Thing #11

I didn't know you could create your own maps like this! And Add pictures and video clips ta boot. I knew you could do that with Google Earth but that is a program you put on your computer. This online option is nice! Easy to link in an email, or put up on a website. I did one here to teach about Jazz history. Each marker highlights a new development in jazz styles and lists some major players of that style.


View Where did Jazz develop? in a larger map

I can see doing one that shows parts of the Erie Canal that used to run through NY. I do that song in upper elementary and usually talk geography for a bit as an introduction to the song. I spend some time drawing on the whiteboard a map of NY state to show where it was and to show why it was useful. How neat would it be to be able to put up the map on the whiteboard and use the markers to guide the presentation! I could even add pictures of the Erie canal village that keeps a small stretch of the canal operational. I'll have to do that for next year.

Thing #10

Google Reader is pretty cool. This too takes time to look at and read BUT you can tailor the info you are looking at and it is in one place. It feels a little like facebook. I can get bogged down with reading every ones posts and checking out others profiles etc. It's a big time sucker. Google reader can offer reading with a focused agenda. I can see using Google Reader if I can find sites that are relevant to me at a particular time for either personal or professional reasons. It is easy enough to change what you are getting so it isn't too overwhelming. Add a site or take a site off depending on what you need to know about. I have often thought about using a site like this so now I know how to do it! We'll see how it goes actually trying to use the reader effectively.

One idea for students is to set up a blog for the class, and then get teachers in other parts of the district, state or country to set up class blogs. (actually, many will already have them) Then google reader could link to them all allowing your class to follow other students in the larger larger musical community. Hmmmm. My gears are turning...

Here is a video I found on School tube. I like the look of this site better than teacher tube. Great inspiration this Andy Mackie whose foundation builds stringed instruments with kids in schools.

Thing #9

I was already a member of Ning. I started a group for elementary music where I tried out some embedding skills to add content my colleagues might be able to use. I posted a blog post looking for ideas from fellow music teachers. I want to try and develop some Easy Teach lessons for music instruction at the elementary level.

I also invited a few colleagues as no one else had signed up!

Thing #8

This has been one piece of technology that I used a lot in my elementary music classes. I used You Tube videos of kids singing the song we were learning to give them good examples. I found karaoke versions of our songs to get back up tracks and used them on the music program. They were easy to line up and bookmark. I did run into a concern that other things on the you-tube page may not be the best to show in a classroom. I had the best experience with embedding the video on my web page...no junk advertising. That said, I did have one video post that had a questionable google ad across the bottom of the embedded video upon its completion! I believe the content is an indispensable resource BUT you have to really investigate what you get there.

Teacher tube also has the same potential. I found videos of school concerts giving me cool ideas. If there is a particularly good performance I would definitely consider showing it to my students. The more they hear kids singing the better they will be able to produce the right sound. Here is one I found. I liked the instruments and arrangement though the singing sound could be better. http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=23235

I'd like to investigate what else is on this site. With Photos, audio, docs, etc. There has to be a wealth of ideas and cool things to share. I think Pam Bird said it right there is a lot of junk to wade through so your search has to be focused.

Thing #7

Wow, I now get what a wiki is. I never really got how it was different from a regular webpage. I know there was a collaborative element to them but didn't understand how it functioned. Now I do. The one scary for the control freak part of me is that anyone in the group can change the content. Rules of engagement and trust are crucial elements to a group of editors. Monitoring a wiki seems like it can take lots of time. Especially if it gets really big. I can't imagine the team of editors on the Wikipedia project!

I visited a few and like the general and simple layout of a wiki. "Online Resources for the Classroom" was easy to navigate and I even tried the editing option. It was very easy to add an entry and make a link to the site referenced. What a cool way to learn from everybody in a group. The site was totally open and available to edit by anyone.

The site "Let's Go West" however was not open to editing. The Third graders at this school were the co-authors. Though it can be seen by all, only those with permission can change/ add content. I like the flexibility this affords. That control freak part of me is calmed a bit knowing you can limit contributors to any number you like. looking at the content pages, it felt like someone's long term project (one done on poster board with an accompanying report encased in a clear plastic cover)looking at all the entries with text, graphics, and pictures.

There is a lot yet to learn though. I visited wiki devoted to collecting all the info known about Duran Duran. (it looked like fun). This was a little less streamlined and was covered in advertising. I didn't like the menu layout very well. It was hard to know the organization of information. I tried to edit a page and the text was more like HTML than the simpler text editor on the first site I mentioned. Perhaps I wasn't clicking on the right things.

One other site visited was a colleague who made it her music classroom site.It is great. She included demo videos, audio recordings of kids, links to voice threads, and pdf document downloads. I don't think she had any co-editors set up but used it more like a regular website. It is an attractive platform for that use.

Thing #6

I have really enjoyed looking at these presentation applications. I was excited to see there is an online software akin to Microsoft's Powerpoint. It seems to do most of the things the other does. I was initially disappointed by the lack of audio and video support, I learned you can insert HTML code into pages. This opens up the option to insert embedding code of audio and video players to play your files that are stored on You-tube or screencast.com. I like that you can share a presentation remotely with participants logged into the integrated chat window. I don't see how it would be useful or even doable with elementary students but perhaps with staff. I can see working with elementary music staff on a day when getting together is impossible but could arrange a meeting if every one stays at their home buildings...no travel time.

I looked at animoto but didn't get really excited about it. Very cool slide show effects and presentations but not sure I can use it day to day to support curriculum in music. If anyone else sees any possibilities I am all ears.

My Favorite by far is Prezi. Very cool presentations! I like the zooming around, options for pictures, video and links. I am a big fan of brainstorming webs where you can bounce around and get all your thoughts out in the open. Prezi allows me to work up a presentation a little at a time, here and there developing as I go. It seems to match my work style. It is extremely easy to create and manipulate elements on the page. Here is a Prezi I created in the professional development vein. Or below in the same Prezi embedded in the post.

technology integration on Prezi

Thing #5

The more I look at Google Docs the more I like it. After watching the videos Brooke posted I see more possibilities and benefits. I could use this with my music colleagues to draft documents, work on curriculum documents, and share documents I have come up with for use in my schools. They can easily edit and save as their own version for their schools. Here is a sample schedule I made that other staff in the building can access to build the music schedule.




I do see forms as a really useful tool in assessing kids or gaining information from kids. I can see using this with staff to gather info about the district for big picture planning as the above form demonstrates.

Google Docs can only replace office if there is a consistent and reliable access to the internet everywhere. In order to use it you'll have to be at a network, in a wireless zone or have 3G access through cell towers. If that were a given I think it could take over if the software was as feature rich and if enough people trusted Google to keep their stuff safe and secure.