Digital Storytelling

This week in TPTE we worked on creating digital stories using iMovie on the computer.  Creating digital stories using a movie maker program is a great way to get students engaged and interested in a topic.  Digital stories could be used in a music program to show students the life of a composer or to take them on a digital tour of a place such as a music performance venue.  I am creating a movie about the life of Percy Grainger, a composer who lived during the early 20th century.  I am using photos from his life and the areas he lived to show different events that were important while he was alive.  I also plan on playing music in the background that was composed by him.  This will be a good way to get students to get a more "first-hand" look at the life of a composer that they are studying.

This is a photo of Percy Grainger and his wife, Emma.

Percussion Digital Diagram

I completed my digital diagram this week.  I used a program called Inspiration.  Inspiration is a good tool to use for creating diagrams and other useful visual learning opportunities for students.
I created a diagram for high school music students.  It covers the different categories of percussion instruments.  There are four different categories and I listed  several instruments under each category.  I also used pictures to help show examples of the categories.
I also added a hyperlink so that students can go to another website for further reading about the topic.
This diagram covers a Nets-S Standard since it requires students to use technology.  It covers a Tennessee State Standard as well.


This is a screenshot of the diagram I created.

Digital Diagrams

This week in TPTE we learned about making digital diagrams using ActivInspire.  I find this to be an incredibly useful tool.  This is a great way to create a diagram because it is created using technology so the benefits and uses are greater.  Photos and words can be added to the digital diagram to help students intake the information.  Links can also be added to the diagram so that students can go to websites for further information.  The best thing about digital diagrams is how versatile they are.  They can be used in any subject.  In music they could be used to teach about notations, history, and musical form.
Digital diagrams would benefit visual learners the most.  Since I am a visual learner, I understand how important it is for some students to see information laid out before them in a way that they can understand.  I would definitely use digital diagrams in a classroom.  I will be making a digital diagram this week using a lesson out of a textbook from the library to guide me.  I am excited to learn about all the different ways I can incorporate digital diagrams into my classroom.

Interactive White Boards

This week in TPTE we worked on creating lessons on interactive white boards (IWB).  IWB are really good for educators and their classrooms.  It gets kids interested in class and gives them different ways to participate in lessons. 


http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/Resources/Item/108561/music-reading-made-easy#.UJPp24abSSp

Here is a screen shot of a page in a lesson for learning how to read music on the IWB.  On this particular page, students would drag the note values to the line in the appropriate order after listening to an example.

There are many different techniques the IWB offers so that teachers can be more diverse in their lessons.  Students can move items to reveal answers, erase to reveal solutions, writing can be color coded, pictures can be arranged, and the infinite cloner allows a graphs to be made.

IWB allows teachers to portray information in a more visual and interactive way.  Students can be called to the board to complete problems.  IWB can also be used in any grade level and in any subject area.

www.prometheanplanet.com is one of the world's largest whiteboard community.  There educators can talk to other educators, find free lessons for white boards, and find answers to any questions they may have.

Google Presentation

This week in TPTE we did a variety of things, but I especially enjoyed the Google presentation activity we completed.  Using 10 photos from sites that allowed the usage of these photos, I made a presentation about stringed instruments.  Google presentation is much like PowerPoint, but in my opinion, is easier to manage and quicker to use.  It is also easily shared on the web.  Using HTML the presentations can be easily embedded onto blogs and other websites.
Google presentation is much like PowerPoint because it allows its users to creates slide shows with text and photos.  It can be used on Google Drive if the user has a Google account.  It is simple to use and manage.  It is good for educators because presentations can be put together very quickly.  Since it is used through Google Drive, presentations are saved instantly on the web.  They can be shared with other Google users and put on websites without having to save the presentation to your computer.




The Google presentation I made on stringed instruments.


I like Google presentation because it would be a good way to gain students' attentions and to lead into a lesson at the beginning of class. It is also a good way to show students images that may not be in their textbooks.  The presentations could also be shared easily with other educators for their classroom use as well.

Digital Scavenger Hunt

This week in TPTE we completed a digital scavenger hunt.  This activity was an example of a good way to get students involved in their classwork.  In our version of the "hunt", the music students were sent through campus to capture photos of different instruments.  We were given a list of "clues" that helped us know which instruments to take pictures of.
After we took all of our photos, we uploaded them to Dropbox so that we could all have access to them.  We changed the size so that the pictures were an acceptable size and resolution.  We also had to place and caption our photos in an album on Picasa.  We also had to put our photos in a folder and take a screen shot.
This would be a good activity to get kids excited about class.  It gets kids to learn and apply the curriculum because they are doing a fun activity.  I would use this in a classroom because it would be a different way to learn and reinforce the material being taught.

Digital Images

Because fall break was this week, we only met on Tuesday for TPTE.  We spent the class period talking about digital images.  We learned what pixels are and that there are 72 pixels to an inch.  We also learned how to re-size images.  We took photos from Facebook and adjusted the size.
We also learned about Wordle.  Wordle is an online site that creates images out of words.  It could be used to help make a website or classroom visually appealing.  We were taught how to use Wordle by two classmates.  They did a good job explaining the site and showing the class how to work the site efficiently.

Web 2.0 Tools - Animoto

This week in TPTE we divided into teams so we could research more fully a website that had been assigned to us.  Each website had features and tools that could be used in a variety of ways.  My group was assigned Animoto.



Animoto Website

Animoto is a website that allows its users to easily create professional quality videos.  For nonmembers, users  can create videos up to 30 seconds long for free.  Members have more control over what they do, such as a better selection of items and longer videos.  Educators can be eligible to receive a free membership.  Animoto can be used to create interest in the classroom.  It is also quicker and more simple to use than PowerPoint.
This was a good activity because it got me to research and use a website that I would have otherwise never been exposed to.  It also got me to think about all the ways I could use this tool classroom.

Inquiry Based Activities

This week in TPTE we focused on a website inquiry based activity.  We began by finding topics in textbooks that are approved to be used in the state of Tennessee.  We then had to find a website that could be used to teach our lesson to students.  I used an 8th grade general music book to help guide my subject topic.  After deciding to do my lesson on Japanese percussion instruments, I found websites that were appropriate for my age group.
After we decided which questions we would use for the students to research, we began to create the assignment pages.  We used Microsoft Word to create a hard copy worksheet for student use in a classroom setting.  Then, using our wiki site, we created a page for teacher usage that listed the questions and answers that aligned with the worksheet. This helped me understand that good quality formatting for the internet is different from formatting for printed text.
I enjoyed this activity because it helped me understand the differences between printed text and text on the internet.  It also opened my eyes to the possibilities that are available now with technology.  This could be a really fun activity for students, and it is a different way of learning that they can enjoy.  Website inquiry is something that I will remember for future use in my classroom.

Wikis and Rock Stars

This week was about discussing wikis in greater detail.  We completed an assignment called "Rock Stars".  We split into small groups and researched gems.  Each group had to arrange a page on a wiki site and present our findings to the class.  My partner and I choose to do Moonstone.  After researching it, we created our page.  We put in our information and decorated the page with some photos of the gem.  We then put a link to the home page at the bottom of our page.
This assignment helped me feel more comfortable using a wiki.  I am now able to see all of the uses a wiki can serve in a class.  It can be used for students to place what they have learned on their own page.  It can also be used for students to present their findings to the class.  This way, the students have all the information they need on one site, thus giving the class an easy "study guide" at their fingertips.  A wiki would be an excellent way to have a class complete a project.  For music, it could be used for students to do a project about composers, styles of music, or music history.  I would definitely consider using a wiki in my music classes.

Second Post

This week we learned about WebQuest.  I have never used WebQuest before, so it was interesting to see what that has to offer.  It offers good projects and activity ideas for students in every subject.
We also reviewed a website previously this week.  I found an educational music website for young students.  It was very informative and interactive.  It is something that could be useful to a general music classroom.  I will definitely remember it if I ever teach in the elementary grade levels.
It was a good assignment to review a website because it helps us consciously evaluate a websites for potential use in a classroom.  It is important to have quality websites with accurate information, appropriate content, and quality visuals for our students.  I will remember to always look for the best quality websites for classroom use.

TPTE Course Expectations

This is my first post for TPTE 486!  I am excited to be learning uses of technology in a classroom setting.  I believe this class will be beneficial.  I expect that we will use blogs, wikis, and other websites in this class to expand our ways of reaching out to students, parents, and other teachers.
As someone preparing to teach music, I think that the internet is one of my most valuable tools.  I use it daily to research things and to listen to pieces of music.  I also use the internet and other technology to stay organized and up to date on current things in the music world.  I think this class will  help me expand my horizons as I learn how to use technology in classroom settings.