PLN Week 7 - Technological Tools for Organization, Communication, Collaboration and Creation

The week seven reading assignment about productivity was especially timely given that it is time to head back to school.  Managing the end of one academic year and beginning a new one while enrolled in this graduate program has been an adventure in organization and productivity.  Based on the reading, I have decided to share things technological tools that I use for organization, communication, collaboration and creation.

Organization 

Book Buddy  - I have an extensive classroom library of children's books that I use with my students for a variety of instructional purposes.  Several years ago I developed an organizational system that fits my needs perfectly but remains somewhat arbitrary.  Therefore, I found that I was spending too much time hunting for books.  When using the application, I used a QR reader to scan the codes printed on the outside of each book.  The barcode would then populate the form with information.  I then took the extra step of placing each book within a particular group that corresponds with my filing system.  The entire process took about a week to set up last summer and now when I need a book, I can look on my phone or refer to the printed report in order to locate a book.  I was also able to share an electronic version of the database with my co-teacher who also uses my library.

Google Forms

5th-grade choir is for many of my students the very first performance ensemble they have been a part of, outside of grade level performances.  The difference being that a performance ensemble serves as an ambassador for the school and has the opportunity to perform for people who would not necessarily attend a campus performance.  As representatives of our school, these students get to go on field trips.  Being our first year at a new school, we had done what we thought would be easiest and sent home paper choir enrollment forms to be turned into us.  We spent weeks gathering and entering data into a spreadsheet that ultimately did not include the information we needed.    About two weeks away from our first field trip, our lunch vendor called to remind us that our students would need to be prepared to pay two different prices for their meal depending on their age at the time of the field trip.  Students who were ten paid the child price.  Students who were eleven paid the adult price.  My poor co-teacher and I had to go through and look up each individual choir member, all 125 of them and look up their birthday.  It was torture and could have been avoided.  In the initial choir packet and at the parent meeting we have QR codes posted everywhere that provide a link to a google form. Needless to say, we are no longer looking up birthdays.  

Google Drive 

We keep all of our financial records in Google Sheets. Bauer (2014) says, "Unlike most other classroom teachers, many music educators are charged with managing one or more budgets that are used to support their programs" (p. 173). Having been at schools where my budget was zero, I am happy to bear the burden of a healthy budget.  My co-teacher and I handle more money than any other teachers on our campus.  Google Sheets allows us to not only work from the same document when entering data, but we can also share deposit information directly with our financial secretary. 

Charms 

Many of the organizational tasks as well as communication tasks listed below could be taken care of by Charms.  My district pays for our subscription and I know that it is heavily used within the district. However, being such a robust program, I imagine that it will take an entire summer just to get everything updated and transferred over. I think that this will have to wait until the summer of 2018 to have my full attention.  

Communication

Remind

Being a teacher requires regular communication.  Being in charge of an ensemble sometimes moment by moment communication, especially when traveling.  Formerly known as Remind 101, Remind allows teachers to use their personal devices for communication with groups and individuals without having to also give or receive personal information.  It is so easy it must be used judiciously, otherwise it could become a pest.   Therefore, I usually only ask parents to sign up for the service during field trips.  Especially on long trips, parents and even students with me on the bus are especially appreciative of updates about our location and expected time of arrival.  Once on the ground, Remind is the perfect application for keeping all of my chaperons on the same page.  Having used the program for many years, I am pleased with how it has improved over the years and highly recommend it.

Voxer
Although fairly effective, email and texts often fail to communicate the nuanced expression that can be achieved when speaking.  Who hasn't labored over the process of delicately wording  a professional email or text while knowing that few spoken words would take a fraction of the time and be easier to understand?  Additionally, with varying class schedules and conference times, teachers do not have the opportunity to speak with each other on the phone.  Voxer is an application that allows texts if needed, but primarily relies on spoken messages.  You can vox and individual or group.  Some people chose immediate notification, which I don't recommend because it is annoying, or you can check in periodically and respond accordingly.  Last year my principal created a group for the leadership team.  My principal is a dedicated user of the application, so we all use it and it is nice.  However, when our district shut down for an entire week due to flooding, our leadership team had regularly scheduled Voxer meetings for safety and scheduling updates and in order to make plans for the following week.  Especially considering that many people were without power, trying to email or even text under those circumstances would have been tedious.  Voxer allowed us to meet in an asynchronous way and accomplish our goals.

Collaboration 

Dropbox 

My co-teacher and I teach the same lessons at the same time.  While we use Google Drive for administrative things, we have had better success using DropBox (Bauer, 2014, p. 169) for instructional materials.  I suspect this is because Dropbox does not attempt to change the file type. Whether it is a Finale file or a Word file, it remains in original form without being changed into a Google type file.  Additionally, it seems that audio .WAV files seem to play better from Dropbox. Using the Dropbox application, we were able to take our playlist with us on our field trip without having to burn a CD.  We simply used a Blue-tooth speaker and a phone.  It was quite simple.  

Creation 

Canva

This is probably my favorite application for use in creating instructional materials simply because with Canva, I can make beautiful things.  The service is free and many of the design elements are free.  If you chose to download a creation that contains an element that has a cost, then you pay the license fee for that element.  Most elements are either free or one dollar which makes it very reasonable.  A great deal can be designed with free elements.  As part of my American Music class last spring, I created this listening map for Heebie Jeebies by Louis Armstrong.

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music                     learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 167-             187). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

PLN - 7 One Note Review

I got One Note just when I was in the middle of a professional transition.  I was in the process of moving from a school where I was the only music teacher, to a new school in a different district.  The teacher who was replacing me had never taught before, so it was very important to me that I left her a very well organised situation. One Note was the perfect tool for organizing my thoughts.  I had one notebook for my old school and one notebook for my new school.  I added content to each notebook daily as I thought of important information the new music teacher would need or questions concerning my new assignment. Now I regularly use it for long-range planning.  I use it as a place to keep any links to music I preview along with comments and ideas.

It would seem that OneNote Classroom is a sort of LMS.  My district recently acquired a district-wide licence for Office 360, but I had not seen OneNote Classroom.  Through some exploration, I did find out that I do have access to the program through my school account, but given that my school is already involved in using an LMS from another vendor, it seems that in my case OneNote Classroom might be somewhat redundant.  I also noticed that in order to be added to the class or group, students must have an email address.  In my district, students are not given a district email address until the sixth grade.  Even so, I was very pleased to see the Draw feature as it was new to me.  It seems that this would be ideal for use with touch screen laptops.  I was also excited to see that OneNote is available for IPad.  Using OneNote in combination with an iPad or tablet along with an Apple TV and projector would help facilitate an active board environment for my classroom that to date has not been possible.  OneNote for IPad 

Song Writing Project - I will sing!

This piece is intended to be sung by my fifth-grade choir.  

I will sing! 

Verse 1
 When joy fills my heart, I sing!
When sadness surrounds, I sing!
 When all that feel cannot be contained I sing! I sing!

 Verse 2
 When laughter arises, I sing!
When troubles abound, I sing!
 This song in my heart cannot be contained so I will sing!

 Chorus
I sing! I sing! I sing! I sing! I sing! I sing! I sing! I sing!

Bridge
I sing in the morning, I sing at night, I sing and my heart is free!

Repeat Verse

Chorus
 I sing, to remember.
 I sing, to offer comfort.
 I sing, to honor those I love.
 I sing, to bring hope I sing.
I sing, to find healing.
 I sing, when my heart is glad.

Tag
This song in my heart cannot be contained so I sing! I will sing! I will sing!

PLN - Week 6 Listening Maps and Technology

This week's reading assignment prompted me to examine the various roles of listening maps in my classroom. In order to better understand the both the rationale and effectiveness of the various types of listening maps,  this blog post will attempt to catalog and evaluate the types of listening maps I regularly integrate into my lessons.  Technology often plays an important role in the level of engagement my students experience when using a listening map. Therefore, even when discussing a listening map that is not currently in a technologically integrated form, possibilities for replicating the learning task using technology will be explored.  

Published (Textbook Adoption) Maps

These are sprinkled all throughout our current textbook adoption as mentioned by Brauer (2014) and are now accessible through their web-based textbook.  Many of the animated listening maps are updated versions of maps that existed in an unanimated form in the older version of the textbook series.  If students are able to access the maps on their personal devices, then they can manipulate the maps, making the new versions infinitely more meaningful to students simply because they are interactive.  However, after an entire year of doggedly trying to access maps unsuccessfully, my students gave up due to frustration.    Access issues aside, even when used as a whole class, the animated maps are effective because they combine an iconic, non-notation representation of a piece with the elements of a call sheet.  Often it is the form of the piece that is announced by an animation which helps guide the listener through the piece. Ultimately, the access issues were so bad, that my district has decided to go with a different vendor for this coming school year.  I am certain that the new vendor will have a new list of animated listening maps that will be different which means I will lose some and gain some.  

Youtube Listening Maps

There are many music teachers who have created their own listening maps using video editors and youtube.  Whenever I can't find a listening map for a particular piece, I search Youtube before creating one in an effort to save time.  Some are good, some are fantastic so it is worth the search.  I have included my three favorites below.  Kinder studies Camille Saint-Saens, so we use this listening map on Aquarium day.  Second-grade studies Tchaikovsky and is also working toward aurally identifying the instrument families, so this map serves as a great visual support for what they hear.  Finally, fifth grade studies Bach.  They beg for this map all year long as the illustrator has done such as excellent job of capturing the complexity and beauty of the piece.  As much as my students enjoy these listening maps, a video is by nature a passive experience and provides only visual cues which according to Grompko & Russel (2002) is efficacious, but not as much as an experience that involves movement.   Therefore, when I use a map like this, it is never the only tool I use and I always incorporate movement or some other element to support engagement.  

Teacher Created Listening Maps

Sometimes the right listening map doesn't exist.  When that happens I have sometimes created my own.  I created a map for Swan Lake and the 1812 Overture, both by Tchaikovsky using Powerpoint a couple of years ago in a moment of need.  In terms of personal study and preparing to teach, the creation of the maps was very useful and it made me wish that I had the luxury to spend so much time studying all of the music that I taught.  Creating the listening maps myself enabled me to tailor the map to fit a recording I already had and facilitated easy sharing among teachers.   My students enjoyed them and were able to interact with them in a limited way by advancing the powerpoint slides at the appropriate time. However, I believe that the learning experience was improved more because by preparing the maps, I understood the music myself and was therefore able to guide the student experience in a more informed way.  In order for students to learn as much as I did, it would be better for them to have an opportunity to use technology to create a map for themselves as described by Brauer (2014).   Powerpoint or Keynotes is a very easy way to create a listening map and perhaps as our student to device ratio decreases I will be able to ask students to create a listening map using these or similar web-based programs. Before reading the chapter I had not thought of using mind mapping software as described by Brauer (2014), the neutrality of simple shapes and lines would assist students in visualizing the form.  As an intermediate step toward this type of map creation, it might be feasible to create a map together using our projector and Apple TV.

Paper Maps and Form Books 

I have studied with the Richards Institute of Education and Research for many years.  One of their principle teaching tools is called a form book.  These published paper maps have been created to serve as listening guides for a variety of folk songs and masterworks. The beauty of the maps is that they help students isolate musical events and eventually move toward labeling musical events that they already experience procedurally.  In that respect, the form books move in reverse from the way that Brauer described declarative and procedural knowledge.

 "Eventually, though, much of that declarative knowledge transforms into procedural knowledge and can be executed automatically. Declarative knowledge informs all of the musical processes— creating, performing, and responding" (Brauer, 2014, p. 115).

 When using a form book with students, the students have considerable experience with the piece being studied through singing, playing song experience games or other movement activities and finally map reading.  After working with such a map, students are able to discuss in detail the melodic, rhythmic and textural aspects of the piece they have studied.  This type of map is especially useful because of the guided way that students are led from procedural to declarative concept labeling through experience.  My students ask for this sort of map all the time because the structure fosters success and they walk away from the experience able to express their learning.  If interested in trying out a form book from the Richards Institute, I would recommend the Bach Gavotte Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D, and Cotton-Eyed Joe.  The process behind Education Through Music (ETM) can be found in the writings of Mary Helen Richards herself, in particular, her book, Aesthetic Foundations for Thinking-Part 3: The ETM Process. Classes are also available in several locations around the country.  Understanding how to work with these maps and students is quite important as the power behind the success is not the map itself, but rather the process.  While these form books are not available in a technologically integrated form, my tweet for this week was certainly the closest approximation of process that I could find in a web-based form was the site that I shared in one of my tweets for the week.

https://apps.musedlab.org/puzzlecards/play.html

Student Created Maps 

As part of my ongoing work with the Richards Institute, I have adopted the practice of mapping music with my students.  Sometimes students create a map of a song we have sung or a piece we have heard.  In each case, the process of mapping has been preceded by singing or listening, playing, and moving to the song being mapped. This process which relies heavily on the proprioception of the child is supported in the work of Gromko & Poorman, (1998).  They found that children who are still developing reading skills benefit from movement while listening.

When studying creative thinking and musical listening involved in map making, Dunn (1997) concluded that although unique, "each figure based map was to be the result of active, cognitive interactions with the music"(p. 54).  The maps created and used by his test subjects are very similar the products created by students using the ETM process as developed by Mary Helen Richards and she is cited in his study.

In my class, younger students may only map songs they can sing  and have experienced through play over time, such as "Sally Go Round the Sun", or "The Farmer in the Dell".  Older students also map songs they know but also branch out and learn to create self-symbolized maps for masterworks.  
Typically, students of all ages use newsprint and chisel point markers for this process. The process is so "skin and bones" that I wonder if there would be a benefit to adding technology?  If so, it would have to be through the use of a drawing program on an IPad in order to maintain the link between the body and the creation of the map.  Even without changing the creation process, technology can certainly assist in capturing the process through video and pictures.

Figural Map for Mozart’s Serenade No. 3 in G, Second Movement, Measures 1-15, Dunn, 1997)

Every resource we use with students must be carefully weighed and evaluated for effectiveness in order to ensure that every instructional experience is truly the best we can offer students.  Sometimes, technology is the way to best meet student needs, while other times it is not.  In terms of helping students listen to music in a more meaningful way, based on this reflective process, I believe that only the most careful technology integration is appropriate within the most engaged music listening and I now have a better understanding of where some of my teaching practices need to change in order to improve the way I use technology within music listening. 

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music                     learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 113-             115). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Dunn, R. E. (1997). Creative Thinking and Music Listening. Research Studies in Music Education, 8(1), 42-55. doi:10.1177/1321103X9700800105

Gromko, J. E., & Poorman, A. S. (1998). Does perceptual-motor performance enhance perception of patterned art music?. Musicae Scientiae, 2(2), 157-170.

Gromko, J., & Russell, C. (2002). Relationships among Young Children's Aural Perception, Listening Condition, and Accurate Reading of Graphic Listening Maps. Journal of Research in Music Education, 50(4), 333-342. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3345359

MusEdLab Puzzle Cards. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://apps.musedlab.org/puzzlecards/play.html

Pianomonkey90. (2011, December 30). Carnival of the Animals: Listening Map for "The Aquarium" Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://youtu.be/wzL8seKE-FA?list=PLpslL3jOj7IVqvxrBm9nrCfruMDPjOK64

Raonna Studios. (2010, December 27). Tchaikovsky's "March" from The Nutcracker Suite - Listening Map. Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://youtu.be/NS_NtnCKPKY

RICHARDS, M. H. (1980). Aesthetic Foundations for Thinking-Part 3: The ETM Process. Richards Institute.

Smalin. (2015, December 2). Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, 10-year anniversary edition. Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://youtu.be/bOWi8tOf5FA

PLN - Week 5 Assessment Tools

Developing Assessments 

According to Bauer, (2014), teachers first determine desired learning outcomes and then develop assessment tools to evaluate the work (p.132).  Only after we establish what will be learned and how it will be assessed are we to develop the activities that support the given objective.  Personally, even though I have been attempting to use backward design (p. 152)  since college,  I have always found the process to be very difficult. Indeed, creating assessments before activities is a process I have only begun to understand and use the last few years. 

A real life example of assessment decisions:

Yesterday I met with my co-teacher to plan for this upcoming semester.  Based on our district curriculum and state standards. one learning outcome for fifth graders will be to play, read and write a C, F, and G Major scale.  The assessment of this learning outcome has three parts.    We ask students to demonstrate their ability to read and write the scales and use a rubric to assess their work.   To assess students playing scales, we use a simple checklist designed to capture accuracy. Because students might be playing unfamiliar instruments we decided not to include a technical element within the checklist.  Perhaps as we continue to further integrate our LMS into our everyday teaching, asking students to submit videos of their scale performances individually rather than in small groups.  This would enable us to share very specific feedback in a rubric with more detail.  

In my experience, the process of planning and then teaching with assessment always in the forefront is a learned skill that takes time to develop.  Having the right guidance and tools to help teachers develop this mindset is key.  This week I discovered Carnegie Hall Music Teacher Tool Box , an assessment resource that would have transformed my younger teaching had it been available eighteen years ago.  I shared it in my tweet for this week, but due to the brevity of twitter,  I thought it might be helpful if I shared some of the aspects that I feel are the most useful especially in terms of creating assessments that are fully reliable and valid reflections of the expected learning outcomes.

https://www.carnegiehall.org/toolbox/ retrieved August 5, 2016

In this website, you can search by grade level, concept, or resource type. Each tool includes a scope and sequence for a particular grade level based on the National Standards.  There are also multiple formative assessment tasks and at least one summative assessment task included in each tool as well as any materials students might need to complete the task.  These resources are available with a creative commons license.   There are also videos of teachers and students engaged in learning and assessment activities which would be especially helpful to anyone you know who is new to teaching.

https://www.carnegiehall.org/toolbox/ retrieved August 5, 2016

Implementing Assessments

Checklists and rubrics are the daily bread of assessment in elementary music and they are amazing tools if you have good ones, but even a good tool is not very helpful if it cannot be implemented successfully.    I learned very quickly that in elementary, nothing spells death to a good lesson like having to pause the action in the room so that I can put a check on my checklist. or worse yet, asking students to play the game for the thirtieth time so that every child can be assessed as an individual.  I have noticed that children are often motivated by the hope that they might get another turn.  If in my attempt to assess, I turn the play of the children into a one-at-a-time assessment where everyone must have a turn then the hope of another turn dies and as time passes, more and more students are off-task.   As a young teacher, to avoid exasperating my students, it was simpler  to give myself over to facilitating the activity and play of the children rather than the immediate assessment of their work.  Then after my class left I would frantically make as many notes in my checklist as I could remember, hoping that I didn’t get my students mixed up. Attempting to assess in this way not very effective at all.  I felt like I was trying to keep too many things up in the air at once.  

Then I got an IPad.  Finally, I could assess with less stress.  I still find that in most cases it is easier for me to review student work after class.  However, the iPad enables me to capture instructional moments that I can revisit at my own convenience.   I can teach a song or a game, and then video the class at work.  I often show them their work immediately and we are able to review and assess their progress right away.  Inevitably, my students want me to share their accomplishments with their teachers which I usually do out in the hallway when the teacher is picking up the class.    Using my IPad has also cut down on the number of copies I make and papers I deal with.  Instead, we will use dry-erase boards for those tasks requiring a pencil and paper.  When students are finished, I take their picture with their work.  Students who have devices can just send their work in an instant message or email directly to my iPad.  My classroom teacher iPad has become a sort of product/performance portfolio.  "A product/performance portfolio is a formative portfolio created by the teacher, containing a collection of similar materials from the class (i,e, the same assignments from all students). This portfolio is used for 'ranking and sorting' of student achievement for measurement purposes" (Mills 2009, p. 33).  

Having the habit of using  the iPad to record student work, I am excited to have the opportunity to explore a new resource this year that is free to all teachers.  It is called For All Rubrics.  Through this application, you can create classes, create rubrics and checklists, as well as assess individual students within the application and then share the information in a variety of ways.  The program will even generate a student version of your rubric that can be shared with students at the beginning of an assignment.  I don't yet know if it can be integrated into the LMS system used by my district, but it does work with Edmodo which is a nice option in and of itself.

Portfolio Goals

While I am comfortable creating a product/performance portfolio (Mills 2009), I find the task of creating a working or presentation portfolio for even one grade level of students to be incredibly daunting.  From a management standpoint, and in terms of creating somewhat protected and dedicated digital workspaces for students, it would seem that an LMS as described by Brauer (2014, p. 142) would lend itself very well to the development of a true student-centered portfolio. 

Having attempted to create a digital version on my own on more than one occasion, I know first hand that at least when referring to digital portfolios, there are not enough minutes in the day to upload all of the various types of data, scan papers, communicate expectations and share the work in a meaningful way without very robust LMS that facilitates and enables students to file and upload their own work.  

As part of our districts full roll-out of our LMS, I plan on asking my fifth-grade students to regularly contribute to a working portfolio that will turn into a performance portfolio that they can take with them to Jr. High.  I am certain that the families in my community would keep the work even if their student never enrolled in another music class in which case the portfolio would serve as a sort of capstone.   If the project goes the way I envision, it might be a fantastic tool for the Jr. High.  If I could share the portfolio of all the band students with the band director and so on, it might save everyone time, since there would be assessed proof that at least three months before starting the clarinet, Johnny did know about and could demonstrate his ability to read, write, sing and play melodies in a variety of keys and meters accurately.   

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 130-143). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

            Kehret, S. (2013, June 08). For All Rubrics Short Tutorial. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPhe3B2tIec

Mills, M. (2009). Capturing Student Progress via Portfolios in the Music Classroom. Music Educators Journal, 96(2), 32-38. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40666404

            Music Educators Toolbox. (n.d.). Retrieved August 5, 2016, from https://www.carnegiehall.org/toolbox/

Chromatik and Smart Music Review

Chromatik

Based on the video that was in the lecture, I was intrigued by Chromatik.  While it seems that Chromatik may be a step in the right direction, I found the academic applications to be limited at best.  

Benefits 

     Used judiciously, Chromatik might help music teachers meet their students in the middle in terms of music choice.  Chromatik combines the fun of karaoke-style sing/play-along with the expectation that singing and/or playing will occur.  Chromatik provides the opportunity to share videos of personal performances which in turn can be an opportunity for feedback and self-evaluation.  Reading and performing music along with a stylistically appropriate example is also useful to emerging ensemble members.  Sometimes young musicians struggle to continue to play or sing  if they make a mistake. Playing along with a video, although not live, still supports the development of this skill.

Concerns

As I explored, it became clear to me that Chromatik is not a good fit for the elementary classroom. First, students would only be able to practice three songs before having to pay a subscription fee because Chromatik has recently discontinued its Chromatik for schools and groups program due to lack of use.  According to their website, teachers are using the program for sight reading exercises and take-home assignments (In the Classroom, 2016). When searching for information about age limitations, I came across two different statements.  The first game from a third-party review source called CommonSense Media.  In their very brief review of the program, there was a comment stating that the terms and conditions for Chromatik required that children be thirteen years or older, (Conway, 2016).   While I was personally unable to locate a specific age requirement,  I did find an important clause within the Terms Of Use, particularly for instructors.

"If you are an instructor using this Service in a classroom setting ("Instructor") with students that are not 18 years of age or older ("Minors"), you agree that you are responsible for the acts of such students in connection with their use of the Service" ("Terms of Service, 2016).

I suspect that all web-based applications have similar terms listed for their own protection.  However, before agreeing to such terms, teachers must be aware, especially when the applications have a strong social component as does Chromatik.  There may be other platforms that offer reflective, social and collaborative tools that are not quite so open to misuse.

Problems with Chromatik

When exploring repertoire in Chromatik, I first looked for vocal repertoire.  I was pleased to see Ella Fitzgerald as one of the artists listed as having a collection.  When I chose to look through the collection, there was only one song available.  I clicked on the song and was dismayed to find that the notation was written an entire octave higher than what occurs in the performance.  In teaching vocal technique, this might cause serious confusion.

https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/53a64b17ad28be8808f982b9/score_viewer, 

accessed July 26, 2016

https://youtu.be/97p6gQnlO5Y
accessed July 26, 2016

I then began to search for classical music with a focus on choral music.  I found the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel.  I was disappointed to see that rather than a choral score, the notation provided was simply a transcription of the melody.  I noticed that instruments other than voice were available for this choral piece.  I chose violin and discovered that although the violins actually begin playing in the first measure, the notation provided in Chromatik was once again a transcription of the melody or soprano part.

 https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/568c397c7eea4ed5a6ff1132/score_viewer,
accessed July 26,2016

I wondered if perhaps Chromatik did not have choral music available at all, but I discovered a choral-like hymn tune made popular by Alison Krauss.  Of all the pieces that I reviewed, this arrangement most closely resembled the recording.

https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/54c121f750b628cae34d0c1c/score_viewer ,
accessed July 26, 2016

Although I am a fan of popular music, I do not think that the music included in the Chromatik repertoire should be relied on as a source for good vocal models.  By encouraging students to mimic popular artists, we risk aiding the development of poor vocal habits that will over time cause physical harm to their voices.  Even if I was teaching a popular song to my students, I would rather have them record their rehearsals and private lessons for use at home than inviting them to use Chromatik as it now exists.  It may be that in the future, as the service develops, it might become a more robust and instructionally sound tool, but as for now, it is not good enough for intentional use with students.

Smart Music

I found Smart Music to be rather exciting.  Although I don't have experience using the program myself, it seems a good investment. 

Benefits

I remember from my own days in solo and ensemble how difficult it was to schedule adequate time with an accompanist in order to feel well prepared. I also remember as a young flute player being completely flummoxed when I finally did have time to work with an accompanist simply because I had no idea whatsoever that the accompaniment would sound as it did.  As Bauer states, "a performer can get a sense of the musical whole, developing an understanding of how the solo line and accompaniment combine" (Bauer, 2014, p. 84).  I would have been better prepared, had such a program existed when I was learning to play the flute.  

Strengths

Repertoire: The repertoire seems robust.  Focused as I am on general music for elementary, I looked for recorder music and was pleased that a well-written recorder method book is included in the existing catalog.  

Access:  It is clear that Smart Music was designed for teachers.  Not only do teachers have permission to give access to their students at home, but they are free to use the resource with their entire ensemble at once.  When compared with Chromatik, it seems that the subscription is designed for use in a variety of settings.  A teacher can feel confident that with the subscription they have the rights to use the music fully in several settings. 

http://www.smartmusic.com/products/educators/exploresmartmusic/, 
accessed July 26, 2016

Works with Finale: Because Smart Music and Finale, users are able to create new accompaniments and MIDI files for students to use as needed.  Students can use the teacher created files in the same way that they use the formally published files.  This feature is important as it allows teachers to better differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of their students rather than limiting students to available repertoire.  

Limitations

Price: Although perhaps reasonably priced and worth the investment, a subscription is a recurring cost that will never diminish.  It is often easier for teachers to generate funding for one-time expenditures than for recurring costs.  

Microphone issues: I find the fact that Smart Music will only work with particular microphones to be incredibly limiting, especially for students who will be using the program at home.  Whether ensembles choose to pass along the subscription cost to students or not, the only students who will use the program successfully are those who have the right sort of technology at home.  Having worked for many years in a low-income environment, I would never ask my students to do anything with technology that could not be accomplished with a smartphone.  If students are already being asked to purchase band instruments, mouthpieces, and other equipment, I would hate to have to tell a parent that the microphone they already have will not work with the program I require them to purchase. 

http://www.smartmusic.com/support/systemrequirements/, accessed July 26, 2016

References

A. (2008, August 04). Ella Fitzgerald - All the Things You Are. Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97p6gQnlO5Y

All The Things You Are by Ella Fitzgerald Free Sheet Music for Voice. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/53a64b17ad28be8808f982b9/score_viewer

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 80-83). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Conway, Chromatik - Website Review. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/chromatik

Down To The River To Pray by Alison Krauss Free Sheet Music for Voice. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/54c121f750b628cae34d0c1c/score_viewer

Exploring SmartMusic - SmartMusic. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from http://www.smartmusic.com/products/educators/exploresmartmusic/

Hallelujah Chorus by George Frideric Handel Free Sheet Music for Violin. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/568c397c7eea4ed5a6ff1132/score_viewer

System Requirements - SmartMusic. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from http://www.smartmusic.com/support/systemrequirements/

Terms of Service. (n.d.). Retrieved July 29, 2016, from https://www.chromatik.com/static/terms

A. (

PLN - Week 4 - Better Recorder Instruction through Improved Practice Dispersion and Careful External Motivation

Year 1

     Three years ago, my co-teacher and I were both new to our school.  My family was in the midst of dealing with a major medical crisis and my co-teacher, in her first year in elementary, had never taught recorder. Therefore, in order to keep things simple, we took the path of least resistance and minimal instructional thought.  We chose the method book with the prettiest cover, that turned out to be quite good despite us and began on page one with no other plan.   Our fourth and fifth-grade students carefully and faithfully slogged through the book.  Due to the prolonged nature of the medical crisis in my family, the amount of prolonged periods of method book work was significantly more than I had ever planned or intended.  Nevertheless, in the midst of tedious moments and minimal motivation, the method book was well designed and our students made progress, played well and were generally pleased with themselves.   We were satisfied. 

Year 2

     When our fourth graders returned in the fall as fifth graders, without thinking too much of it, we picked up where we had left off with the intent of continuing as we had.  It became clear rather quickly that we were going to have to rethink our instructional practice for recorder.  Simply put, my sweet fifth graders who loved attending music class, had developed method-book fatigue and no longer enjoyed playing the recorder.    While the thought of playing recorder had once filled them with excited anticipation, they now complained of being bored and were discouraged.  We had to act quickly to resolve the problem or risk sending students to Jr. High ill-disposed toward playing an instrument.

     As part of our motivational and instructional triage, we put away the method books entirely and spent time playing the recorder in a sort of game fashion using echo and flashcards.  We also incorporated relays small group stations, and the opportunity to play other instruments as accompaniment all to disguise the fact that we were being very repetitive.   This helped students internalize the mechanical procedural knowledge of playing the recorder (Bauer, 2014, p. 80).  We also limited the time spent playing the recorder within a given class and included the recorder in small ways throughout more lessons in order to distribute practice (Bauer, 2014, p. 81).  We also sought out a repertoire that not only supported our instructional goals but also had interesting or novel accompaniment tracks that would, "provide sonically rich environments" (Brauer, 2014, p.83).   We noticed that students who reported playing a recorder at home were better prepared for new material, we encouraged students to purchase a second recorder, one for school and one for home.  We sent home music with students to practice and saw a great improvement both in the quality of their playing and in their attitude toward rehearsal. 

Year 3

     Last year our district adopted a new Learning Management System (LMS) that enabled teachers to share content very easily and systematically with students and parents.  In addition to our more thoughtful and engaging class time instruction, we were able to create a digital classroom.  The power behind the digital classroom is that it allows students to access accompaniment files, notation, and instructional videos.  Ideally, students can access the materials, practice at home and then upload an audio or video recording of their performance.  Because students also used this platform in other content areas, it was not difficult for students to access or use.   Nevertheless, in order to support students with limited technology access, we provided a paper version and invited them to record any assignment submissions as a phone message that would be recorded as voice mail.  We launched the material, communicated with students and parents and waited to see what the response would be.

     Out of one entire grade level of students who had access to the online recorder content, only about half accessed the material and only a few students submitted recordings or videos.   Even though overall participation was comparatively low, we were encouraged by the quality of work we received and are looking for ways to foster better participation.  In other content areas, students are motivated to use the LMS in order to complete assignments that are formally graded.  As music specialists, we are not allowed to give grades for assignments done at home or online.  Often when introducing an activity we had set up through the LMS, students would ask if the assignment was for a grade.  When we explained that the work was voluntary, many students disengaged.    Without a grade as motivation, we have to be creative.  

Year 4 - Today

     To that end, we are planning on emulating elements of Recorder Karate 1 and 2 by Barb Philipak from Plank Road Publishing in order to provide students with some extrinsic motivation (Bauer, 2014, p. 81).  The LMS will assist us in scaffolding practice assignments through a modular organization that allows the teacher to set up the course so that students can only access material after completing the prerequisite tasks successfully.  Feedback can be provided through both written rubrics as well as audio and/or video responses.  Through video, I will be able to both respond, model and reteach for individual students   (Brauer, 2014, p. 81).  Meanwhile, the opportunity to earn a karate belt will support motivation until it evolves into its internal form (Brauer, 2014, p. 82).  Based on the preliminary response to the belts themselves, I think that we will have significantly more students who participate in our digital recorder classroom simply because the students think the belts are cool.   

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 80-83). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.