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3 Draft Leaving Certificate specifications consultations

3 Draft Leaving Certificate specifications consultations

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Key Skills

In addition to their specific content and knowledge, the subjects and short courses of junior cycle provide students with opportunities to develop a range of key skills. There are opportunities to support all key skills in this course but some are particularly significant.

The table below identifies some of the elements that are related to learning activities in music. Teachers can also build many of the other elements of particular key skills into their classroom planning. The eight key skills are set out in detail in Key Skills of Junior Cycle.

Key skill Key skill element Examples of student learning activity 
Being numerate  Seeing patterns, trends and relationships Students can explore the relationship between different genres/styles and identify similarities and differences through listening and composing activities. 
Being literate  Writing for different purposes Students can create music in response to different stimuli, such as images, texts, abstract ideas/moods/emotions or other melodic forms and fragments.
Managing myself  Being able to reflect on my own learning Students learn to identify and reflect on personal strengths and weaknesses; consider their choices and decisions; and seek help and be open to feedback in a way that facilitates revision and improvement. 
Managing information and thinking  Using digital technology to access, manage and share content Students can use digital devices to record their individual or group performances, to share this content with each other and develop a portfolio of performance development. 
Being creative  Learning creatively Students will explore innovative approaches to engage with classroom activities; for example through group discussion, movement, visual thinking, peer teaching, creative use of technology and taking risks. 
Communicating  Performing and presenting Students will get opportunities to explore and express emotions through a performance or presentation. They will make decisions about how best to communicate with an audience. Through listening to and observing others communicate, students develop an understanding of how to communicate their ideas through different and appropriate media. 
Working with others  Developing good relationships and dealing with conflict  Students will learn to negotiate relationships with peers and teachers during rehearsals and other group activities; they will spend time actively listening to each other and sharing ideas honestly and sensitively; they will learn to respect and incorporate the views/ideas of others. 
Staying well  Being confident Students develop confidence as they contribute to decisions within group music-making activities and collaborative creative endeavours. They develop resilience in the face of difficulties and a sense of satisfaction in the achievement of goals.
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