KTPS/INTASC 4: Content Knowledge

To show my competency of Standard 4: Content Knowledge, I have gathered three artifacts. The
first artifact listed is my philosophy of education. In my philosophy of education, you see my
personal goal for the classroom: to let students reach their full potential as a musician within my
classroom. I talk about the atmosphere of the classroom, as well as discovering students learning
styles, showing my knowledge, and how I can make a band ensemble feel competent. I also talk
about the student-centered classroom, where they rely on each other for tuning and preparing
their music. I talk about how giving guidance, and the opportunity for them to give direction as
well.
As another artifact I have chosen my Unit. The unit shows that I can explain how Form, an
element of music, is identified in a song. Students learn three types of Forms: Round, Call and
Response, and ABA. Students acquire the knowledge to identify the songs by corresponding
different songs to each form. The teacher is constantly assessing students after each activity,
whether it is mental notes, rubrics, or creative activities. The students are led by the teacher to
create their own “experiment” of form with the Cheeseburger form worksheet. Students cut out
each piece and create their own musical forms. This lesson is an excellent resource to represent
this standard because the teacher leads students in an interactive lesson to learn about musical
form. The teacher uses her knowledge of content to help students explore musical forms.