III. Reimagining Civic Literacy & Active Citizenship 13
IV. Reimagining Assessment 16
Future of Teacher Learning
I. Reharmonising Collaboration 20
II. Reimagining Our Community 22
Arts-based Reflections on Future of Learning
Dr Kelly Tang Master Teacher, Music
Leong Su Juen Academy Officer, Music
Seah Cheng Tat Academy Officer, Music
Education Minister Mr Chan Chun Sing, speaking at Work Plan Seminar (WPS) 2024, thanked teachers for “taking care of our students, not just here and now, but planting seeds for their future success” (MOE, 2024). While Singapore celebrates accomplishments in various assessment metrics like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), there is a need to stay vigilant. We recognise that the definition of success continues to evolve and that ongoing efforts are required to preserve our identity and competitive edge. In light of changing life contexts in study, work and play, true success lies in nurturing students with dispositions and values that empower them to be confident individuals with the will to act for what is right (MOE, 2024).
“How do we equip our students with the character, dispositions, skillsets and value systems to survive and thrive in this world?”
“How do we empower ourselves to refresh our mindsets as well as to form resilient communities so that we will be able to journey further and together as a fraternity?”
In an era of rapid technological advancement and societal change, education in Singapore has evolved to focus on a student-centric and values-driven approach that extends far beyond traditional subject matter mastery. As we prepare students for an uncertain future, music education emerges as a powerful tool to cultivate essential 21st Century Competencies (21CC). This holistic approach recognises that alongside subject content knowledge, students need to develop transferable skills that enable them to adapt to different contexts. Music education offers a unique platform to nurture critical competencies such as inventive thinking, adaptive thinking, civic literacy, and effective communication, reimagining how students learn and engage with the world around them through the universal language of music.
In this issue, we explore two key themes: the Future of Student Learning and the Future of Teacher Learning. The first section examines how Emerging 21st Century Competencies (E21CC) are crucial for our students in navigating the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) world that we live in. We explore how music classrooms can nurture and assess these competencies, aligning with the Desired Outcomes of Education (DOE) that empower students to thrive in society.
The second section focuses on the Future of Teacher Learning, emphasising the importance of professional development through collaboration. As educators tasked with holistically developing every student, we must also invest in our own growth. Continuous professional development is essential to stay current with new knowledge and skills. We reimagine professional development settings as platforms not only for learning but also for collaboration and idea exchange among teachers, fostering innovative solutions to shared challenges.
Through these collaborative efforts, we build a resilient community of music educators. The exchange of personal, musical, and pedagogical ideas strengthens our network, providing mutual support and care. This vibrant and inclusive community, enriched by our diverse life experiences, empowers us to lead, inspire, and teach music in more engaging, relevant, and meaningful ways. Together, we create a symphony of learning that harmonises traditional musical skills with the critical competencies needed to thrive for success in the 21st century. As we continue to evolve and adapt, we look forward to the rich possibilities this approach may bring to both our teaching practice and our students’ learning experiences.
We wish you an enjoyable read and hope that the upcoming year is filled with possibilities of envisioning our future!
Lee Ley Har Deputy Director, Music
Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the aRts
References:
Supporting Our Teachers and Parents Through Refreshed Guidelines for School-Home Partnership and New Parenting Resources. (2024, September 18). Ministry of Education Singapore . Retrieved November 14, 2024, from https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/20240918-supporting-our-teachers-and-parents-throughrefreshed-guidelines-for-school-home-partnership-and-new-parenting-resources.
Future of Student Learning
Cultivating E21CC Through Teaching Music
6-min read
The world is changing faster than it ever did. As technology evolves, past practices give way to new ways of doing things. How, then, do music teachers prepare students for such an unknown future?
This article addresses four key 21st Century Competencies that are critical to face an unpredictable future, and how music teaching builds these skills in the most natural, effective and unforgettable ways:
Inventive Thinking
Explores possibilities and generates novel and useful ideas
Evaluates and refines ideas to formulate novel and useful solutions
Civic Literacy
Demonstrates understanding of values, ideals and issues of personal, community and national significance
Plays active and constructive roles to improve the school, community and nation
Adaptive Thinking
Asseses different contexts and situations in order to make connections and draw new insights
Manages complexities and ambiguities by adjusting one’s perspective and strategies
Communication
Effectively communicates information and co-constructs meaning
Engages empathetically with diverse perspectives
Credits: Ministry of Education, 2023
Inventive Thinking
When we teach students to compose songs, we empower them to think inventively and create fresh musical statements which are beautiful and original. This gives students the confidence and courage to break free from mental barriers to imagine and implement new ideas. This is why creating is a key part of the music syllabus.
Inventive thinking does not emerge from a vacuum, but is firmly rooted in past precedents. This is why we introduce students to the historic and iconic music of genres like Jazz, Soul, Blues, Rock and Traditional Asian Music, so they learn from classics which have endured and captivated generations over time.
Adaptive Thinking
By widening students’ exposure to various kinds of music, teachers broaden the pool of resources students can adapt across musical genres. For example, an Indian rhythm may inspire a Rock riff, or a fragment from a Cantonese opera may give a Jazz composition the “lift” it needs.
Adaptation is how musical creations blossom. Cultures collide to create new hybrid styles. When we build an adaptive outlook in students, it spills beyond music to other fields like art, biology, design or technology, giving birth to new ideas that are of practical value. This is why the music syllabus guides teachers to broaden students’ appreciation of music from various cultures.
Communication
Music is communication. When students choose the instrumentation, register, dynamics, rhythm and texture of a song, they communicate the meaning of that song in a vivid and vibrant way.
Communication is a two-way process. Just as students voice their ideas, it is equally important for them to listen to what others say. The art of
communication is about rhythm and timing like musical counterpoint. Communication is how students combine and synchronise their ideas with that of others.
Civic Literacy
Civic literacy goes beyond National Day. It is about celebrating our way of life. When we teach students to create and appreciate songs about our places, our shared history and the different people who make up our society, we build in them a growing sense of civic literacy. Civic literacy begins with pride in oneself, and emanates outwards, to people around us.
E21CC In Combination
Each 21CC does not work alone. Like a team of superheroes, they combine as an entire suite, complimenting and interacting to create a joint impact.
Enacting one E21CC implies activating the others. For example, thinking inventively necessitates adapting ideas across platforms. Inventive and adaptive ideas are not kept to oneself, but communicated to others in a compelling way. The natural outcome of a community that embraces E21CC is a beautiful and harmonious society that is a joy to live in and to be a part of.
E21CC and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is a valuable tool in helping students develop E21CC. For example, students can harness AI to search the internet for words and sounds that fit their music. They can also use AI to search for performers, songs and styles to widen their musical horizons. AI can also aid teachers in the design of lessons and generate musical tracks for students to play along with or model their musical creations after. However, a music teacher cannot let students rely on AI to write lyrics, compose songs, arrange music or otherwise make musical decisions for them and take away what makes each student’s music special and unique. Each of these practices is necessary to cultivate E21CC, and we must not let AI rob students of the skills they need to deal with a turbulent future.
Likewise, music teachers need to be especially discerning when using AI to help plan their music lessons, taking firm control of each lesson design parameter. We need to be careful that AI does not homogenise our lessons and strip away what makes them engaging and educational, so they retain their distinctive signature and flavour, reflecting our inimitable identity and humanity as a music teacher.
Exemplifying E21CC
Students do not simply listen to what teachers tell them, they follow what teachers do. Words ring hollow unless they are supported by deeds. This is why the educational process involves teachers exemplifying the 21CCs in order to teach them authentically.
As a guide:
How do music teachers create music in more inventive ways that exude their unique identity and originality?
How do music teachers communicate more clearly in ways that captivate their listeners?
The Future Of Learning
In Work Plan Seminar (WPS) 2024, Education Minister Mr Chan Chun Sing focused on making unprecedented connections across fields:
“Applied learning programmes emphasise the application of thinking skills and connecting knowledge across subject disciplines, in areas including design, robotics and journalism.”
(Ang, 2024)
Minister Chan also asked:
“A top priority: we must carve out space and time for our educators to focus on creating meaningful learning experiences for our children, going beyond conventional pedagogies - and to continuously reskill and upskill for their professional growth. What must continue - and what should be dropped so that we can pursue other outcomes?”
(2024)
The things music teachers teach or learning experiences that they facilitate are always applicable, not just for creating entertainment, but to invent imaginative ideas in future workplaces, to adapt divergent concepts across unrelated platforms, to express oneself in a captivating way, and to establish a strong sense of self in community. These timeless skills stand our students in good stead no matter what the future brings.
Whether our students go into fields of business, design, technology, administration or the arts, our music teaching roots them on solid ground, to grapple with a fluid landscape that promises not just to overwhelm and bewilder, but to reward those who break away from a fixed mindset to create new things.
How do music teachers broaden their musical palette and adapt what they learn to different musical styles?
How do music teachers teach and create songs that celebrate our community, our culture and our places?
References : Ang, H. M. (2024, September 18). MOE will protect teachers from ‘unreasonable expectations’ that affect their well-being. Channel News Asia.
Supporting Our Teachers and Parents Through Refreshed Guidelines for School-Home Partnership and New Parenting Resources. (2024, September 18). Ministry of Education Singapore . Retrieved November 14, 2024, from https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/20240918-supportingour-teachers-and-parents-through-refreshed-guidelines-for-school-homepartnership-and-new-parenting-resources.
Reimagining Adaptive Thinking
5-min read
How can the teacher design a ‘gumbo’ of flavourful and hearty experiences that engage students in musical learnings and to use their metacognitive skills to generate ideas to adapt to changing contexts with agility?
In this rapidly changing world, it is critical that students develop adaptive thinking to apply learnt knowledge and skills strategically and with flexibility in different or new contexts. This would also involve adjusting one’s perspective and strategies, so as to manage complexities and ambiguities in the evolving contexts. These cognitive competencies can be applied to the real world where issues are multi-faceted and require multiple perspective-taking. The music classroom, with its opportunities for music-making, improvisation, and creation, provides fertile ground to design such learning experiences for adaptive thinking.
c Adaptivity Through Ethnic Music
Learning Experiences
Holy Innocents’ Primary School music teachers
Sarah Koh (HOD, Aesthetics) and Allison Foo began with engaging the students with the
learning of Chinese and Malay ethnic drumming experiences. Essential content like the instrument names and prominent rhythmic patterns were highlighted in the students’ learning. Through these lessons, students consolidated their learning into short performances of the taught ethnic style.
This was followed by putting the students into a new context whereby they had to incorporate the Chinese rhythms (Drum and Large Gong) and Malay Inang rhythms as accompaniment to the community song ‘Singapura’. This led to musical challenges where students navigated complex relationships between various music elements, lyrics, and different task requirements. Students constructed new knowledge through the applications of their existing skills strategically and with flexibility in the new context.
As Hung (2014) and Lee (2014) noted, adaptive learning occurs in a social-constructivist context where learners serve as ecological resources for each other. Riding on each other’s strengths and knowledge, students form informal expert-novice relationships and learn from one another.
What else did the teachers do?
(I) Teacher As A Facilitator
Allison emphasised the importance of not providing ‘correct answers’ to students’ questions. Instead of approving students’ musical decisions, she redirected them to articulate their opinions about their musical product or explain how they arrived at a musical decision. She also guided them to assess if they met task requirements. This facilitation helps students critically evaluate their
Students experiencing a Gamelan ensemble.
decisions, promoting reflection, metacognitive dialogue and self-assessment (Hung, et. al., 2014; Lee, et al., 2014). These being the learning dispositions of developing adaptive thinking skills.
(ii) Providing a Positive Classroom Culture
Developing adaptive thinking requires psychologically safe environments where students are able to “meddle” and “tinker” with their ideas, develop their own meanings in the learning process, and practice and refine contextual understanding and soft skills (Hung, et al., 2014). For Sarah, this approach manifested in classbased discussions at mid-point project showcases where students performed their work-in-progress arrangements. During these discussions, Sarah invited their peers to provide the respective performing group(s) with possible solutions to bring students’ complex musical ideas to fruition, or suggestions to simplify the arrangement to help the group focus on their coordination.
Final Thoughts
It is essential for teachers to be skilful in facilitating generative conversations among students as they seek to be resourceful in adapting to evolving demands and range of challenges. Being able to develop students’ adaptive thinking requires teachers to be able to think flexibly when considering new and alternative perspectives or solutions. Last, but not least, to engender adaptive
thinking in students, teachers are encouraged to role-model this competency; being open to challenge oneself when circumstances change and demonstrating the resilience in the pursuit of goals.
Check out the sample lesson idea written by Sarah and 3 other fellow STAR Champions here.
To see other lesson ideas with applications of other E21CCs, click here
References : Hung, D., Lim, K. Y. T., & Jamaludin, A. (2014). An epistemic shift: a literacy of adaptivity as critical for twenty-first century learning. In S.-S. Lee (Ed.), Adaptivity as a transformative disposition: For learning in the 21st Century. essay, Springer.
Lee, S.-S., Hung, D., Lim, K. Y. T., & Shaari , I. (2014). Learning Adaptivity Across Contexts . In Adaptivity as a Transformative Disposition for Learning in the 21st Century (pp. 43–60). essay, Springer.
Students trying their hands on the tabla.
Teachers performing in mixed-ethnic ensemble at the SZ Primary Music Workshop.
Reimagining Civic Literacy and Active Citizenship
5-min read
What would you think students would say and react when the music teacher asks, ‘How does the issue you have indicated affect Singaporeans and Singapore?”. A few words come to mind: ‘boring’, ‘teacher, this is music lesson, not CCE’.
But when the teacher sets the context through musical examples, such as BlackEyed Peas’ ‘Where Is The Love?’, students understand how songwriters use music as a platform to create awareness about social issues and advocate for a cause. Opportunities are provided within music lessons for students to discuss local issues that the class would like to explore, create awareness, be concerned about and advocate for.
The East Zone STAR Champions, Alexandria Seah (Chung Cheng High School (Main)), Clara Sng (East Spring Secondary School), Dorothy Seng (St. Patrick’s School) and Jane Teh (St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School) reimagined how a songwriting module could develop civic literacy and active citizenship alongside musical knowledge and skills. As part of the six-week lesson module, the objectives included: (1) Engaging in discussions about community and local issues in Singapore and writing a song to raise awareness about a local issue; and (2) Fostering a greater sense of responsibility and action.
During songwriting lessons, students are prompted to consider questions, such as “How does the issue you have indicated affect Singaporeans and Singapore?” and “What can we do to contribute to our community/nation to address the chosen issue?”. These questions encourage students to become more aware of local issues and develop a willingness to take action.
Why civic literacy and active citizenship
Civic Literacy refers to the ability to understand the nation’s values, governance, context and realities, form one’s civic identity, and constructively engage with and contribute to one’s community and nation (21CC Office, 2023). By developing civic literacy, students will be able to demonstrate the understanding of values, ideals and issues of personal, community and national significance. Students will then be able to play an active and constructive role to improve the school, community and nation. It is the sense of belonging to, pride and care of the nation and its people as well as the will to act with shared societal ideals that enable students to be responsible citizens.
Active citizenship involves active participation of a citizen of a nation to educate and discuss societal issues. It is evident that “volunteeristic approach to issues” enabled students to internalise community involvement (Baildon & Bott, 2020). Other than volunteerism through Values-In-Action (VIA) Projects, civic literacy and active citizenship could also be fostered in our music classrooms.
The
impact of the lesson module
Through the deliberation over the issues and perspectives raised alongside the creative collaborative songwriting process, students are empowered to be curious in the topic of active citizenship, openness of seeking to be well-informed and being motivated to discern a deeper understanding; all of which are the dispositions and values that support the development of civic literacy. Students also developed greater understanding of contemporary local issues through whole-class discussion and lyrics writing, enabling them to play an active role in promoting active citizenship through their songs.
What are the thoughts of the teachers?
Clara shares that….
“Our students are aware of the issues and challenges that Singapore faces as a country. By having music lessons that develop civic literacy, students will become more engaged, responsible and contributing citizens.
During the lesson, the students were very engaged with the topic, asking many questions and demonstrating curiosity to deepen their understanding of the issues discussed. I also observed that for tasks requiring group work, students were able to listen to different perspectives and tap into each other’s strengths to complete their projects.”
Alexandria shares her thoughts on the importance of fostering civic literacy and active citizenship:
“It prepares them to navigate and contribute meaningfully to a globalised, interconnected world. Through music education, students can appreciate different cultures, histories, and perspectives, fostering empathy and understanding. Music is a universal language that transcends boundaries, and by engaging with it, students learn to value collaboration, community, and the impact of their voices. Encouraging them to explore these ideas through performance and discussion cultivates their ability to think critically about societal issues and their role in making positive change.”
In Short
By being intentional in lesson planning, it can offer opportunities to nurture civic literacy and active citizenship within music lessons. Students will be empowered to understand values, ideals and issues of personal, community and national significance. It is about educating the child as a whole person, not only focusing on the subject content knowledge. It is setting the stage for the students to take active and constructive roles in contributing to the school, community and nation, both in the present and the future.
Check out the sample lesson idea written by STAR Champions Alexandria, Clara, Dorothy and Jane here.
To see other lesson ideas with applications of other E21CCs, click here
References Baildon, M. & Bott, S. (2020). The role of voice, values, and volunteerism in teaching global issues in Singapore. In John P. Myers (Ed.), Research on Teaching Global Issues: Pedagogy for Global Citizenship Education (pp. 115-132). Information Age Publishing Inc. Doganay, A. (2012). A Curriculum Framework for Active Democratic Citizenship Education. In Print, M., Lange, D. (Eds), Schools, Curriculum and Civic Education for Building Democratic Citizens (pp. 19-39). SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-167-2_3 21st Century Competencies Office, Ministry of Education Singapore. 21st Century Competencies. https://www.moe.gov.sg/education-in-sg/21stcentury-competencies
Is 21CC assessable? Some of the most important learning experiences are often indescribably rich and complex. We could expect 21CC development to be located within these rich learning experiences. How do we isolate and assess these competencies?
Yet, if we teachers can plan learning experiences, there must be a way to check for learning and check for understanding. After all, “to teach is to assess” (Swanwick, 1988, p.4), and therefore, we could ask ourselves, what evidence is there to let us know that our teaching intentions and students’ learning objectives are achieved?
On the other hand, we remember that not everything can be measured and should be measured, similar to a saying, “not everything that counts can be counted”#. Assessing does not always involve measuring.
What about empowering students to assess themselves so that they understand where they are at in their learning? The term “ipsative assessment” encapsulates this. Ipsative assessment refers to student-referenced assessment where students judge their progress against their previous work, rather than against a set of standards or their peers. Yet, for students to judge their progress, they often need to triangulate across various data sources (usually teacher feedback, peer feedback, and other benchmarks) and be supported by tools such as rubrics and/or technological applications.
To demonstrate how this can be done, we (STAR and Arts Education Branch) have come together to design a sample music lesson module, pegged at lower secondary level, that demonstrates the ipsative assessment of E21CC within music learning activities.
# It is unknown if this phrase should be credited to
Albert Einstein, William Bruce Cameron, Hilliard Jason, Stephen Rose, Lord Platt or George Pickering.
The musicmaking processes
Evidencing these learning can lie in:
The conversations and how thinking is made visible
The ‘products’ or tasks which students engage in
For example,
Through Music-Making Processes
Teachers can observe students’ improvisation (e.g. creation of body percussion patterns) which are evidence of inventive thinking.
Teachers could use applications such as EdPuzzle to provide auto-responses to students’ listening tasks. These provide feedback to students and help them in their ipsative assessment and apply critical thinking skills.
Through Performance & Creation Tasks
Through re-creating a performance, students can manifest their musical understandings, demonstrating critical thinking in music
Students can demonstrate adaptive thinking when they can recreate the song for another context.
Through Conversations
Teachers could facilitate students to reflect on how their new learning connects with their previous learning, thus developing their ipsative assessment.
Teachers could co-construct the assessment criteria with students so that students have the shared language to improve on their performance. The criteria provide a basis for students’ critical thinking when assessing their performance.
Guiding questions and peer evaluation provide further support for students’ ipsative assessment of their performance and critical thinking.
Resources such as musicking cards provide a set of questions to guide students’ ipsative assessment of their creations and inventive thinking.
Click here to view the sample lesson unit.
We hope this sample could help teachers think about empowering their students to assess their learning including their 21CC development.
Reference Swanwick, K. (1988). Music, Mind, and Education. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. It is unknown if this phrase should be credited to Albert Einstein, William Bruce
Cameron, Hilliard Jason, Stephen Rose, Lord Platt or George Pickering.
Future of Teacher Learning
Reharmonising Collaboration
3-min read
Music teachers stay dynamic by sharing ideas with each other. This cross-pollination of ideas keeps music fluid and fertile, because when music fossilises and hardens, it withers and makes lessons boring and irrelevant to students.
STAR’s annual Friends In Concert (FIC) programme is a platform for music teachers to experiment, listen to others, and collaborate in making music more compelling. Towards this end, FIC 2024 culminated in a performance by music teachers at the Esplanade Concourse on 24th August 2024.
Three music teachers who participated in this year’s Friends In Concert share how:
“My FIC bands explored arrangements of Singapore folk tunes in jazz, pop and funk genres. As a casual listener,
I benefited by paying attention to the music’s intricacy. Playing bass alongside bandmates who were attuned to this music allowed me to learn about it. They also provided me with a safe space to contribute to the collective arrangement.
The music industry mentors helped me keep my bass lines simple yet effective, ensuring my bass locked in with the drums to tighten the groove. I synergised these ideas to improve the music. As each
Our teacher performers for Friends In Concert 2024 at the Esplanade Concourse
Desiree rehearsing with her bandmates
Playing together gives birth to creative ideas
Musicians share constructive performance advice with one another FIC participants collaborate to improve their performance
Music teachers apply FIC learning to make lessons more engaging
Ms Desirée Chua Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)
band critiqued the others’ performances, this helped me become a more critical listener to my students’ music, enabling me to advise students on how to keep listeners interested in their music.”
Mr Stephen Toh Hong Wei Corporation Primary School
“Because FIC was part of Esplanade’s Red Dot August, my band initially wanted to explore National Education songs. However, as other bands had also thought the same, we decided to highlight lesser-known songs by Singaporean artistes instead. In the process, we learned more about the local music scene and decided on a medley of two songs: Sixty-Five by Gentle Bones and Breathing City by Sezairi.
Jamming with my bandmates inspired creative ways to transition between the moods and keys of these two songs. It was heartening to hear the advice given by other groups to help us grow as musicians. This experience inspires me to use songs by Singaporean artists in my music lessons!”
Ms Wendy Sin Alexandra Primary School
“My FIC experience is summed up by two words: “Community” and “Opportunity.” FIC gave me countless opportunities to learn from my bandmates and other groups. A strong sense of community developed as we laughed and shared musical moments during practices.
I played the drums for FIC, and even though I’m new to drumming and pop music, my teammates
offered guidance, showing me what worked on the drums and what did not. I particularly appreciated the input from other FIC groups and the opportunity to incorporate their views to improve our group’s final arrangement.
My FIC experience inspires me to feature ensemble work as part of my school’s scheme of work next year. Having experienced what it is like to put an arrangement together as a community, I see the benefit of giving feedback to others to enhance the thrill of performing. This empowers me to be more structured in the way I scaffold these ensemble lessons for my students.”
Friends In Concert (FIC) is more than just a performance. FIC is a full-fledged Professional Development (PD) programme that rigorously hones the music making skills of music teachers, while empowering them to be more confident in their musicianship, more forthcoming in sharing fresh musical ideas and more open to the ideas offered by others.
FIC compliments and weaves itself with other PD programmes conducted by STAR, providing an essential platform for music teachers to collaborate, experiment and enact their musical ideas together. We look forward as Friends In Concert (FIC) serves as a catalyst in igniting greater collaboration between music teachers, making the music teaching profession even more thrilling and vibrant than ever.
Reimagining Our Community
5-min read
We teach who we are (Palmer, 1997). Yet, we are shaped by one another in our community. In the rapidly changing world, the increasing professional demands on teaching can impact our collective well-being and sustainability as music educators.
It becomes necessary to constantly reimagine our community, not just as a collection of good teachers, but as a resilient, interconnected network of educators. This community thrives on our collective ability to adapt, reflect, and grow, embracing the diverse voices and experiences that each of us brings.
As individuals, we consider, what drives us as a teacher and what we care about.
As a community, we also consider, our shared purpose and how we can support one another to collectively shape the future of our nation with music education.
As educators, we know that teaching is hard and heart work. Here are some strategies which have been supported by studies to foster resilience and empower us as a community.
Fostering our Resilience
Engage In Professional Development
Professional development can offer new perspectives, build competencies, and even grow collegial friendships. When we allow ourselves to escape the daily grind of work to immerse ourselves in new learning opportunities and nourish ourselves, we can enjoy professional growth, expand our horizons and experience a sense of renewal.
Stresses could develop when we worry about being judged or not being perfect enough. Recognising that everyone has their vulnerabilities, and strengths, helps us see that this is fundamental to our human condition and be open to learning.
Music teachers can suffer from professional isolation when operating as the only (other) music teacher in the school. Hence, we should look into fostering positive relationships and plugging in to the larger community of music teachers for collegial discussions and support. In addition, we could be invigorated by the community of our own students when we appreciate them for who they are and find ways to draw out their strengths and engage them.
Too often, music teachers are busy with lessons, students, parents and colleagues. By engaging in music, whether in singing, playing an instrument, songwriting, listening to music, or moving with music, these could bring much joy and a sense of well-being. We probably have already told students that music is an essential part of the human condition. We can start to practise music with other music teachers for our own growth.
We may not be aware but the lack of management strategies, whether the ability to manage our classrooms, or to manage our daily data consumption and interactions with others can drain our energies. Community allows us to observe management strategies of other music teachers and pick up a strategy or two that works for ourselves.
Adapt To New Contexts
Giving ourselves permission to adapt to new circumstances provide us space and time to grow. For example, we could plan to take small steps to keep up with the ever-growing digital competencies to help us navigate and organise information and our communications. We could also give ourselves new experiences such as through leveraging SkillsFuture credit and Teacher Work Attachment opportunities to renew ourselves as teachers.
Contribute To Our Community
We believe that everyone has something to offer. Contributing constructive ideas to our community help spread positive energies and show support. Each of us could take the initiative to share, whether in person or through virtual platforms. We can also organise teacher-led workshops, start a networked learning community, mentor another teacher, or just have informal exchanges with a colleague.
Reconnect With Music
Empowering Ourselves
Listen
Embracing inclusion is to accept diversity. We could work towards strengthening our dispositions for collaborative work and participative action when we are able to listen better. While there will always be decisions that we might not agree with, rather than be stuck in a stalemate, we could try to find what is workable within our contexts and environment (Schmidt, 2024). Even as we offer critique, we could always do so in respectful ways, be humble, and exhibit an openness to listen.
Discover a “possible self”
(Markus & Nurius, 1986).
This could involve our constant questioning of our own beliefs and values and gives us direction to become a better version of our selves.
Strengthen Pedagogy
Pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1986) is a knowledge domain that distinguishes teachers as professionals. When we have a broadened and deepened understanding of pedagogical strategies and the skill to harness various strategies, we become more confident to use various autonomysupportive teaching approaches. As we develop wisdom, we then enlarge our sense of agency.
Reflect
Reflection helps foster our professional growth, so that we are not just repeating our work, but improving it. Join our critical inquiry networked learning community to develop tools for systematic and critical reflections, and to learn from other reflective practices. When we find new perspectives and new ways of examining our work, we also gain a sense of renewal and become uplifted in the process.
Each of us is unique and we can contribute with our unique gifts within our community with our rich repository of lived experiences. Deep inside each of us, there is a need to be energised, to feel we belong, to be included, and to be valued in the course of our being teachers. Together, we can foster a stimulating and embracing community of music teachers where we have a culture of sharing, support and appreciation for one another, build positive memories so that we grow in our identities with one another’s help, and awaken our souls to lead, care, inspire and teach music in more meaningful, relevant and captivating ways.
References: Markus, H., & Nurius, P. (1986). Possible selves. American psychologist, 41(9), 954. Palmer, P. J. (1997). The heart of a teacher identity and integrity in teaching. Change: the magazine of higher learning. 29(6), 14-21. Schmidt, P. (2024). Facilitating agentic moves: the role of grassroots policy activism in music teacher education. [Paper presentation]. Music in Schools and Teacher Education Conference 2024, Tallinn, Estonia. Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational researcher, 15(2), 4-14.
Arts-based Reflections on Future of Learning
3-min read
Poem co-created with AI
The possibilities are endless! We would have all kinds of resources available to us as learners and teachers, and our imagination and creativity would see greater freedoms. New challenges may arise, but so would new solutions!
No matter how smart technology may become, Or how hard it works, it’s never the drum, The best creativity comes from simplicity, A spark from within, like a soft summer breeze.
AI can’t mimic what we feel inside, Inspiration shows up unscripted, untried, It sneaks in from places we’ve never seen, Like a game (ApT, ApT..) in between.
Though AI can lend us a hand when we’re struck, It’s a guide, not the driver, nor source of luck. We shouldn’t let it dim our creative spark, Just use it to help us find light in the dark.
Nur Atika Binti Mohamed Naim, Victoria School
Daniel Chong Jun Zheng, Hougang Secondary School
Tan Jeng Suan, Temasek Junior College
Technology has redefined the future of learning in music with greater accessibility and creative possibilities through music creation in non-traditional settings like Digital Audio Workstations. It is ever essential that we continue embracing these evolving modes of learning while staying grounded in the heart of music education – fostering human expression through Music.
With the affordances of technology, the barriers to learning music are becoming increasingly lower. Today, a wide range of digital tools, like virtual instruments, music production software, and online learning platforms such as SLS, have revolutionised the way music education is delivered. This makes music creation more accessible and relatable to learners, as they experiment and create. With the use of digital technology, motivation to learn and individualised support can be provided according to the students’ varying levels of readiness. Technology is indeed a great educational tool for teaching and managing learners.
Tan Di Jie, Fern Green Primary School
STAR Highlights
Catch up with the latest happenings that have taken place at STAR since our July 2024 issue of STAR-Post! Do you spot anyone you know?
STAR Champions (Primary) Zonal Workshops
Teaching ICT-based Music-Making in Pop Music Module 5 with Evan Low
Teaching ICT-based MusicMaking in Pop Music Module 2
Orff Approach to Music Education (Introductory) Milestone Programme
