• Quality Process; Quality Product

    ‘This research promotes the idea that critical examination of arts learning experiences (not merely arts activities) is a truer test of excellence in arts education than the production of artistic products’, written in Qualities of Quality: Understanding Excellence in Arts Education (Project Zero). I was searching on Google Scholar ‘quality arts education’ and this was…

  • Opera in education

    I felt hugely lucky to be part of the development of Royal Opera House’s Create and Sing. I was a few years into my own singing lessons and but virtue of these lessons being with the tenor Ian Caley operatic arias were part of my vocal diet. A great deal of the developmental process, that…

  • Imagining a plan for cultural education

    With the announcement following the publication of the White paper in England that work would begin on a National Plan for Cultural Education many will have applauded the announcement, and many will see this as part of a long history of policy and approaches that sought to champion cultural education. Music education has received considerable…

  • Impact – Professional Development

    Issue 13 of the Chartered College of Teaching journal Impact was pleasing to receive. I’ve gathered every issue so far (joined the College at the beginning) and the issues get better and better. As part of the Chartered Teacher (leadership) pilot we undertook a CPD review in our settings and the theme of this new…

  • Fostering creativity

    Post forty-eight in our (re)learning to teach music series. This is week ten of the collaborative blogging and we continue with chapter eight.  Vaughan Fleischfresser @VFleischfresser In terms of other conditions that I’ve seen enhance creativity in the classroom, I would add – ‘freedom’. I guess, in many ways, freedom could be seen as a…

  • The process of creativity

    Post forty-seven in our (re)learning to teach music series. This is week ten of the collaborative blogging and we continue with chapter eight.  Mike Morgan @MikeMMusicED I feel in my own creative process I have experienced each process. I have responded to briefs and started to form and explore a “problem” when writing a piece…

  • Creative witness

    Post forty-six in our (re)learning to teach music series. This is week nine of the collaborative blogging and we continue with chapter eight.  Vaughan Fleischfresser @VFleischfresser “What have you witnessed in the music classroom thus far that you consider to be evidence of creativity?” I believe creativity is all around us, especially in the music…

  • Creative justifications

    Post forty-five in our (re)learning to teach music series. This is week nine of the collaborative blogging and we begin chapter eight.  Mike Morgan @MikeMMusicED I feel creativity is something which comes through experience and confidence. We need to give every student the opportunities to develop their competence in this. I do feel slightly uncomfortable…

  • Teacher behaviours

    Post forty-four in our (re)learning to teach music series. This is week nine of the collaborative blogging and we begin chapter seven.  Teacher behaviours that will support students in developing appropriate and effective learning behaviours in the music classroom.  Mike Morgan @MikeMMusicED At my previous school, I was lead on developing our learning model. This…

  • Learning behaviours

    Post forty-three in our (re)learning to teach music series. This is week nine of the collaborative blogging and we begin chapter seven.  Vaughan Fleischfresser @VFleischfresser When asked to consider the learning behaviours of two pupils whom I currently teach, two immediately sprung to mind. Both took an equal length of time to form the learning…