Inspiring Students in Music Through Children's Books Shawna Longo Durban Avenue School, Hopatcong Borough Schools shawnalongo[at]gmail.com
One way to keep our students at the forefront of our teaching while still meeting the requirements of various schoolbased or district-wide initiatives is through finding commonalities across initiatives. These commonalities can then be aligned to who, what, why and how you teach music. I have found an intersection between initiatives and artistic processes through children’s books. Children’s books are at the heart of teaching in K-5 and they often pair seamlessly with music concepts and artistic processes. Through their beautiful illustrations and meaningful, authentic messages, we can deepen our connection with and understanding of our students all while preparing them for their future. There are a few initiatives that are at the forefront of education right now: 1) Social Emotional Learning (SEL) 2) Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) 3) Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access (IDEA). Let’s first lay a foundation for each of these initiatives. SEL - As defined by CASEL, “Social Emotional Learning is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.” CRT - Brown University states, “Culture is central to learning. It plays a role not only in communicating and receiving information, but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individuals. A pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental cultures offers full, equitable access to education for students from all cultures. Culturally Responsive Teaching is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings,1994).” TEMPO
IDEA - “Teaching for diversity refers to acknowledging a range of differences in the classroom. Teaching for inclusion signifies embracing difference. Teaching for equity allows the differences to transform the way we think, teach, learn and act such that all experiences and ways of being are handled with fairness and justice.” (University of Delaware) IDEA is an acronym for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. IDEA highlights efforts toward underserved communities by addressing structural inequities. IDEA assists in fostering cultures that minimize bias and recognize and address systemic inequities, which, if unaddressed, create disadvantage for certain individuals or groups. • “Inclusion: All feel welcomed and valued Inclusion is the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, represented, supported, and valued to fully participate. • Diversity: All the ways we differ Diversity includes all of the ways in which people differ, encompassing the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. While diversity is often used in reference to race, ethnicity, and gender, we embrace a broader definition that also includes age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, physical appearance, geography, and any other identifiers that make one individual or group different from another. • Equity: All having the opportunity to fully participate Equity encompasses the policies and practices used to ensure the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time trying to identify and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented the full participation of some individuals or groups. • Access: Of any and all abilities Access refers to the commitment for everyone to be included in all programs and activities.” (Indiana Arts Commission) The commonalities that exist between SEL, CRT, and IDEA assist in fostering an intentionally embedded and sustained teaching practice that values all students. Through this 30
JANUARY 2022
