Practical Professional Development

Continuing Education

Music Education Center of America

The VanderCook MECA program offers a variety of graduate courses designed for your continuing education needs as a professional music teacher. These practical courses are immediately useful in classrooms and can be a first step to a master’s degree, or a vital part of your professional development. Since its founding, our MECA curriculum has equipped teachers with the practical skills necessary for effectiveness in the music classroom, while providing a deeper appreciation for music’s role in our culture.

MECA courses qualify as electives toward a Master of Music Education (MMEd) degree!

Highlights from Summer 2024 On-Campus Courses

Not only did this workshop reinforce some of the good teaching in my program, but it also gave me new ideas on how to approach topics that I needed to improve upon in my teaching. I learned of a few new composers, new breathing, instrument-specific techniques, and new ways of teaching familiar concepts.

Active participation on instruments, conducting, and arranging with knowledgeable facilitators contributed the most to my learning.

I can start using the ASL signs for "stand up" and "sit down" on day 1. We could make it into a game where I don't say anything and the students follow the nonverbal cues.

A lot of these exercises will immediately be incorporated into my daily routine. I plan to incorporate the Habits green book into my beginners' class. I’m excited in particular to see how the addition of breathing and singing exercises will improve the overall sound of the band.

I learned more about cello and bass pedagogy and also about composing string arrangements for different grade levels!

I have so many songs that I already do body percussion with and I just need to add the barred instruments. I also have more recorder resources to make recorder a tool instead of a unit.