Music in the classroom

Multiple intelligence theory suggests that some children have high levels of musical intelligence and will learn better with the help of music. Modern technology can make this happen simply and easily. If you can get a dedicated RE laptop or your own personal one, you can upload tracks from your favourite CDs to it. You could even burn your own CD as a back-up if your machine will allow this.

Use your laptop, or a desktop computer, and a set of multimedia speakers if you can, to save purchasing other equipment. It is worth setting up an iTunes account (by visiting the iTunes Web site) to download music legitimately from the Internet without having to buy a whole album. Keeping the songs on your computer means you can have your ‘classroom classics’ constantly to hand.

iTunes

Music can be used in the following ways in RE:

• To set a tone for a lesson meditation session (ambience).
• To act as a stimulus for discussion, meditation or reflection (lyrics).
• To work as a stimulus for cognitive acceleration. (Don’t forget to download plenty of Mozart for playing in RE!)
• To provide a vehicle for students to express themselves and their ideas.

It is also a good idea to print out and distribute or display the words of songs you are using so that students can follow them. You will reinforce learning if you do so. Some people find it hard to hear the lyrics under certain conditions.