Tool #11 Self Assessing and Reflecting

My favorite tools by far are Google Docs.  I'm glad that I have a better understanding of how to use them.  I also really liked Animoto, Wordle, Wallwisher, iTunes, the use of iTouches and Macbooks and Skype.  These are all applications that I can really use in my classroom not only to teach music and Choir but to teach students how to use technology.  This is really important as I have all three grade levels in my class as well as many varying levels of ability regarding technology.

Tool #10 Underneath it All - Digital Citizenship

1.  I want my students to understand about online safety, online etiquette and digital rights and responsibilities as regards copyright and fair use laws.  Also, once you put something on the internet, it is there forever.


2.  I would explain about digital citizenship by using a true story about when I was harassed online anonymously by some students who thought they were clever enough to hide who they were.  They used school resources during school time to send threatening emails.  As a result of their actions, not only was I hurt but they lost school computer privileges for the rest of the school year.  They also suffered the humiliation of their peers knowing what they had done.

This, I know, is an extreme example but I think it really illustrates what can happen when students think they can get away with bullying, threats and improper use of school resources.

Tool #9 Incorporating Classroom-Based Devices as Tools for Learning

1.  I think it only makes sense to tie the technology to the objective because it will 'stick' in the student's mind and be more meaningful long term.

2.  Students should be held accountable to the stations/centers because it will teach them responsibility.

3.  I did not find any of these interactive websites applicable to my subject area at all.

4.  The most effective applications I found to use on the iTouches with my students are the listening and recording apps.  These are probably not really 'apps' per se but they are the most useful for my Choir students to use.  The best way for me to keep the student accountable about their use of the device is to time them, giving them 10 minutes each to practice recording at least 3 short samples of singing to start with.  This will allow them to become familiar with the recording function before their assignment becomes longer or more difficult.

5.  Another way I can use my iTouches is to have my students photograph and/or make videos of each other performing.  This would be a wonderful way of showing each student his or her singing technique and what it REALLY looks like as opposed to what the students THINKS he or she looks like.

Tool #8 Taking A Look At The Tools

1.  I learned that I need to always have the latest, district-approved version of iTunes downloaded.  I also learned that I need to sync all of my devices with my school iTunes account

2.  I plan on having a check-out and check-in binder for the iTouches.  Even if a student is only taking the device into the next room to either record himself singing to use to sing with, he will need to check the device out and then back in.

Tool #7 Reaching Outside your Classroom: Online Digital Projects

My collaborative project is a performing a song with my choir and having a feeder elementary school's handbell choir accompany my students on a concert.

1.  The content objective is to have older, middle school-aged Choir students learn to work with younger, 5th-grade handbell players on the same piece of music by working on expression and tempos via Skype.

2.  This is a project I plan to implement in the fall of 2012 with my colleague, Juanita Irwin, who is the lead Music Specialist at Spring Branch Elementary School.

3.  I plan to use Skype.

4.  The plan is to have my Choir perform the piece for the 5th graders and for the 5th graders to perform their instrument parts for my students so that we can hear each other's tempi and learn to match that same speed of beat as well as perform to complement each other's performance.

Tool #6 Using Web Tools to Promote Discussion in and out of the Classroom

Ms. Price's Choir Bulletin Board

Ms. Price's Technology Blog

I think both of these are very usable in my class.  The first, Wallwisher, gives students a chance to check on everything like announcements online as well as post questions for me about things if they forget some details about an event like a concert mentioned in class.

The blog is not just helpful for me but for the students as well because they can comment on my observations and make honest and helpful observations about whether they think a tool is useful in class or not.  I think their participation would be greater with a tool like this because although they would have a user name, they can be somewhat 'anonymous' when asking something or making a comment or suggestion.

Tool #5 Producing With Web 2.0 Tools

Animoto video for Elementary Presentation

Wordle using music and choral terms

I actually enjoyed learning about these two tools.  The Wordle tool will be great for reinforcing some of the musical terms I have used in my Choir class all year and will help remind students of important elements of creating music.  The Animoto tool is great in that it allows students to be as creative as they want to be.  I will definitely use Animoto to make a recruiting video for the elementary presentation we make to our feeder elementary schools.

Tool #4 Moving Up To the Clouds

Ok, I do find the Google Apps and Docs very useful.  This would be a much better way of communicating with my Music department colleagues as well as my elementary team members.  I created a document about the Choir's use of the auditorium for this semester and I think a general one for everyone who needs to use the auditorium, including all Performing Arts and those involved with assemblies, would be a great idea.  Everyone would have the same information at the same time.

Tool #3 Finding Online Video and Image Resources

The two videos above are great for demonstrating the function of your vocal folds while singing and basic singing technique.  I would actually use these in my choir class.

Regarding copyright and fair use, I am very familiar with these terms and their meanings being a music teacher and having them drilled into my head for many years.  Probably the most often heard advice for music teachers is to not copy music or to only copy until original music is in hand, after which a teacher must destroy and copies.  We also hear about not posting videos of our students performing to youtube.com or other such sites as this breaks Fair Use laws since the composers of performed works cannot profit from these performances on public sites.

I kept getting messages about Picasa being unsafe for my computer so I used Flickr.  I hope that is ok.  I have uploaded personal photos to Flickr before and have also used their free photos.  It's a fantastic resource for free photos.

Tool #2 Building Community In The Online Environment

Participating in online communities isn't new to me and I don't find it that difficult to do.  Granted, the ones in I'm most involved are purely for fun and not related to teaching.  However, I do occasionally participate in some.  I, like others, sometimes find it a bit disconcerting to comment publicly on professional sites.  I'm not sure I really know why but there it is.

Regarding sharing with a teammate, yes, I do find that different and more helpful.  I learn more from my colleagues as they are going through the same thing teaching the same content or at least teaching on the same schedule as myself. 

A site I plan on visiting more is www.choralnet.org.

Tool #1 Assignment: Set Up Your Blog

I set up my blog on August 7, 2010 and registered it the same day.  At the time, I had started the online course,  "23 Things".