This week has provided some challenges to me, mostly because I was away from home all week. A majority of my communications with my classmates took place by typing on my iPhone. Since we are in a technology class, it stands to reason that this is a positive thing, and that it proves how much power our mobile devices have!
I was an adjudicator at the Florida State Thespian State Festival this week. I judged the solo musical event for 2 days, and the large group musical event for one day. Many of the students ran into technology problems. The sound systems these students were using were sometimes quite awful; a burned CD in an old CD player with terrible speakers, iPods attached to speakers, and others. It shows how much bad technology can hinder a performance.
Many of the websites and programs discussed in our text this week were very familiar to me. I have used SmartMusic in my classroom for years. 6 or 7 years ago, it was a very temperamental program, but it has really come a long way since then. I think programs like TeacherTube and SchoolTube are great, IF the videos you are looking for are there. I prefer safe-sharing websites that allow teachers to share YouTube videos directly, without any advertising or comments being able to be seen. This keeps the limitless resources of YouTube useable to teachers.
I am very familiar with Audacity, and had a good time working on my remix. As I stated in my reflection, the most frustrating thing was the quality of the track that we were required to remix. I did not like being forced to choose snippets that included all of the audio elements in one mixed down track. It made it very hard sometimes to get the percussion to line up properly. I would have much preferred tracks that were split based on the instrument (voice, percussion, brass, etc). This would have allowed me to not only free myself from the constraints of existing percussion, but play around with individual parts more specifically. I see a lot of potential for classroom use in Audacity, which is interesting because I always though of it as a tool for me, the teacher, not for my students. It's a wonderful way to introduce students to remixing (and even arranging), without being too overwhelming on the student or the budget.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Technology Blog - Week 3
Some of the most interesting things I encountered this week were actually from my PLN. I was excited to share some exciting talks and demonstrations with my students.
First was this TED Talk from Mark Applebaum. He is a composer and spoke about being bored with conventional notation and conventional instruments. He discussed some of his musical creations (including a Concerto for Florist and Orchestra) and his instruments. I found his talk to be fascinating and it challenged my thinking as a musician and as a composer.
The second video was a Wired presentation from Imogen Heap. Imogen has been one of my favorite performers in the last 5-7 years. Her music is ethereal, beautiful, and imaginative. In this video, she describes a new musical glove that she has been working on. It allows her to control her electronics with her hands, by using gestures, finger placement, and sharp movements. Additionally, she is able to assign different parts of the stage to different effects. It was amazing. There is a Kickstarter campaign running right now for the large scale production of the gloves. When these become more cost-effective, I am excited about the educational and musical possibilities.
In my discussions with my classmates, I found that many of us face the same challenges when it comes to using technology and developing Non -Traditional Music courses. Many of us struggle with finding the financial resources needed to incorporate technology into our ensembles, but also to start new courses that can help reach the "other 80%." A big example of this is in my own former brick & mortar school, where our band director has had to use band money and equipment to start a sound engineering class. With STEM becoming such a big deal in the world of education, you would think that administrations would jump at the chance to offer more tech-oriented courses. Unfortunately, it is not always the case.
I enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with Soundation this week. My biggest concern came from the latency problems between my MIDI keyboard and the program. I can only assume that it had to do with the fact that Soundation is web-based. I tried on two different computers and in two different locations (with various internet speeds) and the latency continued to be a problem. I could not keep up with the click track and I did not have the energy (or time) to go back and manually adjust each phrase to line up properly. This changed the way I constructed my song. My original plan was to compose many melodies and countermelodies that would make up the majority of my piece. I had also intended to develop my own beats and percussion, rather than use the pre-made (canned) ones. Time was not on my side, and I had to settle for a few original samples, and then I used the ones provided in the library. Overall, I was pleased with my composition (though I use that term lightly since it contains mostly pre-existing material, perhaps arrangement is better) and I feel it has a strong beginning, middle, and end. I think that teachers with the opportunity to incorporate this program into their curriculum should. I have already shared it with several of my colleagues outside of this course.
I am thoroughly enjoying this course and am looking forward to the projects in the upcoming weeks.
First was this TED Talk from Mark Applebaum. He is a composer and spoke about being bored with conventional notation and conventional instruments. He discussed some of his musical creations (including a Concerto for Florist and Orchestra) and his instruments. I found his talk to be fascinating and it challenged my thinking as a musician and as a composer.
The second video was a Wired presentation from Imogen Heap. Imogen has been one of my favorite performers in the last 5-7 years. Her music is ethereal, beautiful, and imaginative. In this video, she describes a new musical glove that she has been working on. It allows her to control her electronics with her hands, by using gestures, finger placement, and sharp movements. Additionally, she is able to assign different parts of the stage to different effects. It was amazing. There is a Kickstarter campaign running right now for the large scale production of the gloves. When these become more cost-effective, I am excited about the educational and musical possibilities.
In my discussions with my classmates, I found that many of us face the same challenges when it comes to using technology and developing Non -Traditional Music courses. Many of us struggle with finding the financial resources needed to incorporate technology into our ensembles, but also to start new courses that can help reach the "other 80%." A big example of this is in my own former brick & mortar school, where our band director has had to use band money and equipment to start a sound engineering class. With STEM becoming such a big deal in the world of education, you would think that administrations would jump at the chance to offer more tech-oriented courses. Unfortunately, it is not always the case.
I enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with Soundation this week. My biggest concern came from the latency problems between my MIDI keyboard and the program. I can only assume that it had to do with the fact that Soundation is web-based. I tried on two different computers and in two different locations (with various internet speeds) and the latency continued to be a problem. I could not keep up with the click track and I did not have the energy (or time) to go back and manually adjust each phrase to line up properly. This changed the way I constructed my song. My original plan was to compose many melodies and countermelodies that would make up the majority of my piece. I had also intended to develop my own beats and percussion, rather than use the pre-made (canned) ones. Time was not on my side, and I had to settle for a few original samples, and then I used the ones provided in the library. Overall, I was pleased with my composition (though I use that term lightly since it contains mostly pre-existing material, perhaps arrangement is better) and I feel it has a strong beginning, middle, and end. I think that teachers with the opportunity to incorporate this program into their curriculum should. I have already shared it with several of my colleagues outside of this course.
I am thoroughly enjoying this course and am looking forward to the projects in the upcoming weeks.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Technology Blog - Week 2
This week has offered an opportunity to explore two pieces of software with which I was not familiar at all. Both of them have some pros and cons from a notation perspective. They definitely seem geared towards users that do not have access to more powerful software.
I first worked with MuseScore on a simple notation input project. I found the videos on the website to be very helpful. Many of the input shortcuts were relatively intuitive and made entry without a MIDI keyboard quick and easy. The palettes menu on the left-hand side of the screen offered immediate access to all of the possible options that one would need to add expression, which was very helpful. My biggest problem with this program was the inability to move the scores around dynamically. The only way to adjust the distance between staves or systems was to adjust them through a menu. I much prefer the ability to click and drag them where I want them. It made it very frustrating to get the layout I wanted. With only 8 instrument staves available, it does not seem like a viable option for composition, but could be very usable in a music classroom.
The other program was a web-based notation system, Noteflight. I found the note input system to be very easy to learn and master. I was able to input notes and chords more quickly on Noteflight than I was with MuseScore (which was quick itself). I really liked the chord-building shortcuts (using shift) and the simplicity of repeating notes and/or measures (using R). The most impressive feature in the notation input was the use of [ and ] to change the value of the notes. I found this to be much quicker than the use of numbers like in MuseScore and Finale. The free version of this system seems to have some significant limitations and I found myself being prompted to upgrade to the "Crescendo" format. I did enjoy the iPhone and iPad compatibility, though.
I shared with my classmates an incredible experience I had this week. My wife was invited to attend the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition in Orlando this weekend. The competition brought together students from all over Florida, the USA, and around the world in a celebration of robotics, creativity, and sportsmanship. We got to tour the pit area and talk to some of the students about their robots. The amount of creativity and hard work that was on display was astounding. The students had their robots compete in an "aerial assist" competition much like basketball. The finals felt like a major sporting event, with dancing, cheering, enthusiasm, and a "to the wire" finish. This type of technology showcase just proves how much our students feel connected to developing technology. It makes perfect sense to work to include exciting new technologies in our classrooms!
I first worked with MuseScore on a simple notation input project. I found the videos on the website to be very helpful. Many of the input shortcuts were relatively intuitive and made entry without a MIDI keyboard quick and easy. The palettes menu on the left-hand side of the screen offered immediate access to all of the possible options that one would need to add expression, which was very helpful. My biggest problem with this program was the inability to move the scores around dynamically. The only way to adjust the distance between staves or systems was to adjust them through a menu. I much prefer the ability to click and drag them where I want them. It made it very frustrating to get the layout I wanted. With only 8 instrument staves available, it does not seem like a viable option for composition, but could be very usable in a music classroom.
The other program was a web-based notation system, Noteflight. I found the note input system to be very easy to learn and master. I was able to input notes and chords more quickly on Noteflight than I was with MuseScore (which was quick itself). I really liked the chord-building shortcuts (using shift) and the simplicity of repeating notes and/or measures (using R). The most impressive feature in the notation input was the use of [ and ] to change the value of the notes. I found this to be much quicker than the use of numbers like in MuseScore and Finale. The free version of this system seems to have some significant limitations and I found myself being prompted to upgrade to the "Crescendo" format. I did enjoy the iPhone and iPad compatibility, though.
I shared with my classmates an incredible experience I had this week. My wife was invited to attend the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition in Orlando this weekend. The competition brought together students from all over Florida, the USA, and around the world in a celebration of robotics, creativity, and sportsmanship. We got to tour the pit area and talk to some of the students about their robots. The amount of creativity and hard work that was on display was astounding. The students had their robots compete in an "aerial assist" competition much like basketball. The finals felt like a major sporting event, with dancing, cheering, enthusiasm, and a "to the wire" finish. This type of technology showcase just proves how much our students feel connected to developing technology. It makes perfect sense to work to include exciting new technologies in our classrooms!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Technology Blog - Week 1
This has been a very exciting and overwhelming week for me getting started in this class. Many of the tools we were required to set up I am quite familiar with. I have had a Twitter account for several years, have been working with Google+ for a bit (though I have never really gotten into the habit of using it). I have never really used RSS feeds in the past, so the Feedly site took a little getting used to. I am still adding sites to my page often, as I find new suggestions from my classmates via Twitter and Google+. I really enjoy the fact that all of the students from each of the classes are able to work together in the social media environment. It has given us a large community of classmates and colleagues from which to draw inspiration and ideas.
I found our assignment with Incredibox to be very interesting and exciting. I ran across this website once before while using StumbleUpon and spent some time "playing" with it before moving on. I had never really considered the educational possibilities. I think that it would be a wonderful mechanism to introduce students (especially elementary age) to the concepts of composition and improvisation. It is simple enough to understand and manipulate, and contains catchy hooks that students would really enjoy.
Pedagogical and Content Knowledge were well known to me, as a veteran teacher. It's something we hear about all the time in professional development, staff meetings, and workshops. However, while it sounds like common sense, the concept of Technical Knowledge as an addition to Pedagogical and Content Knowledge was quite new to me. It stands to reason that in the modern age, the ability to effectively use technology to instruct our students becomes a vital key to our success as educators. I have always been a big fan of new technologies (since I was a child). I am continually looking for ways to include technology in my classroom. Many times, it is in relatively simple ways such as using my iPod to play music for students, using Skype to talk to composers, working with Finale for notation activities, or taking my AP Theory students to the computer lab to work on their ear training at www.musictheory.net. Other times, I have used SmartMusic to help students rehearse their solos for Solo & Ensemble. My wife was a voice teacher for many years. She had a program on her iPad called Voice Analyzer. It is similar to a program we had in one of the voice studios at my undergraduate university in the late 1990s. It shows a spectral analysis of the voice, including partials, vibrato, and vowel shape. I sometimes would take this into my classroom to help students prepare for their solos. It's an amazing piece of technology!
My current position at Florida Virtual School (FLVS) offers some benefits and challenges to the use of technology. At their heart, FLVS classes are technologically centered. Students use their computers to access the content, view videos, make recordings, and interact with the teacher and one another. We use Blackboard Collaborate for our live online lessons. When my students come to the lesson, they hear me on my microphone (and sometimes video) while I discuss the content of the lesson. The students have the ability to "grab" the mic and contribute to the discussion that way. Otherwise, they can type into our chatbox. Blackboard Collaborate rooms have a dynamic whiteboard where students can write, draw, and manipulate objects as the lessons dictate. It's a wonderful tool. The downside to my course (Music of the World) is that I do not have input into my curriculum or how it is presented. The courses are designed by our curriculum team, and while I think the content is interesting and relevant, I sometimes think we are not utilizing all of the possibilities that the internet and virtual learning has to offer.
I find the TPACK concept described in the video and in the opening chapter of Dr. Bauer's book to be a logical concept that music teachers (all teachers, really) should be developing and striving to improve to become a well rounded teacher that integrates technology into their classroom. When I taught in a brick and mortar school, I always felt that I was on the leading edge of the technology users in the school. We were a small, rural high school with not a lot of access to money or bandwidth. We managed the best we can. However, I am really looking forward to this course because I know that there are many, many ways in which to incorporate technology into the classroom that I have no idea even exist.
I found our assignment with Incredibox to be very interesting and exciting. I ran across this website once before while using StumbleUpon and spent some time "playing" with it before moving on. I had never really considered the educational possibilities. I think that it would be a wonderful mechanism to introduce students (especially elementary age) to the concepts of composition and improvisation. It is simple enough to understand and manipulate, and contains catchy hooks that students would really enjoy.
Pedagogical and Content Knowledge were well known to me, as a veteran teacher. It's something we hear about all the time in professional development, staff meetings, and workshops. However, while it sounds like common sense, the concept of Technical Knowledge as an addition to Pedagogical and Content Knowledge was quite new to me. It stands to reason that in the modern age, the ability to effectively use technology to instruct our students becomes a vital key to our success as educators. I have always been a big fan of new technologies (since I was a child). I am continually looking for ways to include technology in my classroom. Many times, it is in relatively simple ways such as using my iPod to play music for students, using Skype to talk to composers, working with Finale for notation activities, or taking my AP Theory students to the computer lab to work on their ear training at www.musictheory.net. Other times, I have used SmartMusic to help students rehearse their solos for Solo & Ensemble. My wife was a voice teacher for many years. She had a program on her iPad called Voice Analyzer. It is similar to a program we had in one of the voice studios at my undergraduate university in the late 1990s. It shows a spectral analysis of the voice, including partials, vibrato, and vowel shape. I sometimes would take this into my classroom to help students prepare for their solos. It's an amazing piece of technology!
My current position at Florida Virtual School (FLVS) offers some benefits and challenges to the use of technology. At their heart, FLVS classes are technologically centered. Students use their computers to access the content, view videos, make recordings, and interact with the teacher and one another. We use Blackboard Collaborate for our live online lessons. When my students come to the lesson, they hear me on my microphone (and sometimes video) while I discuss the content of the lesson. The students have the ability to "grab" the mic and contribute to the discussion that way. Otherwise, they can type into our chatbox. Blackboard Collaborate rooms have a dynamic whiteboard where students can write, draw, and manipulate objects as the lessons dictate. It's a wonderful tool. The downside to my course (Music of the World) is that I do not have input into my curriculum or how it is presented. The courses are designed by our curriculum team, and while I think the content is interesting and relevant, I sometimes think we are not utilizing all of the possibilities that the internet and virtual learning has to offer.
I find the TPACK concept described in the video and in the opening chapter of Dr. Bauer's book to be a logical concept that music teachers (all teachers, really) should be developing and striving to improve to become a well rounded teacher that integrates technology into their classroom. When I taught in a brick and mortar school, I always felt that I was on the leading edge of the technology users in the school. We were a small, rural high school with not a lot of access to money or bandwidth. We managed the best we can. However, I am really looking forward to this course because I know that there are many, many ways in which to incorporate technology into the classroom that I have no idea even exist.
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