Techy Teaching Tools

Throughout the semester in my technology class, we have been introduced to quite a few teaching tools that tie into technology. I thought I'd share some of them with you...
SlideShare: This site is full of all sorts of powerpoint presentations on basically any topic you could imagine. In addition to lecture notes, you can find informative slides as well as WebQuests, too.
Speaking of WebQuests... Don't know what that is? Basically, it is a really cool way to get students researching topics using the internet. It is a great way to let them know how to find credible sources and allows for some diversity as to what each student is actually researching. This Site gives you the basic steps to building a WebQuest, and they can be done easily in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Rubistar: This site has all sorts of templates for forming rubrics. One of my professors once said that it was easier for students to reach a higher level and get a good grade if they knew exactly what was expected to get there. Rubistar allows for rubrics to be made in pretty much every content area with several designs for rubrics there and options for what is being graded.
For any new teachers out there, or anyone looking for an electronic way to gather any work samples you have done, Folio 21, helps you create an e-portfolio to show any prospective employers your work online. This allows for all sorts of editing and tailoring to your tastes, so your work and personality can shine, electronically.

Making the Most of Opportunities Given to You

So, tonight I got to be part of a rehearsal that was very special (at least to me). As a Music Education major, I have to take conducting courses. (Have is an interesting word because I think I would voluntarily take them even if they weren't required....anywho, back to the story). Well, one of the most influential conductors in my life is Colonel Lowell Graham. His expression of the music through his conducting, facial expressions, and body movements makes you want to play the music just as the composer intended it...in all its glory. So, tonight I had a rehearsal with a community group, and guess who the guest conductor for our concert is? None other than Colonel Lowell Graham. I was extremely excited for this and wanted to make the most of it while I knew he was going to be conducting the ensemble two hours. So, I got permission to video tape the rehearsal. Not only is this man an amazing conductor, but his rehearsal style is wonderful. We achieved so much in such a short time, and he did not have to say much to get his point across (something we discussed in my conducting class). Now, not only do I have the memory of the rehearsal, but I have a video that I can watch again and again to study his movements, how he used his left hand for expression, certain terms he used to get certain musical effects and sounds from the ensemble, and much more. The moral of the story.... if you have the opportunity to video tape a rehearsal, lecture, or event with someone that influenced you or has a lot of knowledge...do it!

"Taking Charge of your Teacher Preparation"

I get e-mails from The National Association for Music Education quite a bit, and as a future teacher, I found this article interesting. It was basically on how to get all the information you can before actually stepping into a classroom. While some of the ideas, after reading them, seemed to be somewhat common sense, it was a nice reminder about how to help yourself become a great teacher. Some of the ideas were to:
-Give lessons in your area of expertise
-Buy lunch for local music teachers and just talk about the field
-Offer to be a clinician at local schools
-Try to observe teachers of varying age-groups

While, again, some of the ideas seem like they should be obvious things to do, sometimes it is easier to say you are busy with school, rather than getting out into the field, where you actually get to work with students.

Good Rhythm and Intelligence

Earlier this week, I found an article relating high scores on intelligence tests with the ability to keep good time. It is an interesting article, but it drew many questions from me.
1.) Do all intelligent people keep good time?
2.) Are all the people that can keep good time intelligent?
3.) Since it has been proven that music helps the brain, especially in the areas of critical thinking, was it the rhythmic accuracy that made the person intelligent or the intelligence that made the rhythmic accuracy? (which came first, the chicken or the egg?)
Okay, here's where I become the devil's advocate... (P.S. I'm a percussionist...it's our job to keep good time)
So.... what about all of the vocalists or other instrumentalists that always say, "Well, I'm just not good a rhythms" or are horrible at keeping time? (just a note: I hear that quote quite a bit and wonder how a person could consider themselves a musician without mastering not only pitch accuracy/intonation but rhythms as well). Does this mean they lack intelligence? I don't think so. While I do see where the researchers were going with their report, I think that looking at the basic principle that involvement in music generally helps the brain make connections and helps with critical thinking skills, thus resulting in higher scores on intelligence tests.

Student Teaching Tips

"There is really no need to fear the students because they are the same stereotypical band nerds that we were in junior high and high school." This quote came from a three part series from The National Association for Music Education on "How to Make the Most of Your Student Teaching." While the first installment has only three tips, I think the idea of not being scared of students is huge. I know that at times I am super anxious about stepping in front of an ensemble and having someone call me out on something that only a college music student would know or critique my conducting, but it's (most likely) not going to happen. The three main tips they gave were to observe and take notes on your mentor teacher's way of doing things (even if you don't like the way they teach you can learn about what you don't want to do in your classroom), to practice your lesson plans to get use to doing them before you are in front of a class, and to stay positive with an open mind. I will be student teaching next spring, and the idea of having my own class in a year and a half is both scary and exciting at the same time. I hope that my student teaching experience can be one I gain lots of positive knowledge from.

When is it too much?

I will be the first to admit that I am a band nerd. That could easily be the reason why I am becoming a music educator. Anyway... I went to watch the Rocky Mountain Percussion Association (RMPA) Indoor Percussion Championships this weekend. I saw kids perform and give their all for something they had dedicated their life to for the past five months (or so). But I wonder if those kids that aren't like me, if they ever get burnt out. I was a kid who did everything I could, even though I had to drive ninety miles into Denver to do it. I did the Blue Knights Open Ensemble (2003) and the World Ensemble (2004-2006), while also marching in the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps (2003-2008 {it's my age-out year}), and still did honor bands with my school. Maybe the difference comes from the fact that I didn't come from a strong marching band program that I dedicated myself to in the fall. Yes, we had a marching band, but we just did football half-time shows, and it wasn't exactly the best quality. Yesterday, though, there were ensembles from very strong marching band schools, who were also very strong percussion ensemble schools. Here's the thing... they go basically straight from one venue into the other (marching band normally starts in the spring for the following fall at highly competitive schools). So, how do these kids not burn out? OR.... is that why few of them pursue music after high school? They're just tired... This is one thing I am going to have to make sure I don't do to my students because, while I can handle it, I don't know that every student could.

"Misguided Motivation"

I found this article about how people, young and older, can end up being motivated for the wrong reasons in life. The guy who wrote it is a martial arts instructor who noted that many of his clients are always wanting to get the next belt. While the belt system was put into place to motivate people to get better, it is also motivating them the wrong way. Many people do better in hopes of getting the "A" in a class, the higher paying job, the "student of the Month" award, and such, but it is becoming more and more rare that we see people who do things and challenge themselves just to get better. I just recently experienced something similar to this in my own life. I am submitting a composition to a contest, and many people are saying "Well, I hope you place." I respond with, "Well it was good practice in composing, so it's okay if I don't." Yes, it would be amazing to win or even place, but am I counting on it? No. We as (future) teachers need to make sure that our students aren't only trying hard to get the "A" on their project, but that they are actually learning and gaining something from the experience.