Alicia Esposito's Portfolio Page

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• ETAP 623 Spring 2023 (Zhang)
• Game-Based Learning in the Music Classroom

About Me

My name is Alicia Esposito and I am from Burnt Hills, NY. I graduated from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam in 2021 with a Bachelors of Music in Music Education and am certified to teach K-12 music. I am currently teaching K-5 general music, chorus, and drama club as well as pursuing my Masters in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology at SUNY Albany.

My Topic and Purpose

This mini-course will explore game-based learning in the elementary general music classroom. This course is intended to cover the teaching model of game-based learning, examine its benefits, and provide some examples of how to implement it in the elementary general music classroom.

Scope of Learning Outcomes and Content

By the end of this course, educators will be able to:

• Define game-based learning
• Recognize and explain the benefits of game-based learning
• Implement game-based learning in the elementary general music classroom
• Design lesson plans that center around game-based learning in the elementary general music classroom

Needs Assessment

• The educational problem or opportunity
  • The instructional need is for elementary general music teachers to have the knowledge and skills to be able to implement game-based learning in the classroom in order to supplement student learning. Another problem would be a lack of content or ideas that would fall under the category of game-based learning. Educators that fall outside of the realm of general education are often at a disadvantage when it comes to lesson planning since many "specials" or "humanities" teachers are not given a curriculum to work with and are instead expected to create their own lessons and curriculum.
• The learners/participants
  • The learners will be any elementary general music teachers.
• Existing efforts to address this gap
  • There are existing programs that music educators can subscribe to that provide examples of game-based learning and ideas for games to play in the classroom. Educators may also join groups such as online forums in which other music teachers post their lessons and games that they use or have come up with.
• Intent statement
  • This mini-course will help educators to analyze game-based materials in their relevance and effectiveness in supporting student learning goals and guide them in designing a lesson plan that incorporates game-based learning while aligning with the appropriate educational standards.

Analysis of the Learner and Context

The participants will be elementary general music educators who are looking to implement game-based learning into their classrooms. These educators should already have some experience in their classrooms to the point that they know their students enough to be able to identify their individual needs and how likely their students are to benefit from game-based learning. These educators will use this mini-course if they do not have games they currently use in their classrooms, would like more ideas for games to use, or do not already understand the benefits of using games in elementary general music.

Performance-Based Objectives

At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Evaluate game-based materials on their effectiveness and relevance to the intended learning outcomes.

Synthesize lessons that incorporate game-based learning to be used in the classroom.

Apply knowledge and skills concerning game-based learning in a classroom setting.

Task and Content Analysis

Before taking this course, the learner:

1. Should have experience and skills in basic musicianship
2. Should have a background in and have a basic understanding of elementary school-age children and their development
3. Should have a general understanding of their curriculum and expected learning outcomes for their students

Unit 1

What is Game-Based Learning?

After this unit the learner will be able to:

1. Define game-based learning
2. Reflect on personal experiences with game-based learning

Unit 2

Why and How Do We Use Game-Based Learning?

During this unit the learner will:

1. Identify the benefits of using games to promote learning
2. Recognize the common misconceptions and struggles with using game-based learning
3. Be provided with examples of games to be used in the elementary general music classroom
4. Engage with resources that can be used to find classroom games in the future

Unit 3

Implementing Game-Based Learning in the Classroom

During this unit learners will:

1. Analyze their general music curriculum and its alignment with current educational standards
2. Select lesson materials that support student learning goals
3. Design a lesson that inlcudes:
   1. learning objectives that align with the appropriate educational standards
   2. a game-based element that supports the chosen student learning goals
   3. assessment of student learning and effectiveness of the applied game-based approach

Curriculum Map

References and Resources

Aspects of Game-Based LearningPivec, Maja, Olga Dziabenko, and Irmgard Schinnerl. "Aspects of game-based learning." 3rd International Conference on Knowledge Management, Graz, Austria. Vol. 304. 2003.