Monday, December 9, 2013

Pinterest PBL Assignment

Pinterest is a tool that can be used to by educators to find ideas for lesson plans. For my Intro to Educational Technology class, I re-pined ten lesson ideas and pinned ten original lesson plan ideas. I found Pinterest to be more useful than I expected. It was easy to navigate and there were numerous examples of lesson plan ideas that I might use as an educator. Using ideas from Pinterest, particularly a pin showing a Rhythm Value Look Book, I created a PBL lesson.

My Activity

This activity gives students a visual representation of note values. Students can see how the hole note is divided.

 (materials)

 (Step 3)

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 (Step 6)

(Complete Project)

Included in link is the procedure I used for completing the assignment and a rubric I made with Rubistar that could be used for grading a students work. This is just one example of a lesson plan you could create using ideas from Pinterest. This lesson gives students a visual representation of note lengths. Half notes are half the length of whole notes, quarters are half the length of half notes etc. I was very surprised by how useful Pinterest could be for educators. I found at least ten other pins that could be used in designing music related lesson plans. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013



Web 2.0 Blogging Assignment 




This site provides a wide rage of music theory lessons. Students have access to exercises in staff identification, keyboard identification, fretboard identification, and ear training. Calculator (accidental, interval, chord, analysis, and matrix) and utility (code checker, tempo tapper, staff paper, and pop-up piano) tools are also available. This site (or app) could be used in my classroom to help students master the basics of music theory. The site can also be used as an aid for students in becoming proficient in sight-singing and ear-training. 


This site introduces new music to listeners. Stations are suggested based on the time of day and the season. Playlists are made by “Music Experts.” This site can be used in the classroom to introduce students to new music. Students can explore the world of music and gain insight to genres they may not be familiar with. 


This site provides a link to free multi-track audio editing and recording software available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and other operating systems. With the software, users can record live audio or edit existing audio files. Audio files can be processed (copied, cut, spliced, or mixed). Students can use the link to download the software and use it to record themselves or process existing audio files. Students can use the software as a creative and/or reflective tool (how do I sound/what can I improve). 



This site provides a platform for sharing music. Artist/users can upload music and explore music made by users from around the world. In addition to music, podcasts are available. Students can upload recordings to share with only me as a teacher or the world. Students can use the site to access music that I share for them to listen to. 




This site provides a free medium of file storage. Files can be shared to all devices via the cloud. Shared files are secure and private. Students can use the site to save, share, and access their work wherever they are. Students can bring their work to class without having to use a physical storage device. 
School Notes provides educators with a virtual space where they can communicate with students and parents. Information posted is accessible to parents anywhere with internet access. Using School Notes, teachers can post assignments, announcements, provide important resources and much more. I can use school notes to provide students with papers/assignments/announcement that they were not present to receive or that they lost. I can also use school notes to share resources with students to access anywhere (in case they forget specific resources used in class). 

Oovoo is a program for PC, Mac, Android, or iPhone for free video chat. Up to 12 users can communicate at one time. Screen sharing enables users to share files. As an educator I can use this tool to give students private lessons. I can use the tool to host conference calls with other teachers, giving students additional feedback on their performances. 




USTREAM is a tool available to the public which allows users to broadcast and view live video streams. Users can comment on and share videos in real time. USTREAM can be accessed anywhere an internet connection is available (users can be virtually anywhere). Students can watch and listen to live performances from home. Students can broadcast their own performances for public viewing. 


Livestream is a video broadcasting tool. Users can publish and host event pages where their live video streams can be accessed. Livestreams can be published and viewed from any location permitting internet access. Students can access live performances from home. Students can publish performances. 



Udemy is a site where internet users can take online courses (free and paid). Courses are taught by experts in the respective field. Students are not assessed but are given a wealth of information regarding the subject. My student can use the site to further their knowledge of music. I can assign supplemental lessons for them to watch as homework. 

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Welcome!


Greetings users of the interwebs! As you have probably gathered by now, I am a 20 year old music education student at Henderson State University. My primary instrument is the tenor trombone. My home is and has always been in Ashdown, Arkansas (a city in southwest Arkansas approximately 15 minutes from Texarkana). My closest family members include my grandfather and grandmother, father, uncle Steven, aunt and her husband, and the family pets. I hope to someday play trombone professionally and maintain a studio at a university as well as a private studio. I feel that Henderson will prepare me to continue my studies at a larger music school. One of hobbies away from the trombone is gardening. In the summers, I tend to my backyard garden.

(a photo I took early in the season)

Some of the vegetables planted in my garden include corn, squash, okra, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, purple hull peas, lima beans, bell peppers, white and green onions, sunflowers, eggplant, lettuce, and green beans. Perhaps in the future, I will include garden updates. 



I am starting this blog for a course I am taking at Henderson. In the future, I plan to share my ideas regarding trombone pedagogy. 
Here are a few of my favorite trombone related links: 




In time, I will share specific pages and discuss their significance in detail. 

More about me: I enjoy observing nature, drinking and making coffee, spending time with friends and family, attending performances, listening to music, watching educational television shows about space, exploring philosophy, and learning about almost anything. 

I look forward to continuing my blog and learning from other's blogs. Feel free to comment with any questions or comments you might have!