Culture Relevance and Music Education
This week we looked at two separate articles, one looked deeply into culturally relevant pedagogies in a classroom, and the other was about the importance of music in elementary education. After reading the article by Ann E. Lopez, I became very aware of the importance of celebrating all cultures and languages in a classroom. Children deserve to be appreciated for who they are, and what better way than to incorporate this celebration within a curriculum. Lopez’s article states that “culturally relevant pedagogy has emerged as an effective way of centring the cultures, languages and experiences that diverse students bring to classrooms so as to increase their engagement and academic achievement” (Lopez, 77). When a child feels comfortable in a classroom, they are able to do their best work, so it is important that a teacher creates an atmosphere for all cultures. A teacher must have an open mind when it comes to teaching a lesson. They should understand that a student relies on them to guide them in learning journey, so a teacher must put in her best effort to help every learner, no matter who they are.
Music is incredibly important for a child’s education. It can allow children to express themselves, while also learning about rhythm and coordination. Music is an important element of any tradition or culture. It connects people and provides a sense of comfort. Julia Brook’s article emphasizes that “the opportunity to expose students to new and different music is also considered to be an important part of music education” (Brook, 292). Children should understand that every culture in our world today uses music to celebrate who they are. One way teachers could help students to understand this is by listening and reflecting to the music. This way they can become familiar with different types of music and become connected to different cultures. Music is important for children because it gives them the confidence to be who they are, and learn about diversity and culture in society today.
Lopez, A. (2011). Culturally relevant pedagogy and critical literacy in diverse English classrooms: A case study of a secondary English teacher’s activism and agency. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 10(4), 75-93.
Brook, J. (2013). Placing elementary music education: a case study of a Canadian rural music program. Music Education Research, 15(3), 290-303.
