Assignments

Weekly Lecture Notes

Purpose

Lecture notes are an important exercise in the preparation, delivery, and documentation of classroom teaching (and public speaking in general). Not only are lecture notes a valuable resource while in the midst of classroom instruction, but they are (perhaps even more) vital in helping to organize lesson plans. Successful teaching requires careful preparation and the process of creating lecture notes aides in deepening your own understanding of the course content. By organizing your thoughts on and understanding of assigned textbook chapters in the form of lecture notes, you will have a complete set of notes to which you can return when preparing to teach a world music class or to take your comprehensive/diagnostic exams.

Instructions

Each week, you will prepare detailed lecture notes based on that week's chapter assignment from the Bakan textbook. The lecture notes should be typed, well organized, and complete (covering the bulk of the content from the textbook). Lecture notes may take a variety of different forms (or, typically, a combination of forms), such as an outline, a list of major points, cue cards, presentation slides, a listening list, or a tree diagram. Whatever the format, it is important to remember that the lecture notes are for you, not just for delivering a lecture, but also as a resource to which you will return in subsequent semesters.

At the end of your lecture notes, include five test questions (3 multiple choice/matching and 2 short answer/essay) relating to the chapter material.

Delivery

You will keep your lecture notes in a 3-ring binder, which I will collect occasionally for feedback and grading. I will notify you in advance when you will need to turn in your binder and I will return your binder to you when I have finished grading lecture notes.

Lecture Segment with Enhanced Lecture Notes

Purpose

This seminar is a forum for practicing our pedagogical skills, as well as discussing content, techniques, and theories. You will have the opportunity to develop fully fleshed-out lecture notes for one topic and present a 20-minute portion of that lecture in a mock classroom-like setting. The aim is to develop pedagogical skills through practice and to demonstrate your ability to research a topic beyond material contained within the textbook alone.

Instructions

Each week, one student will develop enhanced lecture notes for that week's topic (typically the assigned chapter from the Bakan textbook). As opposed to your weekly lecture notes, which are generally constrained to the content in textbook, these enhanced lecture notes should indicate your intended usage of a variety of additional resources and pedagogical techniques, including audio and video clips, class discussion points, musical demonstrations and activities, in-class assignments, etc. Ideally, your enhanced lecture notes should demonstrate your understanding of the content, as well as your ability to effectively incorporate supplemental resources and effective pedagogical approaches into your lesson plans. You should also include a bibliography, discography videography, and webography at the end of your lecture notes.

You will choose a 20-minute segment of your lesson plan to present to the class in a mock-classroom setting. Your presentation should include introductory and concluding transitions that lead from/to the content from your lecture notes that precedes and follows your chosen segment.

Important: This presentation is a lecture segment, a 20-minute portion of your enhanced lecture notes, not a compression of the material from an entire chapter.

Your peers will provide a written evaluation of your mini-lecture.

Delivery

You will be allotted 20 minutes of class time to present your lecture segment in a mock-classroom setting on your assigned day. In addition to preparing a 20-minute lecture segment and presenting it to the class, you will upload a PDF file of your complete enhanced lecture notes to the course website at least one day before your assigned date.

Presentation of Geographic Region

Purpose

No world music survey course, nor textbook, can possibly be comprehensive. Authors and instructors pick and choose what cultures to study and what traditions to focus on within any given culture. Geographic regions and musical cultures covered in this class will be constrained, to some degree, by our textbook. In order to provide a broader coverage of traditions and musical practices not included in the Bakan textbook, you will present a general overview of important genres, common instruments, and major artists relating to a broad geographical region of the world.

Instructions

Each week, one student will prepare and deliver a media-rich presentation of major musical traditions within a particular geographic region. Content covered in this presentation should be supplemental to (not redundant of) the material presented in the assigned textbook chapter. Presentations should use images, maps, and audio and video clips, to generally introduce class members to the geography, musical genres/styles, musical instruments, and musicians from their assigned region.

Delivery

You will be allotted 10 minutes of class time for your presentation. Additionally, you will post a list of links and other sources used in your presentation to the course website within a week of your presentation.

Reports on World Music Resources

Purpose

This assignment is designed to help expand your knowledge of useful world music-related resources for preparing your lecture notes and class presentations. A master list, collaboratively compiled by the entire class, will be hosted on the course website and generally accessible for future reference.

Instructions

You will work in small groups to research, investigate, and evaluate resources of a given type (categories will be determined in class discussion). Each group will compile an annotated list of resources relating to their assigned resource category. The annotated list should contain a full reference to each resource/repository, followed by a brief description of that resource's/repository's offerings and usefulness for instructors of a world music course.

Delivery

Each group will present their resource list to the class, illustrating their value by showing select resources to the class.

Additionally, each group will post their annotated resource list to the Resources section of the class website by the day before the assigned date of the class presentation. Instructions for posting to the website are located on the Resources page of the website.

Review of World Music Textbook

Purpose

Although we will primarily use Michael Bakan's World Music: Traditions and Transformations throughout the semester, it will be useful for you to familiarize yourself with other viable world music textbooks on the market.

Instructions

Each week we will have group presentations on different world music textbooks available on the market today. Working in your group, you will survey your assigned textbook and draft a one-page handout summarizing both the content and pedagogical approach of the textbook. Additionally, your group will present an analysis of that textbook to the class on your assigned week.

Delivery

Each group will present their textbook analysis to the class.
Additionally, each group will post their one-page handout on their assigned textbook to the course website at least one day prior to the assigned day. Instructions for posting to the website are located on the Resources page of the website.

World Music Course Syllabus

Purpose

Your final project is a complete syllabus, including a detailed calendar, for Music Cultures of the World (MUH 2051) for the Fall 2011 semester.

Instructions

Your syllabus should include the following information:

  • Instructor Name and information. You should include your name, contact information, office location and hours, class meeting place and time, etc. Information for your TA should also be included here.
  • Course overview/purpose. The “course overview” should also discuss the format and approach the course will take (lecture? discussions? in-class exercises?) and the value of the course to the students.
  • Course objectives/goals. This section should clearly articulate what results students can expect from investing in this course.
  • Course resources. Include required texts, CDs or other materials necessary for the student to acquire.
  • Course assignments. List the papers, exams, projects, etc. students will be expected to complete for the course. Think about how these assignments reinforce the objectives of the course. Sketch out when these assignments will be due to make sure they are distributed evenly throughout the course. Include grade value, rubrics, or other information that helps the student understand how they will be evaluated on the assignments.
  • Course policies. State your policies regarding, for example: class attendance; late work; missed homework, tests, or papers; class participation; classroom behavior.
  • Department- and University-required verbiage. Make sure to include all required information, such as: ADA statement and honor code policy.
  • Course calendar. Your syllabus should also include a full calendar, including topics, assignments, exams, holidays, guest lectures, etc. for Fall 2011.

Delivery

Upload a PDF file of your complete syllabus to the course website in addition to turning a hard copy in to me in class.

Observation of World Music Class

Purpose

Ethnomusicological research is grounded in field research and the notion that understanding is enhanced through contextualized observation. For this assignment we will apply the same assumption to pedagogical knowledge by observing an undergraduate world music survey class. As you observe a class, you should focus on the process of instruction, and less so on content.

Instructions

You will attend one class meeting of an undergraduate world music course taught by an agreeable faculty member or graduate student colleague (make sure to obtain permission from the instructor before attending the class). Take notes during the class session and then write a two-page analysis of the instructional methods you observed.

Delivery

You will submit a two-page, hard-copy report on the date due.

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Purpose

Whether applying for a job, a grant, or a teaching award, teaching philosophy statements are frequently requested by others for evaluating you as a collegiate teacher and academic. Of course, teaching philosophy statements are particularly helpful on a personal level. Writing down, reviewing, and revising your own personal thoughts and goals, successes and lessons learned, can help provide insights needed while preparing—and in the throes of teaching—your course.

Instructions

How you choose to write your teaching philosophy statement is up to you, with the exception of a few guidelines:

  • Write your statement in first-person, narrative style.
  • Your statement should not exceed more than two pages.
  • Use specific examples that explicate how your philosophy will/has effect(ed) your classroom activities and course assignments.

The Filene text will be helpful in crafting your teaching philosophy statement. Additionally, the following sites contain helpful tips for writing a teaching philosophy statement:

Delivery

You will submit your statement of teaching philosophy in hard-copy format along with your course syllabus and lecture notes in a 3-ring binder.