http://sywtt.com/?p=2247
Above is a link to a very touching post on "So You Want to Teach?" The author explains that he was troubled with the behavior in his classroom but was afraid to discipline the students out of fear that they might think he hated them. After reading scripture, he decided that those who don't discipline their children don't actually love them. He began to reprimand students often but possibly went to the extreme. After reading the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (which I don't fully understand quite yet) and reading deeper into scripture, he decided that the teacher needs to enforce essential rules without forcing students to fit one specific image of what he believes a student should look. He did discover that many of the students were not following his 3 basic rules for rehearsal behavior: (1) Do not turn and talk to neighbors, (2) Do not talk while the director is working with another section, and (3) try not to play past the stopping point. He encouraged readers to establish a few basic rules that are taught at the beginning of middle school and remain consistent throughout high school. He then warns the reader not to be obsessed with nit-picky annoyances and try to understand that student behavior will never fit one's conception of "perfect behavior" all the time. I thought his advise was sound, and I'll be honest - I really like reading the Bible, and I think it does provide infinite suggestions on how to become a successful teacher. It was cool to see this author tie the scripture into his career.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Blog #25: Reading Reflections for 11/23/2009
Articles Referenced in this Post: “Assistive Technology”
I found the video of Ari using SoundBeam to be inspiring. I am amazed at the technology – turning movement into music instantly. Now that seems like magic. This clearly has fantastic implications to both music education and music therapy. The music which Ari created was beautiful! I would have never assumed he had this creative ability if he had not demonstrated it with SoundBeam. This person is clearly just as able to create music as other students without disabilities but simply needs a medium of expression. Even those with advanced limitations could create music with SoundBeam because the article mentions that even the twitch of an eyebrow could activate the machine. I’m sure that usual classroom activities could utilize this device as well. It might help a teacher incorporate dance into the general music curriculum, for example. I would love the opportunity to try this device sometime.
I know that the IDEA is constantly being built upon and I think that it’s crucial that those with disabilities have the same educational experience as everyone else. All of last year, I volunteered in the music therapy department of the Cleveland Music School Settlement which was an eye-opening experience for me. Several of the clients I worked with were at first unresponsive to instruction and some did not have speech. Upon first meeting these students, I wondered how the therapist was planning to help them accomplish anything. However, as soon as we applied music to their routine they immediately attended to what the teacher/therapist was doing. Music seems to help those with cognitive disabilities focus. The people I worked with were incredibly motivated to pursue the art. As a group, we formed an ensemble, which played and sang compositions using drum set, congas, piano, hand chimes, xylophone, glockenspiel, and voice. Students were able to follow color patterns posted on the board when changing pitches. All of the clients were extremely attentive during the “rehearsals” anticipating the final product.
We also used the program GarageBand with the clients to create music. We utilized a general ABA form and the group actually worked together in order to select loops that sound musically appropriate. We collaborated, which I thought was fairly incredible, considering two of these clients did not even have speech. Sometimes we searched YouTube videos to find examples of different musical styles. I seem to keep mentioning YouTube in all of my posts probably because it seems to have so many applications for the music teacher. GarageBand, though, is very useable for those who have disabilities. I know that not all parents, however, will be able to send children with disabilities to the Cleveland Music School Settlement for this type of training and therapy. Because of this, I think it’s important for educators to seek out resources such as this volunteer opportunity so that they are prepared to help those with special needs who find themselves in our public school classroom. I am convinced that music has tremendous healing power and I look forward to learning more about music therapy and assistive music technology as I begin my profession.
I found the video of Ari using SoundBeam to be inspiring. I am amazed at the technology – turning movement into music instantly. Now that seems like magic. This clearly has fantastic implications to both music education and music therapy. The music which Ari created was beautiful! I would have never assumed he had this creative ability if he had not demonstrated it with SoundBeam. This person is clearly just as able to create music as other students without disabilities but simply needs a medium of expression. Even those with advanced limitations could create music with SoundBeam because the article mentions that even the twitch of an eyebrow could activate the machine. I’m sure that usual classroom activities could utilize this device as well. It might help a teacher incorporate dance into the general music curriculum, for example. I would love the opportunity to try this device sometime.
I know that the IDEA is constantly being built upon and I think that it’s crucial that those with disabilities have the same educational experience as everyone else. All of last year, I volunteered in the music therapy department of the Cleveland Music School Settlement which was an eye-opening experience for me. Several of the clients I worked with were at first unresponsive to instruction and some did not have speech. Upon first meeting these students, I wondered how the therapist was planning to help them accomplish anything. However, as soon as we applied music to their routine they immediately attended to what the teacher/therapist was doing. Music seems to help those with cognitive disabilities focus. The people I worked with were incredibly motivated to pursue the art. As a group, we formed an ensemble, which played and sang compositions using drum set, congas, piano, hand chimes, xylophone, glockenspiel, and voice. Students were able to follow color patterns posted on the board when changing pitches. All of the clients were extremely attentive during the “rehearsals” anticipating the final product.
We also used the program GarageBand with the clients to create music. We utilized a general ABA form and the group actually worked together in order to select loops that sound musically appropriate. We collaborated, which I thought was fairly incredible, considering two of these clients did not even have speech. Sometimes we searched YouTube videos to find examples of different musical styles. I seem to keep mentioning YouTube in all of my posts probably because it seems to have so many applications for the music teacher. GarageBand, though, is very useable for those who have disabilities. I know that not all parents, however, will be able to send children with disabilities to the Cleveland Music School Settlement for this type of training and therapy. Because of this, I think it’s important for educators to seek out resources such as this volunteer opportunity so that they are prepared to help those with special needs who find themselves in our public school classroom. I am convinced that music has tremendous healing power and I look forward to learning more about music therapy and assistive music technology as I begin my profession.
Blog #24: PLN: Flash Cards for Musical Terms
http://www.musicteachersblog.com/2009/11/using-flashcards-in-music-theory-lessons/
The link above will bring you to a post by Janice on the music teacher's blog, which is mainly dedicated to general music teachers. The video in the post is of a teacher using flashcards to help explain the meaning behind musical terms. I think this could be adapted in a number of ways. For example, I believe I once saw a music card matching game in which students had to match composer faces with their specific compositions. This idea might suit a middle school general music class, however. I really liked how the author of the post noted that she frequently peruses YouTube to find teaching strategies. I've been amazed at the resources YouTube provides since studying at Case. It takes a degree of precaution when doing an initial search but often some really helpful videos come-up for the practitioner.
The link above will bring you to a post by Janice on the music teacher's blog, which is mainly dedicated to general music teachers. The video in the post is of a teacher using flashcards to help explain the meaning behind musical terms. I think this could be adapted in a number of ways. For example, I believe I once saw a music card matching game in which students had to match composer faces with their specific compositions. This idea might suit a middle school general music class, however. I really liked how the author of the post noted that she frequently peruses YouTube to find teaching strategies. I've been amazed at the resources YouTube provides since studying at Case. It takes a degree of precaution when doing an initial search but often some really helpful videos come-up for the practitioner.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Blog #23: Reading Reflections for 11/16/2009
Articles referenced in this post: “Key Concepts for Digital Photography” by Barbara
“Digital Citizenship: Addressing Appropriate Technology
Behavior” by Miles S. Ribble & Gerald D. Bailey
“Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and
the World Wide Web” by University of Maryland University College
+ My own experiences using GIMP.
Using GIMP went fairly smoothly. The interface was different than what I expected as the software is now on a newer version than what was used in Atomic Learning. For some reason, I need to double-click on all of the tool bar features before they work. It also took me a few tries to realize that I must manually select an area before using the paint brush or pen tool. The scale feature in GIMP is particularly helpful in resizing images so that I don’t accidentally exaggerate the width without attending to the length.
The article for today’s reading which was most insightful to me was “Digital Citizenship.” In this writing, the authors categorize the abuses which have accompanied the increased use of technology by young people. One of the categories was titled Inappropriate Communication, and in it the authors mention that many poor writing styles and grammatical errors are encouraged through electronic forms of communication such as e-mail and IM. It’s obvious that the way many people write when they’re chatting online or when they need to send a brief e-mail is extremely informal and stylistically incorrect. These errors are easily translated into their school writing assignments. If students today will be using the keyboard as their main mode of written communication, I think it’s important that we teach them to type well. If a teacher sends an e-mail, he/she should use correct writing style to manifest this philosophy. The author also suggests that teachers only “use e-mails in situations where short responses are most appropriate” (p. 8). This is a great suggestion. Because sending an e-mail is such an easy form of communication, it’s not hard for students to “hide” behind them as opposed to discussing difficult matters in person. It’s important that students value personal communication and know that e-mails cannot be used in all situations.
Under Access, the authors mention that some students still do not have computers in their home. This will depend upon what type of school district a teacher is working in but this has been an issue on my mind throughout our course. I don’t think it’s appropriate for teacher’s to assume that everyone in a class owns a computer. The article notes that only 41% of Blacks and Hispanics are able to use computers in their home as of 2003 (p. 8). On the other hand, some students in certain affluent communities have almost too much access to technology. Under Education, the authors mention that students have been found using cell phones or “hand-helds” to receive answers to tests. This is extremely dangerous. Many schools outlaw the use of cell phones in their buildings during school hours. I believe this may be an effective policy because during the school day, a student’s focus should be on the material that’s provided to them by instructors and on personally interacting with their peers. I know that using technology in the classroom is important and that cell phones are another form of technology, but currently there seems to be too many ways in which these devices can become a distraction.
Another serious concern is discussed under Responsibility, at which point the authors explain how easy it is to download illegal music recordings or copyrighted material off of the internet without giving credit to the author. Such tendencies can turn into a terrible problems as most high schools and certainly universities have strict policies when it comes to plagiarism. Resources on the net are readily available, and it’s great that students have access to copious amounts of information; however, it is imperative that students give credit and that they do not put their own name on writing that is not theirs. With the internet now being in many American homes, I think that high schools need to start emphasizing the dangerous consequences that will accompany plagiarism. With that in mind, it was helpful to read the University of Maryland University College’s “Copyright and Fair Use” document. The most important information was towards the end when it explains fair use policies for educators who are preparing classroom instruction. It seems that as long as the material is not copied often or for more than one class, a teacher is legally allowed to download copyrighted information to share with students. I will definitely keep reviewing this website as I go into my first teaching job.
“Digital Citizenship: Addressing Appropriate Technology
Behavior” by Miles S. Ribble & Gerald D. Bailey
“Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and
the World Wide Web” by University of Maryland University College
+ My own experiences using GIMP.
Using GIMP went fairly smoothly. The interface was different than what I expected as the software is now on a newer version than what was used in Atomic Learning. For some reason, I need to double-click on all of the tool bar features before they work. It also took me a few tries to realize that I must manually select an area before using the paint brush or pen tool. The scale feature in GIMP is particularly helpful in resizing images so that I don’t accidentally exaggerate the width without attending to the length.
The article for today’s reading which was most insightful to me was “Digital Citizenship.” In this writing, the authors categorize the abuses which have accompanied the increased use of technology by young people. One of the categories was titled Inappropriate Communication, and in it the authors mention that many poor writing styles and grammatical errors are encouraged through electronic forms of communication such as e-mail and IM. It’s obvious that the way many people write when they’re chatting online or when they need to send a brief e-mail is extremely informal and stylistically incorrect. These errors are easily translated into their school writing assignments. If students today will be using the keyboard as their main mode of written communication, I think it’s important that we teach them to type well. If a teacher sends an e-mail, he/she should use correct writing style to manifest this philosophy. The author also suggests that teachers only “use e-mails in situations where short responses are most appropriate” (p. 8). This is a great suggestion. Because sending an e-mail is such an easy form of communication, it’s not hard for students to “hide” behind them as opposed to discussing difficult matters in person. It’s important that students value personal communication and know that e-mails cannot be used in all situations.
Under Access, the authors mention that some students still do not have computers in their home. This will depend upon what type of school district a teacher is working in but this has been an issue on my mind throughout our course. I don’t think it’s appropriate for teacher’s to assume that everyone in a class owns a computer. The article notes that only 41% of Blacks and Hispanics are able to use computers in their home as of 2003 (p. 8). On the other hand, some students in certain affluent communities have almost too much access to technology. Under Education, the authors mention that students have been found using cell phones or “hand-helds” to receive answers to tests. This is extremely dangerous. Many schools outlaw the use of cell phones in their buildings during school hours. I believe this may be an effective policy because during the school day, a student’s focus should be on the material that’s provided to them by instructors and on personally interacting with their peers. I know that using technology in the classroom is important and that cell phones are another form of technology, but currently there seems to be too many ways in which these devices can become a distraction.
Another serious concern is discussed under Responsibility, at which point the authors explain how easy it is to download illegal music recordings or copyrighted material off of the internet without giving credit to the author. Such tendencies can turn into a terrible problems as most high schools and certainly universities have strict policies when it comes to plagiarism. Resources on the net are readily available, and it’s great that students have access to copious amounts of information; however, it is imperative that students give credit and that they do not put their own name on writing that is not theirs. With the internet now being in many American homes, I think that high schools need to start emphasizing the dangerous consequences that will accompany plagiarism. With that in mind, it was helpful to read the University of Maryland University College’s “Copyright and Fair Use” document. The most important information was towards the end when it explains fair use policies for educators who are preparing classroom instruction. It seems that as long as the material is not copied often or for more than one class, a teacher is legally allowed to download copyrighted information to share with students. I will definitely keep reviewing this website as I go into my first teaching job.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Blog #22: PLN: 85+ Great Web Resources
http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/some-cool-sites-i-found-in-october/
Wow! Is anyone looking for a few more good websites to bookmark on their Delicious account? This blog offers over 85 new ideas. Most of them are not specifically music related but are helpful for all educators. There is one on using Audacity with students, though. Many of the sites seem to offer advice for young teachers, and others are sites for student use as well. It's a wealth of information considering that many of them are linked to several others, such as "100 Blogs Every New Teacher Should Read." I would love to take a closer look at these resources.
Wow! Is anyone looking for a few more good websites to bookmark on their Delicious account? This blog offers over 85 new ideas. Most of them are not specifically music related but are helpful for all educators. There is one on using Audacity with students, though. Many of the sites seem to offer advice for young teachers, and others are sites for student use as well. It's a wealth of information considering that many of them are linked to several others, such as "100 Blogs Every New Teacher Should Read." I would love to take a closer look at these resources.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Blog #21: Reading Reflections for 11/9/2009
Articles Referenced in this Post: “Using the Internet in the Music Technology Lab” by Dr. William I. Bauer.
“How People Learn (and What Technology Might Have to Do With It)” by Marcy P. Driscoll
“Multimedia Basics: Pictures” by Dr. Estrella Jorgenson
“Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” by Marc Prensky
All of the readings listed above were interesting; however, the article that provokes the most discussion might be Marc Prensky’s. Overall, I really enjoyed what he had to say and found his immigrant/native analogy to be quite accurate. I think I might have been born into a generation that came just slightly (and I mean slightly) before the current “natives,” although most people my age feel much more comfortable using computers and digital technology than I do. I believe that I will be in one of the first wave of teachers to work with the true digital natives. My “foreign” accent is very strong as I attempt to complete assignments with as little technology as possible. I don’t think I am able to take action the way the author has by creating a video game to teach with (I apparently forgot to take that course in college) but the author did convict me that it is important that I try to relate with young people who may have grown-up in a different culture than I did. The bottom line is, I consider it an honor to be able to teach young people, and if adapting technology to my classroom strategies is the most effective way to relate to them, then I will do everything I can to learn to do that.
Similar to how an immigrant never truly feels at home in the new country he/she has traveled to, I guess I always simply feel betrayed by technology as if I’m on the outside. For instance, in attempting to type this blog, the formatting came out different on this Apple computer I’m using so that the top portion is double-spaced. After clicking every possible button I could find on the tool bar and formatting palatte to change this, I finally gave up, realizing I have no idea what the top of this post will look like when I paste it into Blogger. Computers are not something you can reason with so when my grades and professional future are on the line, I prefer not to rely on them. I don’t feel like I speak their language. I’ve seen many presentations fail due to computer problems and I often wonder if it’s really worth the risk. At the very end of his article, Driscoll mentioned that understanding principles of learning must come before implementing technology. I think that teacher education programs must remember this point.
Prensky did note that digital natives often respond best to video games. I do believe that learning can be fun, but I worry about rather or not all education can be restructured into games. I worry that digital natives often simply turn-off their brains when looking at a video game screen. I think that they may resist thinking on a more critical level when going into this mode. When describing the process of creating such an educational video game, the author stated that he hoped to “eliminate any language that even smacked of education.” That’s a strong statement. Is it wrong for children to know that they are attending school for the essential purpose of learning? However, I thought the author’s ideas on creating real-life simulated challenges (similar to games) was great. He believes these will be more engaging for the current digital generation. I think this encourages teachers to be more creative in their planning and to provide students with learning experiences that may be more meaningful. I’ve heard of a WebQuests before and they sound like a great way to relate to our current students. Young people live and breathe the internet. This resource should be utilized by teachers as often as possible. Many students have the internet at home now so assigning WebQuest tasks for after-school work is not unreasonable. The article mentions that some of these Quests can last for a month or more, which would really help students follow an entire unit and provide a capstone experience. I’m looking forward to learning more about how to create one of these.
“How People Learn (and What Technology Might Have to Do With It)” by Marcy P. Driscoll
“Multimedia Basics: Pictures” by Dr. Estrella Jorgenson
“Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” by Marc Prensky
All of the readings listed above were interesting; however, the article that provokes the most discussion might be Marc Prensky’s. Overall, I really enjoyed what he had to say and found his immigrant/native analogy to be quite accurate. I think I might have been born into a generation that came just slightly (and I mean slightly) before the current “natives,” although most people my age feel much more comfortable using computers and digital technology than I do. I believe that I will be in one of the first wave of teachers to work with the true digital natives. My “foreign” accent is very strong as I attempt to complete assignments with as little technology as possible. I don’t think I am able to take action the way the author has by creating a video game to teach with (I apparently forgot to take that course in college) but the author did convict me that it is important that I try to relate with young people who may have grown-up in a different culture than I did. The bottom line is, I consider it an honor to be able to teach young people, and if adapting technology to my classroom strategies is the most effective way to relate to them, then I will do everything I can to learn to do that.
Similar to how an immigrant never truly feels at home in the new country he/she has traveled to, I guess I always simply feel betrayed by technology as if I’m on the outside. For instance, in attempting to type this blog, the formatting came out different on this Apple computer I’m using so that the top portion is double-spaced. After clicking every possible button I could find on the tool bar and formatting palatte to change this, I finally gave up, realizing I have no idea what the top of this post will look like when I paste it into Blogger. Computers are not something you can reason with so when my grades and professional future are on the line, I prefer not to rely on them. I don’t feel like I speak their language. I’ve seen many presentations fail due to computer problems and I often wonder if it’s really worth the risk. At the very end of his article, Driscoll mentioned that understanding principles of learning must come before implementing technology. I think that teacher education programs must remember this point.
Prensky did note that digital natives often respond best to video games. I do believe that learning can be fun, but I worry about rather or not all education can be restructured into games. I worry that digital natives often simply turn-off their brains when looking at a video game screen. I think that they may resist thinking on a more critical level when going into this mode. When describing the process of creating such an educational video game, the author stated that he hoped to “eliminate any language that even smacked of education.” That’s a strong statement. Is it wrong for children to know that they are attending school for the essential purpose of learning? However, I thought the author’s ideas on creating real-life simulated challenges (similar to games) was great. He believes these will be more engaging for the current digital generation. I think this encourages teachers to be more creative in their planning and to provide students with learning experiences that may be more meaningful. I’ve heard of a WebQuests before and they sound like a great way to relate to our current students. Young people live and breathe the internet. This resource should be utilized by teachers as often as possible. Many students have the internet at home now so assigning WebQuest tasks for after-school work is not unreasonable. The article mentions that some of these Quests can last for a month or more, which would really help students follow an entire unit and provide a capstone experience. I’m looking forward to learning more about how to create one of these.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Blog: PLN: Guitar Hero
http://collective.musiced.net/2007/11/13/guitar-hero/
Above is a link to a blog post written by Jenh on "A Music Education Blog Collective." It brings-up the debate as to rather or not Guitar Hero could actually be used in the music classroom. In reference to her last question, I do not believe that playing Guitar Hero could actually count as playing a musical instrument. I've never played the game but my brother stated that it represents "all the vanity of playing guitar without requiring any of the skill." However, I did watch a presentation in the graduate research seminar last semester by a student who observed rather or not students' scores on rhythm tests increased after playing Guitar Hero. Her results concluded that the game could help students learn rhythmic concepts. I believe that there could be benefits of using Guitar Hero in the classroom but only after several modifications have been made. Obviously, the content of the music playing will need to be monitored as some songs may not be school appropriate. Teachers would need to decide exactly what they are planning on teaching through the game and what check points students will need to reach in order to meet those outcomes. Students will also have to see the game as a way of participating in music as opposed to simply becoming a famous rock musician.
Above is a link to a blog post written by Jenh on "A Music Education Blog Collective." It brings-up the debate as to rather or not Guitar Hero could actually be used in the music classroom. In reference to her last question, I do not believe that playing Guitar Hero could actually count as playing a musical instrument. I've never played the game but my brother stated that it represents "all the vanity of playing guitar without requiring any of the skill." However, I did watch a presentation in the graduate research seminar last semester by a student who observed rather or not students' scores on rhythm tests increased after playing Guitar Hero. Her results concluded that the game could help students learn rhythmic concepts. I believe that there could be benefits of using Guitar Hero in the classroom but only after several modifications have been made. Obviously, the content of the music playing will need to be monitored as some songs may not be school appropriate. Teachers would need to decide exactly what they are planning on teaching through the game and what check points students will need to reach in order to meet those outcomes. Students will also have to see the game as a way of participating in music as opposed to simply becoming a famous rock musician.
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