Ruth K. Dorr
Fertile Fields: Cultivating our Cultural Roots Classroom Demonstration
“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light”. – Theodore Roethke
Our communities and schools are becoming more diverse, and we as music educators can be important players in welcoming and validating students who are new to our country. As immigrants arrive in the United States, they face enormous pressure to learn all manner of survival skills. They must learn key language skills to advance, and while in this process families often feel overwhelmed and go through a process of loss. Music teachers are already quite proficient in the use of music from around the world, but when we find ways to connect to the specific cultures of our immigrant students, we empower them in profound ways. When we perform in front of parents, we take the empowerment to another level as we validate the adults who are struggling to assimilate, while clinging to their own culture.
This classroom demonstration session will showcase specific songs and activities which can be adapted to ANY cultural roots that students bring to a school, whether the student’s family has been in our country for two weeks or two hundred years. The ideas I will share can be used in the privacy of the K-6th grade classroom or be turned into performance pieces for the parents and community to enjoy. I will also touch briefly on teaching strategies for use with large numbers of ELL students.
Ruth K. Dorr has taught music at various levels (K-12) in Iowa schools for the past 27 years. Currently she teaches general music and choir at Crestview School of Inquiry in West Des Moines. Crestview, a school of 550 students who represent 25 countries and whose families speak over 30 languages, has committed to project-based learning. The Crestview Tiger Choir is a non-auditioned group of 50-75 students who perform in the school, community and at festivals around the state.
Ruth has training in Orff levels and completed her Kodaly certification from St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is active as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout Iowa.
Our communities and schools are becoming more diverse, and we as music educators can be important players in welcoming and validating students who are new to our country. As immigrants arrive in the United States, they face enormous pressure to learn all manner of survival skills. They must learn key language skills to advance, and while in this process families often feel overwhelmed and go through a process of loss. Music teachers are already quite proficient in the use of music from around the world, but when we find ways to connect to the specific cultures of our immigrant students, we empower them in profound ways. When we perform in front of parents, we take the empowerment to another level as we validate the adults who are struggling to assimilate, while clinging to their own culture.
This classroom demonstration session will showcase specific songs and activities which can be adapted to ANY cultural roots that students bring to a school, whether the student’s family has been in our country for two weeks or two hundred years. The ideas I will share can be used in the privacy of the K-6th grade classroom or be turned into performance pieces for the parents and community to enjoy. I will also touch briefly on teaching strategies for use with large numbers of ELL students.
Ruth K. Dorr has taught music at various levels (K-12) in Iowa schools for the past 27 years. Currently she teaches general music and choir at Crestview School of Inquiry in West Des Moines. Crestview, a school of 550 students who represent 25 countries and whose families speak over 30 languages, has committed to project-based learning. The Crestview Tiger Choir is a non-auditioned group of 50-75 students who perform in the school, community and at festivals around the state.
Ruth has training in Orff levels and completed her Kodaly certification from St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is active as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout Iowa.