Been yet another busy week at school. The last few weeks we have really delved into the music curriculum. The kinders and 1st graders have been working on loud/soft; the 2nd graders are really preparing for our inter-curricular circus performance; the 3rd graders have been rocking out with B and A on their recorders; 4th grade has been learning all about melodies and are now beginning to write their own melodies to a poem; and finally the 5th graders have been learning about working together, strengthening their rhythmic skills, and other important skills by playing in a drum circle.
So, yes, happy with how things are going so far. However this week I made a decision! I am going to use more technology in my classroom. Well, I am already pretty super-techie in my music class. I have a SMARTBoard that I use for practically every lesson. I use iTunes and my iPod religiously. I edit/chop up songs for any purpose necessarily. I record my own choral accompaniments. My class website is not the basic form one that many have and has tons of great information, etc. You could just say that I am a computer/music-tech nerd!
Well, I wanted to even top that -- this year I am going to get into "podcasting!" I already have been recording my students on video (class and performances) to use for reflection, assessment, and to just put up on my site. However, I got two nifty new condenser mics and an M-Audio USB input (from the $$ from our school talent show) and I decided that I need to put them to good use.
My goal is to record at least 1 "podcast" a week. I do think that the word "podcast" is nothing more than a fancy buzz word for mp3 that you can download off my website, but its a term that makes the kids excited (and even their parents!)
This past week I recorded 2/3 of my 5th grade classes performing their weekly drum circle piece. I recorded a 3rd grade class playing my favorite recorder song "The BA Blues" (ok I wrote it, but still it rocks!) I even recorded a 4th grade chorus rehearsal and my 5th grade chorus.
I even spent my whole Saturday off revamping my website with a link to my Podcast's page (which is actually a blog so students can post reflections!). Don't worry, I didn't give up a social life to do it -- the husband is at work and I am home sick! (germs from the kiddies -- that's a post for another day!)
I think this is gonna be cool. This is a great way to show off my students' work. It's easy to do (not as complicated and/or time consuming as remembering to bring in my video camera from home, setting it, and then importing the video). And, my students completely light up when I tell them they are going to be recorded! It's like the highlight of their day! Me on the other hand, I hate being recorded -- actually I used my Macbook Pro's speech feature to record intros to the recordings that I was unable to get a student to do it, instead of doing it myself (the "Alex" voice is kinda awesome)!
Well enough rambling for one night... check out: http://mrsfriedmanmusic.blogspot.com and/or www.mrsfriedmanmusic.com for a complete sense of music-geekiness!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Week in Review (10/5 - 10/9)
What a crazy week!!! Here is a bit of a recap:
*Our part-time band director resigned Friday at the end of the day. Spent the remainder of the week reworking the whole instrumental lesson schedule so that our part-time string teacher could take over the lessons as well.
3 revisions and a conference call with 3 principals, director of music/art, and the ass't superintendent later, I learned: I ROCK at making schedules, but you could not pay me to become an administrator -- no thank you sir!
*Having to tell students that their beloved band director was not coming back without any real reason (that I could share with them) out of nowhere -- really sucked! Being able to keep some form of continuity by holding the last 2 5th grade band rehearsals, I think helped a lot!
*Never underestimate the power of a SMARTBoard in the music classroom. In a day and age where children spend their lives on computers or in front of televisions, I guess it makes sense that by using the board for a lesson (that could have been a bit mundane) they would get all excited, completely engaged, and completely demonstrate understanding and mastery of the topic.
4th Grade example: A lesson on How Melodies Move, we discussed the 3 main ways they move:repeated, step, skip. We then sang the song: "I Don't Care if the Rain Comes Down." Then I had the students using the pens, and highlighters completely mark-up the music identifying how the melody moved. Wow they raced to the board, couldn't wait for their turn -- and most of all, they got it!
3rd Grade example: I am really trying to drill BAG on the staff with this year's 3rd grade because they are a low academic group. The week before the recorders come in (last week), we learned the song "Give My Regards to Broadway." (sheet music on the SB of course!). Then we identified all the Bs, As, and Gs by highlighting them different colors. Then they came up with a body position for each of the notes -- and we sang it again (slowly) and they had to do the body positions. So, their hw was a worksheet that had them circle all Bs, square all As, and triangle all Gs -- and they got it.... they actually got it
So yay for some really cool things, Boo for some stress.
Let's see what this week has to offer....
*Our part-time band director resigned Friday at the end of the day. Spent the remainder of the week reworking the whole instrumental lesson schedule so that our part-time string teacher could take over the lessons as well.
3 revisions and a conference call with 3 principals, director of music/art, and the ass't superintendent later, I learned: I ROCK at making schedules, but you could not pay me to become an administrator -- no thank you sir!
*Having to tell students that their beloved band director was not coming back without any real reason (that I could share with them) out of nowhere -- really sucked! Being able to keep some form of continuity by holding the last 2 5th grade band rehearsals, I think helped a lot!
*Never underestimate the power of a SMARTBoard in the music classroom. In a day and age where children spend their lives on computers or in front of televisions, I guess it makes sense that by using the board for a lesson (that could have been a bit mundane) they would get all excited, completely engaged, and completely demonstrate understanding and mastery of the topic.
4th Grade example: A lesson on How Melodies Move, we discussed the 3 main ways they move:repeated, step, skip. We then sang the song: "I Don't Care if the Rain Comes Down." Then I had the students using the pens, and highlighters completely mark-up the music identifying how the melody moved. Wow they raced to the board, couldn't wait for their turn -- and most of all, they got it!
3rd Grade example: I am really trying to drill BAG on the staff with this year's 3rd grade because they are a low academic group. The week before the recorders come in (last week), we learned the song "Give My Regards to Broadway." (sheet music on the SB of course!). Then we identified all the Bs, As, and Gs by highlighting them different colors. Then they came up with a body position for each of the notes -- and we sang it again (slowly) and they had to do the body positions. So, their hw was a worksheet that had them circle all Bs, square all As, and triangle all Gs -- and they got it.... they actually got it
So yay for some really cool things, Boo for some stress.
Let's see what this week has to offer....
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ahhhhhhhhh
*insert loud scream!* Ok, I feel better now, well not really ... an internet scream is not as good as a real nice and loud get everything out of your system scream...
So, well mainly school is going pretty well. I just have completed my 4th week of new lessons and am about embark on my 5th. I have done some really great new activities. I am really loving some of the new songs/games that are in the new Music Play 1st grade that I got (and so are the kids, yay). I have reorganized my 4th grade lessons and added more SMARTBoard lessons and they have been working well so far too! 5th graders have enjoyed my basic review activities (cup game for steady beat and rhythm, a musical spelling bee, and guess the meter) and tomorrow I embark on my 8 week African Drum Circle unit, which has always been fun and exciting. I am trying some new methods with my 3rd graders. I know that it is an overall academically weak group, so I am doing tons of extra prep for beginning recorders. We have colored in all the B's with purple, A's with green, and G's with yellow in "Give My Regards to Broadway" on the SMARTBoard, and then come up with 3 different body positions (one for B A & G) that we had to do while singing the song. Really helps to reinforce B A and G, actually anything that involves the SMARTBoard helps to reinforce anything!! Who did I leave out? 2nd grade is going well, nothing too eventful yet, other than that yesterday I began teaching songs for our first ever 2nd grade circus (interdisciplinary unit with the classroom, art, and phys ed). And, oh yes, the kinders. They are cute this year, mostly well behaved, and are eating up everything I have thrown out at them. Now if I could only learn their names!
So generally, my general music classes are going well. Chorus has been rocking too... my 4th graders are really picking up on harmonies and singing as an ensemble. They are eager to learn and already are starting with good habits and a nice head voice. My 5th graders love the repertoire I have picked for them, even the song I thought they would be iffy about (that I loved) they are obsessed with, thank goodness!
Even my lessons are going well (even that dreaded sax group had a good 2nd lesson this week). The big issue is the band program in general. Our band teacher (I only taught some of the lessons) has resigned for personal reasons and well now we are left without a band teacher and a concert in 9 weeks. I think we have a solution, but even though it does not directly involve me, somehow it involves me, and that stressed me out. Hopefully everything will be fine and the kids will be fine. Tomorrow, I am leading the 5th grade band rehearsal until someone else takes over next week. Shall be interesting....wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
