Final Blog post-revised!! :)

So in a nutshell, I really enjoyed this class.
Well, here's why...

I was very glad that this class focused on using ITC in music classrooms. Having had other education courses that brushes on music and puts main focus on general subject  areas, I was getting pretty tired of making things up according to my teachable area. But voila! here came the class that was finally relevant to my teachable area, music! Thanks to Mike! :)

At first I began the class without any big thoughts about it, but as we proceeded more into the semester and into the course, it stimulated my interest in the subject area, and how ICT can be used very effectively not only in other subject areas, but also in music classroom. I still wonder how it will be as useful in Senior music classes as it will be in lower level of music classes.

One thing of the things that I really liked and will use in the future was well wisher. It was a site where I can create a "wall" of a topic and the students can post their ideas onto the "wall" during the class AND even when they are at home on their own computers. I thought that this was very cool because the students doesn't necessarily have to sign up for the site, and can just simply write down their thoughts and click it onto the "wall". These posts can be viewed both by the teacher and also by the classmates. It stimulates the student's participation outside of school and doesn't have to wait until they are back in their seats the next day.

Similarly, there also is google docs where it can be used very effectively on group projects. This, however, is a little bit more complicated than the well wisher. The student must have a google account and be invited by the host (whoever is in charge, I guess) to be able to write, and fix the document on the google docs. Otherwise, they would have to have a link to have an access to view it. Because of more complicated nature of the program (?), it would be more suitable for older grades.

Next think that I really enjoyed was Smartboard tools. In class, we were divided into small groups and were to present an usage of Smartboard to the rest of the class. This part of the course gave me a really good grasp of Smartboard that I thought was very complicated to use. But just like any other things, once I got to know it and having to use it, I became more familiar with it and had fun using it! This is something that I think that all teachers need to know how to use it as more schools are implementing it within their schools.


As the society is becoming more competent with the usage technology, I think it is time for the curriculums to change so that children are taught how to use technology properly. The question is then should children be free to use technology at home? A lot of homes have restrictions for their children. Some doesn't have any access to any technology once they are off of the school grounds. Or for most, children are not given much time and liberty using internet and computer and other technologies at home. Should this be continued at school? Should schools still go ahead with their proposed curriculum with using technology? Should schools block and filter internet or not?

Even a few years ago, my school division had blocked YouTube site. But there are so many useful videos that the teachers can show to the students for learning purposes. My teacher, who was very literate with technology and media had convinced the school board to only allow access to YouTube just on the computer in the band room.

I think its time that rules and expectations should change.


A few weeks back, I watched a video called "schools kill creativity" by Ken Robinson

He talks how schools are killing creativity in our children by eliminating arts classes due to fund cuts. I posted a blog post about my thoughts on this. (just scroll down further and you will be able to read my thoughts!) In addition to that, I think that adding technology to the curriculum will open up another array of creativity that the students can paint their creative thoughts.


As technology is becoming more common in our daily lives, it was suggested in class that we all create a website of my future class, as well as an eportfolio that will be able to say my professionalism. So here are the links to those.

Website: Music Note
ePortfolio: Clara Park

In a nutshell, technology is something that I will continue to explore and use in my future teaching.

Thanks for spending last couple of months with me! and I will see you soon! :)

(Created from Wordle)

Final Blog post

Christmas is near!

Its been wonderful 3 and a half months posting about ITC things here. This is my summative blog post for the term, but that doesn't mean that I will stop blogging from here and on. It probably won't be as often as it has been but there definitely will be more posts in the future!

Having said that, here is the link to my ePortfolio that I have been working on!

http://clarapark.weebly.com/

Have a good holidays!! :)

Glogstar

Today I am going to talk about an internet web called Glogstar.

It is a site where you can make a poster using images, texts, effects, and many more.
I thought that this would be a useful tool to use in a classroom. Because I am a music major, I will talk about how I thought it could be used in music classrooms. We all know that all music programs (well most, at least) put on winter/spring concerts, and some schools even have musicals every year too! Instead of you doing all the work making posters AND advertising (as if you don't already have enough things to do, like teaching, score studying, paper work, lesson planning, disciplining, not to mention chores you have to do at home), you can put on a contest among your students or make it an assignment, for THEM to create the poster!

I was creating a sample poster to show you here, but the site kept logging me out and I had to work back from the beginning despite the work that I have done. Tried three times by re-logging in and re making, and I got frustrated! I don't know if it was just me that was having trouble with keeping logged on to the site, but if it does not log you and your students out  automatically for some reason, this could make a very fun assignment for your students!

Here is the link to the site!
Enjoy!

Sibelius 7

Hi Folks,

So continuing with the last week's post, I talked briefly about arranging popular music that the students enjoy and play on their instruments.

I am going to introduce you to a software called Sibelius 7, which you can create and compose music and print them right off from your computer-it automatically generates part transposition as well! you don't have to to any transposition. Just compose and create in concert key!

Here is the link to the power point that Rylee and I made for our presentation in class today. In it, you will be able to see step-by-step screetshots of how to create a score on Sibelius. As you can see, there is the keypad panal which allows you to select different types of notes, which the buttons on the screen corresponds to your number keypad of your keyboard. And to put note names, you can simply type the note names from your keyboard!

One unique thing about Sibelius is that there also is a program called Sibelius Photoscore, which you can generate computerized scores from handwritten music by scanning the hand written copy to your computer and import in into the program.

Gangnam Style

So this is a video that popped up on my facebook over the weekend. It is a symphonic band version of a worldwide hit song "Gangnam Style" performed by Seoul University in Korea.

I think that arranging a hit song for your own band to play will give your students more dedicated and have a pure fun in both rehearsing, and performing!

Now, the question is.....how to arrange the song and put it onto papers for the students to play off of.

I will answer that question on Wednesday AFTER my presentation in class!! So, until then, hold your pants up! and enjoy the video!!

Creativity

I watched a Ted Talks about schools killing creativity in our students.

In the video, Ken Robinson addresses that everywhere you go around the world, there always is a hierarchy where Language Arts and Mathematics are at the top while Arts is at the bottom. Main reasons for schooling and the goals for the students are the entrance to the university. In order to do so, the students are so focused on what are required to enter into the university. These kids are being taught in a way that the mistakes are the worst things that you could ever make. Ken, then says that if you are not prepared to be wrong, you cannot come up with the original things for yourself.

Watching this video, it made me think a lot of the education system back in Korea, my homeland, and compare it to the Canadian education system. I remember that the main reason why my parents brought me over to Canada is to have me and my brother to be in a better education system. The education system in Korea is driven toward university entrance and earning a degree. Students in middle and high school go to school from 7am-7pm, then off to out-of-school academy until midnight where you learn the future materials to become the best in there class and in school, then to home to do homework till 3-4 in the morning, then start the day again just a few hours later. My parents, who have gone through this "education hell"-as they would refer to, did not want me and my brother to go through the same thing. Coming to Canada, I was able to express my own thoughts, not stressing out about the marks I get, and for most, able to run outside just like what children should be doing instead of sitting in front of the desk all day long.

But given that I was educated in the Korean education system for half of my public school career, I still think that being creative is the hardest thing. Give my any math problems, I will enjoy solving them, but give me any artistic things that I have to create my own, I find it very hard. Ironically, I major music, where I have to create my own art.

Ken Robinson says "creativity is as important as literacy in education and we should treat it with same status"
As music educators, we must not fall into trap of telling that what is right or wrong, we must let them make their own arts, support and enhance their creativity.

Smart Board

Hey everyone!

Today I'm going to post something about Smart Board usage in Music classroom.

I found a great resource that I think is very suitable for an early years music class. You can incorporate Solfege and the bird singers are colored so that your students can associate Solfege with colors as well. It is a great material that has aural, and visual learning for beginners!

Check it out!
Bird singers