Wk 7 - TechPLN: OneNote Review

Balancing a busy schedule while trying to stay organized can be stressful as a teacher. After reviewing OneNote and it's features, I found that the program can be a very useful organizational tool. With all of the capabilities of OneNote, you can stay organized all in one place. Teachers can provide lesson plans, assessment, homework, and more.  Everything is available online anywhere with the free download of the OneNote app. Teachers can also collaborate with students and colleagues through the app. One idea came to mind while watching the introduction video. Teachers and students have the ability to record themselves, which means music teachers can assign singing or playing assignments for their students to complete. I think this will prove to be a very effective assessment tool. When I was watching the tutorial about creating interactive lessons, there was a section about designing listening activities and I found that very intriguing. Students can listen and identify pieces of music and their composers while using OneNote. There are not many educational resources that include music options, so this was a nice surprise.

Personally the only online organizational tools I use are through Google apps, but after exploring, I found that I may have more success with OneNote. Not only are teachers able to stay organized, but they are able to deliver curriculum through OneNote as well. I really like the idea of having everything in one place with easy access for myself and my students.

Wk7 Tech Reflection: Creating a Online Presence from Scratch

Advocacy is an all too familiar word in the world of teaching and with it comes great responsibility. Especially in the arts, where programs are constantly facing budget cuts and furloughs; it is so vital to broadcast the success of our departments. One way to expand your "advocacy arsenal" is to create a PLN or Personal Learning Network. A PLN is tool that uses social media and technology to connect, collaborate, and collect with colleagues and/or students. After completing the reading assignment for this week, I have decided to reflect on various methods for a music educator to create a PLN while advocating for their music program at the same time. After creating my own PLN, I have discovered the benefits of having an online presence. According to the text, having an online presence can gives teachers easy access to new information at any time or place (Bauer, 2014). Technology in today's modern world allows teachers to communicate and share on a regular basis. By using these tools available to us, music teachers can share with their community all of their achievements and upcoming events.

#1 Social Media
When creating a PLN, an easy place to start is social media. There are multiple social networking platforms that can be beneficial additions to a teacher's personal learning network (Bauer, 2014). Most social networks can be accessed easily from your phone, tablet and computer. Google+, Facebook and Twitter are all excellent social networks to broadcast your program and its' achievements. Most people have access to some sort of social media. Because of this, people such as administrators and/or parents can easily see your hard work when you post about events, such as a successful concert or sining the national anthem at a baseball game. If you maintain a good relationship with your students' parents, and they are made aware of all the hard work you do, they will fight hard for you when the time comes.
When using services such as Facebook and Twitter, it is a smart idea to make a professional account that is separate from your personal account in order to maintain privacy (Bauer, 2014). In my welcome packet for chorus,  I make sure to include a Photo/Video Release agreement for their parents to sign. This is a another helpful tip because there are some parents who do not wish for photos or videos of their child to be on the Internet.

SOURCE:  

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#2 Social Bookmarking
Social Bookmarking is the process of finding, saving, and organizing links to online resources in order for groups of people to share and work together (Bauer, 2014).  In this section of the reflection, I will be focusing mainly on a particular free form of social bookmarking that I personally use on regular basis. Pinterest is a social bookmarking website that has a huge educational presence. When putting together lessons, activities or decorating my classroom, Pinterest is always my first stop in the search. Not only can I research these topics, but I can save or "pin" them onto "boards" that can be organized into categories such as "Music Room Centers" or "Assessment."  Not only can you save pins, but you can upload your own as well. This is an instance where music advocacy can also be demonstrated. From YouTube recordings to concert and fundraiser flyers, you can upload anything in order to promote yourself and your program. Posts from Pinterest are all stored online so that they can be easily accessed by anyone who can connect to the Internet around the world. Music teachers are always "pinning" about music education advocacy and what methods they take in order to promote their programs. Check out this Pinterest Board on advocacy for music education. (if you do not have an account, you easily sign up with your Facebook or Google+ account).

With the aid of modern technology, music educators are able to have an online presence that can promote and justify our programs through the means of various tools. When you establish a PLN, you are creating a visual representation of yourself as a teacher for others to experience.  Social media is transforming the way we communicate and therefore strengthening the means of advocacy and protection for our programs. With a one click, teachers can share their's and their students' hard work and efforts in cultivating a successful music program. By using social bookmarking, teachers are able to upload, save and organize links that they find useful or represent their teaching beliefs. There are so many ways to establish and cultivate an online presence, but for now, this is a good place to start. 

References

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 16-17). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Orange Belt: "Merrily We Roll Along" Tutorial Video and Sheet Music

WK6TECH Reflection: Blast from the Past

When I began reading this week's assignment, I realized that I have a lot in common with the music teacher in the introduction. Bauer examines a story of a choral teacher who began new job at a school where students did not have any formal musical background (2014). The students also did not have any interest for "school music," which resulted in behavioral issues. This week, I will reflect on strategies that have worked when conquering boredom and behavior, while promoting the motivation and relating to the students' personalities at the same time. "Music is a natural and essential part of being human, capable of invoking a variety of responses in people," (Bauer, 2014). If music is a part of us, then as a music educator, it is our job to show students how to embrace and cultivate that relationship.
Before walking into my first choral rehearsal, I made the common mistake that most new teachers make. I assumed that my new students had some form of musical background and could read standard songs with notes and lyrics. Before I started this position, the only chorus that existed was sign language choir, which did not involve singing. When they were handed "Silent Night," it created a widespread panic and almost no one understood that the notes line up with the lyrics. To survive this predicament, I strategized with the band director who knew our students' musical capabilities. I printed out lyrics (no sheet music) and he burned a disc with backing tracks of holiday pop songs. I did not want my first concert to be only pop songs, but looking back at the students and their behavioral issues plus my predecessor's past practices, I had little choice. Also, because I only met with the chorus once a week for a half hour, I devoted class time to teaching the students how to properly read sheet music.
Over the years, I have gradually dwindled the amount of pop and have introduced songs that are educational, while keeping my students and their interests in mind. For example, two years ago, I directed a themed concert called, "Blast from the Past." I chose songs from the 1940s-present (excludes 1990s & early 2000s), which was fantastic, because I was able to teach students about the history of the music from each decade and offer familiarity at the same time. Bauer discusses musical preferences and that, "music that strikes the perfect balance between familiarity and novelty evokes the strongest responses from people,"(2014). The novelty of performing songs from these decades does offer familiarity, which results in strong responses from students. Every song from this concert was a hit with my choirs and during rehearsals, students would beg me to practice the two hardest songs (both were also mash-ups), "ABC-I Want You Back" and "Hit Me with Your Best Shot/One Way or Another." This type of excitement is invigorating and motivating not just for the students, but for myself as well. If you do not have access to an accompanist like me, programs like YouTube and Google Play have been my saving grace. Google Play is only $7.99 a month and also offers a family plan (highly recommend) plus it lets you download the music for offline use (for those who do not have wifi at school and cannot waste data). YouTube is free of course and to download the audio, copy and paste the YouTube video link and put it into the generator at http://www.youtube-mp3.org/, which will convert the video into an MP3 file. Afterwards, I can hook my audio cable (Amazon or Best Buy) into my android phone and speaker to project the music for performances. It also works great for general music lessons and when you're performing on the road. When I first started using programs like Google Play and YouTube, students were intrigued and impressed.

"Blast from the Past" Concert Song List

In conclusion, if you are walking into a situation where the students do not have any musical background and behaviors and boredom are an issue, then there are ways to survive. By starting off my choral program with music that the students can easily relate to and then gradually adding in songs with educational values, I was able to cultivate a choral program that I can be proud of. In one of my past reflections, I recall discussing the integration of nine elementary schools into three mega schools and how I will be basically starting over with my music programs. So, I will definitely take this week's readings/reflection to heart when I start the school year. I have learned from my past mistakes and look forward to getting to know my new students and what interests them. 

References

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 16-17). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

WK5 Reflection: What's Up Docs? Assessing with Google

After finishing this week's reading/listening assignment, I have decided to focus on two strategies to help with an upcoming challenge. The nine elementary schools in my district were closed and three super schools were built in their place. Three schools were combined into each super school. My new position will involve traveling to all three of the super schools to teach general music. The challenge I am facing involves balancing effective assessment of students while only spending 1-2 days at each school. According to the Bauer, assessment not only provides what students have learned but it also reveals specific adjustments that can be applied to teaching/learning strategies for the educator (2014). Basically, I will be starting from "scratch," by starting over with new students, facilities and faculty. So, it is my goal this year, to find some form of assessment that will be quick, easy to document and effective for student learning. This week I will be reflecting on strategies using technology to assess a large amount of students on a tight schedule. 

According to the text, class sizes for music teachers are frequently large. Big classes, such as general music, chorus and band, prove to be difficult when trying to assess effectively (Bauer, 2014).  In particular, I have found it almost impossible to not use technology for documentation. With Google, I can create almost anything such as word documents, spreadsheets, slide shows and then find it online anywhere I am. In the text, Bauer describes the benefits of using word processing software and especially notes the extreme value of Google Docs (2014).  Google Docs is highly useful tool in the teaching world, especially when creating tests, flyers, permission slips, etc. Being a Google fan, it inspired an assessment strategy that might start off the year successfully.  Prior to the meeting, I had not used Forms, however, after investigating I am very interested. Using tablets or the computer lab, I can create a "Get to Know You" Pre-test using the Assessment option in Google Forms. The pre-test would assess the initial musical background in order to modify and improve my current curriculum. By acquiring these results, I can determine the various levels of musical knowledge of my new students. Also, by administering these tests electronically and having immediate documentation, I can save time for other new areas of need. 

Google Forms - Assessment

The text also mentions another beneficial assessment tool, the portfolio (Bauer, 2014). Portfolio-based assessment provides a real timeline collection of student development. Students will be able to save and share their work online as well as discover and collect musical things that interest them. Portfolios have the ability to show the development of student learning over a period of time. With large classes, having any sort evidence or the time can seem impossible but with a portfolio, the proof is already available. All Google products such as Docs, Forms and Sheets automatically save onto the drive. Students would be able to collect and organize in their Google Drive. I am aware of Google Classroom and how it might surpass everything I have reflected on, however, my elementary schools do not have access to it yet (hopefully soon though).  

When this school year begins in a few weeks, I feel a little more confident especially when strategizing like this. While I am partial to the Google applications I already use, I am excited to explore Forms more in depth and also use Google applications in new ways. There are many other tools that are effective not only for assessment but time management. However, I needed to reflect on what will aid the success of my new adventure and beyond. 

References

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 16-17). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Chromatik and SmartMusic Reflection: Transforming the Way We Practice

Chromatik

After exploring the free version of Chromatik, I discovered the program offered many educational and fun possibilities for my classroom. The program ranges from various genres of music (classical to pop), which is great for my students because they need variety of music that is easily relatable and motivational.  In particular, my students would love the pop music, theme songs and chart toppers that are available on Chromatik. There are many implementation approaches that can be utilized by using the program. For example, the program includes exercises that could benefit a student’s sight reading skills.  Recently, I have been researching different projects to start with DonorsChoose. This web site helps you start a fundraiser where people can freely choose to donate to your project. A few years ago, I was able to collect enough funds to buy a beautiful rug for one of my classrooms. While using Chromatik, it gave some ideas into creating a project that would supply ukuleles or possibly keyboards. Students would be able to access Chromatik at any place or time, which would supremely increase the amount of time students actually practice.  The students would not only able to practice scales and classical works but also, have a wide selection of music that would appeal to their individual personalities.

Overall, the program, Chromatik has an ease of navigation once you have explored and got a feel of how the site works. Initially, I stumbled around looking for a way to access the sheet music; it was kind of unclear at first. However, I quickly discovered that clicking your chosen instrument twice leads to the sheet music/play-along video. If used in a classroom, I would do a thorough introductory lesson about the program before jumping right into it with your students.

Once school starts, we are all going to be surrounded by Pokémon and Pokémon Go. So, when I saw the theme song from Pokémon on Chromatik, I thought that it would be an incredible opportunity for students to get excited about music, while utilizing their skills as performers. Students are also able to record and post their own sessions, while at home or on-the-go. These sessions can also be assessed private and securely.

In my opinion, Chromatik would be a great starter program into eventually using music notation software on a compositional level. I would definitely consider taking advantage of the free trial with students to see if this is a program to invest in or perhaps show Chromatik to my band director colleagues to use.

SmartMusic

SmartMusic is a very useful instructional tool for the performance world. I have had some experience with SmartMusic and always thought it was geared more towards the instrumental programs. I am also familiar with its popularity and success in other local school districts and especially for band. SmartMusic is an interactive music learning software program that offers access at school and home. There are several benefits from using this SmartMusic because it completely improves the traditional way of practicing and student achievement at great lengths.

Band & Orchestra Directors should definitely take full advantage of SmartMusic and its benefits to an instrumental program. SmartMusic offers not only assessment, but also documentation of student progress and success, which is so vital to teachers, parents and especially the student. Tracking student progress can be very time consuming but with SmartMusic, teachers can spend less time documenting and focus more on the lesson itself. SmartMusic is also highly effective for beginner students.

For new learners using the program, they have the capability of getting help whenever needed without relying on parents. Most parents have no musical background and cannot provide assistance when their child is struggling with practicing at home but with SmartMusic, it can identify mistakes and provide immediate feedback. Another great feature allows students are able to play along with other parts to see where they fit in the piece and listen to the harmony. SmartMusic offers easy access to large library of repertoire, which promotes students to explore and experience a variety of music. When purchasing the software, there is also a microphone (vocal & instrumental) to buy as well.

         

SmartMusic Demo by strobertchannel

Overall, both Chromatik and SmartMusic offer great possibilities in similar and different ways. Personally, Chromatik would be a good resource for incentives and rewards, whereas SmartMusic has the technical capabilities of documentation and immediate feedback. Chromatik does have an advantage by being a free program, however, it only allows three free plays a day. There is an option to upgrade but because I would use the program more as an incentive or reward, the free version could be applicable. SmartMusic is a paid subscription including the initial purchase of the microphone (around $30 for instrumental, $35 for vocal). Students would be required to maintain a yearly subscription of $40, which may not seem a lot for some but for the area I work in, many families would not be able to afford this. SmartMusic can definitely work without student subscriptions, but it would not be able to fully optimize the benefits of the program.

WK4TECH: Getting Started with Easy Tech

After reflecting on this week’s assignment, I decided to focus and share some easy strategies to use technology in the classroom. Some music teachers are using technology without even realizing it. By simply showing a YouTube clip of a live performance or copying/pasting a picture on a PowerPoint slide; technology is everywhere. This reflection is geared toward music teachers who are intimidated toward using any tech in their classroom in order to demonstrate how helpful and convenient it can be.
According to Bauer, that various software such as word processing applications or slide show presentations can be reconfigured into a helpful way for students to acquire and enhance new musical skills (2014). Most teachers have access to Microsoft programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. While these applications are very useful, Google offers some great programs such as Google Docs, Drive, Slides, Sheets and Photos. To access these programs for free, teachers can sign up for an email and get started. Google applications are web-based, so this means it can be accessed anywhere there is Internet. It also gives you the option to download copies of work to a person’s desktop for offline as a Microsoft program.
Being a visual learner, most of my elementary music lessons include a slide show presentation. I believe explaining a concept can be very effective with a visual representation in order for a student to confirm their interpretation. Also, Google Slides provides a gigantic selection of free fonts that really make a difference when putting a slide show together. The use of graphics and fonts can help to brighten the most mundane of concepts and motivate with interesting pictures or colorful backgrounds. There are numerous free domain clip art available online. One example in particular is Phillip Martin Clip Art. There are hundreds of free clipart some of which include most of the instruments of the orchestra but also, composers like Mozart and Beethoven. TeacherspayTeachers also has a large variety (free and cheap) of backgrounds, frames and clip art.
Another effective tool for music teachers using technology includes video resources. Some teachers have issues with this strategy because it may seem lazy, however, sites like YouTube that can show live performances of Leonard Bernstein conducting/playing Rhapsody in Blue seems very essential to the musical learning process. I do not agree with it consuming the entirety of every lesson but it can really help to support a new concept. Students can experience music in new, exciting and relatable ways. For example, the YouTube channel, Player Piano, where Sonya Belousova arranges popular movie music on piano. Some of my favorites include Star Wars, Doctor Who and Super Mario Brothers. She also does a segment where she listens to a piece once and arranges/plays it “on the spot.” Videos like this can also be used as a motivational incentive. An effective strategy that I have used takes place at the end of a lesson and if everything is accomplished plus no disruptions, then the class can earn a reward video. GoNoodle.com is a very useful tool for incentives. It provides various channels of awesome guided dancing, sing-alongs and YouTube (you can upload your own videos as well). Each class chooses a monster that evolves every so many videos you watch. It helps motivate students to participate in the lesson in order to earn their reward and watch their monster grow! Classroom teachers at my school use it as well; it is great for brain breaks. To sign up for the website, you just have to provide an email and password.
After reflecting on this passage, I can conclude that technology definitely plays a large role in my classroom. I can see the benefits of it first hand when my students’ motivation to experience more of the music world and what it has to offer. Also, it can supplement a lesson with visual and audible demonstrations. It may seem intimidating for some music teachers; however, it does not have to be. Music Technology can be compared to a performance; sometimes we get lost but when we find our place, we can start on our way again. Once you find a starting point, that can be as simple as creating a word document or watching a YouTube clip, then the creativity and exploration of new technology can begin.

References

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 16-17). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.