What's New in Musicplay with Denise Gagne

Posts about:

Blog Posts (11)

Blog Posts

Outdoor Music Classes

We’re down to the last 2 weeks of school for Canadian teachers, and this can be a tough 2 weeks to get through. Taking your classes outside can give you some welcome sunshine and fresh air, and give you an opportunity to do some activities that don’t work as well inside.
I’d suggest that outside to save your voice from vocal strain, you use a portable microphone. You can order a Chattervox online – http://www.chattervox.com. (Themes doesn’t sell them any longer) .  If you don’t wear a microphone, consider taking a coach’s whistle with you and develop some hand signals with your class.

Denise Gagne
Read More
Blog Posts

Inspiring the Teacher

Teaching is a giving profession.  Lawyers and accountants get to bill by the hour.  Ha!  If teachers got to bill by the hour, we'd all be billionaires.  I love the post that comes around that says teachers should get paid like babysitters - and ends up showing that if we were paid like babysitters, we'd make a LOT more money than a teacher's salary.  

Denise Gagne
Read More
Blog Posts, Curriculum, Assessment

Musicplay K-5 Synopsis – What Does Musicplay Teach?

I had an email question from a teacher this week. She needed to give a synopsis of what she teaches in each grade to her principal. She asked if I had a synopsis of what’s taught in Musicplay, and I had never written it in this format. So here’s the synopsis. Of course how much you’re able to teach depends on the time allotted for music, the experiences your students come with, and a myriad of other factors. With Musicplay you treat the teacher’s guide like a menu – choose the song, choose the activities. If you do all the “core” activities, you will complete what’s in the synopsis with your students.

Denise Gagne
Read More
Blog Posts

Differentiated Recorder Instruction

Recorders are one of the best ways to teach students melodic reading. The instrument is inexpensive, simple to produce a sound, and students are very motivated to learn.  (at least at the beginning of the unit) . However, playing recorder requires good fine muscle co-ordination which can be very difficult for some students. This newsletter addresses some of the ways that you can modify recorder instruction for your special needs students.

Denise Gagne
Read More