Digital Humanities, Social Science and Cultural Preservation
Strategies for Preparing Students to Organize a ChildrenâS Vocal Ensemble with a Multiethnic Composition
Abstract
Veronica Velixar
The article examines the key areas of organizing extracurricular musical activities for future teachers of music education at school. The author shares her experience in preparing students majoring in Music for professional pedagogical activity while studying the disciplines Didactics of Music Education at School and Didactics of Working with a Musical Group. Strategic approaches to the implementation of lectures and practical classes within the framework of the studied problem are presented.
A distinctive feature of the proposed approaches is the possible multiethnic composition of students in pedagogical practice and the intercultural interaction of participants within a children’s vocal ensemble. Such ensembles are common in many multicultural schools in the Republic of Moldova and therefore require a professional and methodologically grounded approach to their organization. Accordingly, mini-models of such ensembles (group student projects) as well as individual projects are developed during classroom sessions, emphasizing the advantages of intercultural interaction.
As a result, students’ musical outlook broadens; intercultural understanding and respect are fostered; cooperation and communication skills are enhanced; intercultural competence increases; and an inclusive and dynamic learning environment is created. The study summarizes the author’s many years of practical and theoretical experience as a mentor in pedagogical practice, a lecturer of musical-theoretical disciplines, and a scientific supervisor of student research in the field of music teacher education.
The article outlines the stages of designing educational activities with students – from the formation of conceptual competence foundations to specific methodological recommendations for teaching, learning, and assessing students. The leitmotif of student training is the idea that adults are big children. Everything a student does must be experienced and emotionally perceived while assuming the role of a child – the very role toward which their pedagogical influence will later be directed.