When I first started teaching, I didn't know anything. I mean, I knew about music, thought I knew how to teach it, and knew I could perform. After all the schooling and practice as a student teacher, nothing prepared me for those first couple of years. "Driscoll (2002) describes learning is contextual, active, social, and reflective" (Bauer, 2014, p. 147). I will testify to this definition whole-heartedly. As a novice teacher, I was not prepared to design curriculums or assessments, differentiate learning styles, or think about teaching in terms of backward design. It was only after actively teaching and reflecting did I begin to understand these principles.
Designing curriculum and assessment today is filled with so many possibilities. Bauer points out many ways to use technology for these purposes. One aspect I would love to try in the classroom is student response systems. It's one thing to have students give a "thumbs up" or "raise your hand" to tell the answer. It's a whole different level, however, to have students be able to click an answer anonymously! This is genius. It takes so much of the pressure away from students to always be right, not feel embarrassed, and gives even the shy students a chance to participate and see first hand, what they know. Of course, this formative assessment will only work if technology logistics are feasible. Depending on the grade level, students could even use their own phones to log in and participate. Those who don't have their own phones, could use devices provided by the teacher.
Another use of technology and assessment is Google Docs. I love the ability to "live edit" a document between teachers. This is very effective at a district level when trying to stream-line curriculum. However, I did not even think to send assessments and rubrics to students and parents so they can better prepare. Again, logistics play a strong role in this. At my school, many families do not have access to technology. This is why I give paper copies of rubrics to students.
As the years tick by, I feel more confident in my teaching practices. It wasn't until this last year, that I truly understood how to plan out a unit. Backward design is really effective for me. My issue before this practice was having so many activities for students, then not having enough time to be sure students understood what they would be tested on. All of a sudden, the assessment had to be completed and neither the students nor I was ready. With backward design, this problem is eliminated. Because the learning outcomes are addressed first, the assessment is designed to answer the learning outcomes, and the activities and how you get there, are simply filtered in. This process has made my life much less stressful. I feel more confident in my classroom. I have seen student improvement with this method and I would advise any teacher to try it.
Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York: Oxford University Press.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Sunday, November 19, 2017
The New SmartMusic
Technology Implementation
SmartMusic is a music education program used by teachers and students. It is utilized through the Internet and can now be accessed from any device through the Cloud. SmartMusic has a multitude of features. It is an easy-to-navigate program that is meant to enhance and enrich music learning by connecting teachers and their students. Teachers are able to create an account for free to access thousands of accompaniments to songs, ability to send and receive assignments, hear student recordings, and access the gradebook. Teachers also have access to several practice exercises, including sight reading and scale practice.
Intuitiveness
SmartMusic has made many improvements to make the program more intuitive. Many directions and changes such as to the tempo, hearing specific notes and passages, looping and listening to sections or the entirety of a piece are now easily just a click away. Students have more control of what they hear when practicing whether it's the volume of the accompaniment or the instruments heard in the accompaniment. Students now have the ability to hear their recordings immediately so to provide that vital feedback necessary in music performance practice.
Materials Offered
One of my favorite offerings in the new SmartMusic is the gradebook. Now all assignments, rubrics, and grades can be kept in one program. No more toggling back and forth. Any rubrics created can be easily saved and labeled for future use. Assignments can be manipulated in a multitude of ways to fit students needs.
Educational Implications
SmartMusic can be used for any performance-based classroom. It can be used by students at a variety of levels and ages. Students will find practicing more engaging because of the professional accompaniment tracks. SmartMusic can be used as a motivational tool by providing that immediate feedback on recordings, instantly alerting the student to where improvements need to be made. Students are able to tailor their practice time to suit their preferences. They can access the tuner without having to download another app.
SmartMusic is an all-encompassing tool for teachers. It allows the teacher to monitor student
practice. Teachers can send and receive assignments, keep grades and communicate to students easily. Many of these benefits are available for free through Teach free. The upgraded version can be used by 3 different teachers and 50 students. It provides access to method books, over 5,000 titles and solos.
SmartMusic is a great way to integrate technology and music performance. It is an intuitive program that teachers and students can easily navigate. It provides immediate feedback to students and ability for teachers to monitor students practice and progress. Choosing SmartMusic for a performance classroom is a very smart idea.
References
Smartmusic. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.smartmusic.com
[Smartmusic]. (2017, April 21). New smartmusic training - unit 5:1 - gradebook [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdxB2GrTYCE&feature=youtu.be
SmartMusic is a music education program used by teachers and students. It is utilized through the Internet and can now be accessed from any device through the Cloud. SmartMusic has a multitude of features. It is an easy-to-navigate program that is meant to enhance and enrich music learning by connecting teachers and their students. Teachers are able to create an account for free to access thousands of accompaniments to songs, ability to send and receive assignments, hear student recordings, and access the gradebook. Teachers also have access to several practice exercises, including sight reading and scale practice.
Intuitiveness
SmartMusic has made many improvements to make the program more intuitive. Many directions and changes such as to the tempo, hearing specific notes and passages, looping and listening to sections or the entirety of a piece are now easily just a click away. Students have more control of what they hear when practicing whether it's the volume of the accompaniment or the instruments heard in the accompaniment. Students now have the ability to hear their recordings immediately so to provide that vital feedback necessary in music performance practice.
Materials Offered
Educational Implications
SmartMusic can be used for any performance-based classroom. It can be used by students at a variety of levels and ages. Students will find practicing more engaging because of the professional accompaniment tracks. SmartMusic can be used as a motivational tool by providing that immediate feedback on recordings, instantly alerting the student to where improvements need to be made. Students are able to tailor their practice time to suit their preferences. They can access the tuner without having to download another app.
SmartMusic is an all-encompassing tool for teachers. It allows the teacher to monitor student
practice. Teachers can send and receive assignments, keep grades and communicate to students easily. Many of these benefits are available for free through Teach free. The upgraded version can be used by 3 different teachers and 50 students. It provides access to method books, over 5,000 titles and solos.
SmartMusic is a great way to integrate technology and music performance. It is an intuitive program that teachers and students can easily navigate. It provides immediate feedback to students and ability for teachers to monitor students practice and progress. Choosing SmartMusic for a performance classroom is a very smart idea.
References
Smartmusic. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.smartmusic.com
[Smartmusic]. (2017, April 21). New smartmusic training - unit 5:1 - gradebook [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdxB2GrTYCE&feature=youtu.be
Friday, November 17, 2017
Music Learning Motivation
This last year was one of great change. I went from teaching full-time elementary music to full-time mom. It was not an easy decision as I love being in the classroom teaching music all day. However, I really wanted to raise my son and I am thankful for the opportunity. Now, with another little on the way, my time in the classroom will be pushed back even more. Since I love teaching and music, I have managed to fill some of my time with piano and singing gigs and building my piano studio.
Currently, I have three students learning piano. Two of them are in first grade and one is in fifth grade. I'd like to focus on the first graders as Bauer (2014) made me reflect on how I am teaching them. If anyone has been around first graders or little kids in general, one knows they don't have a great attention span, they are sometimes difficult to keep motivated, and they may get upset easily if they "don't get it". My first graders are polar opposites. One is gifted and talented, reading fully in kindergarten, and already possesses intrinsic motivation just because she wants to be able to do it. My other first grader is learning challenged. She cannot read yet. She is dyslexic. She has ADHD. She gets easily frustrated. She cannot sit at the piano for more than 5-6 minutes at a time. She is not intrinsically motivated at all.
Bauer (2014) reminded me of some techniques to focus on when teaching my students to perform music. The biggest is modeling. Both of these students will "act" just like me if I show them a fingering or sing a passage. I need to step in more often and model things for them in a way that will be interesting. I tend to change my voice or actions and get into a character to capture and keep their attention and I need to do this more in our lessons. I have also video recorded both students playing different pieces and duets with me. I then send these recordings to their parents. This seems to motivate them because they receive positive feedback from their families. I also rely heavily on positive feedback as a motivator.
Both of these students seem very frustrated when there is any traditional notation learning involved. I use the Alfred piano course method, and the first part of lessons only involves a number system. It then graduates to traditional notation on the staff. My gifted student was especially thrown by this when we started learning it. In fact, she came to lessons a few weeks in a row saying she thought piano was boring and didn't really care about playing anymore. This was heartbreaking for me and I knew I had to change up my strategy to reengage her interest. I did this by writing out a song she wanted to learn (pop song) in number notation. We used the iPad to listen to the song on YouTube and find the sheet music. She was instantly re-energized and interested. I slowly went back to the book and notation. I reassured her that if she could learn this difficult pop song, simple notation was easy. It was just a pattern. She took to this line of thinking and things clicked for her. She is currently reading notes and learning her pop songs by number, which I will be transitioning to notation shortly. I also use the iPad when practicing music theory. I use iDoceo to have my students draw music signs and notes to get points. I would love to try SmartMusic with them when they are ready. Performing with accompaniment seems like a great motivator.
Lastly, creating performance opportunities is a great way to motivate students. My slow learner first grader was asked to perform before her Christmas program. She is very excited and the only one in her class to be asked. It just so happens that we have been working on the perfect song for this. She is very motivated by this performance and has recently started practicing on her own. My fifth grade student performs with me at one of my gigs on occasion. This always motivates him and re-energizes his passion for music. These are all important aspects for learning to perform music and how to teach it.
Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York: Oxford University Press.
Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York: Oxford University Press.
Friday, November 10, 2017
Composition to Inspire
As a child, my family of six, did not have a lot of money. In fact, my mother just recently told me she had $40 a week to spend on groceries. How she did it, I don't know. Since money was tight, dance lessons and girl scouts were out. However, my parents did allow me to take piano lessons starting in second grade. My first teacher was Sister Romaine. She was very old, had stinky breath, and wobbly hands, but she was a great teacher. I was hooked on the piano. I still am. Piano is my therapy. I love playing and feel a sense of relief, euphoria, and happiness when I play. My love for piano led to a desire to create my own music. I remember my first composition project was in sixth grade. We were asked to compose a song, with really no parameters, and perform it for the class. I chose to use the piano and voice. I remember hearing an airline commercial with piano music in it, and modeled my song off of that music. My words were about friendship. I was very proud of my first piece. In discovering composition, I found that writing and composing music was a way for me to express my feelings, to release my emotions. This was very helpful through my childhood and into adulthood. I'm not always good at expressing myself, but I can tell you anything through a song.
As a teacher, I was inspired to pass on my composition knowledge to my students. I tried this with the fifth grade. The project was to create a song, with lyrics, and perform/play (optional) for the class. Students did not need to notate their compositions in a traditional way. They were able to use GarageBand to record their sounds and voices. Bauer (2014) states, "There needs to be an appropriate balance between assigned constraints and freedom of choice" (p. 60). I find this point so important. One should not ever limit a person's creativity. We don't all create or think the same way. Why should our compositions sound the same? In this unit, I taught students three different ways to go about composing: write a melody first, write lyrics first, use a combination of the two. We did writing and composing exercises using these formulas. At this age level, students were very unsure of what to write about. It seemed they had never been asked to do something like this. It was very humbling to be a part of their writings as I could tell they were quite personal to many. There were some who really took to the writing part. They continued to bring me poems/lyrics throughout the year. There were others who really enjoyed creating music, the "80%". There were others who did not like this project at all.
One take-away from this week's focus on composition is Barrett's (2006) teaching strategies for composition. Of these, providing reassurance is such an important part to helping students compose. They need to know that what they are creating isn't "wrong" or "bad". Using the compliment sandwich is such a great way to give structured feedback in a delicate way (Bauer, 2014, p. 62). Also, the composing activities highlighted are very helpful. I especially want to create a lesson plan around composing a soundtrack. The use of electronic, digital instruments, and music notation software, perhaps even Soundation, in conjunction with students showcasing their own lives and tastes through video and pictures, seems a great way to engage students interests.
Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York: Oxford University Press.
As a teacher, I was inspired to pass on my composition knowledge to my students. I tried this with the fifth grade. The project was to create a song, with lyrics, and perform/play (optional) for the class. Students did not need to notate their compositions in a traditional way. They were able to use GarageBand to record their sounds and voices. Bauer (2014) states, "There needs to be an appropriate balance between assigned constraints and freedom of choice" (p. 60). I find this point so important. One should not ever limit a person's creativity. We don't all create or think the same way. Why should our compositions sound the same? In this unit, I taught students three different ways to go about composing: write a melody first, write lyrics first, use a combination of the two. We did writing and composing exercises using these formulas. At this age level, students were very unsure of what to write about. It seemed they had never been asked to do something like this. It was very humbling to be a part of their writings as I could tell they were quite personal to many. There were some who really took to the writing part. They continued to bring me poems/lyrics throughout the year. There were others who really enjoyed creating music, the "80%". There were others who did not like this project at all.
One take-away from this week's focus on composition is Barrett's (2006) teaching strategies for composition. Of these, providing reassurance is such an important part to helping students compose. They need to know that what they are creating isn't "wrong" or "bad". Using the compliment sandwich is such a great way to give structured feedback in a delicate way (Bauer, 2014, p. 62). Also, the composing activities highlighted are very helpful. I especially want to create a lesson plan around composing a soundtrack. The use of electronic, digital instruments, and music notation software, perhaps even Soundation, in conjunction with students showcasing their own lives and tastes through video and pictures, seems a great way to engage students interests.
Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York: Oxford University Press.
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Noteflight Review
I found Noteflight to be a bit difficult to navigate at first. It took a few tries before I got the hang of it. That being said, it got easier as I went along. I did hope that MIDI would be useable with this program but I did not want to upgrade for that feature. Although I understand why this feature would cost money, I was hoping to utilize MIDI as it was a main topic for the week. This program would be useful for teachers to write and share scores with students easily, begin a composition and have students add to it, or vice versa. I think this technology would be best utilized in the upper level grades. It is definitely not my favorite composing tool to work with. I found musescore to be much more on my level. For me, musescore was laid out in a more navigational way. Finale is my favorite composing tool but it is pricey. However, the share feature of Noteflight makes it appealing for using in the classroom.
Friday, November 3, 2017
Compose This!
I am a firm believer that anyone can be creative. Yes, I think some individuals are naturally "gifted" in this department. They have the ability to create easily and with a systematic approach that comes to them instinctively. However, there are many who are, as the book states, "the other 80%" (Williams, 2011). These types can be creative but need to be guided through the process in a simple, understandable way. As a music educator, I thrive on connecting with this population and helping them to unlock their musical creativity. "The creative process is what music educators need to engender, a process that can be facilitated through technology"(Bauer, 2014, p. 48).
I was very fortunate to work in an elementary school where iPads AND chrome books, Dell laptops, and desktops were available. I want to highlight the iPad part as the fortunate part because we all know that most professionals in the music industry use Apple products first and foremost. My school had a portable cart that stored 30 iPads! This could be checked out by any teacher in the building. I was in technology heaven. One way I utilized this was to introduce GarageBand. This program is amazing for fueling musical creativity. I was able to teach 4th and 5th grades: 1. How to use the program 2. iPad etiquette 3. how to explore in the program 4. how to record and share 5. how to accept creative trial and error. The end product was a composition that fit within a simple rubric I provided. Students could choose the genre, instrumentation, effects, sound, etc. Students then shared their songs with the class for all to hear.
GarageBand is such an easy program to navigate. It does not take that much time to learn. It is easy to understand and it provides pretty quality output. I've used GarageBand myself when recording. It is so much cheaper than paying for studio time! Albeit, I don't have the latest equipment and I am a novice at mixing... but when it comes to recording songs for classes, re-arranging pieces for concerts/musicals, recording parts for students, GarageBand is my go-to program. It not only helps students tap into their creative side, it also gets my own creative juices flowing!
As Bloom's taxonomy lists creativity as being the highest level of cognitive complexity, we are so fortunate as MUSIC educators to have this be part of our job. Sure, students can be creative when writing stories, finding ways to solve problems in math or science, but to create something from nothing and have a product that people enjoy and praise, is the ultimate gift to us music teachers. I only wish there was more time (at the elementary level) with students to really help them develop this very important characteristic.
On the other hand, music education has a unique component in the concept of improvisation. I will admit this is my weakest link to my musical background. I grew up learning the piano from a book. I learned every song from a book. I can read music with my eyes shut! lol. But when it comes to improvising, I am still a bit afraid. The reason? I never had practice at it! I was never given the opportunity to try it!
At the elementary level, I see improvising as a difficult task to undertake. However, after reading about learning to improvise in the text, I do feel I can teach lessons on this to younger students. There can be lots of parameters such as only giving students three or four notes to choose from while I play a rhythm on the piano. They can choose how and what notes to play. This is a great introduction! At the secondary level, improvisation can really be honed in on. Students have more aural skills, theory understanding, and performance opportunities to really practice improvising. One app I found that can help students improvise with each other is Rockmate. It is very simple and four students can work together on one iPad. This app allows students to collaborate in real time, improvise and create using one device!
I've tweeted a song I recorded in GarageBand. FYI: I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL SOUND ENGINEER!! But you will get the gist!
Bauer, William, I. (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
I was very fortunate to work in an elementary school where iPads AND chrome books, Dell laptops, and desktops were available. I want to highlight the iPad part as the fortunate part because we all know that most professionals in the music industry use Apple products first and foremost. My school had a portable cart that stored 30 iPads! This could be checked out by any teacher in the building. I was in technology heaven. One way I utilized this was to introduce GarageBand. This program is amazing for fueling musical creativity. I was able to teach 4th and 5th grades: 1. How to use the program 2. iPad etiquette 3. how to explore in the program 4. how to record and share 5. how to accept creative trial and error. The end product was a composition that fit within a simple rubric I provided. Students could choose the genre, instrumentation, effects, sound, etc. Students then shared their songs with the class for all to hear.
GarageBand is such an easy program to navigate. It does not take that much time to learn. It is easy to understand and it provides pretty quality output. I've used GarageBand myself when recording. It is so much cheaper than paying for studio time! Albeit, I don't have the latest equipment and I am a novice at mixing... but when it comes to recording songs for classes, re-arranging pieces for concerts/musicals, recording parts for students, GarageBand is my go-to program. It not only helps students tap into their creative side, it also gets my own creative juices flowing!
As Bloom's taxonomy lists creativity as being the highest level of cognitive complexity, we are so fortunate as MUSIC educators to have this be part of our job. Sure, students can be creative when writing stories, finding ways to solve problems in math or science, but to create something from nothing and have a product that people enjoy and praise, is the ultimate gift to us music teachers. I only wish there was more time (at the elementary level) with students to really help them develop this very important characteristic.
On the other hand, music education has a unique component in the concept of improvisation. I will admit this is my weakest link to my musical background. I grew up learning the piano from a book. I learned every song from a book. I can read music with my eyes shut! lol. But when it comes to improvising, I am still a bit afraid. The reason? I never had practice at it! I was never given the opportunity to try it!
At the elementary level, I see improvising as a difficult task to undertake. However, after reading about learning to improvise in the text, I do feel I can teach lessons on this to younger students. There can be lots of parameters such as only giving students three or four notes to choose from while I play a rhythm on the piano. They can choose how and what notes to play. This is a great introduction! At the secondary level, improvisation can really be honed in on. Students have more aural skills, theory understanding, and performance opportunities to really practice improvising. One app I found that can help students improvise with each other is Rockmate. It is very simple and four students can work together on one iPad. This app allows students to collaborate in real time, improvise and create using one device!
I've tweeted a song I recorded in GarageBand. FYI: I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL SOUND ENGINEER!! But you will get the gist!
Bauer, William, I. (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
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