Music for Learning

Music is one of the most prevalent and universal forms of expression in our world. Music is not only one of the biggest money making industries around, but is also a staple of most people's daily routines and is included in everything from a morning workout to an afternoon drive home from work, yet we don't see many teachers utilize music for learning in most classrooms.

According an article from Johns Hopkins University School of Education entitled "Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom,"author Chris Boyd Brewer states that "music can be used to help us remember learning experiences and information..." and it "...can also create a highly focused learning state in which vocabulary and reading material is absorbed at a great rate." 

The article includes many fantastic ideas for using music in the classroom as a way to help the learner and the learning environment be more effective. Click here for more of his ideas and the research that supports music for learning. 

If you decide that adding music to parts of your teaching is something you'd like to try, talk to your Ed Tech about options and possibilities, but another great place to start is Pandora. 

Pandora is a free music-playing website that you can customize with the kind of music you prefer to hear. (This does require you to set up an account, but you can select the free option.) This is just one of many resources available to teachers and is a great place to start when it comes to changing a stuffy classroom atmosphere! 

(Just be sure to use caution and common sense when selecting types of music to play for students. Be sure that all music is age and language appropriate for your classroom.)