Week Seven PLN Post -Being Musical-Being Human

I follow William Bauer's blog and he had an interesting post about this website.
Being Musical- Being Human is devoted to appreciating the music that surrounds us, from its ability to connect us to past or present experience or merely to our plain enjoyment of what we are hearing and why it is we favor it.  Written by a music professor, he writes of his usual pressures of students, practice time, his own kids and their music studies.  Yet it is interesting to read of the humanity and connection he finds in the music we hear around us on an everyday basis.  Written in plaintive language and lacking in any pretension, this makes for interesting reading.  Check it out every once in a while.
http://beingmusicalbeinghuman.com/

Week Seven PLN Post -Classical Music Podcasts for Kids

I am sure I must be one of the last people to know about this:  NPR sponsors podcasts of many of the better known classical compositions in a child friendly format.  Geared towards the upper elementary/ early middle school student, the podcast is very straightforward.  Perhaps a teacher could create a powerpoint presentation to go along with the podcast.

http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/704/510237/132951999/WVXU_132951999.mp3?_kip_ipx=810572456-1304211613

PLN Post week 6

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/browse.php?term=360100000000

This link is to a website called "TeacherVision."  While it covers all subject areas and all grades, from Kindergarten through 12th grade, the music section has some interesting lesson plans, that are standards based.  Additionally, the "technology and music" standards are addressed, with good suggestions about ways to integrate technology into our subject.

Week 6 PLN Post

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2910408

Here is a link to the British Journal of Music Education which posts an interesting article: while it has long been held that girls are more apt to participate in music opportunities in school ( and in the early years appear to perform better as well) music technology seems to be changing the scenario.  As boys become more and more interested in technology (for which they seem to have a greater affinity) music technology in particular is drawing them into the lab in far greater numbers than before.

Check it out!

Music Educators PLN- Week 5 Post

http://musicpln.org/

This effort is through Music Carnival.  It is a new PLN that is open to all music educators and so far, over 300 educators are signed on.  Look for posts on technology, lessons, instrument information, assessment, etc.
Sounds promising.

New MENC Advocacy Group- Week 5 Post

http://advocacy.menc.org/

MENC has begun a new advocacy group, designed to link music educators from all over the country in a real-time way, through Facebook, Twitter,  and other social media.
At a time of fierce budget slicing and dicing, educators are finding that being informed is their first line of  defense in an increasingly fragile situation.

Week Four PLN: Why does your singing sound better in the shower?

Someone sent me this link.  An interesting and fun website that deals with scientific questions about music, from a kid's perspective.  Terrific for older elementary and middle school students!

http://www.exploratorium.edu/music/exhibits/index.html

Week Four PLN Post - Rubric Central!!

As I had mentioned in my discussion post for this week, rubistar is a great website for rubric creation.
Check it out and input your information for a sample rubric.

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

Week three post.....For you Middle and High School Educators

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/7710/preview/?contactID=159097291

Here are a series of lessons that are aimed at middle and high school students, all about the dangers that exist when illegally downloading music files, videoes, etc.  Organized by PBS, it seems quite comprehensive and informative.

Week three post.....Music for early elementary students

http://debbiecavalier.berkleemusicblogs.com/

This is for all you elementary general music teachers out there.  Debbie Cavalier is the dean of Continuing Ed and the CAO at Berklee School of Music in Boston.

Check it out.debbiecavalier.berkleemusicblogs.com

Audrey Maurer - Bicycle Built For Two

http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/b950ef32ba4ff2557e4739d9c65e91424803b55c

I found the  "Noteflight" program to be easier to use than "MuseScore" and being the "immigrant" that I am,  appreciated how user friendly it was.  While I know that the free version has less in the way of bells and whistles than the paid subscription version, I still feel that students would it find it very gratifying to use and most useful in instruction.  I plan on using it to write out accompaniments for my recorder students as well as study sheets for my chorus.

What you already knew but it's great to hear anyway.....

- latimes.com http://lat.ms/hVr5hz

This article in the LA Times is by a young man who writes of all he gained from playing the sax when he was in school.  It's a well written and insightful article that gives us hope that we are , somehow, making a difference to some child out there.

wbauer: Kids' musical instruments booming with bacteria http://t.co/jDfG6G5

OK, I finally figured out how to do this correctly! I am following William Bauer's blog and he posted this article from the LA Times.
For all you band teachers out there!

For all you elementary general music teachers.....

Just thought I'd share some some sources for material that I have used extensively in my relatively short teaching career:

Don Dupont and Brian Hiller have several Orff based books full of activities that are always enjoyed by my students.  Check them out at BrianandDon.com.  Also for Orff general music, Kriske and Delelles are popular in my district.  Their music can be purchased at Westmusic.com.  Both D & H as well as K & D feature arrangements for barred instruments, percussion and voice.  I like their processes that offer a very sequential approach to each song.  Enjoy!

Not for us musicians but......

I was watching the nightly news on NBC and saw a feature about the Khan Academy.  It is a website that features tutorials on a vast number of mathematics topics.  Everything from elementary school on up through high school and even college.  I went on the sight and it is very user friendly and approachable.  I thought I'd pass this on as if our students are better in math, maybe that will help their music!
http://www.khanacademy.org.

My very first blog entry EVER!

Hello to all fellow students in Technology for Music Teaching and Learning.  Hopefully, I am doing this correctly. I thought for my first entry, I would just introduce myself.  My husband and I have been married for over 30 years and we have two grown daughters.  This is only my fourth year teaching.  I have been teaching General Music K-5 and 4th and 5th grade chorus and have been amazed at how much I love it.  Hats off to you middle school and high school music teachers.  I don't know how you do it!

Looking forward to learning a lot from all of you and from this course.
Best,
Audrey