Education

Bethel Christian School

Helping a Small School Achieve Big Things

Bethel Christian School has been offering a Christian education in Sydney's western suburbs for more than 30 years. The school may be small, but prides itself in equipping its students with all the skills that they need to become active and productive members of society. The school recognises how important music is for children's physical and cognitive development, so music is compulsory for most students.

Students have only been using Auralia 4 and Musition 4 for a year, but teachers have already noticed a definite improvement in motivation and results. Says Phillip Maas, the school's music co-ordinator: "After a number of years, we finally incorporated Auralia and Musition into our program ... attention is high and students' results have improved."

Recognising Individual Needs & Abilities

Situated in the Mt Druitt area in the west of Sydney, Bethel Christian School is a small school focussed on meeting the educational and spiritual needs of its students. Within the school's family-like atmosphere, teachers deliver programs that identify and address the needs of each student. Auralia 4 and Musition 4, which can be customised to suit any requirement, provide the perfect fit.

The music program at Bethel is based on the NSW Board of Studies curriculum, so incorporates both theoretical and practical elements. It caters for more than 180 students, ranging from Kindergarten to Year 10. Mr. Maas uses the syllabus feature in Auralia 4 and Musition 4 to load and save exercises for particular levels. The software has a fresh new interface that allows students of any age and ability to easily navigate 75 topics covering all aspects of ear training and music theory.

Flexibile for a Varied Program

"All students in the music program sing and play instruments, with some progressing to individual tuition and playing in ensembles." says Mr. Maas. Students perform for one another twice a year, as individuals and in groups, and concerts reflect the breadth of musical styles explored in the classroom. Auralia 4 and Musition 4 together support the ear training and music theory needs of Bethel's students, whether the individual's focus is classical, jazz or contemporary.

"We currently use Auralia and Musition mainly in the lab, but I am hoping to augment that with laptops." Phillip Maas.

Demonstrating a Real Understanding

Auralia 4 and Musition 4 allow teachers like Mr. Maas to store results and monitor progress at the touch of a button, and he can easily generate worksheets that test particular areas of a students' understanding. "The students must pass small tests (5-10 questions) to show they have grasped concepts," says Mr. Maas.

"What is brilliant is that students are now faced with actually needing to know, not just placing information into short term memory." Phillip Maas.