Dance of the Tumblers String Orchestra

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Tool # 10 Digital Citizenship

Orchestra students know to use the electronic devices in class to be Digital Citizen and appropriate for learning purpose. Students know the consequences for their actions and are being supervised all times.

I might have the students talk with their parents about having good Digital Citizenship and then blogging about their conversation. I also discussed with parents about being Digital Citizenship using the electronic devices Mac Book and I Pods at Back School Night and at a PTA meeting.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Tool # 9 Incorporating Classroom-Based Devices as Tools for Learning

Tool #9 Assignment, create a new post in which you respond to the following:
  1. Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective?
  2. Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers?
  3. Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level. Which sites did you like. How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?
  4. List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?
  5. What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station.
The last decade it has been tremendous development of the technology used in our classrooms and preparing our students for the future to be competitor and leaders in the global market economy. Students love to use the technology devices to help, understand and compete their music objectives.

Students are responsible to use individual or as instrument section their iPad in the practice room and return or exchange with other section leaders such as violin 1, Violin 2, viola, cello and bass.

Tool # 8 Taking a Look at the Tools!

Tool #8, in your post:
  1. After watching the videos/tutorials, list two to three things you learned about the device(s) that will be in your classroom this fall.
  2. How do you plan to manage the device(s) in your classroom? Do you have ideas/suggestions that others may find useful?
SOMS orchestra students have 4 IPod and 2 MacBook and it is easy to manage and control these electronic devices in the class.
Students are using to record themselves, video their performance and correct their instrument positions.
Students download the metronome at the IPod and are using to practice their rhythms in music selection. 
Students search on web to find the composer information, the music period where he creates the songs as well as characteristic of the music genre.

Tool #7 Going Global: Online Digital Projects

Tool 7 assignment, create a post and respond to the following:
  1. After visiting the resources above, design a collaborative project with another classroom.
  2. Post the following about the project:
    1. Content objective
    2. When you plan to implement
    3. What tool(s) you plan to use
    4. A brief description of the project (plan - two or three sentences)
    5. If you need to find another classroom - We can begin networking with other classrooms right here
I have been in SKYPE program contact with orchestra director at Spring Woods Middle School to connect our orchestras during the 3rd period where students are performing and sharing the ideas how to develop good intonation, dynamics and the character of the piece. SOMS intermediate orchestra is performing Moonlight Tango song and advanced orchestra of Spring Woods Middle School is performing Apollo Suite by Del Borgo. Students are judging their individual and group instrument sections, and suggesting to each other the practices methods and how to develop a good sound and balance. 

Tool #6 Using the Web Tools to Promote Discussion in and out of the Classroom

For your Tool #6 Post:

  1. Choose at least two of the tools from the above list. Create an account for each (if required) .
  2. Use each of the tools you choose to create a sample of how you would use it in your classroom.
  3. Embed the sample (preferred) or link to the URL.
  4. Share your thoughts on how you see the tools being integrated into your classroom. How do you see them encouraging participation?
I am using SKYPE program on line with students to exchange and share the information regarding their performances during the class with other orchestras in Spring Branch schools.  Students love to perform live on SKYPE and accept the judging coments from students and orchestra director of the other schooI. I also like that I can embed a video performance straight to my blog and students can be able to see it.
I already use Blogger to post questions or project guidelines. Students use Google Docs to answer the questions then share the document with me, so that I can grade and comment on their responses.

Tool #5 Producing with Web 2.0 Tools

Assignment:
  1. Use at least two of the tools above to create products. Think about your content. Create a “set” for one of your lessons! Or, consider providing the site as a choice for your students to create products. Make a model for a student created product.
  2. Then, embed both products in your blog or link to the products from your blog.
  3. Describe for your readers how you think each tool can be incorporated into your classroom - how you could see the tool being used by you instructionally and your students to demonstrate their understanding of a concept or topic in your classroom.
I used Stupeflix studio and Prezi. I would use Prezi to incorporate a new concept, and allow students to use it as a presentation tool using images and videos from other web sites. It is very user friendly and easy to follow, so I do not see taking it too much time for them to learn it. I also like Stupefix, easy to create and it will be a great tool for students to present themselves to the class the first week and also as a tool for me to present a concept and allow them to have this tool as an option to present their understanding. It is easy, less time consuming that using power point. I see great value in these two applications and others.

Tool #4 Moving up to the clouds

For your Tool #4 post in your blog:

1. Create at least one document in Google Docs and share it with a few others on your campus or within your department. It could a team member, a department colleague, or another teacher with whom you plan a collaboration. Ask that person to comment or chat and real-time edit the document with you.
2. Create one form in Google Docs and send it via email to at least two other people and ask them to respond.
3. Briefly discuss how you can use the tools in Google Apps with your team or department. How can you incorporate Google Apps as a tool in your classroom? Which tools are you excited about using with students?

I have been able to send  google documents to other teachers and music directors. I found this to be a very useful and quick way to communicate with others.
Google docs would be a great way to reduce paperwork in the classroom. Also students would be able to get feedback much more quickly. The Goggle forms could really streamline communication between team members and departments. Sharing documents could also make interdisciplinary teaching much more easy to implement in the classroom.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tool #3 Find Online video and image resources!



For your Tool #3 Assignment:
  1. Visit several of the video hosting/streaming sites mentioned above. Share with your readers which sites you found most useful for your content and why.
  2. Using any of the video resources mentioned above, find and select two videos that may be useful resources in your classroom. Embed them in your blog. If they do not have embed capabilities, hot link them to your blog.
  3. Articulate what you learned about copyright and fair use. What was new to you?
  4. Login to your Picasa Web Album through Google Apps - don't download Picasa, just click on the Web Albums link. Search for a few pictures. After searching, look at the filters on the left. Use the Creative Commons or remix filter to find images that you can reuse and remix. How could you use this in your classroom?
 I searched youtube video, google and found many helpful resources, string orcherstras performances and theory lessons for different instruments and activities which it would be great for orchestra students to watch.

Copyright laws state that you can not publish to the general public, only to a secure site and only for educational purposes.

Here are some links to websites that would be use for the orchestra students:
Whats Orchestra all about?


You will learn to play incredibly well.   Everyone will want to hear you play.  Your concerts will be fantastic.   Your first concert will be our annual Haunt-cert!  The auditorium will be packed and everyone will be amazed!  You will get to win trophies as a group and you will even get to win a medal!!  Playing a stringed instrument is a phenomenal mental and physical challenge.   You will be SO proud of yourself and the group with which you perform.
You won’t believe all the music you’ll get to play!  Everyone talks about how much they like to listen to different kinds of music but it is 100 times more fun to get to play it! The middle school beginning orchestra offers such a fantastic opportunity to experiment - to try an instrument - to see what talents lay hidden.  You may never have this opportunity again.  You will get to play and love some of the greatest music ever written!

Tool # 1

Intermediate Orchestra
Warm Up
Scale G major
Music Selection

Tool # 2


  1. Visit at least 5 blogs of fellow educators and comment to one of their posts - other teachers on your campus who are also blogging as part of the 11 Tools, a few of the resources listed above or fellow educators who might teach the same content as you (by "googling" your content area + the word blog)! You'd be amazed at the number of educators out there who are sharing their ideas and classroom experiences! Or, Visit 3 blogs and expand your PLN differently by signing up for a Diigo account or Google Reader and following the bookmarks/websites of 2 other Diigo members or websites.
  2. After completing the above, share you thoughts about building and participating in an online community and participating in a PLN. What points stood out to you from the commenting advice? Were you able to apply any of the advice in your comments? How did you feel about sharing your thoughts publicly? Was it different than when you're sharing your successes/challenges with your teammate?
  3. Share the url or name of a website or social network that you plan to visit in the future. What does that site have to offer?
I'm excited that other orchestra diretors, teachers and I are able to collaborate through our blogs. We are working and making our cross-curricular planning so much easier. I feel like the networking within my own and other campus will be interesting!

I like the idea of asking questions or soliciting comments to increase the number of comments on your blog. I would like to hear some of your ideas on how to encourage students to make unique comments without parroting comments that have already been made.

I actually prefer sharing ideas through a digital medium for our music selection and repertor as well as instrumentat technical development.

Advanced orchestra
1.Scale
2. Warm up
3. Region etude
4. Music selection


 String Orchestra Bartok