Instructional Design

Online Icebreaker: Songs My Mother Taught Me

December 20, 2014 /
[Note: This post began as a draft in June 2014 after I heard this tune on a plane. Video description: Antonin Dvorak’s musical composition, Songs My Mother Taught Me, performed by Itzhak Perlman]Different metaphors have been used to describe the learning process; learning is like a game, a conversation, combustion system, an ecosystem … What if learning is like music-making or an inspiration of song? This idea came about when I heard Joshua Bell and Yo-Yo Ma play Dvorak’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me.” How about using this as an online icebreaker (warm-up activity)?

We could get a feel of students’ expectations by asking them to create a playlist of:


Songs I Wish My Teacher Taught Me.

OR, get to know the students a bit better by asking them to come up with a playlist of …

Songs My Mom / Dad / Teacher / Mentor / Community / XXX (Fill in the blank!) Taught Me.


[This activity can also be used at the end of a Unit to get a big idea of what students have learned.]

To illustrate, here’s my current list of Songs My Mother Taught Me:

#1. A Hard Day’s Night. (Beatles). Work hard.

#2. Change. (Carrie Underwood). You can make a difference.

#3. How You Live (Turn Up the Music). (Point of Grace). Don’t spend your life looking back.

#4. Try. (Colbie Caillat). Accept yourself for who you are.

What about you? What are some songs you learned from your mom, dad, teacher, BFF, etc?

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2 Comments

  • Laura Gogia

    December 21, 2014 at 12:43 am

    Ok, Yin, let's test this out…

    Songs My Mother Taught Me:
    1. Rollerskates (Melanie)
    2. Cecelia (Simon and Garfunkel)
    3. Islands in the Stream (Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton)
    4. Yellow Submarine (Beatles)
    5. Telephone (Sheena Easton)

    Songs I Wish My Mother Taught Me
    1. Roll with the Changes (REO Speedwagon) – "If your're tired of the same old story, turn some pages."
    2. Take Me To Church (Hozier) Power in honesty vulnerability
    3. Yes, Anastasia (Tori Amos) – Aim very very big when writing a song
    4. Cool, Cool River (Paul Simon) – Just because it's the best song ever.
    5. Laughing With (Regina Spektor) because it questions our relationship with God in a much more profound and real way than Joan Osbourne's One of Us. And no one laughs at God in a hospital – that's really true.

    Hmm, yes, it's fun, engaging and people can take it as personal as they want. Nice idea. Thanks Yin.

  • ywbkreher@gmail.com

    December 22, 2014 at 12:52 am

    Laura, Thanks for testing this out.
    Your mom taught you interesting stuff.
    As for songs you wished your mom taught you, I had to look them up. They are very rich and meaningful songs. I enjoyed learning about them and you, a bit more, ;-).