Episode #88: Planning and Presenting Professional Devlopment

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT Episode #88: Preparing and Presenting Professional Development

 

In this episode, Carrie and Tanya share tips and strategies for preparing and presenting a professional development session. We talk about different ideas for presenting whole or half day workshops or shorter conference sessions.

Highs and Lows

Tanya has been enjoying using Blooket for fun trivia and review games with her student.

Carrie has been enjoying a fun unit on Video Game Music with her 6th graders, using this product from Organized Chaos Music.

Main Theme: Preparing and Presenting Professional Development

Choosing your topic:

• Know your audience. Do research before your session to know what level and type of musical classes your participants teach and what their level of expertise and experience may be. Also, you could include poll at beginning of your PD to make quick adjustments as needed.

• Know current trends and needs from the music ed community.

• Know your venue, time frame, and session format

• Online? In-person? What will your space be like?

• How long is your session?

• How in-depth can you go? Depends on time and audience.

• Speak to your strengths and passions.

Organizing your session content:

• Strive to incorporate active music making throughout the session and start your session with active music making to build community and get people engaged.

• Add collaborative opportunities such as break-out rooms or small group activities.

• Show videos of your students if you can.

• Check your repertoire to make sure you are not including harmful pieces or activities that may promote cultural appropriation or insensitivity.

• Include your sources as much as possible and give credit to whoever you have borrowed and adapted your ideas from.

Preparing for your session:

• Create your outline, presentation slides, and session notes (handout).

• Create thorough notes, including song notations and detailed game/activity directions.

• Will you give your slideshow presentation? This is a personal preference.

• Plan more than you know you’ll get to, but make a plan for what you won’t get to so that participants can access the things you don't go over in the session.

• Consider a “freebie” offering such as a digital product you have created, a playlist, a unit or lesson plan, or a helpful templates.

• Don’t rely on cloud-based resources. Be sure to have hard copies saved on your computer for recordings, slides, videos, etc.

Personal presenter preparation to set you up for success:

• Practice your session with colleagues.

• Sleep enough, eat enough, drink water, and know what you need and make it happen.

• Make sure you request everything you need ahead of time. Remember to ask for tables, a microphone, water/lunch, instruments, and any other materials. Be sure a projector will be available and bring your own adapters (such as a Mac dongle) if needed.

• Make clear to the participants if you allow pictures or audio/video recording during your session.

• Read the room just like your classroom. If eyes are glazed, change gears!

Afterwards:

• Thank the organization for having you.

• Ask for feedback from participants and/or the hosting organization.

• Make notes for yourself for if/when you repeat the session in the future.

Know Better, Do Better

Tanya has been thinking about the importance of being specific to the location and culture of the "World Music" instruments and repertoire you are teaching to students. Also, consider using the most authentic repertoire as possible. For example, Funga Alafia is not a West African song, as many of us were told. Read more about the origins of the song here! That does not mean you can't use it, but it's important to be aware of the true origins of the songs we teach and not share inaccurate information with students. Instead of Funga Alafia, Tanya has been using the song Sansa Kroma, which is a folk song from Ghana. You can find this song and many other authentic songs from Ghana and Zimbabwe in the resource Let Your Voice Be Heard.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Consider playing soft background music while students are working independently to create a nice vibe in the classroom. Rhythmic music without lyrics and not a lot of melodic content works well. Carrie's favorite is a playlist on Spotify called Lo-Fi Beats.

Coda

Tanya recommends the book Dance Like a Butterfly: Songs from Liberia, Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana by Kwasi Dunyo and Karen Howard

Carrie recommends the Kala Waterman ukuleles