https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Apw3zxbJNbnmdF9jMmhNd3M3LVhfY3phUVc5d3AzdlE

I feel this lesson plan was a bit of a change from what goes on in the everyday classroom.  The no talking aspect brings in a real chance to focus on the content.  If I walked into a classroom where music was playing, pictures set up and the teacher wasn't talking I would be more intrigued.  I enjoyed that at the end of the lesson plan its creator, Susie, gave several options of how to continue with this type of lesson.  When I saw Susie had already thought ahead for me, I was sold.  However, there were some parts of this lesson that I thought wouldn't work that well, so I made some of my own tweaks.  Even though I don't think the teacher should be talking, I would put some questions up on the projector for the students to discuss in small groups.  These discussions would be kept to a low volume so the music can still be heard, and they would only be conducted after the students had time to think about the questions individually.  This adds more teaching strategies that let the student get even more engaged without the help of a teacher.  Some other changes that I chose were in the technologies.  Instead of posters and a CD player, I would use Pandora Radio so more than one piece by the same composer could be heard in one lesson, and I would use a computer with PowerPoint shown with a projector.  These changes make the teacher's preparation easier and take away the potential of losing class time.  The technologies used in the original lesson plan were where it was lacking, but I chose it knowing this because I knew it would help me realize how technology can greatly improve the chances of learning.

Easy Access

This may be my new favorite site.  I just typed in "music technology" on the site's search bar and it came up with a ton of results.  The following link is all about these new digital instruments that make life easier for composers.  It's complete with videos for each instrument to give an example of how they work and what kind of sound they produce.

http://mashable.com/2011/01/02/tech-musical-instruments/

Honestly, I can't wait to continue on to the next search result on this site! Yay for making new discoveries :)

Keeping Up with the Times

I was just wandering around the internet looking for something interesting to read and came upon this article:

http://mustech.net/2011/11/soundtree-institute-music-development/

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm really excited about this!  I've always been worried that once I graduate and am lucky enough to find and maintain a teaching position for a while I will start losing touch with the  technology updates and become obsolete rather quickly.  This is definitely a reality considering how fast new technologies are arriving every day.  Knowing that I can take online courses and training anytime I want when I'm finally in a teaching position is rather reassuring.  Now if only I could get a handle on this whole conducting thing...

Interactivity #3

-How might this technology inventory serve your purposes (if at all) in CURR 314 and READ 411 this semester?

Because I haven't been able to take my Music Technology class yet, doing the research for this assignment really helped me learn about the tons and tons of new music technologies to help with composition, arranging, editing, performing, recording, listening, conducting, and so much more.  One of my favorite discoveries was SmartMusic, which is a computer program that offers a student version where you can practice with background accompaniment, and a teacher version where you can have students record themselves playing and send the file to you for evaluation, rather than having to schedule playing times.  This particular program made me think about how it connects to CURR 314.  That class is all about the different ways to assess your students and SmartMusic is an interesting, new, and easy way to assess.  Another way that you could possibly connect these technologies to the other classes would be that, although we are not teaching students how to read English, we are teaching them to read a different language: music.  The strategies that we are learning in READ 411 about how to teach struggling readers can also apply to musicians who are struggling with aspects of reading music.  Also, the characteristic list of dependent readers can be used to identify students that are just "faking" their way through a piece of music in an ensemble.

Interactivity #2

Towards the very beginning of the video we were assigned to watch for this interactivity it mentioned specifically music education.  In 1917, WHA started to broadcast music education programs on the radio.  It took three years for the concept of educational radio to be commonly used in the classroom.  As far as the video assignment is concerned, this was the biggest influence in education for my content area.

In my opinion, the piece of technology that had the most impact on music education is the CD/CD player.  With it's creation in 1969 and then eventual spread to common use about 15 years later, the CD player revolutionized the musician's capabilities of musical interpretation.  Today, recordings of live performances and studio recordings are widely utilized in the classroom to assist teachers in getting the students to understand what a piece they are working on is supposed to sound like.  For example, students may be having a problem with a certain rhythm and if continuously trying to help them count it out on their own, a recording can really come in handy to hear the rhythm in context if they follow along with their own music that's in front of them.  Recordings also can be used for inspirational means.  I know that when I was in middle school and high school I was always in awe of the sounds I heard coming from the musicians on professional recordings and it always made me work harder to achieve such warm and emotional or bouncy and exciting sounds.  CD players made using recordings a helpful and essential part of the instrumental/vocal setting.

Although CD players weren't specifically mentioned in the readings, I feel that it is just an extension of the phonograph which was clearly mentioned as being used in the classroom in the early part of the period we are discussing.  The CD player is an upgraded and modern version of the mechanisms of the past.

Even the most distinguished musicians can improve with ease and momentum through listening to those that came before them.

Interactivity #1

1. cell phone
2. laptop
3. mp3 player

By having the ability to send a text to almost anyone at any time I'm able to better stay in touch with family and friends.  But I find that it is also a fast and easy way to stay up to date with group project members for classes.  As long as I have my phone with me and have a decent signal I can talk to anyone whose number I have in my phone, and most of the time I can get an instant response.  So if I'm working on making a powerpoint for a class and I need to clarify a piece of information I can just send a quick text and then continue.  I don't have to wait for them to check their email or call them and hope they are able to answer their phone.  Getting a laptop before I started college was also a major benefit to my learning experiences thus far.  Because so many aspects of college require the use of the internet (research, webmail, blackboard, online courses, hybrid courses), being able to bring a laptop to campus and go online anytime I want to has made me get more out of my learning experiences.  I don't have to wait until I get home at night to be able to work on homework assignments or projects.  And since I'm usually on campus from 8am until 8 or 9pm and work part time, being able to access the internet between classes helps keep me on track, organized, and allows me to take my time and not rush through anything.  Finally, because I am a musician, I'm constantly listening to recordings or solo clarinet, band, and orchestra pieces.  If I had to log onto my laptop every time I wanted or needed to listen to a piece and study it more, I'd be a little frustrated.  Having my iPod on me at all times lets me do some of this studying while I'm walking to and from classes, driving in the car, or maybe just not near my laptop for some reason.  Having constant access to the music I need really helps me get a piece of music stuck in my head so I can really learn it.

Olivia didn't really discuss what specifically she uses her iPod and phone for other than just listening to music to keep her on track, texting, and checking her MySpace profile, but I believe her and I are connected just simply by the fact that we use the same technology.  However, Olivia often shared her knowledge with others.  For example she set up multiple MySpace profiles for friends and family.  I usually just stick to my own personal things with technology.  If someone asks me for my help and the request is pretty simple I'd be happy to oblige, but because I only know what we would consider "the basics" nowadays I can't do much to help others.  Like Olivia, I learned everything I know about technology mostly through trying it out myself.  Neither of us sat down and took a course on all the different technologies that the modern day has to offer.  A lot of the people in the second video talked about using their devices (laptop, phone, and otherwise) to stay organized for school and communicate with classmates for group projects just as I talked about above. A big point to why they use technology was that it helps them express who they are and gives them the ability to do the things they love.  For example, one person learned a new language, another started trying to produce music, and another created her own webpage.  I know that being able to post anything on my Facebook page helps me express myself and make life a little more bearable so I know what they all are talking about.  One of the biggest points in the second video for me was the idea that using all these different technologies make us better learners.  I never really thought about it before, but I definitely agree.  Having use of the internet gives us the opportunity to explore anything we want or need.  By constantly finding new places online to help us with a certain subject in school, explore new interests, or find out about our ancestry, we can load so much information into our brains even in just an hour.  And by doing this consistently, I know it definitely helps me be able to retain more information on a daily basis.