Everyone has heard it, a catchy tune that sticks in their head. Try as they might they can’t seem to forget it. Or when a song comes on and immediately we sing along, knowing every word. Students are exactly the same. It doesn’t matter if they speak English, Spanish or another language the beat and melody in the music seems to bring them all together. This innate feel for music can help engage even the most diverse class of learners.
Linking music and learning is at the core of Flocabulary’s concept in how they engage learners of all socio-economic standings. Using hip-hop beats they produce educational songs, which are presented through audio, text and image to convey a concept. Through this study we will explore ways in which Flocabulary engages learners of varying needs.
Inclusive Vocabulary Instruction
Classrooms across the world have students of different needs. Some of those student may have disabilities while others may have language barriers that hinder them from accessing content as their peers. The benefits of music are widely know for stress reduction, relief of anxiety and improved communication skills, however music can also be a catalyst for learning core vocabulary and language as well (Tatenhove, 2006). Flocabulary engages students of all learning levels through the multitude of ways the information is presented. Students are able to listen to the song with visual examples and words to explain vocabulary and concepts. Flocabulary provides students with memorable rhymes and allows students to adjust their play back speeds to help them better understand the concept. Once students have engage with the video they are provided scaffolded support to help them learn their vocabulary and create their own songs to demonstrate their learning.
Filling the GAP
Students sit in classrooms and are taught skills to apply within activities in context. For instance children are taught to multiply by seeing 9x2 and realizing that they need 9 groups of 2 to solve the problem. But what happens when students are asked to instead find the product of two multiplicatives? Students may be able to solve the problem, if they understand what the vocabulary is asking. In far too many instances students don’t remember the content specific vocabulary in such a way that they can determine what they are being asked to do. Flocabulary helps bridge that gap in learning. Through the use of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary Flocabulary engages learners across educational backgrounds. ELL students come to a classroom where they are immersed in a language that is foreign to them. Some aspects are the same but for the most part they are learning everything for the first time. Luckily in the math classroom, the concepts are the same, but the vocabulary may be different. Through the use of Flocabulary’s video model, students are able to see the concepts, captioned with words. For ELL students this make learning more inclusive because they are able to grasp the information and learn the English vocabulary as well.
The Joy of Music
Music creates an environment conducive to learning (Woodall & Ziembroski, 2008). Using music in the classroom is nothing new, yet Flocabulary fills a unique sector of the classroom where students are enjoying what they are hearing and learning from it too. Flocabulary scaffolds learning instruction where after viewing their hip-hop video, students will then complete vocabulary task cards with illustration and play a vocabulary game. Students are then given a quick assessment and get to show creativity through the lyric lab. Lyric Lab allows students to express their creativity by writing their own rhymes to beat about their concept. These items can be assigned by the teacher or students can explore at their own pace. This option make Flocabulary inclusive for all learners. Students who may not need the current classroom topic can accelerate or remediate other topics as needed. Due to Flocabulary’s highly engaging videos and scaffolded instruction students of varying educational levels are able to grasp new vocabulary at their own pace.
Self-Guided Learning
When students enjoy what they are doing, they are more likely to engage in the activity. Through the beats and melodies students are enticed to play Flocabulary’s song repeatedly. This repetition of lyrics along with enhanced feeling of success with vocabulary promotes students to explore independently throughout Flocabulary’s database on content. Students are able to envoke self-regulation skills through personal choice in content accessed. Through Flocabulary’s wide array of content students are able to browse through topics that interest them. Once students begins to self select topics to listen to they are no longer learning because they are told to do so, but they are now learning because they enjoy what they are doing and genuinely want to accomplish more.
References
Paquette, K., & Rieg, S. (2008). Using Music to Support the Literacy Development of Young English Language Learners. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(3), 227–232. https://doi-org.oclc.fullsail.edu/10.1007/s10643-008-0277-9
Reiser, & J.V Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.) (pp. 78-86). New York, NY: Pearson
Van Tatenhove, G. (2006). Rock ’N Roll Therapy: Using Music to Teach Core Vocabulary. Conference Proceedings -- International Society for Augmentative & Alternative Communication, 617–619.
Walby, N. (2011). Tell Me What You Hear: Vocabulary Acquisition and Application in the General Music Middle School Classroom. Music Educators Journal, 98(2), 55–60. https://doi-org.oclc.fullsail.edu/10.1177/0027432111426784
Woodall, L. & Ziembroski, B. (n.d.) Promoting literacy through music. Retrieved from http://www.songsforteaching.com/lb/literacymusic.htm
Learners believe that they can succeed in mastering the learning task.
According to Reiser and Dempsey (2018) learned helplessness can be defeated with strategies that tap into your audience’s abilities and skills. There are a variety of ways to learn new vocabulary. However, these ways may seem mundane to your audience. Many educators use the traditional foldable, vocabulary journals, word walls, etc. Most individuals can recite and memorize songs which are often demonstrated on social media platforms. Songs can be so captivating that they are stuck in your head for periods of time. Flocabulary presents content in different media formats. Students learn through catchy songs, videos and activities. Students are captivated by the catchy beats and wordplay. As a resul…
Introduction
As educators become more aware of the needs of their learners, diversity in teaching methodologies must be adjusted to meet struggling scholars. Reiser, & J.V Dempsey lists five strategies for learning engagement. Although all the strategies can be applied to this article, three of these strategies are best aligned. The article Adding Inclusivity to Vocabulary Instruction utilizes the learner’s curiosity, the learner’s control, and the learner’s satisfaction.
The Positives of Curiosity
Reiser, & J.V Dempsey explain that curiosity is created by a person’s need to close a gap in their understanding (2018). It is within human nature to want to know more. As a civilized society, we encourage curiosity and asking “why” to gain more knowledge. This intrinsic search…
I really enjoy learning more about how to make experiences inclusive for learners. Flocabulary does an awesome job of incorporating music, captions, and overall enjoyment into learning experiences to make them more inclusive and engaging. By using Bloom’s taxonomy and self-guided learning, this platform gives its users a greater feeling of control over their learning experience which research shows allows learners to be more successful in their learning experience (Shortt, 2002). I know that tools such as closed captioning can be helpful in creating inclusivity for learners of all ages. I wonder, for my own reference, how tools like music can be applied to adult learning experiences to increase learner retention. Studies have shown the effectiveness of music as an…
Vocabulary is one of the most important parts of learning in lower elementary classrooms. Some of the terms and some of the vocabulary levels seem too high and too hard for my students to grasp. Music, however, is something that every one of my students, whether they realize it or not, can easily memorize and remember. One of my best practices in the classroom is using music when teaching math. (Shoakramovna, 2021, p 172) “Programs like Schoolhouse Rock and Flocabulary take academic content and deliver it to students in an engaging and memorable way”. This method of teaching through music has been used for years. Programs like the Letter People that taught letter sounds through music to today’s ABC Mouse…
Using Flocabulary’s method of utilizing music to deliver lessons in the classroom the student learner is more engaged in the material being taught like when learning the words to their favorite song. Music is seen as a powerful tool to teach someone to read by using the sound to word correspondence method of teaching. Hall notes that “Berk (2009) noted that the use of multimedia (e.g. music) in instruction is needed to “extend these capabilities they [the students] already possess” due to the amount of media they are exposed to on a daily basis. In the classroom setting it seems it will become more reliant on multi media to teach effectively in the classroom. From recent experiences with ESL le…