Piaget

A topic that causes disequilibration in a music class is note values and difficult rhythms.  To teach note values at a concrete level I would start with the basic note value; which is a whole note.  I will draw on the board and also have flash cards that are cut out according to their length.  For example: a whole note would be eleven inches long, a quarter note would be half of that and so forth.  As I show them the whole note flash card I will ask them to count the value of it out loud with me.  I will repeat this process with the quarter note, the half note, then the eighth and the sixteenth.  When the students count the whole note they will say "one....." for the length of the whole note.  The half note will sound like this, "one...two..."  After I have refreshed their memory of those notes I will introduce the more difficult note lengths and rhythms.  These may include one half note and eight sixteenth notes. I will write the rhythms on the board and let them practice them.  I will demonstrate as needed.  I will give the students the opportunity to think about the rhythm and work it out themselves before I tell them how to do it.  Disequilibration is occurring when I show the students these difficult rhythms they have had to count before.  However, I will help them assimilate by associating the basic note values and rhythms and tie it all together.  I will show how a syncopated rhythm using sixteenth notes is similar to two eighth notes. (Accommodate)  By practicing and seeing how it fits in a measure mathematically the students will be able to assimilate.

At a formal level  I will give the students handouts with difficult note lengths and rhythms and have them work in pairs to figure them out and count it.