Featured Contributors

A Music PYP Parallel-Planner

6/4/2011

Jennifer Pittaway, our Music teacher and most regular contributor, has developed a PYP Unit of Inquiry parallel planner that works for her as a specialist teacher. She is happy to share in hope that it may assist others too. Please download.

Do you ever find it difficult to connect with some Units of Inquiry? For example, Year 1's UOI How the world works with the central idea All living things have a life cycle had me stumped for ideas. I couldn't make an authentic connection right away (I'm still thinking and researching and would love ideas if you have any!). So I was at a jobs-a-like session with PYP music teachers from various schools around Singapore and we all started sharing how we plan units that are "stand alone" or not connected to the classroom's UOI. I went away from the meeting full of new ideas and developed this parallel planner with the purpose of showing how single-subjects can still plan along side of a classroom UOI by connecting with the learner profile, attitudes, concepts and transdisciplinary themes. Attached is an example of the Year 1 Unit.

musicyear1unit3.pdf
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36 Comments

Paulami Roy

21/7/2011 06:34:09 pm

Hi Iam Paulami and I work as a music teacher in a PYP school in India .i teach from nur -grade5.
I am facing a lot of challenge in creating a bubble planner for my music classes as well as unit plans.
I was very happy to read your file and it really helped me.
i would like more information on this.
Thanx

Jennifer

2/2/2012 05:31:48 am

Hi Paulami, my apologies for the late reply! How are things going in India? Have you found more useful information for your bubble planner?
I started working full time this year and seeing every year group twice a week. It was very difficult at first but have done a lot of reading and tweaking and have found some things helpful such as having one central idea for the whole school with different lines of inquiry according to phases. I'm happy to share if you're still interested!?

Abhijit

2/12/2015 05:39:47 pm

Hello!
I am Abhijit, working as Music Faculty (Mumbai-India) from Early Years to MYP. It has been quite overwhelming to adapt to such varied age groups and trying to cope with the same. It will be great if you share how are you going about the integration aspect of PYP.

Orlin

23/1/2012 11:17:49 am

Hello,

This is my first year teaching Gr. 3 to 5. I found your parallel planner very helpful. Can I have more info about the other grades?
Thank you

2/2/2012 05:28:16 am

Thank you for your comment Orlin! I've recently changed my planner and am fine tuning a few things before I share. A recent breakthrough has made me realize that having a whole school Central Idea with age appropriate lines of inquiry for each phase makes sense for me. It helps me organize, assess and opens up more room for creativity. I'm happy to share once I have my thoughts in order! Will keep you posted. Thanks again!

21/3/2012 06:02:37 pm

Thank you for your reply. I am still trying to find ideas for Gr.3-5 UoI. The problem is I am teaching IB music too and for first year and the time is so limited. Do you have some more units to share for Gr.3-5 or if I can buy them from you?
Thanks,
Orlin

27/3/2012 05:42:36 am

Hi Orlin, They're not for sale but I'm happy to share :) I understand completely - the Pro Divas have shared so much with me and a lot of my ideas come from them and others who take risks and put their ideas out there. Send me your email information and I'll pass along some planners I've developed. Cheers! jpittaway@chatsworth.com.sg

Stephanie Brook link

24/1/2012 09:19:52 am

This document looks great Jennifer. Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us. As specialists, we are always searching for ways to communicate what we do with our students to classroom teachers. This is a great, easy format and I appreciate you sharing it. Cheers.

2/2/2012 05:22:43 am

Thank you for your comment Stephanie!

Elize

15/2/2012 12:48:08 pm

Hi Jennifer,

I've been searching like crazing for ideas - there is a possibility that I will also start teaching fulltime from august, which also means 2 classes per yeargroup per week... i am terrified. Would you mind to assist me with ideas or websites or ANYTHING that might help?!! I would appreciate it A LOT!

Thank you!

Natasha Hutchins link

26/2/2012 06:12:38 pm

Hi Elize,

Thank you for your comments. I hope you are finding things that you need in preparation for August.

I've posted one of our Units focused on Music which Leigh Ann, Jen and I collaborated together in both planning and teaching.

Go to: http://www.prodivame.com/2/post/2011/09/collaboration-our-music-unit-of-inquiry.html

OR just click on Tash's Blog and go to the post titled "Collaboration: Our Music Unit of Inquiry".

We developed a few resources that you may find useful, particularly the “Music Elements Feedback for Creating” and “Creative Process and Strategies”. Both they and a few more resources are downloadable from that section of this website.

Over recent months, I've been finding a number of Music websites that I've been sending to Jen, I'll ask her to post the links of the ones she thinks are good here for you and others too.

I hope these items and ideas support you. Another idea if you haven't already, is to join twitter to find, follow, share and collect ideas. I learn of many "little bits of interest" from twitter that on further investigation turn out to be great gold mines of ideas and sharing.

Cheers,
Tash

Jenny Cork

7/3/2012 10:35:08 am

Thanks for this - you guys are doing some really exciting stuff.

I am wondering if there is a way for the music pyp people to create an online interface where we can share ideas.

For example, I was really interested to see that the responding and creating threads were used from the scope and sequence but that the learning outcomes themselves have been put into more music terms.

I have been talking to our PYP coordinator about this - my thinking is that music does have determinable skills that need to be mastered to enable further progress ... I understand WHY the Scope and Sequence document is the way it is ... but I would be interested in making contact with teachers who see that we need a marriage between SKILLS and CREATIVITY and INQUIRY ... (not trying to shout here ... just trying to punch those key words!

thanks again!

Jennifer Pittaway

27/3/2012 07:57:29 am

Hi Jenny,

Thank you for your comments! Please see my the Celebrations planner that was recently added to the featured contributors section of ProDivas! Sounds like we're on the same wave length on taking action and making music happen in the PYP. I agree with what you're saying and have started developing planners with the essential elements in mind. I hope this helps - even if it just sparks an idea in you of where to get started.

Shahnaz

18/4/2012 07:39:23 am

Hi, thanks to you jennifer for taking such type of action. I am working at ib school and face many difficulties to make my weekly planner. I want to know about music ib planner. Can you help me? Thanks again.........

sareen

29/8/2012 06:12:19 pm

Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing, i found it useful. do you suggest a weekly planner or monthly planner for Music in PYP.

21/2/2013 08:26:09 am

Hi Jennifer
Sorry to reply so late got busy with shifting city and job. Thanks for your planner but I still want to share few things with you and need your help how can I keep in touch with you? I usually get stuck with the big idea / central idea to plan my lesson. Its very easy to teach the skills but gets me wandering about the central idea. Need help

hikkie

26/3/2013 10:04:45 am

Hi jennifer,
I am a music teacher teaching from year 1-6 here at International School of Lusaka, Zambia, Africa. This is really a good initiative to share ideas as specialist(music) teachers. I have been looking for such fora where we can have such colaboration. I am not sure how rich colaboration among specialists is at your school. In my case, Classteachers at times do not understand the fact that we are specialists and may be tempted to impose their ideas on our planning. your parallel planner looks helpful. I look at it as a way of standing alon yet still linking with the class central idea to some extent. This promotes coherance. I would love you to share your ideas on how i can develop stand alones on such units as 'seeing the light (how the world works, yr 1), healthy lives (yr 4) energy (yr 6), the solar system (yr 5). thanks

Amanda Lawrence

25/6/2013 07:22:27 pm

Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for sharing the parallel planner. I am just about to start teaching PYP music and this has helped me understand some of the planning process. Would I be able to email you on the email address you gave Orlin? I would also love to see some of your other unit plans.

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27/8/2013 08:33:01 am

You give such a wonderful knowledge about the music. i am thankful to you for providing great detail for us.

Brenna McNeil

18/9/2013 05:32:42 am

Hi there,
Great planner! I'd like to share it with my school's music teacher, so are you able to post the template as a Word or Pages document?
I think it will *really* help my music teacher make sense of planning within the PYP framework.
Thank you!
Brenna

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25/10/2013 07:06:03 am

It is in point of fact a nice and useful piece of information. I'm satisfied that you simply shared this useful information with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.

Inga Carey

2/12/2013 01:53:24 am

Hello,
I am an IB PYP music teacher and my principle has asked me to contact other teachers to see how their classroom time is used and how the room is configured. I currently have 60 minutes with 3rd-5th grades and 50 minutes with K-2nd grades. Most of the time we start out sitting in assigned spots on the carpet. I mean for the students to then get up as we do the next activity within the lesson (instruments, dance, etc) but sometimes they just stay in their spot. She has challenged me to not teach whole group in my classroom, which I am finding it hard to conceptualize. I also wonder how much time you have to plan. We no longer have planning time except for before school and after.
Thank you for your input!
-Inga Carey

Cindy Jorstad link

30/12/2014 03:27:40 am

Inga, didn't know you were at an IB school. My new school is also becoming IB, and I'm trying to grow in that direction with my kids and teaching. We have K-5, and each of our kids gets music, drama, art and dance each week. Let's share resources that we find! Cindy (your ex-roomy)

Sheree

14/7/2014 03:39:49 pm

Hi Jennifer,
thanks for sharing this info. I am from Australia and new to PYP and trying to work out how as a specialist music teacher I fit into the PYP. This has helped a lot!

Terry Moran

14/8/2014 09:44:56 am

Hi Everyone,
We were using a very similar planner, based from our PE department, however after our IB review report (issued after Jan 14) the IB have instructed us to use the bubble planner. Sorry to deliver this bad news......Back to the useless bubble planner we go.

Jazz

19/8/2014 04:09:16 pm

Hello,
I am the music at an school beginning the IB process. I am so grateful to that you shared your parallel planner, because it is so helpful to our subject area. Many times the presenters don't know what to do with "specials" and I leave with more questions than answers. My question is do you know of where or have information about planning in PE? Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

19/8/2014 04:51:38 pm

Hi Jazz,
Pass the planner from this discussion to your PE dept and let then twig it to their needs.

Ruby link

25/8/2014 09:10:22 am

Hello ,
First ,thank you for all the sharing ideas .
I am a new PYP music teacher in a new school
However I have more than 15 years as a music teacher .
I will teach all year levels from kg2 up to Y6
So hard to prepare a unite plans for every year level.
Can you please help me if you know any useful links , unite planners , .etc .
Thank you so much In advance .

25/8/2014 09:28:14 am

Hi Ruby
After our inspection and finding out we can not use our own specialist planners we are moving to use the dreaded bubble planner.
We are writing stand-alones that apply to all grades FOU (Foundation) to Grade 5. So worst case will be several covering the entire year across all grades, or several stand-a--lones and when you link to the classroom UOI then your links get added and you don't need to write one for during that UOI.
At this point our stand-alones will be for performing, composing, possibly a separate one for singing and notation.
Hope that helps.

25/8/2014 09:28:29 am

25/8/2014 09:28:56 am

Essar link

11/12/2015 03:18:40 am

Hi,
I am in a candidate pyp school. We would like sample stand alone language Arts planner, music or Art. I would also like to ask if you do the stand alone planners when you are not integrating with the uoi.

11/12/2015 04:09:59 am

I think 'stand alone' is when we are running our core subject agenda as per the scope and sequence. So they are applicable.

RKChav

8/9/2016 12:04:29 pm

Hi Jennifer,
I remember I attend your workshop in Chatsworth but that is too long already about the Trans disciplinary in Music, but after that I move to other international school but not PYP curriculum. After long years, I was hired to a PYP curriculum.. I want to ask if you can share some sample unit of inquiry in music in different transdisciplinary theme.. Sorry but i'm a bit confused of how to do it...

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A Music PYP Parallel-Planner