Personal Learning Reflection

         I think I have a hit a few of my goals from my original personal growth plan.  One of my goals I outlines in the plan was streamlining the technology I already use.  I have done this in a few ways.  One was by expanding my knowledge of cloud-based technologies.  The group assignments in this class forced me to become more familiar with the collaboration features of the cloud.  By exploring the cloud I was able to bring what we did in the class into my department meetings.  We are using the cloud through google docs to write a new curriculum and to come up with a new schedule. 

            One simple thing I did to streamline was to forward my various email accounts to one single account.  This has helped save on time—while keeping my personal, professional and school emails separate and organized.  

            I think the thing I learned about effective teaching strategies while integrating technology is that it should be approached the same way of implementing anything into your teaching.  You need to be proficient on the technology, you have to prep, plan, and ease into it.  You cannot just ease into technology you must be immersed in it before you can use it with your students. 

            I think my portion of the sig presentation exemplifies good teaching with technology.  In my screen-cast I explained how to use google forms to make a listening survey. I enacted this lesson while working on the sig presentation.  The kids had to actively listen and use critically thinking skills to critique their own playing and their peers playing.  It was very apparent in the rehearsals following the assignment that my ensembles benefited from the critical thinking they applied to that assignment.

            I would like to become more proficient with a program called smart music and integrating it into my curriculum.  The program tracks, records, and accompanies student performances.  This is a valuable tool for assessing music students. 

            My new goals involve taking more leadership roles in regards to technology in my district.  I always have felt comfortable with technology, but not confident in taking the lead.  After taking this class I realize that I am farther along then most of my colleagues and that I really need to step up and take some initiative. I will achieve this goal by both researching technologies that the district is thinking about implementing and joining the technology committee.  
            

Learning Styles

      I have always found Gardner's theory of Multiple intelligences both interesting and confusing.  I believe there is some truth to his theory, but it is a little confusing on how they keep coming up with more intelligences to add to the list.  I would love to see his theory in relation to what part (s) of the brain match up with each intelligence.  I always thought it would help provide some validity to this theory by coupling with some Nero-science research. 
     I think in general all can learn from different learning styles.  But some individuals learn more effectively from one rather than another.  For me I have always felt comfortable in public speaking rolls and learning through audio so verbal and linguistics would probably be an area of intelligence that I would be high in.  The action of interacting with people and being in leadership rolls has also has been one of my strengths.  This would suggest that I would be score high in interpersonal intelligence.  Hopefully the fact that I am a music teacher would suggest that I would excel in the category of musical intelligence.  I know through my struggles with mathematics that mathematical intelligence would not be my strength.  This would also suggest that my ability to conceptualize material might be a little weak.  I have never been an athlete and I know that in general my center of gravity is not strong this might also apply that I am not especially strong in the area of bodily/Kinesthetic intelligence. 
   It is impossible to teach to every student's favored learning style.  It is also not a good idea to not do a specific learning style because a student does not excel in that specific one.  If anything pushing kids in styles they are not comfortable in is just important as hitting on the ones they are good at.  As an educator it is important to vary all the intelligences as much as possible in the classroom.  This will push your students in their weaker areas while giving all students a fair chance to be successful.  It will also push your own teaching in areas where you may personally lacking.  This varied focus will promote balance in the classroom and should be something we all strive for.     

Creatie Commons

Contra Tubas---Comparing and wining 

Photo Attribution: 
Original Photo: "Horn Luggage"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46042146@N00/2651120527
By: Randy Robertson

Released under an Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

       There are a few ways I might incorporate this image into my Curriculum.  These instruments are usually used by very competitive marching bands.  I could use it as a starting point to answer:  What is a contra?  This instrument is a kind of tuba that is carried on the shoulder and is used in place of the traditional sousaphone.  I would then proceed to explain the pros and cons of using these instruments.  The pros would be that they are very cool looking (especially if you are band geek) that they can be converted for concert season, and that it can be used for horn visuals on the field.  The cons would include that their intonation (tuning) can be really bad, they are awkward to carry, and that when you convert them for concert season they are sub-par when compared to high quality concert tubas.  

        Another way I might use this photo is after a marching band performance where I notice that the horn angles are off.  Often times students with the lightest instruments (flute) complain the most about maintaining a proper marching posture.  I might use this as a joke or as a lead in i.e....Well complain more about how heavy your flute is and we will make you march a contra!!!!  Or I might use it as a lead in as lesson on pride.  Even when this particular contra line is not performing they are still respecting their instruments and look uniformed.  I might go into more of the history of marching band and how this respect comes out of the military tradition. 

The below link is a picture of me from a concert rehearsal.  This photo was was set to a Creative Commons license. 

Take off!

RSS Page Reflection

I have been really getting into blogging for the past year.  But, I have to admit I get a little self conscious about posting on sites that I know a-lot of people will read.  I also have split my time posting on political sites and music sites (so obviously for this one I'll share a music education one for this assignment.) I posted in a blog for band directors about a week ago.  Since posting it has gotten a little over 500 views.  I posted on article on searching for band literature that is lyrical well at the same time has difficult percussion writing.  For this post I emailed a well known wind band composer and used his insights (with his permission) as part of my blog.  This is a private blog, but I will include a screen shot and the link. password=grainger
 
I check multiple blogs daily, and through this assignment I have added some educational technology related blogs.  It has been interesting following the blogs and the excitement and skepticism that the apple's textbook announcements have made.  This has been claimed to be revolutionary by some bloggers, others as the downfall of reading as we know it, to just the first step in the path of the paper less revolution.  I have enjoyed following the multitude of views on this technology.  The band director's blog that I posted on is fun to follow just because in three posts you will have array of subjects and materials.  One day it is an article with beta software on turning your projector into an interactive force in the band room, another day an article and documents on how to seat (where to place the instrumentalists) in your band, and another day an article about teaching a lesson on jazz music in Harlem.  The band director's blog really has influenced my teaching on a daily basis. 

I think the most important reason why I should continue to follow the various blogs is due to the fact just like education, technology is an ever evolving process.  The various blogs have taught me a range of different techniques on teaching brass instruments, using recording equipment, to how to effectively teaching tuning techniques to beginning instrumentalists.  I have taken these lessons and used them effectively in my classroom.  Sometimes I try different things from the blogs and it doesn't work. This is all part of the process, and that kind of experimentation makes me a better educator.  The new technology blogs that I am following will help me be a part of technological discussions at my school and maybe make me feel confident enough to be part of a committee when it comes to upgrading equipment.  Online collaboration and following the newest technology is exciting and I feel that it has to be a mandatory part of what I bring into my classroom on a regular basis. 

PC Maintenance and Security Lab

The videos that were listed on this site were obviously geared towards PC users and not Mac, but a few of the videos still peaked my interest.
        What hardware firewalls do and do not do is the first video I watched.  I learned that Hardware firewalls do not block virus installations.  Software firewalls alert you to everything going into and out of your computer.  There was no information in this segment that surprised me, but I did like the idea that software firewalls are like your second line of defense.
        Next up is the second video I watched which was on purchasing wireless routers.  This video focused more on the brand names then what the features actually meant.  It brought up brands like netgear and Linksys.  I was hoping they would describe what the difference between n and g are...but they didn't touch on that.  There were no surprises in this segment either.
        The last video I watched was comparing different type of back-ups.  Full backs ups involves a complete system back up, but require additional software like norton.  A partial back up involves documents, bookmarks, and other things you can not afford to loose. You can also back up other information online in gmail. What surprised me on this video was that it showed that this particular lesson was a little out of date. Presently gmail and other servers can store way more than  1 GB, and the general trend is to go to more of a cloud based back up.

GTD Post

      Organizing my process will be very difficult for me.  I find this to be true because I have been using technology for a while and I have way too many email accounts(and other non email accounts.)  These separate accounts help me to divide my personal and professional lives and allow me to explore other possible professional opportunities privately(currently my school district reads many of my emails--nothing to hide but it creeps me out.) Having all these separate accounts is all fine and great, but keeping track and managing them is very difficult. 
      Due to this, I would like to make GMail my inbox and my device for organizing my process.   Going through the process for the first time was very time consuming and a little bit confusing.  Some of my other email addresses are difficult to enable forwarding.
      I think this process will help me for multiple reasons.  First of all it will save time.  It will also allow me to keep things private while still consolidating information.  Lastly due to both this class and that my current school district has switched over to GMail---the ability to use google docs and share with others streams lines even more of my life. I hope I can continue this process of streamlining. As long as I get all of my accounts to interact, I think I should be able to continue it.

Social Networking

I believe social networking sites are an amazing resource for teachers.  They allow us to communicate with teachers from all around the world.  For example last year a few of my colleagues and I started a band director PLC on facebook.  This group started with 15 members.  Presently we have over 8,000 members.  The basis of this group and many other educationally valid groups on a social networking site is that one teacher asks a question and receives multiple responses.  Through these actions we have been able to connect with directors from all around the country/world.  We have started writing articles and a depository for classroom materials.  We even had a member meeting from the group at a national conference that is held annually in Chicago.  Due to the fact that facebook came out when I was in undergrad I am pretty used to checking it regularly and being an active member in the groups that I currently am in.   Social networking is part of my personal and professional work flow and as a young teacher I have been able to really find deep answers as part of social network.  I feel that many of my peers don't know how to implement social networking in their professional lives, but our students certainly are using social networking daily.