Intentionally Creative: Creative Processes in the First Weeks of School (60 Minutes)

Course Description

How can we intentionally cultivate creative skills in elementary student-musicians? What does it look like to weave student choice and collaboration throughout the learning process? This workshop gives a practical framework for approaching creative activities in elementary general music. Teachers will walk away with specific strategies and tools to implement more improvisation and arranging in elementary general music curricula. With an emphasis on creative problem-solving, musical interdependence, and building collaboration skills, this workshop provides purposeful activities to embed students’ musical choices in an elementary music setting.

Course Objectives

During the workshop, you will: 1. Learn how to reframe the way you view creativity in the music room. 2. Understand the importance of using warm-ups with your students every day. 3. Review what improvisation is and ways to use it with your students in a variety of ways.

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to: 1. Implement new warm-up ideas with your students by using body percussion activities to explore steady beat and rhythm. 2. Scaffold improvisation with your students by grasping the prerequisites to assess if your students are ready. 3. Utilize vocal improvisation techniques with your students by implementing new ideas.

Requirements for Completion

To complete this workshop, you will: 1. Complete 1 workshop. 2. Take 1 short, multiple-choice quiz.