THE SOUND OF UNIVERSALMUSICIAN.COM
Dr. Jeanine Trent
Committed To Excellence
Welcome to universalmusician.com. I am an elementary school music teacher in Los Angeles, California.
I am a lifelong learner, committed to excellence.
TEACHING INNOVATION
JEANINE TRENT
ABOUT ME
I teach music to Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade at an elementary school in Los Angeles. The area in which I have grown the most this year is CSTP 5: Assessing Students for Learning.
WHY TEACH?
I teach because I want students to uncover and discover self-expression and an appreciation for the arts.
I want them to derive the vital cognitive benefits that music study affords. I want my students to think critically and learn the language of music, which is a system that is applicable to academic systems inherent in science, math and language acquisition.
I want to be a good steward of the lessons that so many world-class musicians have taught me, so I teach to pass on and give back.
MUSIC BENEFITS
Plato said: “I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”
I want students to witness and understand the power, the beauty, the humor and the humanity of music so that they can become culturally literate as they understand more about themselves and the world around them. When students demonstrate a profound understanding of music in historical and cultural contexts, they can apply it to their role in contemporary society by relating it to other disciplines and fields of knowledge so that they will become well equipped to contribute to new thought.
ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING
This year, I have significantly expanded the way in which I design my curriculum and assess student learning.
I have acquired more knowledge about the purposes, characteristics, and uses of different types of assessments from a variety of sources and have used those data to inform my instruction.
I have attempted to involve all students in self-assessment, goal setting and monitoring progress.
I have learned to use and to disseminate many innovative technologies to assess students as I assist them in strengthening their skills and their confidence.
TEACHING INNOVATION
JEANINE TRENT
GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
Strengths: I know my content and have worked for many years at my music, my musicianship and the accumulation of knowledge and skill about both academic and applied music has been ongoing.
Room for Growth: I hope to continue to improve in my teaching. I hope to continue to give out less to my students and empower them to learn. I want them to find ways that they will be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning as they become excited about it and invested in it. This is teaching mastery.
Achievements: Movement toward focusing on designing imaginative tasks and choosing musical songs and pieces for performance that would be relevant to students. This approach lays the foundation for a successful outcome from which students could derive enjoyment and life enrichment.
PROFESSIONAL GOALS
I. To become comfortable with technology
Although I had no idea how, I decided to build a website that would offer numerous technological resources for music teaching, while familiarizing myself with and using the many websites, interactive music programs and music production software programs that are necessary in teaching today. My website has a collection of resources (sites, blogs, communities, lessons and interactive programs) that teachers may find valuable. My website can be found at universalmusician.com.
PROFESSIONAL GOALS
II. To adapt more spirituality into my teaching
As Catholic teachers, we are encouraged to find a spirituality in our teaching, so that by our actions – the way we behave and the way we treat our students – is based on Christian principles like goodness, kindness, fairness, patience, gentleness, self-control and fortitude. I am a “work in progress,” but have taken strides this year.
PROFESSIONAL GOALS
III. To progress toward becoming a Master teacher
I have worked toward tailoring lessons to include many choices by which students can learn. I provided the opportunity for my students to freely decide on what particular concept they would like to focus, or what particular composer or musical piece they would like to explore. I gave them the freedom to learn what they were most interested in and what they resonated with. I researched, learned and employed many available technologies in order to source interesting content and design attractive, fun, relevant lessons. Results have been favorable.
My students have, increasingly, taken ownership of the tasks. They have derived more enjoyment in the assignments, been more engaged, and have exhibited increased success in their learning outcomes. Assessment can be a collaboration and a celebration. My students are responding by earning high marks and realizing success with ease.
TEACHING INNOVATION
JEANINE TRENT
CONTRIBUTIONS
To contribute to the academic community, I decided to design this website so that I could showcase my teaching philosophy, my students’ musical achievements and, most importantly, provide a compilation of all the new music teaching strategies and resources which I have been learning about and teaching from.
The website includes lists, summaries and provides contact information about many online learning platforms, community and group links, blogs, audio, video, and interactive programs.
RESOURCES
The teaching resources on this site include direct instruction, games, quizzes, storytelling, visual art, listening and movement experiences.
The resources are valuable in designing and packaging my learning modules which include attractive, colorfully illustrated graphic organizers, worksheets, videos and music recordings.
These significantly expands and enrich my teaching repertoire.
I am very glad to have assembled this information and these activities for my students to enjoy. It is my hope that the greater music teaching community might find this information useful and valuable. Contact me with any questions whatsoever at info@universalmusican.com.
ADVICE
I would encourage anyone who is thinking about teaching elementary school music to:
Know your teaching style.
Learn who you’ll be working with.
Find out what your principal expects.
Decide what resources that you’ll need.
Plan out your year and think of the overall goals you would like your music department to achieve.
Study your student’s names and faces.
Have your class rules, classroom management plan and procedures for everything in place.
Step into every class with confidence.
NEXT STEPS
I hope to continue in all the ways that I have grown this year and apply all of the lessons of the present time as well as all that have come before in my teaching, so that I can influence my students to realize their highest potentials and contribute positively to their communities throughout their lives.
JEANINE TRENT
D.M.A., M.S., M.M., M.A.
UNIVERSALMUSICIAN.COM
Teaching Philosophy
Architects and designers of modern curricula have been redefining learning and its applications. Studies of our time have become essential tools in reconsideration of how to teach and reach every student via contrasting approaches which will yield value for them. Therefore, in the interest of aligning my expectations with my investment, I continue to learn. So that I can know and use progressive teaching techniques which can foster the success of learners, I have recently finished another Master’s degree, this time in Education, in addition to a teaching credential. The more I learn, the more I can help others to learn; our collaboration might create something new.
UNIVERSALMUSICIAN.COM
Dr. Jeanine Trent
My approach to teaching focuses on the generation of music as a unifying force that strengthens communities collectively. My duty to foster creativity in students serves not only to improve their technical musical skills, but also to lead them to connect concepts, ideas and experiences to the world around them. My daily quest is to discover, uncover and empower the particular brand of creative prowess that every student possesses.
UNIVERSALMUSICIAN.COM
Exploring music is holistic, experiential and process-oriented in my classroom. In collaboration with students, we approach recursive inquiry, observation and analysis not in a linear fashion, but by following the path that presents itself as best practice toward meaningful engagement. We engage in creativity not only to hone skills and grow in an understanding of the arts, but also to apply the premises of music to other subjects and to the enrichment of our lives.
UNIVERSALMUSICIAN.COM
My mission is to raise my students’ artistic confidence, improve their level of proficiency and inform their appreciation of music. My music classes and group performance curricula are designed to develop cultural literacy and aesthetic sensitivity. I encourage students to express themselves while learning to value the contribution of individuals, practice teamwork, model cooperation and glean emotional intelligence.
UNIVERSALMUSICIAN.COM
Motivating students to produce quality projects is perhaps the most important groundwork we as teachers can do. A sense of excitement about learning energizes students. Project-based learning increases a desire in students to give their best effort, thereby presenting authentic forms of assessment which drive the curriculum. Work that is meaningful to students makes their experience rich. When learners become responsible for their own projects, they begin to see themselves as responsible for their own learning.
UNIVERSALMUSICIAN.COM
Musical content is intended to support goals for students. Creation, production, performance and artistic expression are means by whereby students analyze, practice, respond to, and make informed judgements about music.
UNIVERSAL MUSICIAN.COM
When students demonstrate a profound understanding of music in historical and cultural contexts, they can apply it to their role in contemporary society by relating it to other disciplines and fields of knowledge so that they will become well equipped to contribute to new thought.
UNIVERSALMUSICIAN.COM
“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.” ~Plato
MUSIC TEACHER'S ESSENTIAL RESOURCES
universalmusician.com
REMOTE LEARNING SITES
Here For You
FUN & CREATIVE USER-FRIENDLY
Next Level Service
REMOTE TEACHING
DISTANCE LEARNING
The goal of a good teacher is to be the most effective teacher she can be. Using multiple sources meld together the ideas of many, so that the innovative music teacher can take all of the ideas and methods she comes to and incorporate them into her teaching. This is especially important in distance learning, because she is not there in person to model, to react, to entertain, to encourage. The content itself has to be entertaining and, very importantly, varied so that it will be appealing and relevant to all learners. Finding online music lesson plans and media resources has helped me to compile advice, blogs, groups, sites, videos, graphics, worksheets and other creative materials so that my students have the best chance to assimilate and enjoy the material.
REMOTE MUSIC TEACHING RESOURCES
The Chrome Music Lab
The Chrome Music Lab is a free online composing site that offers hands-on experiments which can be used as a tool for students to explore music. Students at every level can enjoy a creative music making experience. Student groups can use the Lab as a tool for inquiry, creation and collaboration.
CREATING MUSIC
CROSS-CURRICULAR APPLICATIONS
FIND AND USE
Self-Expression
Students design rhythm patterns,
then dance to the beats as the
lab plays their creations back to
them, or learn to play “in time”
according to the “color-music.”
Students can learn about
Melody Maps using the
Melody Maker, creating songs and
digital compositions.
Science, Math, Visual Arts
Students enjoy the Chrome Music Lab connections to other subjects like science, math and art. They can engage in activities like exploring sound waves and frequency, creating fractions questions, and pairing the lab with modern artists and their works.
musiclab.chromeexperiments.com
A collection of experiments,
including arpeggios, chords,
harmonics & strings,
"melodymaker", "pianoroll",
"soundspinner", "soundwaves",
and "spectrogram"can be found on github.com: googlecreativelab/
chrome-music-lab. Inquiries:
chromemusiclab-support@google.com.
REMOTE MUSIC TEACHING RESOURCES
Classics For Kids
This site is designed to introduce children to classical music. Go to classicsforkids.com.
INTERACTIVES
RECORDINGS
CONNECTIONS
Fun & Games
Interactive games help a child learn about music, rhythm, and composers. Learn Music Terms, Play Note Names, Match The Rhythm, Compose Your Own Music, Open Instruments Of The Orchestra, Explore the Composer Timeline, Explore The Composer Map
Extensive Collections
Collections of Music from Periods In Music History: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist & Modern, including Women Composers, Choral Composers, American Freedom music and Jazz. Students enjoy listening to special web programs about periods in music history.
Texts
Included: Student Activity Sheets, Lesson Plans for Teachers, Parent/Teacher Monthly Newsletter Of Note, National Music Standards, Tips and Advice, Books and Media, Bulletin Board and Dictionary.
REMOTE MUSIC TEACHING RESOURCES
Khan Academy Kids
This is an indispensable learning platform for many subjects.
Explore here smartly presented studies in applied music, music appreciation and music fundamentals.
DISCOVERY
DEMONSTRATION
DIRECTION
Big Youngster Benefits
Khan Academy Kids is an award-winning, free educational app with activities, books, educational videos, and creative lessons for younger children, ages 2 to 7. It engages kids in music discovery programs in addition to lessons in core subjects like early literacy, reading, writing, language and math. Go to https://learn.khanacademy.org/khan-academy-kids/
Free World-Class Education
The basic principles of music are explained in plain language with helpful graphics and live video demonstrations. If you have ever wondered “How does music work?” then you’ll find answers here. Explore Notes & Rhythm, Reading Music, Video of Classic Masterworks with play-by-play analyses and commentary by Gerard Schwartz.
Toot Your Horn
Learn about band instruments from expert musicians with the United States Marine Band. Practice your woodwind, brass or percussion instrument with a virtual "private" coach. Lessons include warm-ups, excerpts, and helpful advice, such as how to win an audition.
REMOTE MUSIC TEACHING RESOURCES
BrainPOP
BrainPop is a group of educational websites with over 1,000 short animated movies for students in grades K-12, together with quizzes and related materials, covering the subjects of science, social studies, English, math, engineering and technology, health, and arts and music.
ENTERTAINMENT LEARNING
AWARD-WINNING MEDIA
COMPREHENSIVE MUSIC MODULES
Digital Literacy
BrainPOP is a group of educational websites with over 1000 short animated movies for students in grades K-12, together with quizzes and related materials, covering the subjects of science, social studies, English, math, engineering and technology, health, and arts and music. It I s used in more than 20% of US schools and I several other countries. The videos are designed to engage students and assist teachers and home schoolers; they are aligned to state education standards. Most of the videos feature the characters Tim and Moby. Go to https://www.brainpop.com.
Robust Teacher Support
Teachers create projects including concept maps, movies, coding projects and custom quizzes. Transcript of video narration in script form are available in one click. Visuals are attractive, colorful and detailed. Navigating the sites, setting up classes and assigning activities is quick and easy. Personal notes, images and movies and a selection of templates can be incorporated into your project. Content is sharable via Facebook, Twitter and Email. Highly recommended!
Multiple Choices
Extensive musical offerings are available in BrainPOP, including Music Games, Country Music, Latin Music, Musical Scales, Reading Music, Sortify: Musical Instrument and Time Zone X: Country Music. In BrainPOP Jr., students enjoy an array of music fundamentals and music appreciation subjects such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Musical Alphabet, Musical Instruments, Pitch, Tone and Beat, and Time Signature and Note Values.
MUSIC
LESSON PLANS
Ideas For You
