Pinterest in the Classroom

Some people do not see the value of using technology in general in the classroom setting. While I can understand this in some case, Pinterest is definitely NOT one of them. Using this website to help find ways to educate your students is one of the smartest things a teacher can do. This gives teachers a quick and easy way to produce new and innovative lessons for their students. You can also help provide other educators with ideas that were successful with your kids. Pinterest allows you to collaborate with teachers from across time and distance instantly. I have found several blogs by music teachers who can help me with concert ideas, behavioral issues, and how to help inspire a love of music to my students.

For my Educational Technology we were required to create a project for our future students to create! Here is  a compositional project that I could later use for my elementary kids.

For 1st or 2nd Graders

This project is meant to give students a creative way to compose their own rhythms using a variety of hand picked words! This can help you make sure they know their rhythms, and that they understand the different rhythmic function in 4/4 time.

Step 1:

Have a student pick a category to go off of. They can choose their favorite zoo animals, favorite candy, types of fruits, anything they want! For my example, I have chosen types of birds.

Step 2:

Next, based on the topic, students will pick words that can be used for different rhythmic values based on the number of syllables in each word!

for my example I decided to use:

1. Blue Jay- for a half note and a quarter note
2. Humming Bird- for 2 eighth notes and a quarter note
3. Cardinal- for 2 sixteenth notes and an eighth note
4. Kookaburra- 4 eighth notes
5. Crane- 1 quarter note

Step 3:

Then, I would reserve a day in the computer lab and allow students to find pictures of the items they chose. 

Step 4:

We would print them out in black and white, color them, and then cut them out into circles for the note heads.

Step 5: 

Pick a different color construction paper of each note value (one for the quarter notes, one for the eighth notes, one for the half notes, etc. They would also cut out circles of the construction paper to put as the background of the note head.

Step 6:

The students will glue the pictures onto the construction circles, and then the stems onto the note heads.

Step 7:

For the last step, they would use these rhythms and arrange them however they want to make their own rhythmic composition. They Will glue their notes onto the staff, and viola! They are composers.

Step 8:

Students will decorate their staff with something related to the topic they chose. For mine since i used birds, I cut out little clouds to put in the background.

This is the link to my Rubric and and PBL.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByqA7MrzCFq1Zm1qR29Ea2FRdjA/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByqA7MrzCFq1WmRRazNOaTNBdDg/view?usp=sharing

This project can be a gateway to many different ideas that can help students learn about not only rhythms, but harmonies, and form. I could make an entire unit based off this one idea, and having pinterest helped set off my thought process to start it.

This is one of the main reasons Pinterest can be a huge lifesaver in the classroom. Say that you need last minute sub plans? You could easily use this website to pick up a quick, easy, and followable lesson plan for the sub and your students. As a music teacher it can be extremely hard to help out a substitute teacher if they have no musical experience. Hope you find my project useful / interest, I know I have found years worth of valuable stuff on Pinterest, and I can't wait to have my own classroom to try them all out with my little music learners!

Web 2.0 Tools

In my Education Technology I was assigned a project on analyzing different web tools that I could possibly use in my future classroom, and how they could help me as a teacher. Here's what I found!

Vocaroo -This is a simple way to record sound! All you have to do is press record, and then save whatever it is you made. It then gives you the option to sent the recording via email.
     -I would use this web tool in my classroom for pass offs. It would be easy for students to record a piece of music for pass offs or chair tests. All they would need is a microphone of some sort, and then they could email in their work to be graded.

Blip - This web tool allows you to become your own Dj. You can search through a variety of music, listen to it and create your own station. Does not cost money, and allows you to keep track of the different songs you are interested in.
     -Students could use this to create their own playlists of songs that would be found in a certain time period or genre of music. This could also allow them to become acquainted with different varieties of music.

Musopen - This website has a wide variety of free music that can be instantly downloaded. Finding sheet music is hard to find, but this website is easy to use and allows you to search through many different artists and styles. Not only can you download the sheet music, but you can stream music from all sorts of composers. Their purpose is "to set music free."
     -This could be used in the classroom in multiple ways. You could use it to access different types of classical pieces, or you could download the sheet music for your students to play. Students could also pick a piece off of the website, and analyze the piece for a project in a Music Theory class.

Purpose Games - This website is amazing. It basically allows you to create your own games and puzzles. There are different types of basic games you can create, and you can even challenge others to see if they can beat you. As a teacher you can specifically make a group for your classroom where they can participate in tournaments against another students.
     -I would definitely create a group with my classroom. Then I would require students to create their own game, challenge another student to a game, and participate in the class tournament.

Littlebirdtales - Little bird tales makes creating a story simple and easy. All you have to do is add in the page art (draw your own, or import), write down the text, and record your voice reading the text. After creating a story, you can publish and share to anyone!
     -As a teacher it would be easy to use this for even little kids. They could create a story based on how a piece of music makes them feel. Older students could use it to make a story, and demonstrate how program music is descriptively telling a story through music.

Musictheory.net - This website is used to help learn basic music theory tools. There are lessons and methods to help students learn all there is to know about the theory of music, and there are a variety of difficulty levels to choose from.
     -I could use this to have students take quizzes over different types of theory. They could also read the lessons for homework, and then answer questions about them when they return to the classroom.

National Anthems - This website is very easy to use, and is basically self explanatory. You can click on different continents around the world, and then you can find the different anthems for countries. They provide an mP3 and/or lyrics for different locations.
     -As a music teacher it would be fun to have students learn different national anthems from around the world. This could also be used for a cross curriculum project.

Primary School Safe Search - This website has been integrated with Primary School TV. It is a safe search engine to use when searching for things or little kids. There are no inappropriate pop ups, and all the results are education based.
     -As a music teacher it would be extremely helpful to use this search engine in class, so I know the results would be class appropriate and I would not have to worry about inappropriate commercials. I could also safely have my students search by themselves on the website as well.

Snag films - Snag films is a website that allows you to watch free documentaries. It has a variety of genres to search from, and you can instantly watch them on your computer. Specifically it has a large number of music documentaries.
     -If I was teaching older students I could have them go and pick out of a list of the offered documentaries, have them watch it, and then present their findings. Each student would have a different documentary, and then we could have a test over everything that was covered.

Podomatic minicast maker - This website allows you to create a photo slideshow to music. It's as easy as uploading a song(s), importing pictures, and viola you have a video. Once you finish you can quickly upload to other social media sights like Facebook or Twitter.
     -In my junior high classes, I could have students make a video of a song we are playing in a concert, with pictures that portray the overall feeling given off by the piece. If it is a song about fall, then the student could import the song and different photos of leaves and things that occur in the fall.

The Ugly Side of Social Media

Who doesn't love Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram? I'm sure there are lots of people actually, but they are usually completely outnumbered by the sheer masses that are addicted to social media. Many people say that the growth in importance of social media in adolescents is a negative aspect of technology, and I have to say that I sort of agree. Of course there are stipulations to every concept, so this one is no different.

Positives to social media:

The main positive to social media is the connections that can be made. All of these online innovations allow people connect in ways that have have never been possible before. I also think that it is helpful for children with social anxiety, and it allows them the opportunity to not be pressured like they would in everyday society. 

Another good thing brought about by social media is the overall accessibility to information. People can come in contact with many different types of info, and it can help people become more knowledgable about current events.

Some jobs require a certain level of competency when it comes to technology, and being aware of these and capable to use them in your career field can help some in your future endeavors!

Expression is also a huge positive to social media. It allows adolescents especial to express themselves through unconventional mediums, without judgement. Through creating blogs, following certain boards on Pinterest, and even watching different youtube videos, there are many ways for kids to safely explore themselves

Negatives:

Now, for each of the positives mentioned about, there is an equal amount of negative. With the social aspect of technology there is always the possibility of cyber bullying or victimization of online predators. The addition of this medium to the issues dealt with by teens is appallingly hard to deal with for some. 

With the abundance of resources, it is easy for people to become misinformed or misguided by social media. I feel like society needs to realize that not everything you find will be accurate or unbiased, and that there are people who want to confuse the world into mass destruction. 

I think the main deciding factor on whether or not social media can have a positive or negative effect on someones life, is the way in which it is used. If a person is cautious about what they read and believe, and if they are constantly aware of how dangerous it can be to trust strangers on social networking. Nothing online should have control over actions you make in real life, and it should never have a time consuming impact on your life. 

http://sites.ewu.edu/cmst496-stafford/2012/06/06/the-effects-of-social-media-on-children/

http://www.techbead.com/positive-and-negative-effects-of-social-media-on-society/

About Me

I am currently a senior Music Education major at Henderson State University. In the little free time I have, I like to read. Everything. Anything. Favorite movies include Crazy, Stupid, Love, Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, Boondock Saints, and Stuck in Love! I listen to all music except for Rap, and my favorite song is "Bloom" by Paper Kites! 


"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."~Audrey Hepburn 

"The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened."

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me"
~C.S. Lewis

Essays, Tests, and Showband, Oh my!

First off, college all on it's own is hard. 

Classes are stressful, and professors are constantly telling you how you will never put enough time into their class. On top of this, one would probably want a social life, some friends, maybe even free time? When people think about college, they usually imagine parties, road trips, and even sleeping in all the time. 

My college experience has been nothing like what they're advertised to be.

Being a music major and member of Showband, life is practically impossible. Want a job? Well they'll have to work around our rehearsal schedules? Have a family member pass away? You better keep a copy of the program for proof that you were actually at the funeral. It's a completely different world here in RFA, and sometimes it seems like Purgatory in the flesh. There have been plenty of times when i've just completely forgotten to eat. Have you ever been so stressed, that you forgot about a basic necessity of life? This is what happens when we have recitals, performances, rehearsals, lessons, and teachers who pile up quizzes like they're fluffy pillows in the beds we never get to sleep in. We take naps upstairs on benches, and occasionally in the practice rooms. 

It sounds pretty horrible...which it is, but if wasn't for the people in this building, I would have lost my mind first semester freshman year. These people have seen me through panic attacks, tears, sleep exhaustion, and extreme fits of anger; yet somehow they still love me! sometimes... We are a misfit family and are the only reason we can stand being in this program. 

I wish my life wasn't so hectic, I would give anything to be able to graduate right this very second, but I wouldn't change a single one of these people here with me. 
They are a part of my life, and they are what makes it so special! They accept me for the total spazz that I am, all because we've been through hell together, and no one else understands that feeling.