Blog Post 9

What Can Teachers and Students Teach Us About Project Based Learning?

In John Larmer and John Mergendoller's article, Seven Essentials for Project Based Learning, they stated that instructors should be cautious in regards to PBLs. One must ensure that the project does not become "busywork" but focus on creativity and assisting the students in in understanding the subject matter. They provide a guideline that I have listed below:

1. Need to Know: The teacher has to provide an "entry event", such as a video, guest speaker, discussion, etc., to captivate the students's attention.
2. A Driving Question: This should be the focal point of the topic that is being addressed.
3. Student Voice and Choices: Students should be able to chose how they will proceed with researching concerning the project. 
4. 21st Century Skills: Collaborating in this style of work is mandatory. Students will focus on communicating and mastering technology, as well as critical thinking. 
5. Inquiry and Innovation: Teachers should have the PBLs relatable to the "real world".
6. Feedback and Revision: Students will develop the skills of constructive criticism with the use of a rubric.
7. A Publicly Presented Product- One idea is that if the students are aware their finished product will be on display, they will be more conscientious. 

The video entitled Project Based Learning for Teachers directed one's attention to what PBL is and how it aids in teaching. When working on a project, students research to provide a response of the question asked, as well as be able to document and share their discovery with others.

Project Based Learning in PE targets students abilities in creating objectives for themselves in physical education, as well as collaborating to analyze data revolving around younger students. The children are required to follow the Physical Education standards provided by The National Association for Sport and Physical Education. 

1. Student demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
2. Student demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
3. Student participates regularly in physical activity.
4. Student achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
5. Student exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
6. Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

In the article and video, Two Students Solve the Problem Watery Ketchup By Designing a New Cap, the audience observes two high school students who redesigned a device that would separate the "watery" substance from the actual tomato base. The students created the item with a software program after sketching out the details on graphing paper. These is a fabulous example of collaboration within the project based learning programs.

PBL: What Motivates Students Today is another video that demonstrates objectives instructors should consider when they develop their PBL. Various students stated that encouragement from teachers, extracurricular activities, and future success assist in keeping them motivated while in school.

SMARTboard Project 12 Part A

Project 9 Book Conversation

Project #14

iPad Ensemble

Integrating technology has made a significant impact within the realm of music education and composition. As a student during my first undergrad, we were required to use a software called MacGamut  for aural training. Finale was a mandatory program students learned to navigate in addition to MacGamut. The objective for this project was to incorporate composition skills and enforce collaboration among students. Further data in regards to the overview of the iPad Ensemble project, its Rubric, and the Project Calendar can be found on the links provided. 

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Copyright Flowchart: Can I use it? Yes? No? If This...Then... in Ms. Silvia Tolisano's post targeted an issue that even collegiate level institutions deal with: plagiarism. Instructing in the digital age is beneficial is multiple ways, but like most aspects, obstacles are presented that we must address. A factor Ms. Tolisano discusses in this article is ensuring that educators are well-versed in properly citing others's works and ideas. Teachers should be held accountable in establishing their students's knowledge and respect of copyright. She states that essentially schools should instill a polity but also: 

"-raise awareness of copyright issues in a digital world

-bring relevance to classroom teacher at all levels and 

subject areas in understanding copyright in digital education 

spaces and see it not just as part of the domain of a 

‘technology person”

-help teachers shift from previous practices regarding 

copyrighted material in an analog world

-internalize ethical behavior regarding intellectual property 

available in an online environment"

In Ms. Tolisano's Blogging as a Curation Platform, the focal point was on how blogging as become an intricate part of a student's education. Blogging assists and can broaden a student's horizon. A child develops better communication skills via composition through the platform and organization competence with data they have gathered/interpreted. The student can also prosper by developing digital relationships with individuals that reside in other countries and become exposed to various cultures. 

Why Do We Have to Learn History?

William Chamberlain recently posted a question brought to his attention by a student: Why do I have to learn history? Dumbfounded, Mr. Chamberlain could not give a response. As a future music educator, I feel as though I have it rather easy. Pick a genre of music one enjoys. An individual would discover an item in a specific song that was derived from a work 100, 200, or even 500 years ago. Composers constructed melodies, rhythmic patterns, and harmonic progressions that have produced individuals favorite tunes. Interested in this topic, I researched and discovered a blog by the Dallas School of Music, DLP, that actually addressed this topic. As a performer, one must be able to interpret what the composer wrote and express it correctly to the audience. How would one accomplish that if the piece they are showcasing was written by a deceased musician? My response to that is they discover what was occurring in the composer's life. An example would be one of my favorite composers, Giuseppe Verdi. In one of his most popular operas, Nabucco (a story about the Jews as they were assaulted, conquered, and exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian king, Nabucco), the chorus of the Hebrews slaves, Va pensiero, was said to have been the anthem/cry of the Italian patriots seeking unification of their country during the Italian Revolution. Without knowing the background of events transpiring during Verdi's life, could one comprehend the anguish within the music?

Blog Post 8

"When you screw up and nobody's saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you." 

-Dr. Randy Pausch

Two words to summarize Dr. Randy Pausch's final lecture before his passing (Achieving Your Childhood Dreams): truly inspirational. Before I begin my observation of the video, I was somewhat irritated due to the length; however, within moments, Dr. Pausch captivated me. In light of his recent diagnosis, Dr. Pausch's demeanor was rather lighthearted and provided comic relief. The focal point of this specific lecture was how one can achieve their goals in life and provide assistance for others in that realm. One of the most significant statements he said was "Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want something." On a personal note, my first undergrad was in Vocal Performance. I aspired to be an opera singer/work in the fine arts, but unfortunately, our country was in a recession. It was not a "smart option" according to various individuals so I worked in the "glamorous" field of finance until I was offered a position as a traveling music teacher through the local symphony's outreach program. Needless to say, I fell in love with my students and am back in school to obtain a Music Education degree in order to teach full time. Life does throw in obstacles, but it's our job to fight around the system, just as Dr. Pausch did in his issue with NASA. 

Dr. Pausch also pointed out that yes, there are times where we will not accomplish our dreams. Those experiences are fundamental to where our lives will eventually be and assist in developing perseverance. The best field to cultivating childhood dreams is teaching. A particular comment made was that an instructor should never set a "bar" when it comes to education. This idea will limit a student's capability and could hinder their growth. Having guidelines is mandatory with teaching, but encouraging students to constantly bettering themselves is essential. Additionally, as an instructor, we must let the next generation explore and critique them (constructively). The most influential individuals in my professional life are both professor who will thoroughly assess and evaluate my work. They will review my art and give feedback that is rather painful to hear; however, these wonderful people will guide me in creating something far superior than what I thought I could produce. Communicating differing interpretations among one another (teachers vs students) is crucial-it is how both parties learn. I strive for that in my future as a teacher. 

C4Ta Post 2

Regarding Diane Dahl's For the Love of Teaching, I was rather flabbergasted by the term "neuroplasticity" in both titles of her most recent blogs. Neuroplasticity is essentially defined as the brain's ability to change and adept according to various experiences. The program, Lumosity, was developed specifically for this process. The focal point in Ms. Dahl's first article, "What does neuroplasticity research suggest about the potential of all students to mater the 4Cs?", was a concept revolving how the brain structure and function could influence the development of educating students. Multiple specialists (she specifically sites Dr. Donna Wilson) have begun research concerning the topic, and many agree the ideology behind neurobiology has the potential of reconstructing the pedagogy of teaching. Ms. Dahl states that if one accepts this perspective, then one must exclude the views of "natural talent". She questions "should virtually all students be taught thinking strategies, or only those labeled as gifted?" Honestly, this opinion concerning that only children, who are deemed as "gifted", are granted more guidance than others is disheartening. However, the practicality of neuroplasticity could benefit students in the regards of assisting children in understanding how their own brain functions and which routes they could take to better their studying skills. 

The second blog composed by Ms. Dahl, Engaging Brains, targeted how neuroplasticity improved learning once the child was instructed about it. Transforming the way we teach will assist our students's ability to grasp concepts in a more rapid momentum. Insuring that the children are guided in the realm of cognitive strategies in an effective manner could conceivably motivate students to be in control of their learning, providing academic success and better classroom management. The concepts integrated within the philosophy of neuroplasticity is fabulous. I actually prefer this method. Currently, the school systems have a curriculum (Individualized Education Program) that targets issues a student may have in the classroom. In my opinion, instructors should also observe different approaches to teaching and manipulate their methods in order to adjust to a student's capabilities. 

Project #13

The Miami group focused the lesson plan on the topic of what types of animals reside in certain environments, centered around the first grade level. Students are assigned to different groups, required to compile lists of various creatures they assume live in specified environments, and compare/contrast with other teams, as well as do online research. Attached is a link to the overview of Curious Critters, as well as the Project Calendar and Essential Checklist.

Blog Post 7

As a music educator, one can take advantage of several online tools to integrate within the classroom. The following are a few examples:

Finale Music is a program designed to allow individuals to compose, arrange, notate, and print engraver-quality sheet music. There are five different products created by Finale: Finale, PrintMusic, SongBook, NotePad, and Songwriter. Educators can print and arrange repertoire for their classes without having to write it out by hand. In NotePad, a student composer can compose/notate a song and import it in a midi before emailing it to their teacher. Another great aspect of SongBook is that the students can program their personal repertoire into a tablet (iPad) in order to avoid carrying all of their music. 

In Symbaloo Education, an instructor can share various links with students and colleagues.  It has a great interface that one can use to organize your internet life using webmixes. One can select a bookmark that you want to save and click on a tile to add it to your webmix. There is even a web browser button called a bookmarker to allow fast adding of another tile to your Symbaloo mix. The only issue is that children under the age of 13 are prohibited from having their own account (personal information is required); however, young students can use webmixes from other users. 

An additional program called "I Heard That! Listening To Classical Music" by the Virginia Chamber Orchestra. The educational strategy actually incorporates peer teaching in the classroom. The streaming videos VCO uses has young students introducing and discussing classical composers to their audience. Through the videos, lesson plans,  and activity guides, students learn about Haydn, Bach, and Mozart (the big 3), comprehend the differences of major and minor scales/chords, and listen to recordings of various orchestrations. 

Book Trailer: Tubby the Tuba by Paul Tripp

Blog Post 6

Learning From Anthony Capps 

In multiple videos of former USA student, Anthony Capps, the focal point of the discussion centered around integrating various forms of technology in the classroom, regardless of the grade level. The first recording I viewed discussed using Discovery Education. Mr. Capps stated, "a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a million". As a visual learning myself, I completely agree with introducing visuals to assist in teaching. With Discovery Ed, students can research specific material and obtain not only text but pictures, videos, sound clips, etc. Discovery Education essentially brings a book alive to the children. 

Mr. Capps pointed out in a separate video that the misconception evolving around Project Based Learning is the project is performed after the topic has been taught to verify the student retains the new information. However, PBL is taking a different route and is focusing on creating the project in order to teach students. PBL strives to maintain students's attention, include the local community (relate to real world experience), and is content guided. The main objected with PBL is to inspire the next generation and display enthusiasm concerning the subject material. Instructors are separating themselves from lecturing and PowerPoint presentations. 

Another topic within the links was iCurio. Before observing the conversation, I had never heard of this digital form of curriculum. iCurio is an online tool created by Knovation that allows students to search miscellaneous ideas on the web safely. Teachers can control what sites the students view without standing over their shoulders. The device specifically selects websites, videos, and other materials that can be used within the classroom. It contains a storage unit that permits instructors and students to save items that are deemed to be significant; those saved components can also be digitally organized. 

My Sentence Is...

My Passion Is...

Blog Post 5

PLNs: What Are They?

Personal learning network is defined as an informal learning network that consists of the people a learner communicates with and derives knowledge from in a personal learning environment. As an instructor, one needs to constantly expose themselves to various sources to stay current with new techniques in the field they work in. Previously, I was employed with a symphony's outreach program. I traveled to four different elementary schools and taught the basic fundamentals of music to grades K4-3rd. I had absolutely no training with working with children (my first undergraduate degree is a BM in Vocal Performance). My former experience consisted of opera and choral conducting with individuals 16 years of age and older. Without the use of various music education blogs, I would have miserably failed. Beth's Notes was just one of the fabulous sites that contained ideas for several lesson plans I used in the classroom.

After joining Twitter, I have found several individuals that are currently employed in the music education area. Roel Garza, Kelly Parrish, Lindsay Jervis, and NAfME are just a few accounts that I am now following. Another site that I obtained beneficial information was Pinterest. Several members of the site upload assorted links concerning topics such as elementary music education methods (Orff and Kodály) and numerous blogs. A combination of social media sites will assist me with communicating with individuals in my specialty, as well as being a support group for encouragement and guidance. 

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De Volta para o future

In Silvia Tolarno’s most recent posting of her blog, Lang witches, she focus on how education across the world is being driven towards the use of technology in the classroom. An instructor in Portugal, Ana Paula Cortez, has her students create fictitious Facebook accounts to accompany an imaginary person and the developments of their "lives". Ms. Cortez developed this project to instill an interest in her students concerning the Life Cycle. The seventh and eighth graders were to establish their characters’ storylines, express their opinions and values by posting appropriate materials, upload pictures, and understand what basis were required in order to establish a stable future. With assistance of social media, Ms. Cortez was able to keep her students engage while covering various topic areas in one project. 

Blogging in Math?

Silvia Tolisano's next blog concentrated on how more instructors of various subject areas have started to blog. Recently, math teachers have come to realize that they could take advantage of this form of technology to assist their students. Ms. Tolisano stated that blogging "is about “presenting” your work, your thoughts and products to a large audience FOR feedback". With a blog, students can actually contemplate about their math problems and discuss issues they are encountering. Projects that students were focusing on were reviewed by peers who would give feedback and encouragement. Technology, when used correct, can be a fabulous tool to engage students, regardless of the subject area. 

C4Ta Post 1

In regards to Kathleen Morris's blog, Primary Tech, I found it a bit lacking with her most recent post (January 2014).  Mrs. Morris addresses the fact that she will not be actually teaching this school year due to maternity leave. She states that although she will not be a "producer", she will gladly be a consumer and still be connected with the education community through the use of online resources. The author pointed out that without technology, she would not be able to stay "in the loop" with the advances in the field of teaching. Since the blog has not been updated in five months, I decided to explore older postings that Mrs. Morris provided concerning the idea of starting a blog. In 2012, she composed an article, Five Steps to Starting a Class Blog, that emphasized the benefits in having a blog for your students to follow. Her outline consisted of choosing your platform, finding support, setting the guidelines, introducing your blog to parents, and finally, introducing your blog to the students. Before giving further details concerning how to start a blog, Mrs. Morris presented various items to ensure blogging would enhance a student's education, including the video below:

Blogging can assist a child with writing their thoughts down in an effective manner. Students can develop better grammatical skills and use peer editing. One thing that I found very interesting is that a student stated they liked to blog because they could "talk to other people from different countries". When I taught through the symphony's outreach program, I was constantly encouraging my students to explore other genres of music. I wanted to expose my students to different beliefs, sounds, and cultures through music. Whether we watched women perform "water drumming" in Africa or learned the correct rhythm, melody, and text to "Frère Jacques", my goal was to have my students experience life outside of the US.

I definitely will have my students keep a blog, either individually or with a group, to assist in the comprehension of the different cultures that surround music and what techniques they all use. Before reviewing Primary Tech, I never thought that the use of this technology could be incorporated in a music classroom. With the use of global connections, I can share with my students the various ideologies and techniques about music from around the world. I am already researching ideas for this philosophy of teaching. 

Project #15

Computer Literacy: Search Engines

WolframAlpha: This site states that it is a "computational knowledge engine". WolframAlpha develops output by doing estimations by its personal foundation instead of returning links within the web. Currently, the site only offers information in the English language. It focuses quite a bit on mathematics.

Classical Net: Classical Net is considered to be the essential classical music source. It provides individuals with recommendations of various books and articles pertaining to different music topics, such as music history, opera, conducting, etc. The site gives the user the title, author, ISBN, and a brief description of the work. It also contains biographies and list of works of classical composers.

Bing: Bing is a search engine designed by Microsoft; it was formally known as Live Search. The site is designed to return results in a format that organizes answers to address one's needs. The search engine also displays a list of related searches on the left-handed side of the SERP. Bing would be best used when researching recent news.

DuckDuckGo: This search engine places a large emphasis on protecting its users's privacy and states that they bypass a "filter bubble" of personalized results. They do not take personal information, and cookies are not used by default. DuckDuckGo states that it has less spam and has zero click information which means results can be displayed with the salient points regarding the term that you searched for. Those who value their privacy would benefit from this site.

Dogpile: Dogpile is one of the oldest search engines, and at one time, the more preferred sites. It uses various search engines and directories to retrieve date for the user. Most of its results come from Google, Ask, MIVA, and LookSmart. The image components were well organized and gave a diverse collection.

CareerBuilder: One of the largest online job site in the United States is CareerBuilder. Members can search for numerous positions in different career fields across the states. Individuals can view jobs according to zip code, years experience, education, and salary.

Yahoo!: As of January 2014, Yahoo is the second largest search directory on the web by query volume. Yahoo Search was powered by Google until it became independent; Bing and Yahoo joined forces in 2009. One can view recent news of various types (sports, international, etc.) as well as research.

Expedia: Expedia is a travel website based in Washington state. The website allows individuals to compare and contrast flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises with various companies. It allows users to filter results by price, departure times, amount of rooms, etc. One can also arrange package deals and can find options of things to do while in the new city.

Blog Post 4

Asking Questions

Effectively asking a question to a group (regardless of age) is possibly one of the most intimidating events a new teacher can encounter. I know from previous experience that without proper research on the subject before executing the idea can and will result in what some would deem as a catastrophe. Luckily, there are online venues that one can find to assist in preparing for the classroom.

In an article on Faculty Focus, Maryellen Weimer listed three objectives when asking a question: prepare questions, play with questions, and preserve good questions. Dr. Weimer stated that knowing the content of the material that is to be discussed is of significant importance, but one should also prepare the questions to make the students think. Writing the question down can help with ensuring that it will make sense to your audience. Another approach she gave in regard to asking a question is not having the students answer it immediately. Allow it to "simmer" within the students's minds. The instructor can present the question in various forms such as having group discussions among students. The objective is to retain the impact the question will have on the students. Dr. Weimer suggested that one could take notes on the answers provided by students so she could possibly revise it later. One could reintroduce or give an example of a previous student's statement in another class session. Not only are you giving a perspective on the topic from a peer, but you display that you value your students's opinions.

The video blog of Dr. Joanne Chesley, Asking Better Questions, focused on the proper technique of open-ended and close-ended questions. In general, instructors are often faced with lack of responses when asking a question because of the format of how they are asked. Dr. Chesley stated that it is partially the fault of the instructor due to not providing the tools within the question that will give a extensive response. She suggested that teachers concentrate on open-ended questions so students are able to respond with an answer that will allow them to think and thus "yield more information". One simply can adjust the word choice to assist in that method.

Project #3 Presentation

Blog Post 3

How Can You Provide Meaningful Feedback to Your Peers?

The term "peer editing" was defined in one of the provided links as "working with someone your own age to help improve, revise, and edit his or her own work" (Tutorial Peer Editing by Adriana Zardini). After viewing the sources required for this post, one discovered the three main factors within peer editing are the following: Compliments, Suggestions, and Corrections. As an educator, one could use this approach to teach students how to refine others's written work and develop self-awareness within their own compositions. Being a music instructor who has worked as a judicator at multiple competitions, I have learned to do constructive criticism. The point of assessing someone's craft is not to break them down but to encourage and give suggestions to better their performance, regardless of the subject area.

Observing Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes made me smile. It took an interesting spin on outlining the set guidelines for editing and is attempting to ensure students do not cause socialization issues among one another. The main objectives when peer editing is to look for creativity and make specific suggestions without being rude to assist the author. One must ask themselves questions while reading their classmate's blog, such as "did that statement make sense?" and "does the topic stay consistent with what the assignment asks?" Overall, we should stay optimistic and benefit from one another's writing. 

Blog Post 2

Mr. Dancealot

The focal point within the Mr. Dancealot video was to demonstrate the need of "hands-on" teaching within the classroom. The designer of the video uses the example of a professor instructing a course titled "Social Dance". As the short film develops, one views the instructor demonstrating various moves for classical dances but never allows the students to partake. The students endure PowerPoint presentations that are read to them on a daily basis. At one point, the teacher scolds a gentleman who stood from his seat to observe the proper steps. The audience does not actually view the students perform until the final exam which is rather chaotic. As a music educator, I am a believer in allowing students to use their sensory processors in order to learn. How does one learn certain subjects when there is no physical interaction? I cannot teach a child to properly tune a violin unless I show them how then step back and let them try it themselves. 

What Does It Mean to Teach in the 21st Century?

In Kevin Robert's What Does It Mean to Teach in the 21st Century?, one is forced to realize that the "traditional" form of teaching is becoming extinct. Teaching is no longer about using a chalkboard or whiteboard, but integrating modern aspects, such as Blogger, Twitter, and other social media sites, into the classroom. Teachers are still intricate factors in the world of education, but it appears that our roles are being redesigned. One can demonstrate and lead a student in the direction that is needed, and we can give them the tools to acquire additional information. Educators should learn to adjust to the changes in society so that the next generation will be prepared for their future. 

The Networked Student

The video entitled The Networked Student explored the idea of "Connectivism" which is essentially giving students the tools to teach themselves. In my opinion, this can be viewed as negligence by the instructor. I do agree that integrating numerous versions of technology in the classroom assist in the learning environment, but to assign a student with the task of being responsible completely in reference to the course they are enrolled in is a bit absurd . Regardless of the subject area they teach, an instructor's job is to not only guide, but inspire. Again, I am not against encouraging students to explore other avenues concerning topics being covered in the classroom, but a teacher should teach. One section that I did like within this approach is having the students share materials they found on their own with their classmates. Personally, I prefer to be more of an interactive and personable instructor who also encourages my students to discover additional ideas. 

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

Vicki Davis's video, Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts, illustrated how one can effectively use technology in the classroom by teaching something as simple as the use of a search engine to international collaboration. Davis states that students are "limited by just paper and a pencil". As a music teacher, one of my goals is to expose students to various forms of music from around the world. Without incorporating a computer, my classes would not experience the different genres and sounds. I love the idea of having students interact with individuals in other countries and working with them to complete a common objective.

Flipping the Classroom

The final video, Flipping the Classroom, discusses the idea of having students watch presentations of new material before the teacher introduces the topic in class. The pros to this approach of teaching is that the students will be slightly familiar with the work before class and can ask questions pertaining to the subject; however, there are some issues. If the student does not have the resources to obtain the data (i.e. no access to a computer at home), will the child be behind their peers? Another concern is whether or not the parents/guardians will actually assist the child in learning. As a former traveling teacher, I could detect students who had a healthy home life that encouraged their educational growth and others who experienced the complete opposite. Several teachers often complained about certain parents who never seemed to care about their child's education. I believe the concept is wonderful, but there are too many flaws for it to actually work in the long run.