Our 2024 Beacon Scholarship Recipient, Caitlyn Schmidt!
This summer, Caitlyn Schmidt used her $1000 Beacon Scholarship to take her Orff Schulwerk Level 1 at the Portland Orff Levels Course. Her reflections are an uplifting and inspiring reminder of the transformative power of elemental music and movement, and that the work we do at ACEMM removes roadblocks, changes lives, and matters.
It was an honor to receive the ACEMM Beacon Scholarship this year! I had the privilege of traveling to Vancouver Washington to attend Portland's Orff Level I Certification Course. This course was not only great for improving my teaching practices but it also recharged my soul. As we are in the early weeks of school, I already notice a difference!
With the skills and knowledge gained from the levels course, I have enhanced students' learning experiences through the use of new methods while increasing engagement based on the Orff approach. The Orff approach focuses on active participation, creativity, and experiential learning, which can make music education engaging and fun for all students.
By taking the levels course, I am incorporating quality material into my curriculum that has a diverse range of musical experiences such as singing, instrumental play, improvisation, and movement. The first experience I have been implementing is movement. My younger students have been doing Seven Jumps, where they are learning form through movement. Students will continue to develop a deeper understanding of music through hands-on learning and creative exploration, improving their musical skills and appreciation.
The students also feel more inspired and motivated to explore music with creativity and wonder with this new approach.They are increasingly actively engaged with the lessons. I also hope that students will build confidence in their musical abilities and gain a positive attitude towards learning music.
The Beacon scholarship has had an impact on not only my students, but on my professional growth, curriculum development, and teaching effectiveness. The scholarship provided me with advanced training in the Orff approach, enhancing my ability to teach music in a creative and effective way. It really solidified what I was doing and gave me the reasons and tools that I needed to continue to improve my craft. The Orff level really helped fill in the gaps of my knowledge and I gained confidence. Overall I really learned that I need to “strip ideas down to the root” and slowly build the material up with student choice.
With the training and resources from Orff level I, I have been developing and implementing innovative lesson plans and activities that are based on the Orff approach. All of the materials and resources are already improving my curriculum! One area I was seeking to improve curricula wise was movement. I gain knowledge, confidence, and support in this area. I have been adding quality movement exercises into my lessons in the younger grades to start implementing these new ideas.
Student choice is extremely important in the Orff-Schulwerk approach. It encourages hands-on, student centered instruction. This can lead to more effective teaching and greater student engagement. Students begin to take ownership over their creativity and learning.
Overall the ACEMM Beacon scholarship enhanced both my teaching practice and my students’ learning experiences, allowing me to deliver a richer and more engaging music education through the Orff-Schulwerk approach. Thank you for the opportunity to attend the Portland Orff Levels Course!