title: An Investigation of Parents' and Children's Perceptions of Applying "Orff-Schulwerk" Approaches to Children's Private Piano Lessons

authors: Christie, Wendy

abstract: In recent years, Orff-Schulwerk has experienced rapid and widespread acclaim as a holistic and inclusive approach to music education.  Yet, despite its success in classroom music education programmes, limited attention has been given to the potential of such approach to be applied to individual instrumental lessons.  More importantly, little consideration has been given to children’s and parents’ perspectives of learning their instrument through an Orff Schulwerk approach.  This research seeks to respond to these gaps by investigating children’s and parents’ perceptions of applying Orff-Schulwerk principles to individual piano instruction.  An instrumental case study was used to examine the perceptions of seven children who were taught Orff-Schulwerk principles alongside their individual piano lessons over an eight week period.  In addition, parents’ perceptions were also examined.  The findings revealed that both children and parents perceived the Orff-Schulwerk approach to enhance their creativity, musicianship and awareness of ensemble playing.  However, it was also found that parents’ preconceived beliefs and agendas for engaging their child in instrumental lessons were a barrier to accepting Orff-Schulwerk as a viable and powerful form of music education.  This study demonstrates the potential of applying Orff-Schulwerk methodologies to individual instrumental instruction and also highlights the need for further research to consider the voices and perspectives of parents and children.

text: An Investigation of Parents' and Children's Perceptions of Applying "Orff-Schulwerk" Approaches to Children's Private Piano Lessons In recent years, Orff-Schulwerk has experienced rapid and widespread acclaim as a holistic and inclusive approach to music education.  Yet, despite its success in classroom music education programmes, limited attention has been given to the potential of such approach to be applied to individual instrumental lessons.  More importantly, little consideration has been given to children’s and parents’ perspectives of learning their instrument through an Orff Schulwerk approach.  This research seeks to respond to these gaps by investigating children’s and parents’ perceptions of applying Orff-Schulwerk principles to individual piano instruction.  An instrumental case study was used to examine the perceptions of seven children who were taught Orff-Schulwerk principles alongside their individual piano lessons over an eight week period.  In addition, parents’ perceptions were also examined.  The findings revealed that both children and parents perceived the Orff-Schulwerk approach to enhance their creativity, musicianship and awareness of ensemble playing.  However, it was also found that parents’ preconceived beliefs and agendas for engaging their child in instrumental lessons were a barrier to accepting Orff-Schulwerk as a viable and powerful form of music education.  This study demonstrates the potential of applying Orff-Schulwerk methodologies to individual instrumental instruction and also highlights the need for further research to consider the voices and perspectives of parents and children.

year: 2018

title: Dialogue, dialogue – Talking our way into leadership: An exploration of the influence of extended professional dialogue on school leaders

authors: Tebbutt, Carol Joy

subjects: dialogue

abstract: The complex and multilayered world of the 21st century no longer appears to support the conventional idea of great leadership being the result of the efforts of a single individual. Indeed the idea of learning communities, where educators are seen as active participants in developing educational procedures at all levels and are at the centre of the educational change process, is now widely promoted. In order to succeed in the process of building leadership in a learning community, relationships and communication are seen as key aspects, with some authors promoting dialogue as integral to the process.

This small-scale qualitative study uses a semi-structured interview process to gather data from eight educational leaders, working within New Zealand, who had participated in extended professional dialogues at the International Leadership Institutes (ILI) in the Waikato. The study explores the influence of that process on their professional capabilities as leaders and considers the nature and extent of their learning. It also looks at how dialogue continues to impact on their leadership practice after they have experienced repeated ILIs.

Theoretical and empirical research suggests that professional dialogue promotes critical thinking and inquiry through a process of consent and dissent to achieve a co-construction of knowledge. Dialogue enables a group to explore why certain presuppositions, ideas and beliefs exist within the group and to reveal why they are interacting in certain ways. It is a process that observes, collectively, how hidden values and intentions can control our behaviour and seeks to surface these in order to construct new ways of interacting and new knowledge. This study found that by working in groups through a process of dialogue, not only did the group extend its capabilities beyond that of the sum of the individuals, but that self awareness and understanding developed and continued to have an effect on thinking and behaviour long after the actual ILI was completed.

The findings are of use for those who seek to use dialogue as a successful communication tool in their own leadership contexts. While the findings are specific to the program under investigation, including its structure and local, historical context, they can be related to the wider world of education which asks for all involved to be focused on learning. How we learn and how we learn together is a major concern of leaders in learning. This study calls on educational leaders to explore dialogically how to enable their colleagues to be more successful in the work at hand and how to develop collective thinking, closer relationships and an ongoing way to approach diversity and change in our society.

text: Dialogue, dialogue – Talking our way into leadership: An exploration of the influence of extended professional dialogue on school leaders The complex and multilayered world of the 21st century no longer appears to support the conventional idea of great leadership being the result of the efforts of a single individual. Indeed the idea of learning communities, where educators are seen as active participants in developing educational procedures at all levels and are at the centre of the educational change process, is now widely promoted. In order to succeed in the process of building leadership in a learning community, relationships and communication are seen as key aspects, with some authors promoting dialogue as integral to the process.

This small-scale qualitative study uses a semi-structured interview process to gather data from eight educational leaders, working within New Zealand, who had participated in extended professional dialogues at the International Leadership Institutes (ILI) in the Waikato. The study explores the influence of that process on their professional capabilities as leaders and considers the nature and extent of their learning. It also looks at how dialogue continues to impact on their leadership practice after they have experienced repeated ILIs.

Theoretical and empirical research suggests that professional dialogue promotes critical thinking and inquiry through a process of consent and dissent to achieve a co-construction of knowledge. Dialogue enables a group to explore why certain presuppositions, ideas and beliefs exist within the group and to reveal why they are interacting in certain ways. It is a process that observes, collectively, how hidden values and intentions can control our behaviour and seeks to surface these in order to construct new ways of interacting and new knowledge. This study found that by working in groups through a process of dialogue, not only did the group extend its capabilities beyond that of the sum of the individuals, but that self awareness and understanding developed and continued to have an effect on thinking and behaviour long after the actual ILI was completed.

The findings are of use for those who seek to use dialogue as a successful communication tool in their own leadership contexts. While the findings are specific to the program under investigation, including its structure and local, historical context, they can be related to the wider world of education which asks for all involved to be focused on learning. How we learn and how we learn together is a major concern of leaders in learning. This study calls on educational leaders to explore dialogically how to enable their colleagues to be more successful in the work at hand and how to develop collective thinking, closer relationships and an ongoing way to approach diversity and change in our society.

year: 2012

title: Te Ukaipo

authors: Maxwell, Te Kahautu

subjects: waiata Māori

abstract: I titoa tēnei waiata apakura mō Tipene August he uri nō Ngāti Kahungunu. He tauira a Tipene ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato mai i te tau 1993 ki te tau 2000. I piki ake ia i te ara o Tawhaki ki te rapu i te mātauranga, i tae ia ki te Pae Kairangi, a, ka haukoti ohoreretia tōna hā ka riro koia ki te pō tē whakaarahia. Moe mai e te hoa ki roto i te huinga o te kahurangi ki runga o Tamakurangi te nōhanga nui o te kāhui wairua, haere, haere, haere atu ra. 

"This song of mourning is dedicated to the memory of Tipene August of the Ngāti Kahungunu people. Tipene was a student at the University of Waikato, from 1993-2000. He ascended the pathway of his ancestor Tāwhaki in search of the sacred baskets of knowledge. Tipene was enrolled as a Doctoral Student when he passed away suddenly into the night of no awakening. Therefore my friend rest in peace within the myriad’s of the noble, upon Tamakurangi where the spirits reside. Farewell."

text: Te Ukaipo I titoa tēnei waiata apakura mō Tipene August he uri nō Ngāti Kahungunu. He tauira a Tipene ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato mai i te tau 1993 ki te tau 2000. I piki ake ia i te ara o Tawhaki ki te rapu i te mātauranga, i tae ia ki te Pae Kairangi, a, ka haukoti ohoreretia tōna hā ka riro koia ki te pō tē whakaarahia. Moe mai e te hoa ki roto i te huinga o te kahurangi ki runga o Tamakurangi te nōhanga nui o te kāhui wairua, haere, haere, haere atu ra. 

"This song of mourning is dedicated to the memory of Tipene August of the Ngāti Kahungunu people. Tipene was a student at the University of Waikato, from 1993-2000. He ascended the pathway of his ancestor Tāwhaki in search of the sacred baskets of knowledge. Tipene was enrolled as a Doctoral Student when he passed away suddenly into the night of no awakening. Therefore my friend rest in peace within the myriad’s of the noble, upon Tamakurangi where the spirits reside. Farewell."

year: 2001