MUED 271

Field Experience Observation Form

Date:10/26, 8:15-9:35 am

Location Central High School

Teacher: Kara Levchenko

The objectives of this lesson were to review chord progressions on ukulele or guitar,to teach us
(the observers) chords, to improvise rhythms, and melodies.

The standards I am choosing from come from the Virginia Standards for high school guitar one.
Only part of most of the anchor standards apply to the lesson.

HGI.2 The student will echo, read, and perform rhythms and rhythmic patterns, including whole
notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, dotted half notes, dotted quarter notes,
corresponding rests, and syncopations.
We only echoed and performed rhythms and rhythmic patterns.
HGI.5 The student will identify and perform music written in binary and theme-and-variations
forms.
HGI.6 The student will use music composition as a means of expression by 1. composing a
four-measure rhythmic-melodic variation; and 2. notating the composition in standard notation,
using contemporary technology
We didn’t notate, but we did go around and improve a four measure phrase.
HGI.8 The student will demonstrate preparatory instrumental basics and playing procedures,
including 1. identification of the parts of the instrument; 2. procedures for care of the instrument;
3. proper playing posture and instrument position; 4. proper left-hand and right-hand positions;
and 5. tuning of the instrument, with and without an electronic tuner
I saw 3, 4, and 5 in the lesson.
HGI.13 The student will perform and improvise simple rhythmic and melodic examples in
call-and response styles.
HGI.14 The student will improvise rhythmic variations of four-measure excerpts taken from folk
songs, exercises, or etudes.

Ms. Levchenko accomplished her objectives by letting the students teach us somethings, and
helping whenever we needed her. She let us write the chords on a board and then we followed
along with her while she sang the lyrics to a song. Whoever did not have an instrument clapped
a beat and when we were improvising, we would improvise rhythms, when we had a guitar or
ukulele we would improvise a melody. We played a progression and would stop at each person
so they could improvise by themselves. We did a lot of listen and echo to Ms. Levchenko.

Ms. Levchenko assessed by listening and asking questions. It was easy to see who was
struggling and who was not because the class only had five people in it. She asked her students
to show us how to play chords that they had learned and she listened to them improvise.

Asking students to teach us chords seemed to engage them the most. Also doing the improv
game going around the circle forced every student to know what notes to play.

Something that I didn’t understand was why Ms. Levchenko was the only one singing. I thought
it would be good to encourage the kids to sing, harmonize, or do some vocal percussion. We
also spent a lot of time on tuning and I think it could have been done in a more organize way. I
think it would be great to require the students have tuners, or play a note on the piano and have
everyone tune by ear.

I could tell that they all knew the chords well and could keep a steady beat and were
comfortable with teaching us and improvising. They all seemed very calm and not nervous.
They were also pretty focussed and not disruptive except for one student. They all participated
fully.

There was one student that was really into playing his guitar. He brought an electric guitar with
an amp. He would often want to play really loud and Ms. Levchenko had to spend quite a bit of
time and energy throughout the lesson to stop him from being disruptive and noisy. The other
kids in the class, who were all girls, were very shy and didn’t like to speak up or talk. They didn’t
seem very excited to be there, but I think they were having a good time, they just didn’t want to
show it on their faces.

I think they could spend less time on tuning. As I said before, maybe a requirement for the class
would be to have a tuner, or they would all tune to one note from a piano. I also think that they
should be encouraged to sing along and harmonize. Going beyond the lesson, it would ne nice
to see the kids compose a song with lyrics. I also think it would be useful to make the kids put
down their instruments while the teacher is giving instruction.

There was just one kid who was very distracting. I don’t think he should be allowed to have his
amp unless he doesn’t play loudly. I think if the other kids talked a little more it would help the
lesson go more smoothly, but they were probably shy because we were there.

This is a class I would really like to teach. The kids seem to really know the chords they were
playing so it seemed like they are ready for something more challenging.