Module: Creativity in ECE (a focus on Music)

Module Specifications..

Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024

Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Creativity in ECE (a focus on Music)
Module Code	EC107
School	73
Module Co-ordinator	Semester 1: Regina Murphy Semester 2: Regina Murphy Autumn: Regina Murphy
Module Teachers	Regina Murphy Marlene McCormack
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Coursework Only
Resubmit coursework / further development of portfolio

Description

This module provides a thorough understanding of how young children’s creative learning in and through music may be enabled through focusing on theories of play and creativity in music in the first instance. Connections between young children’s social, psychological and physical development and their learning in music are also made. The employment of culturally appropriate resources for music is central to the practical and experiential aspect of the module. An understanding of the principles of Síolta: The National Quality Framework and Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework also informs this work, where themes of Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring and Thinking are explored holistically and interactively through the musical activities of singing, playing, moving, creating, listening, and engaging with digital technology.

Learning Outcomes

1. Appraise theories of play and creativity in early years, focusing on factors that can contribute to children’s musical learning.
2. Make connections between theories of children’s social, psychological and physical development and theories of musical acquisition in young children.
3. Demonstrate awareness of oneself as a critical agent in enabling the activities of singing, playing, moving, creating, listening and engaging with digital technology such that they contribute to children’s musical learning.
4. Reflect on the principles of the relevant national curriculum frameworks for early childhood, showing how the themes and approaches may be explored holistically through musical activity
5. Design and plan a socially, culturally and developmentally appropriate sequence of musical learning experiences for babies, toddlers and young children.
6. Critically evaluate a range of musical materials for children aged 0-6 years, recognising their cultural significance and relative potential to contribute to children’s holistic musical development.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Workshop	24	No Description
Assessment Feedback	72	No Description
Independent Study	29	No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

1
The module involves exploration of theoretical and practical perspectives of play, creativity in music, child development and curriculum frameworks through lectures, workshops, practical, hands-on experiences, demonstrations, observations and critical reflections on learning in early childhood settings. Each session will be structured to maximise understanding of creative musical learning through presentations of theory, illustration of practical example, followed by experiential learning, individually and in pairs or small groups as a recursive, iterative process. Students will be required to study selected readings and to appraise selected recordings in advance of each session, with a view to maximising participation in class discussion.

2
Lecture and facilitated discussion on theories of play and creativity in early years, focusing on factors that can contribute to children’s musical learning. Connections with theories explored in other modules will be explicitly made.

3
Lecture and facilitated discussion on theories of children’s social, psychological and physical development and theories of musical acquisition in young children. Examples in practice.

4
Workshop reflecting on and exploring one’s own musical life experiences and recognising the agentic role of the parent/teacher/adult leader in facilitating musical learning.

5
Gradual immersion in developmental musical learning activities involving singing, playing, listening, moving, and creating music.

6
Analysis and reflection on the principles of Síolta: The National Quality Framework and Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, exploring how themes and approaches may be explored holistically through musical activity.

7
Experience of the formal elements of music through practical experience with instruments (e.g., pitch, rhythm, timbre, texture, dynamics, form) recognising how the language of music can contribute to understanding and planning diverse learning experiences.

8
Exploration of emerging digital learning technologies through reviews of research and practical experiences, recognising their contribution to children’s musical learning.

9
Exploration of a wide range of musical materials for children aged 0-6 years, recognising their cultural significance and relative potential to contribute to children’s musical development.

10
Compilation of a portfolio of personal resources for early years creative music teaching and learning.

11
Observation, analysis and reflection on children’s musical play and learning in an early childhood setting live and through video recordings, noting the agency and autonomy of the creative child, as well as the facilitation of the parent/teacher/leader in the setting.

12
Learning to design and plan a socially, culturally and developmentally appropriate sequence of musical learning experiences for 0-2.5 year olds (babies and toddlers) and present it to peers.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Presentation	Formulation of holistic music learning activities for early childhood setting	25%	Sem 1 End
	E-Portfolio /portfolio (co-assessed with BECE102). Building on portfolio in BECE102, compilation of creative resources for early years music teaching, and presentation of portfolio in digital and print formats (as specified in class)	50%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Burnard, P. & Murphy: 2012, Teaching Music Creatively, 1, 13, Routledge, London, 0415656060
Burton, S. L. & Taggart, C. Crump: 0, Learning from young children: Research in early childhood music,
Susan Young: 2003, Music with the under-fours, 1, 9, RoutledgeFalmer, London, 0415287065
Patricia Shehan Campbell, Carol Scott-Kassner; technology for music instruction (chapter 12) by Kirk Kassner; photographs by Jerry Gay: 1995, Music in childhood, 1, Schirmer Books ; c1995., New York, 0028705521
Chosky, L.: 1974, The Kodaly method, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall [1974], 0135167655
Bernadette Duffy: 2006, Supporting creativity and imagination in the early years, 2nd, 11, Open University Press, 2006., Maidenhead, England, 0335218598
Joanne Greata: 2006, An introduction to music in early childhood education, 1, Thomson Delmar Learning, Clifton Park, NY, 0766863034
Linda Carol Edwards, Kathleen M. Bayless, Marjorie E. Ramsey: 2005, Music, a way of life for the young child, 5, Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J., 0131116762
Barbara Melling: 2006, Creative Activities for the Early Years, 1, Brilliant Publications, 1903853710

Other Resources

39791, Website, 0, Musicality and music before three: Human vitality and invention shared with pride, http://www.heartmind.com.au/db_uploads/Musicality_&_Music_before_three_2002.pdf, 39971, Website, NCCA, 2009, Aistear, http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Early_Childhood_and_Primary_Education/Early_Childhood_Education/Aistear_Toolkit/Aistear_and_PSC_audit.pdf, 39792, Website, 0, Early Arts, http://www.earlyarts.co.uk, 39793, Website, 0, Early Birds Music, http://www.earlybirdsmusic.com, 39794, Website, 0, Early Childhood Music Education Commission of ISME, http://www.isme.org/ecme, 39795, Website, 0, European Network Music Educators and Researchers of Young Children, http://www.meryc.eu, 39796, Website, 0, Kodály Music Education Institute of Australia, http://www.kodaly.org.au/resources.php, 39797, Website, 0, Seomra Ranga – Music, http://www.seomraranga.com/links/music, 39798, Website, 0, Sing Up, http://www.singup.org, 39799, Website, 0, The Dalcroze Society, http://www.dalcroze.org.uk/indexb.html, 39800, Website, 0, The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, http://www.curriculumonline.ie, 39801, Website, 0, The Kennedy Center Arts Integration - The Kennedy Center’s perspective, http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educa tors/how-to/series/arts-integration-beta /arts-integration-beta.aspx, 39802, Website, 0, Tiny Voices Report, http://issuu.com/cgpublish/docs/tiny_voices, 39803, Website, 0, British Journal of Music Education (Edited by Regina Murphy & Martin Fautley) Cambridge University Press, http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=BME, 39804, Website, 0, Music Education Research Taylor & Francis:, http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cmue20/current#.U4X3RvldXTo, 39805, Website, 0, Music Teacher Rhinegold Publishing, http://www.rhinegold.co.uk/magazines/music_teacher/default.asp,

Programme or List of Programmes

BECE	Bachelor of Early Childhood Education

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