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.
Friday, May 9, 2008
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.
-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.
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.
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