Saturday, November 10, 2018 – Orff Schulwerk Teacher Education Resources – Past, Present, and Future
Panelists: Amy Beegle, Jane Frazee, Doug Goodkin, Julie Scott, Mary Shamrock
Moderator: Tiffany English, AOSA President
In 2016, AOSA surveyed Teacher Educators regarding the materials & resources being used in Teacher Education Courses. Data was sorted by Level, Basic, Recorder, and Movement. In response to that information, the 2018 President’s Panel reflected on our early teacher education materials, how they have changed over time, and ways they reflect today’s diverse American society.
From 1960-2000, Orff Schulwerk broke away from music education’s traditional role of creating consumers of music, toward creators of music. Keetman’s “Elementaria” (1970) became a significant alternative to traditional music textbooks, followed by resource books by Jane Frazee, Brigitte Warner, Arvida Steen, and others.
Since receiving official recognition in 2004, the Alliance for Active Music Making (AAMM) has become a valuable resource at the university level, promoting the teaching of the four main active music making approaches with preservice teachers. Unfortunately, a lack of textbooks that adequately cover the different approaches continues to be a challenge.
Teacher educators are encouraged to use culturally and stylistically diverse, authentic materials, but the importance of culturally responsive teaching, beyond simply choosing appropriate material, continues to be a priority. Teaching respect for the unfamiliar, making connections with those who are different from us, and matching teaching styles to those differences is vitally important.
AOSA’s teacher education resources continue to evolve and reflect changes in American society and the world. Considering continued innovations in technology and the unlimited creativity of the Schulwerk, it will be exciting to see what the next 50 years bring!