Mr. Mandalas’ Music Education Blog!

The web application I chose was Google Calendar.  I imagined a situation where one of my older students had trouble remembering to bring his or her instrument on days we had performances scheduled.  This is actually a very common occurrence!  Usually these students are very well meaning but they simply have trouble remember important events even after writing them down.  I know it sounds simple but these are usually visual learners who need to “see” the important day approaching.  If we used Google Calendar, I could update the calendar in real time and everyone could easily see important upcoming events even from home.  I could even change the font on the important reminder date to a larger and more colorful font as the day approaches.  I could also ask the students to sign off that they had looked at the calendar the night before.

I’m excited about trying this but I know that it will take some work to get it up and running.  I have to get the proper permission from my administration and from the parents.  Once the rest of the district sees how useful this free application is, perhaps more teachers will begin using it.

Greg M.

1. Read the article about a paperless class in the Resources.
2. On your blog, post about the idea of paperless spaces or a paperless class.

How would a paperless class change your role as a teacher?

While the focus of the information would be the same, the deliver format would become much richer.  I would have more tools at my disposal to make the information more user-friendly.  Also, I think more learning styles would be addressed.

How would paperless classes change learning?

While there would be some initial resistance to the change as well as some technical hick-ups, overall the learning would become more progressive and exciting.  Also, feedback would be much quicker.

How would you measure learning in a paperless class?

Learning would still be measured using traditional assessments but the delivery of these assessments may change.  For example, there may be online quizzes that offer immediate feedback and grades.  The possibilities are endless.

Would a paperless space make it easier or harder to build a learning network?

I think it would be easier to build a learning network as long as the technology is comfortable and user-friendly.

Why?

The interactions could be built using all of the tools available to us with Web 2.0. including RSS feeds and reader pages.  It would also be much easier to organize all of your contacts using digital tools.

Choose one of the “Big Shifts” listed in your textbook on pages 127-133. On your blog, post about this shift.
                                    
You may consider the following questions to get you started on your post:

• How has this shift affected your teaching practice so far?
• How do you expect it might affect you in the future?
• Have your views changed since you started this course?
• How can you use technology to facilitate this shift in your own classroom?

For this assignment, I decided to focus on Big Shift #5: Know “Where” Learning.  Albert Einstein is credited as once saying “never memorize anything you can write down.”  Today, I think he may say something like “never memorize anything you can google.”  As we focus more on making students into life-long learners, it is more important to equip them with the tools necessary to continue their education independent from formal teacher/learner relationships rather than try to accomplish the unattainable task of fully educating them.  The reason it seems like many young people know more than the generation before is because this latest generation has the tools and the know-how to find any information imaginable. 

Our job as teachers is shifting to “inspirational motivators” rather than sages.  I see a future where we take even more of a Guides-On-The-Side posture than what we have already switched to.  I felt this way before taking this class and the information presented here has reaffirmed this belief.  While it seems a daunting task to keep up with everything, I have a secret weapon.  Through this class, I have learned how to use technology to keep up with the technology!

Greg M.

I connected with Kieran via Skype this past Wednesday.  I have to admit that it was more than what I expected.  When we first connected, we had some audio difficulties.  After they were fixed, I was amazed at the speed of the system.  It was literally just as fast as a telephone (I guess that shouldn’t surprise me…it is basically VOIP).  What really shocked me though was the fact that I could see Kieran.  He had a webcam hooked up where as I did not.  The video feed was extremely fast as well.  I really thought there would be some sort of a delay.

I can see me using Skype in the future to connect with other educators.  But what I would really love to do is to connect with some famous musicians.  The pieces we play in band are written by people who really aren’t famous in the traditional sense, but are very well known amongst the music education community.  I think they would be open to my idea.  I would love to connect via Skype with some of these composers, have them watch one of our rehearsals, and then offer us some feedback.  I know my students would get a real inspirational kick out of it!

Greg M.

When we were first introduced to Connectivism a few modules ago, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on it.  In my simple terms, Connectivism is learning from our own networks.  These networks can be made up of other people or sources (such as RSS feeds).  For 7-A-1, my group was in charge of making an argument in favor of Connectivism.  I choose this group because I really couldn’t think of any arguments against it.  After doing some research online, I now realize that there are many scholars who have a real problem with Connectivism, not because of how the process works but rather because of its classification. I am posting this a bit early but I’m sure the other group will make similar arguments.

Most critics have difficulties labeling Connectivism as a learning theory.  They say that it really is a pedagogical practice rather than a form of instruction.  I fully understand this point.  Perhaps it is labeled wrong.  Maybe it isn’t a learning theory.  But that doesn’t make it any less useful.  As a teacher, it is my responsibility to embrace new ideas that will result in my becoming a better teacher.  Connectivism certainly seems to fit the bill!

Greg M.

When I started work on my music education undergraduate degree, I was warned by my well-meaning professors that music and the arts are amongst the first classes to be cut when a district falls on hard times.  I was told the horror stories of how music teachers all over the country are constantly fighting for their jobs.  I was told that I would have to arm myself with the latest and greatest research regarding the value of the arts and music education specifically.  However, after teaching for 13 years, I can honestly say that I have had to pull out the weapons of music advocacy relatively few times.  That being said, I have found myself teaching out of a modular classroom (read trailer) several times over the years.  When my district went to full day Kindergarten a few years back, someone had to give up a room in order to accommodate the extra students.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t even a consideration.  Art and Music found themselves banished to the mobile classroom in the parking lot.

Research shows that music is a valuable part of any well rounded curriculum.  I am currently taking a class that asked for an argument for the arts.  Here is an excerpt from the argument that my group made:

I’m excited about using Flickr in my classroom.  I’m planning on surfing the web to come up with other ideas but for now I found a great picture of a violin that I think I could use in my classes.  My plan is to use the text feature of flickr to identify the various parts of the violin.  Students can then scroll over the image to learn the name of the part. 

It is amazing to me how useful some of flickrs features are.  This is an example of another site that I had heard of but never thought about applying to my classes until I took this course.  Here is the picture as well as the citation.

Image Citation:
asluthier. (2007, November 19). Steep Hill Violin. asluthier.’s Photostream. Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/sutherlandviolin/2046042457/

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In this podcast, I talk about an example of podcasting that inspired me.  To learn more about cranbrook composers, please go to http://www.cranbrookcomposers.com.  The podcast page is http://cranbrookcomposers.blogspot.com/

Greg M

Is there a particular example of a classroom wiki which inspired you?

I found a wiki at a site called http://www.cranbrookcomposers.com that was particularly interesting to me.  The teacher is in almost the exact same situation as me (grade level and subject).  The class wikis on the site were relevant and useful.  In fact, I wondered if the teacher had taken this class!  I plan on modeling much of my work after his.

What was most challenging about creating a wiki together as a group in 5-C-1?

The most challenging aspect was working around each other’s schedules.  Many people like to start early but you can only go so far before everyone needs to be involved.  People sometimes have commitments that force them to not be able to work on the project until later in the week.  But this may conflict with your own schedule.  In the “real world” the fact that you work on the wiki when you find the time is actually an advantage.  But when you are taking a class with deadlines, it becomes a problem.

What did you learn from the group project?

I learned that other ideas are often time much better than mine!  This is something I already knew, but I need to learn to let go of the control for the betterment of the group.

Has your opinion of Wikipedia changed at all this week?

I have used Wikipedia for years.  To be honest, this week just served to reinforce my thoughts about the site.

Are you encountering resistance to using wikis in your class?

I can honestly say that I am not encountering any resistance.  But if that changes in the future, I certainly have the tools to make my case thanks to this class.