Module Seven Thoughts

Module Seven Thoughts

As we approach the end of this course, there are two final projects to complete: the WebQuest and the ePortfolio.  I have really enjoyed the opportunity to reflect upon my learning throughout this course and compile all of my artifacts in one centralized location.  I am looking forward to putting the finishing touches on both of these assignments and submitting them soon!

I really enjoyed completing the Google based projects this week.  Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are three Google Apps that I use on a daily basis.  Prior to this class, I hadn’t used Google Forms or Google Sites before and I was familiar with Google Calendar, but didn’t use it much for my own use.  My classroom website is hosted on Weebly, which I had some familiarity with before building my own website for school.  Google Sites is easy to use a very straightforward.  I do like how easy it is to add in other Google based documents.  Google Forms was very easy to use to create a quiz.  I created a quiz on lines and spaces that is similar to the quiz that my 7th graders complete as part of their ukulele unit.  One of my summer plans is to now transfer my quizzes over to Google Forms for next fall.  I think that my students will enjoy this a lot more and will make quiz day go a lot smoother in my middle school classes.  This also pairs along with the readings this week about productivity and efficiency, especially with the added aid of technology (Bauer, 2014, pg. 131).  Knowing how easy it is to have everything saved through Google Drive, I think that has really helped me this year.  I am able to access all of my documents regardless of what computer I am on and I am able to quickly share documents with colleagues and students.

My Google Slides presentation was on instrument families, specifically woodwind and brass instruments.  Currently, I use Google Slides almost daily to post agendas on the SmartBoard for my middle school classes.  I find that this is the easiest way for students to know what the plan is for the day while also allowing for me to quickly change it between classes.  The newsletter that I created using Google Docs was a great way to use a template in Google Docs.  I don’t usually utilize the template feature, however after looking at the various templates available through Google Docs, I had some new ideas for the fall.   

Through my PLN this week, I had several tweets.  One of my favorite tweets is posted below.  As I reach the end of the school year (seven school days left!), I keep getting emails from parents asking about summer practice requirements, ideas, suggestions, lessons, etc.  

Summer Practice and Musicmaking! #UFMUE #musiced https://t.co/kteeGv6GrQ

— Sarah Hashem (@northwoodband) June 8, 2017

I also had my 7th graders use Incredibox last week.  They LOVED it!  I had so many positive comments about this and so many students who are using it to complete more than just the required assignment.  It's a hit with the kids this quarter and they are telling their friends that I had at the beginning of the year.  I know that I will be incorporating Incredibox into 8th grade general music to let the students that didn't use it this year have an opportunity to try it.

Middle school students using @incredibox_ and LOVING IT!!! So many great projects from my 7th graders! #UFMUEhttps://t.co/eJUQKFoAfl

— Sarah Hashem (@northwoodband) June 8, 2017

Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today: digital pedagogy for creating, performing and responding to music. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.

Module Six

Module Six Reflection

This week’s reading focused around instruction design.  After taking Instructional Design in Music Education in the spring, I was already thinking about instructional design and curriculum in a different light and had drafted summer plans to look at re-writing various curriculum documents.  Many of the ideas presented in the chapter look at utilizing technology in the instructional design process to improve student learning.  

I did like this week’s discussion with forming a “Top 5” list.  I found it fun and engaging to think outside the box.  In my discussion post, I talked about project-based learning, backwards design, differentiating instruction with technology usage, copyright laws and the multiple levels/layers of learning.  I was intrigued by the discussion about Project-based learning because I think that it is crucial to have learning that connects back and relates to the real world.  Bauer (2014) explains, "students are engaged in authentic, real-world learning activities, typically oriented around answering a complex question, solving a problem or meeting a challenge" (pg. 150).  I am looking to have many of my middle school general music classes incorporate more project-based learning activities.  I think that PBL and backwards design compliment each other nicely and to effectively plan a PBL assignment, backwards design should be taken into account.  I was also intrigued by the information on copyright laws and Creative Commons.

Prior to this week, I hadn’t used Google Sites before.  I really enjoyed the idea of the WebQuest project.  We’re a Google based school, but when we made our classroom websites, we had a choice of using Google Sites or an outside provider.  I opted for an outside provided and chose Weebly, because it was very quick, simple and easy to use and put together a great website.  With using Google Sites, it made it really easy to sync any necessary documents through Google Docs or Sheets with the WebQuest.  The tutorial videos were also a great help.  As someone who hadn’t used Google Sites before, I found the videos to be very clear, concise and easy to follow.  I created my WebQuest for my middle school general music classes.  My students will have the freedom to look at a variety of careers in the music industry and choose one to become an expert on.  From there, the students will complete several tasks including: completing a research worksheet, developing a handout (flyer, brochure, fact sheet, etc), and presentation and completing a written reflection. 

This week, through my PLN, I had various resources posted about STEAM apps and websites, Google drive usage and cleaning, bridging the gap between elementary and middle school band, and resources from NAfME and SmartMusic.  I love how easy it is to connect with other people through my PLN.  I was sitting in a meeting this past week and one of the agenda items was the summer technology workshop.   One of the suggestions was having a session on Twitter and I brought up the positive experiences I had on Twitter as a result of this class.  Another teacher in the building also discussed about her experiences with Twitter as a PLN.  I will admit, I was apprehensive as to how I was going to like this experience.  Prior to this class, I viewed Twitter as something my students used and it was really something for me.  I had a personal Twitter account I created in college, but hardly ever used it.  

Bauer (2014) states, "technology can help music students activate, and if necessary acquire, the background information and context that will allow for better comprehension of new material (pg. 147-148).  The use of technology helps bridge many gaps and differentiates instruction for students, allowing for all to be successful, learn the material that they need and meet the necessary standards.  I think that the advancements in technology over the years have helped students reach these goals.  I look forward to see what the future developments and advancements hold.

 Bauer, W. I. (2014).  Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing and responding to music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.