Today I continued to work on, and add, videos to my 5th, 6th, and 7th grade general music pinterest pages. I have done the same with my 5/6th and 7/8th chorus pinterest pages. The pinterest pages have been very useful for me in class. Pinterest has served as a great and "easy to access" bookmarking site for me as well as my choir students. In a matter of seconds I can show students a choir performing one of our songs, giving them the opportunity to critically analyze and evaluate the other choirs' performance, looking and listening for proper choral techniques. These pages also give students the opportunity to practice their music at home, something they have not had before.
Today I also created a youtube channel for HMS students, where students can post individual and small group musical performances. This will give students the ability to be creative and share their work with others, something they are not able to presently accomplish in our large choral setting. I have titled the youtube channel "HMSYGT," and have learned how to teach students to download their personal videos to "Google Drive," and then "share" their video with me. I can then download the video from my "Google Drive" and upload it to "HMSYGT." Students can then view and even subscribe to the youtube channel. This process will require teacher time and work, but will also give me control of the videos and comments posted to ensure appropriateness.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Skype in the Classroom
I've spent the last hour researching, and registering for my own "Skype in the Classroom" account. It seems this is a site where I can potentially give and receive a variety of music lessons. At this point I am much more comfortable "receiving" lessons, so I have spent considerable time looking at the teachers and lessons available via Skype. There are supposedly 1562 lessons that pertain to "music," however on closer inspection it appears there are less than 100 that "really" have to do with music education. Violin, guitar, voice lessons...opportunties to collaboratively sing with other choirs around the world....many different possible lessons available. Now that I have registered, it will be interesting to see if I am able to make any of these lessons available to my students.
This will take some time and experimentation to figure out the quality of the teachers and lessons available.
I question if music lessons available on youtube won't be easier to preview/evaluate and be more accessible.
This will take some time and experimentation to figure out the quality of the teachers and lessons available.
I question if music lessons available on youtube won't be easier to preview/evaluate and be more accessible.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Several Ways We Can Help Students Develop Their Creativity
Several Ways We Can Help Students Develop Their Creativity
Following are two excepts from the article that are excellent food for thought...
The researchers summarize their sad data: "Judgments for the favorite student were negatively correlated with creativity; judgments for the least favorite student were positively correlated with creativity." Of course, there's a very good reason for this: nobody wants a classroom full of little Pablo Picassos. That's a recipe for chaos, which is why we also need to teach our kids how to focus and exert self-control. But we shouldn't be so determined to enhance these mental skills that we discourage the mental strategies that make creativity possible.
Students need to learn how to pay attention, of course. But they also need to learn how to productively daydream.And this is why arts education is so important. Like most skills, creativity is best learned by doing.
I am a music teacher and, given my content area, should be one of the teachers that encourages creativity the most, however the logistics of my choral classroom (one to as many as eighty three,) makes encouraging creativity very challenging. Some describe the role of band director or choral director as one of a dictator due to the numbers and the need to maintain behavioral control.
45 minutes, 83 fifth graders, standards to meet, concerts to prepare for... Where does individual creativity find its home in this classroom? Technology is an obvious tool that can be used by students to share their creative vocal talents. I wonder if it is possible to develop a private HMS Chorus/Vocal youtube account that students can submit work to that they are willing to share with other students at HMS?
Following are two excepts from the article that are excellent food for thought...
The researchers summarize their sad data: "Judgments for the favorite student were negatively correlated with creativity; judgments for the least favorite student were positively correlated with creativity." Of course, there's a very good reason for this: nobody wants a classroom full of little Pablo Picassos. That's a recipe for chaos, which is why we also need to teach our kids how to focus and exert self-control. But we shouldn't be so determined to enhance these mental skills that we discourage the mental strategies that make creativity possible.
Students need to learn how to pay attention, of course. But they also need to learn how to productively daydream.And this is why arts education is so important. Like most skills, creativity is best learned by doing.
I am a music teacher and, given my content area, should be one of the teachers that encourages creativity the most, however the logistics of my choral classroom (one to as many as eighty three,) makes encouraging creativity very challenging. Some describe the role of band director or choral director as one of a dictator due to the numbers and the need to maintain behavioral control.
45 minutes, 83 fifth graders, standards to meet, concerts to prepare for... Where does individual creativity find its home in this classroom? Technology is an obvious tool that can be used by students to share their creative vocal talents. I wonder if it is possible to develop a private HMS Chorus/Vocal youtube account that students can submit work to that they are willing to share with other students at HMS?
10 Ways Technology Supports 21st Century Learners in Being Self-Directed
10 Ways Technology Supports 21st Century Learners in Being Self-Directed
I chose to look at this lesson through the lens of "me" being the learner, and used a portion of this list as a checklist of sorts to see if I am "current" in using technology to improve and enhance my teaching.
2. Tweet to Connect with Experts
I created an account during our June classes, and will look for opportunities this fall to find some music educator "tweeters" worth following.
3. Skype an Expert
I have just created a music classroom lesson account. I am in the process of trying to find reviews of fellow music education skypers.
4. Free Online Educational Resources
I have enjoyed becoming more familiar with the Music Education Association and American Choral Directors Association websites and the tools, reviews, and resources they offer. ChoralForum.net has been extremely helpful as a "chorus everything" resource.
5. Online Learning
USM has started to offer a few online graduate music courses. I have been very reluctant to give these a try. I appreciate and believe I learn best from direct in-person instruction. (I don't even like to sit in the back row of the classroom, let alone on the other side of a screen.) Given the increasing number of courses offered online, this will be a road I will go down, but will avoid for as long as possible.
6. Authentic Publishing
I'm not sure if this would be "authentic" publishing or not, but I would like to explore a private hms music performance youtube account. This would be a place for students to post vocal and instrumental performances. These performances would give students an opportunity to creatively express and share their musical selves.
7. Use YouTube and iTunes to Learn Anything
It seems Youtube and iTunes University are vehicles that can be used by students to empower and design their own learning. Some professors are doing the following according to the article,
Facebook Find: YouTube University – An Interesting Opportunity for Innovative Students and Teachers, "posting lectures online and providing select innovative high school students the opportunity to watch the lectures, do the course work, and…get college credit-for FREE!" "...What I love about this option, is once the video is posted, it provides students with a forum to interact via commenting on and rating the videos." This sounds very exciting. Again, I don't see type of online university working for me in terms of graduate courses, however I can definitely see how this would create educational opportunities for people who live in remote areas and are unable to access appropriate quality "in-person"instruction.
9. Develop Authentic Learning Portfolios
This year I hope to join in the ePortfolios students have already created with their classroom teachers. My hope is this can be a place that can store student's garageband video and audio class and individual projects.
I chose to look at this lesson through the lens of "me" being the learner, and used a portion of this list as a checklist of sorts to see if I am "current" in using technology to improve and enhance my teaching.
2. Tweet to Connect with Experts
I created an account during our June classes, and will look for opportunities this fall to find some music educator "tweeters" worth following.
3. Skype an Expert
I have just created a music classroom lesson account. I am in the process of trying to find reviews of fellow music education skypers.
4. Free Online Educational Resources
I have enjoyed becoming more familiar with the Music Education Association and American Choral Directors Association websites and the tools, reviews, and resources they offer. ChoralForum.net has been extremely helpful as a "chorus everything" resource.
5. Online Learning
USM has started to offer a few online graduate music courses. I have been very reluctant to give these a try. I appreciate and believe I learn best from direct in-person instruction. (I don't even like to sit in the back row of the classroom, let alone on the other side of a screen.) Given the increasing number of courses offered online, this will be a road I will go down, but will avoid for as long as possible.
6. Authentic Publishing
I'm not sure if this would be "authentic" publishing or not, but I would like to explore a private hms music performance youtube account. This would be a place for students to post vocal and instrumental performances. These performances would give students an opportunity to creatively express and share their musical selves.
7. Use YouTube and iTunes to Learn Anything
It seems Youtube and iTunes University are vehicles that can be used by students to empower and design their own learning. Some professors are doing the following according to the article,
Facebook Find: YouTube University – An Interesting Opportunity for Innovative Students and Teachers, "posting lectures online and providing select innovative high school students the opportunity to watch the lectures, do the course work, and…get college credit-for FREE!" "...What I love about this option, is once the video is posted, it provides students with a forum to interact via commenting on and rating the videos." This sounds very exciting. Again, I don't see type of online university working for me in terms of graduate courses, however I can definitely see how this would create educational opportunities for people who live in remote areas and are unable to access appropriate quality "in-person"instruction.
9. Develop Authentic Learning Portfolios
This year I hope to join in the ePortfolios students have already created with their classroom teachers. My hope is this can be a place that can store student's garageband video and audio class and individual projects.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Progress with curation
Today was wonderful! I LOVE Pinterest! What a great visual tool for cataloging important youtube links, websites, and documents. I now have four pinterest boards; Music Education and the Common Core, 7th Grade General Music, 6th Grade General Music, and 5th Grade General Music. This will be a great tool to use with students for "in class" work as well as "out-of-class" work.
I am excited tomorrow to start a pinterest "chorus" page. I would like to include exemplar youtubes as well as on-line voice lessons.
I am also anxious to find more resources on music education and the common core. Hopefully the creation of a twitter page will help in my search for the latest thoughts regarding this important topic.
I am excited tomorrow to start a pinterest "chorus" page. I would like to include exemplar youtubes as well as on-line voice lessons.
I am also anxious to find more resources on music education and the common core. Hopefully the creation of a twitter page will help in my search for the latest thoughts regarding this important topic.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Summary of Wednesday
I'm not completely sure on a final project.
I spent a lot of time today on becoming familiar with "diigo." I have a fairly organized account now with website addresses for 5th, 6th, 7th grade general music, chorus, and professional affiliations. This convenience will save me a great amount of time in daily lesson plans.
I also spent considerable time looking for music composition sites that would be used by my general music classes to create simple ABA and Rondo song compositions. I found three good programs, but all come with a financial cost. The free site is one that was on my laptop all along, "MuseScore." I spent time trying to learn the program, but need to spend more in order to determine the program's future success with my students.
I spent a lot of time today on becoming familiar with "diigo." I have a fairly organized account now with website addresses for 5th, 6th, 7th grade general music, chorus, and professional affiliations. This convenience will save me a great amount of time in daily lesson plans.
I also spent considerable time looking for music composition sites that would be used by my general music classes to create simple ABA and Rondo song compositions. I found three good programs, but all come with a financial cost. The free site is one that was on my laptop all along, "MuseScore." I spent time trying to learn the program, but need to spend more in order to determine the program's future success with my students.
EdCafe Take Away
Video one (chemistry teacher) -
“Student questions are the seed of real learning.”
Curiosity comes first
Embrace the mess
Practice reflection
How will I grow curiosity in my students? Should I be searching for the best compositional tool, or should I be asking my students to do the search? Should I encourage my students to search for answers on their own, rather than spoon feeding them exactly what I want them to know? Given a limited amount of teaching time, how much “searching and exploring” time can you give away before you have lost all of your instructional time? Or, is it okay to not teach the lesson to its fullest, but instead to show students the paths to finding even more lessons, therefore encouraging them to do more compositional work outside of class?
Video 2 - Angellaless Duckworth (math teacher turned psychologist)
Predictor of success - Grit (passion, perseverence, stamina, sticking with your future, working really hard to make your future a reality) “Grit is a marathon, not a sprint.” How do we build grit in kids? How do we build work ethic?
Many talented individuals that do not follow through.
Growth mind set - the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, and it can change with effort and challenge. Failure is not a permanent condition. You have to be willing to fail.
“Grit” is a something that needs to be taught and encouraged from birth by parents, and by our schools. Teachers need to be given the tools to teach this important life skill. We need to be gritty about getting our students grittier.
“Student questions are the seed of real learning.”
Curiosity comes first
Embrace the mess
Practice reflection
How will I grow curiosity in my students? Should I be searching for the best compositional tool, or should I be asking my students to do the search? Should I encourage my students to search for answers on their own, rather than spoon feeding them exactly what I want them to know? Given a limited amount of teaching time, how much “searching and exploring” time can you give away before you have lost all of your instructional time? Or, is it okay to not teach the lesson to its fullest, but instead to show students the paths to finding even more lessons, therefore encouraging them to do more compositional work outside of class?
Video 2 - Angellaless Duckworth (math teacher turned psychologist)
Predictor of success - Grit (passion, perseverence, stamina, sticking with your future, working really hard to make your future a reality) “Grit is a marathon, not a sprint.” How do we build grit in kids? How do we build work ethic?
Many talented individuals that do not follow through.
Growth mind set - the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, and it can change with effort and challenge. Failure is not a permanent condition. You have to be willing to fail.
“Grit” is a something that needs to be taught and encouraged from birth by parents, and by our schools. Teachers need to be given the tools to teach this important life skill. We need to be gritty about getting our students grittier.
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