Sunday, November 15, 2009
BP13_20091103_Web 2.0 Tools-Week 3
In my classroom, I like to teach my students how specific genres came about. For instance, every year I l like to teach my students the history of Hip-Hop. I would like to stretch myself even more and begin teaching students about the history of Jazz. This history of Jazz collection would be a great tool for students to use to learn more about this particular genre.
It would be great to use one of these podcasts for a quiz. I would require the students listen to a particular podcast through the week. After they have the week to listen and absorb, I would give a quiz at the end of the week. This quiz would have questions that the students could answer only by listening to the 12 minute podcast. This a great way for students to learn what a powerful tool itunes U can be. And the next best thing about itunes U is that the podcasts are free. All students can access it and it doesn’t cost a dime!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
BP11_20091102_Flicker Lesson Plan
Galleries in Flickr
I just read a blog that had a lesson plan on Flickr's galleries. This feature allows students to upload images on one coherent theme. What a great idea!
I am thinking this gallery feature would be a fun way to show the different types of musical instruments. Students could group the instruments into different themes such as strings, woodwinds, brass, etc. And it doesn't stop there! Students could also associate different instruments to certain genres of music. The possibilities are endless!
With a little bit of an imagination, it is quite amazing that technology can be a part of a music class.
BP10_20091102_Social Bookmarking
Social Bookmarking
I feel a little behind with Social Bookmarking. Before bookmarking I was always adding sites to my Favorites. Now that I know about Delicious I will continue to use it to organize all my favorite sites.
After reading and researching on educational uses on Social Bookmarking, I decided that this is DEFINITELY something that I can use in the classroom. Now that I think about it, what did we use before we had Delicious?
We are surrounded by technology and computers, so it only seems natural to begin to use social bookmarking in education. Social Bookmarking can redefine the ways that we communicate information to each other. According to the Department of Education site, social bookmarking allows users to store, classify, share and search for links to online content. One of the features that I really like about social bookmarking is the ability to tag a site. Tagging a site is the ability to label a website. This can become very handy in education. Teachers that use the internet and websites in the classroom will be able to use this tools quite a bit. Because of this labeling tool, teachers can have the capability of grouping certain links together that have similar subjects. This will give students easy access to the sites they need for research or education purposes. Through Delicious, users can also create groups that can share bookmarks with each other. Squidoo.com states that the fun part of the whole thing is that you can add friends or create a network of peers who are joined together by common interests. And another great point is that you are able to research other sites that your group members were able to research. Thus allowing for a more knowledgeable and well-rounded network. Although we are using Delicious for the ETC class, there are more age appropriate social bookmarking tools on the web. The Education World website states that Delicious is free and easy to use, but because there is no filter its more appropriate for educators than students. If I plan to use social bookmarking in the classroom, I am going to have to search for one with a filter on it.
What a great tool and a fantastic way to organize sites!
References
(2009). Department of education. Retrieved on
November 7, 2009 from http://www.det.wa.edu
.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict
/socialbookmarking/index.htm#ed_uses
Eby, G. (2008, August 19). Social bookmarking
education. Retrieved on November 7, 2009
from http://www.squidoo.com/social- bookmarking-
education#AddNewBlurb_10291452
Jackson, L. (2009, June 5). Education world. Retrieved
on November 7, 2009 from http://www.education
world.com/a_tech/sites /sites080.shtml
Saturday, November 7, 2009
BP7_20091102_Jam Legend-Web 2.0 Tool in the Classroom
Jam Legend
Watch out Rock Band, here comes Jam Legend!!! Jam Legend is great way to get the video games into the classroom. If you are like me, then you realize that gaming can be very educational. Not all school districts allow the use of video games, but now you can have the video game feel in your classroom. Jam Legend is very similar to Rock Band and can be very beneficial in learning music.
For those that have played Rock Band or Jam Legend, you know that it takes much rhythmical thinking in order to play. What a great way to teach down beats! The beginner levels of Jam Legend would be a wonderful way to teach students how to feel the downbeat in the songs. It would also be a great reinforcement tools when teaching rhythms to your students. As the levels continue, the teacher can begin to introduce upbeats and what that feels like for the students.
The great thing about Jam Legend is that it has multiple levels. Students are always in different spots, and these levels would be a great way for students to challenge themselves. As students begin to master the levels they can move to the more difficult levels, allowing them to slowly learn the new concept.
This would also make for good friendly competition in the classroom! If the instructor would break the class into groups, this could be a great way to build relationships as well as build self-confidence.
This is a great tool and will really challenge and capture the attention of the students! The more we incorporate games into our teaching the better the students will learn.
Rock on!
BP8_20091102_Ututti-Web 2.0 Tool in the Classroom
Ututti
This tool is going to save my life! Although this tool is focused towards the instructor, it is fabulous way for the instructor to get organized.
Ututti is a Web 2.0 tool that allows music instructors to organize their school information. This tool has many great features. Ututti allows the teacher to gather student information and use it intelligent ways. It also has the capability of placing students in certain groups/sections. It also allows the teacher to contact students according to their specific ensemble. Which is great when having a sectional rehearsal and need to get the information out to that particular group.
Ututti also has great library tool. Ututti will also organize your entire music library! And for those music instructors that have a music library, you know what a nightmare this can be if your library system is disorganized. It allows the instructor to number and name the pieces of music. And it also makes music searches easier. Searching can also be narrowed down by parts and/or composer.
And for all those music instructors that have problems with finances. It also has the capability of helping you with the money side of things. From collecting uniform fees to trip payments, Ututti is great tool that can help you with collecting money. And not to mention the fundraisers!
Being apart of secondary teaching can get very time consuming. Ututti has calendar feature that can help organize all your performance dates. Especially for those directors with multiple ensembles! With Ututti, performances, concerts and gigs can become organized allowing the instructor to focus on the students!
Two thumbs up for Ututti!
BP6_20091102_Masher-Web 2.0 Tool in the Classroom
Masher
I can see how this tool could be used across the board in education! From music classes to English class, teachers could use this Web 2.0 tool to enhance student learning.
Masher is a tool that allows you to mix videos and photos with music. Being a music educator, this would be a great tool for students to use for many different assignments. Lets say the class is focusing on music from the Baroque Period to the Modern Era. The assignment is for the student to create a chronological video on the music and composers from the Baroque Period to the Modern Era. I would then introduce them to Masher and show them how to use pictures of composers and clips of music to create a video. This would be a fun assignment and also teach students the different periods of music and composers. And this would also be great way for students to hear the progression of each composer’s unique sound.
In addition to teaching the musical timeline of music, Masher could also be used to share the life and works of celebrities and popular bands or artists. Students could take a single artist and use Masher to show the career of that artist. Students could use early photos and music of the artist and continue through his/her career and finish the video with the latest photos and music of that artist.
Or….students could take a certain genre and list many different artists that are associated with that particular genre.
Masher could also be used in many other ways. Students could even come up with their own idea on how to use this great tool!
Monday, November 2, 2009
BP5_20091102_Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom
I am always searching for ways to enhance group projects with my high school students. I believe that Google Docs is a great Web 2.0 tool that can help bring students together to create group projects.
Being a music educator, I am constantly finding ways to capture the minds of students through music. I enjoy keeping myself updated on the latest news and trends on music in order to stay relevant with the students. I am creating a group project that will allow students to choose a favorite band/artist and collaborate to create a presentation outline.
I split the class into groups and have the students decide which band/artist they would like to research. After finalizing their artist choice, I will lead them to the google site. I will show the group leaders how to create a gmail account so that they can get started on their google document. Once the leaders have an account, they will open up a google doc in order to create an outline for their presentation. The group leader will then share this document with all the team members by typing their email addresses and giving them an invitation to this document. I also explain to them that they need to invite me that way I have the capability of leaving them comments and other notes. The team members will accept the invitation and will instantly have editing access to the document. I continue to show the students how they can collaboratively work on their assignments simultaneously on their own laptops. I explain how the google document continuously saves the edited data while they are working on their presentation outline. And once they have completed the presentation outline, I will then introduce them to the power point presentation document and begin to have them transfer their outline information onto the power point slides.
I think that giving the student groups their own google document with their artist choice will give them a sense of ownership. Also, each student has to create their own section of the outline, which will keep them accountable to the rest of the group. And just to make them sweat a little, I will randomly choose a groups outline and project it on the classroom screen for the class to view.
Below is an example of a presentation outline on U2.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
BP2_20091101_Blogs in Education
Blogs can be a great tool for education. I have been talking with teachers at my school on how they implement blogs into their instruction. Teachers at my school are using blogs to have students write journals on certain subjects they are discussing in class. And the fantastic thing about these journals is that they are archived and you can go back and read over them. In addition, the students can also comment on each others post to further the discussion. Blogs can also be used to create learning communities. What a great way for students to learn! These blogs provide a great way for students to connect and share ideas with each other. Another great thing about blogs in education is that they give the students a sense of ownership. Having ownership is a powerful thing among high school students. Blogs allow students to share their opinion believe that it builds self-confidence in them. What a great way for students to feel empowered! Not only do blogs provide a sense of ownership, but these blogs provide the students with a worldwide audience! What a great way for students to get the voice heard! And isn't that what high schoolers want anyway? Blog it up!
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