discusses the differences between those involved in thoughts of the music community.  It concludes with the importance of thinking outside of standardized and one-dimensioned music education to allow for the infusion of ethnomusicology for a greater music experience and training.