During Choral Literature, we were assigned a unit plan.This unit plan was to include one piece of music as well as an outline of a unit that could be taught based upon it.We were asked to provide a reading requirement for the students that related to the piece of literature that we had chosen.We developed quizzes for singing competencies, knowledge of composer, piece, author, book, as well as a writing assignment that the students would be given.This encourages our students to use a higher level of thinking to write their papers and responses to quiz questions; the singing competencies encouraged them to perform better and continue to work on their singing skills.

Allowing students to work on their own encourages them to develop their skills because they do not have others to rely on.A web quest is an interactive activity that can be individual work.The web quest I developed is and sends the students on a quest to gather specific information outlined in the web quest.The students are told which websites they are allowed to use, and how the information they gather is to be compiled.The web quest I designed, You Can Become A Star, has the students become a music identity of their (approved) choice.This is one activity that allows all students to learn because they can gather a variety of information on the web and compile it in a presentation of their choice.This also advocates individuality and creativity, which are two very important things to teach our students.

In MUSED 200, I taught a lesson that aided itself to all learning styles.I incorporated tasks into my lesson plans that reached aural, visual, and kinesthetic learners when I taught the chant, “Stop Thief”.  The students not only learned the melody but ostinatos as well.I wrote the rhythmic notation and words on the board for the visual learners; I modeled the ostinato for the aural learners; and I had the students echo me to stimulate the kinesthetic learners.

In several teachings the spring 2001 semester, I have sang and played the students’ parts to them while they followed along in their music.This is a strategy that works well in choirs because not all students are capable of reading music well.By doing this, I am not taking the notation away from them; I am just aiding them in their learning.Teaching the students notation is done not only in literature study but also in the music literacy parts of the lesson.It is important that we ask students what key the piece is in, where is tonic, the time signature, and so forth to constantly be quizzing them on their musical element knowledge.But we also must realize that not all students will read music when they step into our classrooms and we must supplement their learning to read music with something else until they are able to read music.Teaching students to read music is something that should not be eliminated from a music program.