Workshops + Presentations

Teacher Education Workshops

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Currently Offered Music Education Workshops:

Music class is the perfect place for English Language Learners to thrive and explore. In this session, we will explore instructional strategies for English Language Learners and apply these strategies in a practical way for use in the music classroom. This session will include active discussion as well as hands-on application through elemental songs and games!
For ten years, Christa Jones taught in a public school comprised of nearly 70% English Language Learners. She is excited to share her insight and strategies with other music teachers. Let’s create a music class environment where we welcome, engage, and affirm all of our unique students!
Connect your students’ home and school musical traditions and encourage family involvement by conducting a folk song collection in your own music classroom! Learn how to conduct a song collection at your own school, explore issues of cultural responsiveness, and discuss how to respectfully integrate music of student cultures into the Orff Schulwerk music classroom. Be ready for active singing, saying, dancing, playing, and creating! Participants will leave this workshop with a toolbox of songs and games from the United States and around the world!
Have you ever learned a folk song and wondered how to utilize it in your classroom? Are you ready to create your very own lessons, tailored to the needs of your students? In this session, participants will explore lesson and song development through the Orff Schulwerk approach and learn songs and games from around the world!

Currently Offered General Elementary Education Workshops:

In this session, educators will discover the transformative power of integrating music into daily classroom activities to foster an environment of harmony, focus, and engagement. Participants will learn easy-to-implement strategies for using music during transitions, to improve focus during independent work, and to create a positive classroom culture, without needing any prior musical training. Walk away with a toolkit of resources, including curated Spotify playlists and creative music-based activities, ready to enliven your classroom atmosphere and enhance student learning. This session is your key to a joyful, engaging classroom that supports both emotional well-being and academic achievement, preparing you to bring harmony into the upcoming school year.
This session is designed to empower elementary teachers with effective strategies for supporting multilingual students and English Language Learners (ELLs). Discover how culturally responsive teaching practices can bridge the gap between home and school, fostering an environment where diverse backgrounds are celebrated and leveraged for educational success. Participants will learn practical techniques for integrating visuals, literature, and engaging activities into their teaching to enhance vocabulary development, comprehension, and student participation. Explore WIDA resources, questioning techniques, and tips for creating a supportive classroom atmosphere that encourages patience, understanding, and mutual learning. Leave with actionable insights and resources to make your classroom a welcoming space for ELLs, where every student has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to a vibrant learning community.

Upcoming Conferences & Workshops:

July 10, 2024: Elementary Music Summit (virtual)

July 11, 2024: Upper Elementary Simplified Conference (virtual)

July 20, 2024: FAME National Conference (Chicago, IL)

August 4, 2024: Make Music Magic Summit (virtual)

October 12, 2024: Fox Valley Orff Schulwerk Chapter (Sugar Grove, IL)

Conference Presentations (Past)

American Orff Schulwerk Association National Conference, Poster Session | November 2023
Feierabend Association for Music Education (FAME) | Webinar | October 2023
Goshen College, Building Community Through Music class, Guest Speaker | October 2023
International Music Education Summit | June 2022
New York University, Elementary Music Methods Class, Guest Speaker | September 2021
Bethel University, Elementary Music Methods Class, Guest Speaker | September 2021
National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Eastern Division Conference | April 2021
Elkhart County Music Educators for Social Change | March 2021
National Association for Music Education (NAfME) National Conference | February 2021
Indiana Music Educators Association | January 2023
Elkhart Community School District | June 2022
Indiana Music Educators Association | January 2022
Wisconsin Music Educators Association | October 2021
Maine Music Education Association | May 2021
Illinois Music Education Association | February 2020
Indiana Music Educators Association | January 2020
Bethel University, Elementary Music Methods Class, Guest Speaker | November 2021
Bethel University, Elementary Music Methods Class, Guest Speaker | October 2021
Maine Music Education Association | May 2021
Indiana Music Educators Association | January 2021
Maine Music Education Association, | May 2021
Kentucky Music Educators Association | February 2021
Illinois Music Education Association | February 2021
Indiana Music Educators Association | January 2021
With Marlette Gomez Wengerd
Concord Community Schools | August 2020 + March 2023
With Dr. Chris Lessly
Indiana Music Educators Association | January 2018
Indiana Music Educators Association | January 2017
Indiana Music Educators Association | January 2016

Full-Day Workshops
(Past)

West Chicago School District | March 2024
Piedmont North Carolina Chapter | October 2023
Teaching With Orff | Webinar | March 2021
Mid-Michigan Orff Schulwerk Association | December 2021
North Central Wisconsin Chapter | September 2020
Fox Valley Orff Schulwerk Chapter | October 2020
Southern Appalachian Orff Schulwerk Association | November 2019
Mini Session | Indiana Orff Schulwerk Association | March 2022 Chapter Share
Mini Session | Indiana Orff Schulwerk Association | September 2020 Chapter Share
Mini Session | Indiana Orff Schulwerk Association | April 2020 Chapter Share
Mini Session | Indiana Orff Schulwerk Association | September 2019 Chapter Share

Publications

The Orff Echo (American Orff Schulwerk Association) | Fall 2022
Short essay | The Orff Echo "Coda" (American Orff Schulwerk Association) | Summer 2024
Completed 2019, in collaboration with the students and families at Concord West Side Elementary School in Elkhart, IN.
Click here for your own free copy!
Music in a Minuet (National Association for Music Education) | May 2021
Georgia Music News (Georgia Music Educators Association) | Spring 2021, Reprint
INform Magazine (Indiana Music Educators Association) | Summer 2020
INform Magazine (Indiana Music Educators Association) | Multiple editions 2020-2023