We spent the most glorious morning at a school run by the Brothers of La Salle. We listened to two young man speak of their experiences at school- one of who is on the path toward learning Japanese - because he wants to. We also had a tour around their campus and heard about the ways in which the students learn and engage with all aspects of education: farming, technology, sports, and music! They performed for us several pieces from their different home cultures (and they invited us to dance!)I will get those videos uploaded soon.
BIG shout out to Kristine (PhD music ed students) who joined the marimba group to play- she discovered that the traditional marimba of Guatemala (and Guatemala is home to the marimba) is nothing like the one she plays back in Canada and the US)
The students spent a few hours in Antigua wandering the beautiful city and eating great food. I suspect one of the things we will miss when we return is the food here!
Student Response:
This school had a farm on its campus, and students learned organic farming techniques by farming. It's so important for students to get as close as they can to the actual activity we are trying to teach.
What we're teaching should be relevant to students lives. If they are largely from farming communities, it makes a lot of sense that they learn to farm. As music teachers, I think we should choose repertoire that is relevant to the students’ lives, and has some connection to their lives outside of school.
BIG shout out to Kristine (PhD music ed students) who joined the marimba group to play- she discovered that the traditional marimba of Guatemala (and Guatemala is home to the marimba) is nothing like the one she plays back in Canada and the US)
The students spent a few hours in Antigua wandering the beautiful city and eating great food. I suspect one of the things we will miss when we return is the food here!
Student Response:
This school had a farm on its campus, and students learned organic farming techniques by farming. It's so important for students to get as close as they can to the actual activity we are trying to teach.
What we're teaching should be relevant to students lives. If they are largely from farming communities, it makes a lot of sense that they learn to farm. As music teachers, I think we should choose repertoire that is relevant to the students’ lives, and has some connection to their lives outside of school.