8 minute read
LEARNING IN LOCKDOWN: NOT JUST FOR KIDS!
Bev Cullen is a self-employed music teacher at two SEND primary schools. In this ar ticle she shares her journey towards providing suitable online music teaching and resources for her pupils.
Well, you all know this isn’t going to be a story of exciting class lessons and heart-warming performances to parents!
On Wednesday 18th March 2020 my schools shut, along with everyone else’s. As a self-employed music teacher working across two SEND schools, you can imagine my thoughts…especially when it became obvious that this was not ‘just until Easter’. Thankfully, following discussions with both Heads of Federations, it was agreed that they would continue with my contract, if I could find ways of providing music activities for the children while they were at home.
My music teaching is often experiential, organic, and is very much guided by the pupils themselves, so I wasn’t sure if this could be delivered remotely. I’m a low tech person, who not only owns lots of CDs, but still has cassettes, vinyl, some books from the Silver Burdett Scheme and a few copies of ‘Singing Together’ from BBC Radio. Now, who remembers those? (Yes, I am that old!)
Challenge Number 1: How do I provide music activities for the children while they are at home?
All of my lessons followed the same format: Greeting; moving to music; instrument activity; music or songs linked to the school topic; Makaton signing; Goodbye.
I often used some resources from Charanga Music Professional and used this online programme to upload my own resources to for access in school. My first job was to set up ‘pupil’ logins for this resource. As the majority of my pupils would need support accessing this, I set up a group access for each class and login details were sent to the parents/carers. This meant that they could access the resources that I would use in class. I could even set up links with the Keyboard resources for my Gifted and Talented pupils who had begun some one-to-one work on the piano.
Using Charanga, for each class I could track: how many times they had logged in; the date of their last login; their total time on the site and average time on the site over the last 30 days. This was brilliant as I could keep a record to share with the schools to prove my worth. (My schools never asked for this, but as a self-employed teacher during this time, I felt I needed to).
I could see which songs/music/activities were being looked at, but it was very impersonal and the children were not able to interact with the activities as they did in class. In school, I may use the same resource for different classes, but I have always taught it in very different ways, according to the needs and abilities of each class and individual learners (as we all do). Many of the children have little or no speech, are very visual learners and need Makaton to support their communication. I needed them to actually see me, in order to access the material.
How did I do this? Video!
If I could film individual activities, I would be able to keep the clips short, as most of the pupils like to repeat the same activity many times, rather than doing lots of different activities.
My first choice of activity?
With the help of the NHS washing your hand guidelines, I wrote new lyrics to ‘The Baby Shark Song’. I found a suitable instrumental track on YouTube and practised my song. My poor husband, Jim, returned home from work to find me singing away in the bathroom whilst practising the actions. He ended up, precariously poised in the bath to get a good action shot using the camera on my phone. My voice croaked as it took so many takes to ‘get it in one!’ Thankfully I found an editing function that helped top and tail the start and end.
I just about managed to figure out how to send the video as an attachment to the teachers, so that they could share it with their pupils. This was then quickly followed by a Makaton Signed Song for Mother’s Day. This time filmed by Jim half way up the stairs, as I had decided that the curtains in the hallway made a good, plain backdrop to keep distractions to a minimum. (Also, I know that the camera angle is better if you are looking up to it. Thanks to my teenage niece for tips on how to take a good selfie!)
My two schools found different ways to share the videos with the parents/ pupils. One school created a ‘Home Learning Page’. I sent my videos to the school IT technician, who then uploaded everything on to ‘Bev’s Music Page’. The school could then track the usage, alongside other curriculum subjects. The other school used Class Dojo and set up an account for me. This way I was able to share the resources myself, and have a direct twoway link with parents. This was slightly more work for me, but I eventually found the feedback from parents to be beneficial in knowing what activities/songs were benefitting the children most.
Challenge Number 2: What to do when your cameraman has to go to work as an Essential Worker and you need to carry on filming?
Having relied on Jim to be my ‘ cameraman’, I had to be a little more creative to be able to continue to film whilst working at home on my own. Thankfully he is a bit of an amateur photographer and had a selection of tripods available. Together we found a suitable place to set it all up curtains drawn as a plain backdrop, and to block out unnecessary light; flipchart behind the camera with my notes/script on; my tablet uploaded with songs/backing tracks and any other resources needed balanced gently on top of my vibraphone. (Normally I would complain if anyone used my prized possession as a table, but these were desperate times).
I began filming Makaton signed songs. It has become apparent over the years that there is a special bond between Makaton and Singing. Many of the children enjoy the activity and learn the signs quicker than when using them in everyday speech. This had been commented on to me by staff in the schools, visiting Speech and Language Therapists and parents. I wanted to ensure that the songs were educational and not purely for entertainment. We are all too aware of the ‘device babysitter’ where the TV/tablet/phone is used to occupy a child and keep them quiet.
I filmed ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’. The Charanga version counts 1-10 and includes a different animal in each verse. I suggested that parents could find clocks/watches around the home; anything with numbers on; pictures of animals to extend work around the song.
As I thought of different songs to sign, and activities to accompany them, I realised that it might be beneficial to film some videos aimed at parents, suggesting activities that they could do with the children at home that didn’t require any instruments. My first ones covered: Moving to Music and Body Percussion. These were activities that the children were familiar with; they could join in as their parents watched. The parents would be able to see their child’s response, and then lead the activity themselves, as many times as the child wanted it to be repeated.
By the end of March various online music companies that I am subscribed to began to email links to a wide range of free songs, activities and resources e.g. Out of The Ark and The School Musicals Company. I also subscribe to many YouTube channels, my favourite being ‘The Include Choir’ who shared a Makaton Signed song each week that included the ‘Makaton Sign of the Week’. Perfect for our children.
Just before the ‘Easter Holidays’ (if you could call them that!), I signed and sang ‘Good To Be Me’ a popular song that is liked by many of our children and ‘Easter Egg Hunt’. At this time, I started to get some feedback from parents (and staff ) on Class Dojo:
This last quote was a surprising comment about a pupil who generally chooses not to engage in music sessions in class! This parent then requested more songs (in the middle of the Easter Holiday) as their child had watched, sung and signed them so many times, they needed some new songs!
My heart was warmed to know that the songs were being accessed, used and enjoyed. (I am pleased to say, that they still are!)
‘Rainbows’ were beginning to appear in people’s windows as a symbol to say “Thank You” to our NHS, and to make us smile as we went out for exercise. The song ‘Sing a Rainbow’ seemed to be an obvious choice for my next signed video. The children could learn their colours and the signs as they drew and coloured in rainbows at home. Following this, a parent messaged me to say her daughter had signed ‘Green’ for the first time. This confirmed to me that filming signed songs would be the most beneficial way I could support children working at home throughout the summer term.
Please join me in the next issue for part 2, when I journey into the wonderful world of video editing and YouTube channels!
Bev Cullen is a Specialist Music Teacher, musician and Makaton Tutor. She is one of the first nine Tutors trained to deliver the 'Using Makaton with Singing' pack. She has worked with children from 6 months 18 years, in mainstream education, special needs and community settings. As a musician she is classically trained, and has spent many years playing with Brass Bands, Orchestras, Jazz Orchestras and Musical Theatre Groups. She can now regularly be found supporting Guitarist, Singer/Songwriter Joe Bayliss. Find Bev on Facebook: BC Music
