For this post I decided to learn Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and add an audio recording at the end! I’m still learning so it’s not the best, but I hope you enjoy! I used this really simple video to follow along and practice with.
This song could be used in an elementary classroom, especially younger grades like K-3. This is a great song for group activity and transitions!
This was a very simple song to learn and only uses 2 chords! Most of the song is played by only using the strings, which are G, C, E, A.
First chord is F, where you hold your pointer finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string
Second chord is D, where you place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string
AI is a pretty consistent topic in our course, so, I decided to look through our Mattermost chat and found this poster that really interested me. I find it weird to think about the fact that this poster is used in an elementary setting. When I was in elementary school, this was never something that was talked about because it wasn’t affecting us as much, and that was less than a decade ago. Now there are posters telling kids to keep their information private, use AI as a “helper,” check if it’s wrong or biased, and ask teachers if they’re confused. It really hit me how fast things have changed and how deeply AI has become a part of everyday school life.
In one of our classes we all had the chance to share our opinions on AI being used in an elementary setting, and I found it really interesting to hear everyone’s perspectives. I noticed that my own opinion kept changing as I listened to other poeple. Some people were excited about the possibilites and how it could be used, and others strongly disagreed with the idea and said AI should not have a place in elementary schools. I can’t fully agree or disagree because on one hand you don’t want kids to lose their creativity and thinking skills, but AI and technology are everywhere now so pretending it doesn’t exist isn’t realistic either.
I think that this poster is age appropriate and a helpful tool for kids. It reminds kids to be safe, use other tools, and still add their own ideas instead of just copying what AI says. But at the same time, it kind of shocks me that we need this in schools now. It shows how much AI has impacted not just society in general, but education specifically. As a future teacher, it honestly worries me a bit, because it’s something I will always need to look out for and teach my students how to use AI properly and safely. I won’t just be teaching them subjects like math and writing, I’ll also be teaching them how to question what AI tells them, use it as a tool instead of a shortcut, and still trust their own ideas and thinking.
This week I focused on setting up my ukulele and learning my first few chords. I used UkeBuddy to tune it using the standard G-C-E-A method, which is the most common tuning style. It took a few tries to match each pitch, but once I got the hang of it, it wasn’t too bad and it was nice to finally hear it sound right.
Then I followed this Youtube video to learn the finger placements for each chord and practiced switching between them.
What I noticed/learned:
At first, pressing down the strings felt super awkward and difficult, especially the G chord, but after a few tries it started sounding smoother. I realized how much practice and muscle memory matter, and that even short practice sessions make a big difference if I stay consistent.
Connection to my future classroom:
Learning these first few chords really reminded me about the importance of patience when teaching something new. If I found it tricky to get my fingers in the right spots, students learning instruements, or any new skill, will need time and encouragment too. This also made me think about my Link 2 Practice class, where I noticed kids remebering songs their teacher used for lessons, they were singing them the rest of the day! It showed how helpful music can be for learning, memory, and keeping kids engaged.
After learning how to tune and play the first few chords, I’m excited to keep going and see what else I can learn next!
