My GAME to Date

I feel a lot like my students. I get online to research what other music teachers are doing with technology and I get distracted by all the information I find. Before I know, I’ve lost rack of time, where I started and what I was originally looking for. But none the less, progress is being made on my GAME plan.

As for finding information and resources, I am finding some. Don’t get me wrong, there is a great deal of resources available for technology integration in the music classroom. The difficult part is finding what I can afford or what is already available to me and how to use it affectively in a predominantly performance-based classroom. I feel a little backwards from what Dr. Ross suggested in our DVD this week. Dr. Ross said that educators must first identify the learning objectives then determine the teaching method to express those objectives and then follow it up with a supportive technology. (Laureate, 2009) Part of me feels like I must first find the technology and then find a way to adapt it to what is being taught. Backwards, yes, but it is how I feel right now. But none the less, I did make a new discovery this week. While searching for lesson plans to integrate music and film into a lesson for my piano students, I came across free webinars (yes free!) by www.sweetwater.com for music teachers on integrating technology in the music classroom. I signed up for one immediately! So I am finding resources. Now my backwards challenge is to get them integrated into my regular lessons.

I don’t feel like I need to modify my GAME plan at this time. My goals are still to integrate technology into my classroom on a regular basis. If anything needs to change it may need to be my time table for implementing my goals. While I am trying hard to replace one strategy before the end of the nine weeks, I’m realizing that with four performances to prepare for within the first 12 days of December, there is little time to change gears. But I am looking at how to integrate some new techniques as everyone is preparing for new music at the start of the new year.

To date, I feel I have learned some new things. Aside from the few new programs I have discovered, I’m still trying to find that magic balance between rehearsal and technology. This weeks’ discussion helped when I was able to remember using Audacity and my digital recorder to record rehearsals. So I am learning, but it has been slower than I anticipated.

No new questions have popped up either. It is a fine balance between preparing for a concert, teaching the needed concepts to rehearse the music for that concert and integrate technology all at the same time.

I have come to realize that in my heart of hearts, I’m a general music teacher who loves to put on performances. The two usually don't go together. In a general music class, there is time to build projects, do research and reach beyond the “box”. But in a middle school performance-based class, rehearsal suffers in that kind of environment. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a balance I am still trying to find. But I’m getting closer!



Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.

My GAME Plan Revisited

Last week, I posted my GAME plan for incorporating technology into my music classroom. (Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P., 2009) Since doing this, it has been interesting to notice how I now look at my teaching through new eyes. With that in mind, here is what I have learned so far.

To summarize my game plan, my goal is to increase my competency level by 1) facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity and 2) designing and developing digital-aged learning and assessments. (www.iste.org ) To do this, I need to evaluate my current teaching practices and determine how technology can be incorporated as well as take a technology inventory of the resources available to me and begin conferring with other middle school music teachers to learn how they incorporate technology.

Goal: To date, my goal has not changed. I still need to work towards improving my music lesson with technology and develop better assessment strategies.

Action: The majority of the work I have done towards accomplishing my game plan has been here. I have been able to take a technology inventory and while I have little technology to work with, at least I have a place to start. My students have access to two music programs; one program can be used only on two computers at a time and the other is on a mobile computer lab with 25 seat licenses. The best part is I am already familiar with both programs. My classroom is equipped with a Promethean Board and my school has a wealth of computer lab access.

The remaining parts of my action plan are in process. Evaluating my current curriculum is much harder than I expected. The problem still lies with my original concern; how to incorporate technology lessons that does not take away from rehearsal time? This has been harder than I expected. I have many great digital-age lesson ideas, but once again, rehearsal stops in order to have students complete the lesson. I’m still looking.

I did come across an internet based program while I was setting up an epals.com account. Another music teacher, whom I have contacted and yet to hear from, wanted to set up a collaborative project using a music composition software called Noteflight.(www.noteflight.com) Whether I hear from this teacher or not, the resource is a great one, it’s free and compatible with the notation software available to my students. While I have not been in touch with my fellow music teachers in my district, I was able to discover how technology can be used beyond what I already knew. At this point, that is a step in the right direction.

Monitor: I still plan to exchange at least one lesson with a digital-age lesson, however, the process is just that, in process.

Evaluate: To date, no changes have been made.

I am excited at the prospect of incorporating technology based lessons into my current curriculum. I think the key for me will be when I can find the balance between technology based learning in band and choir versus standard practice procedure.



Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

http://www.epals.com

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

http://www.noteflight.com

My Technology GAME PLan

The International Society for Technology in Education provides five standards for technology use by staff and students in the classroom today. Content standards are designed to give educators direction on the knowledge and skill levels students need to master. (Prensky, 2008) These technology standards are no different.
These standards are: 1) Facilitate student creativity, 2) Design digital-aged learning experiences, 3) Model digital-aged learning, 4) Promote digital citizenship and 5) Engage in professional growth. (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf )

As a music teacher, technology is a slow addition to my classroom. Not because I am hesitant, but because I am trying to find the right combination of content and how it can be enhanced with the technology resources available to me. The core classes I teach are performance based classes which require music rehearsal. Giving my students a digital-aged assignment more often than not, requires music rehearsal to stop. Add to that the lack of technology based music resources available to me; it is a challenge to give my students a digital-aged experience as suggested by the ISTE standards.

But my classroom challenges are not be confused with what I should know as an educator. With that in mind, when I reviewed these standards, I did find my knowledge and skill levels were lacking. Here is my GAME Plan. (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009)

Goal: My goal is to increase my competency level on standards 1 and 2; Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity and design and develop digital-aged learning and assessment.

Action: The first action I will take to meet this goal will be to examine my day to day rehearsals and content instruction to determine where technology can replace current tools and strategies. The second action will be to take inventory of the resources available such as computer labs, internet access and presentation and music programs like Power Point and Music Ace. The final action I will take will be to confer with other middle school music teachers in my district to determine their use of technology in their classroom. With these lists in hand, I can begin to develop lesson plans using my available resources.

Monitor: To monitor my progress I will try to replace one regular rehearsal or content instruction lesson with a digital-aged based lesson in choir and band by the end of the current nine weeks.

Evaluate: I will be able to evaluate the lesson taught in choir and band by comparing the differences with the same lesson taught before without the use of technology. This can be done by looking at student assessment, engagement and creativity levels.



References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45.

Information Literacy and Online Inquiry - A Reflection

Over the course of my masters degree in integrating technology into the classroom, I continue to be amazed with the skills that are needed for students in the 21st century classroom.

• Describe the most striking revelation you had about the teaching of new literacy skills to your students as a result of this course.

The new literacy skill of group projects surprises me the most. As a music teacher, the majority of the work done in class is on the group level, so this should be no surprise. Collaboration and self-motivation are two key elements needed to rehearse and perform an ensemble piece of music, but are overlooked or ignored when it comes to creating a group project. (Jukes, 2007) Group projects are an effective tool for helping students learn personal skills that will benefit them in many ways in a 21st century workforce. (Jukes, 2007)

• Describe how the knowledge and experience gained in this course will influence your teaching practices going forward.

Learning about the QUEST model for online inquiry will have a major impact on my teaching practices in the future. (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007) For myself, internet research has been more on a novice level even though I consider myself a proficient user of technology. Watching my students struggle with research like I did confirmed for me the importance of these skills. By taking the time to teach students how to effectively question, understand, evaluate, synthesize and transform online research, students will ultimately be able to communicate their findings in a more precise and creative manner. In a 21st century environment, these skills will be critical.

• Identify at least one professional development goal you would like to pursue that builds upon your learning in this course and develops your own information literacy or technology skills. Describe the steps you will take to accomplish this goal.

One professional development goal I have will be to take the skills learned in this course and move them to the fluency level. In doing so, I will be able to model these skills for my students on a continuous basis. One way I plan to accomplish this goal is by introducing more projects within my teaching that will give my students the opportunity to learn and use many of the new literacy skills on a regular basis.

By nature, I am an inquisitive person. I thoroughly enjoy learning the history of a song or finding out how something works. The internet opened many avenues for me to learn unique and interesting facts as well as be able to share them with my students. By learning how to focus a search and synthesize the results, the internet becomes an invaluable tool not only for inquisitive minds like mine, but for my students as well. Gone are the days of one or two books on a library shelf with limited information. Giving my students online inquiry skills gives them the keys to a future that is bigger than they could ever imagine.


Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Retrieved from http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf

A Reflection of Technology and Instructional Practices

• Reflect on the “Personal Theory of Learning” you developed in Week 1. Summarize any modifications to your personal theory of learning you have made as a result of your learning in this course.

Eight weeks ago, I stated my personal learning theory was finding ways to make real world connections in my classroom. For my music students, that consisted of teaching music that could be found outside my classroom and the history behind the music we learned. What I have since discovered is I need to take my goal of real world connections one step further. What has been lacking in my teaching has been the application. Too often I would stop short of giving my students the opportunity to do something with the information I presented beyond singing or playing the notes on the page. What I have learned from this course on integrating technology and instructional strategies is to get the information I want my students to learn into their hands and have them create something with that information. I plan to rely more on the constructionist theory of creating an artifact. Dr. Orey said, “…students are engaged in learning…” when they are creating an artifact. (Laureate, 2008) By giving my students opportunities to create an artifact, either alone or in groups, I hope to complete the real world connections I have worked towards in the past.

• Describe any immediate adjustments you will make to your instructional practice regarding technology integration as a result of your learning in this course. Identify two technology tools you would like to use with your students and how the tools will support or enhance your students’ learning.

In the past, I always felt that integrating technology into my music classes required expensive music software. Add to the expense was the time it would take to actually teach the software and not having adequate access to computers to get the programs taught. It felt like a no-win situation. This class has allowed me to see that expensive software and long periods of time are not necessary to integrate technology into my classroom First, the authors of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works provide a wealth of ideas and resources that allow me to use technology in my lessons with little to no expense or instructional time. (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K, 2007) I have found their book to be valuable and accessible to any content area and I plan to use many of their suggestions.

One technology tool I plan to take advantage of is VoiceThread. (www.voicethread.com) Many of my classes next year will be cut short from full year to only nine weeks long. As a result, performance opportunities will be greatly reduced. By using VoiceThread, I can record and post classroom performances and have fellow classmates offer positive and constructive advice.

A second technology tool I plan to use is the online graphic organizer program wespiration. (www.mywebspiration.com) Graphic organizers are nothing new in education, but I have failed to use them in the past. Having a way to organize information not only saves time, but aides’ students in moving information from their short term to long term memory. Online access allows students to work collectively at school or from home which further supports 21st century learning skills.

• List two long-term goal changes you would like to make to your instructional practice regarding technology integration and outline a strategy for achieving them.

Two long-term goals for me would include using technology regularly in my classroom and getting technology into the hands of my students. Even though these two goals can be reached separately, by combining them, I can reach them more effectively. For example, I plan to use my Promethean board and projector regularly for whole class presentations and discussions. To avoid the pitfall of lecturing from a Power Point presentation, I will have my students run the presentation, merely guide their discussions and allow them the opportunity to edit, adjust or add to the notes. Finally, at the end of the lesson, students can then use the technology at hand to once again, create a final project demonstrating their knowledge.

In the past, I felt technology was not that difficult, but too hard to use in the classroom or too time consuming to teach. Technology does not have to be hard, just accessible. That is the simple belief behind the book by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhm and Malenoski, “a focus on technology is not “about” the technology itself, but about changing teacher practice, motivating our students, and creating learning experiences that will be applicable to their world and future workplaces.” (Pitler, et al, 2007)



Laureate Education Inc. (2008). “Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories.” Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Inc.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

So exactly where is our stage?

One music teachers dilema over where her students can perform...

Follow this link to my VoiceThread presentation and feel free to offer any suggestions you might have.

I'd be happy to hear your ideas.

http://voicethread.com/share/527528/



Referrences:
All clip art downloaded from Microsoft Online

To Network or not to Network?

According to Wong and Wong, “Cooperative learning is not so much learning to cooperate as it is cooperating to learn.” (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K, 2007) That is the basis for the many of the technology tools suggested in our text this week with regards to social learning.

Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works highlights many instructional strategies that can be used in the classroom. These strategies can all be used in a social learning scenario. Even though I have only begun to use technology in a cooperative learning environment, I can see their educational value.

Dr. Orey said that one of the aspects of social learning is “Students actively engage in constructing artifacts and conversing with others.” (Laureate, 2008) When students work together to create a web site to display their research, as suggested in our text, they are doing exactly what Dr. Orey stated. First, students have to work together to research their subject and then present their research findings creatively on the internet. The prior knowledge of all the team members combined with the new research culminates in a creative presentation that is as unique as the members themselves. Sure, this same type of lesson can be done on an individual basis, but the cooperative efforts brings unique perspectives and creativity.

Moodle was also mentioned in our text as another resource that can be used in social learning. My school district introduced Moodle this year on the high school level as a way for students and teachers to download instructions and post assignments. As for social learning, “Students share ideas, communicate as a group and learn collectively.” (Pitler, H., et al, 2007) and that is something Moodle offers. However, on a downside, many students expressed frustration over using Moodle with downed networks, slow access or no home access and locked up or lost assignments. I guess the 21st century “The dog ate my homework” excuse is now “But the network was down.”

But even with this downside, Moodle, Global Schoolhouse and the like are great resources that provide students within a classroom or around the world the chance to collaborate in a social learning environment.



Laureate Education Inc. (2008). “Social Learning Theories.” Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education Inc.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.