OneNote Reflection/Review

       As I started getting familiar with OneNote, I definitely started noticing some similarities between OneNote and what I use on my Google Chromebook.  The ability to conveniently share, view, and edit documents between students and teachers is very useful and can be found in both OneNote and Google docs.  I also noticed that within those documents there is probably more flexibility with OneNote in terms of being able to include other forms of media (videos, links to sites, etc.).  Sometimes when I insert some type of media in a Google doc and share it, that link or video may not always open.  It is no longer an issue now when I do it but OneNote can include pretty much any type of media in its documents or worksheets, allowing for easier access of information for students.

       Google drive is what I used to share assignments, videos, recordings, etc. with my students.  When I was exploring OneNote, I saw that Microsoft also uses this drive concept, as displayed below:




       Taking things a step further with OneNote, students can compile all of their documents and files into a digital notebook.  With software programs like this, students of the future may not even have to carry paper-based notebooks anymore!  They will have access to all the notes that they take in this type of digital format.  And just like Google docs and drive, all the files and documents in OneNote can be accessed from any computer or tablet with an internet connection.

       I can see how OneNote can be an excellent teaching tool but I highly doubt that my school district will adopt this program.  We are a Google-based district and just last year, all teachers and students have been working with Chromebooks and learning how to use that software.  But if I'm being completely honest, I think OneNote does have some very valuable features in its program.  Even if it is a bit similar with Google software, both students and teachers would benefit from using both programs.  Unfortunately, all schools within a district must operate using the same programs.  We cannot have one school using Google software and the other using Microsoft software.  Therefore, I don't think OneNote will be utilized in my Google-based school district any time soon.  In the meantime, I hope to continue familiarizing myself with OneNote and perhaps one day I can put my knowledge of that program to good use.  I do enjoy using Google drive and docs with my students and they find it fairly easy to use as well.  Thank you for the opportunity to explore OneNote.

Reflection - Week 7

       After teaching for 9 years, I've noticed how technology has become more and more commonplace in education.  It wasn't always this way, however.  I can actually recall in my first or second year of teaching (2007-2009 roughly) many instances where technology would have been useful but it wasn't implemented.  For example, quarterly grades and progress reports were still being done via penciled-in bubble sheets for each student in my classes.  Of course, now everything is done online but keep in mind, 2007-2009 isn't all that long ago!  I had left that position and got a new job that uses more technology.  One of my former colleagues at my old job told me that eventually they started doing their grades and progress reports online.  To be fair, it didn't take all that long to fill in the bubble sheets for grades.  But there is certainly a difference in how quickly it can be done on a computer, especially when you have the option of importing grades over from your pre-existing grade book.

       This is one of many examples where technology can help educators do their jobs as efficiently as possible.  Staying organized is crucial to a successful classroom.  I still occasionally do paper-based assignments but I keep them neat and tidy in the band room.  Having become a Google district last year, my students and I have become quite familiar with Google docs and the exchange of assignments through Google drive.  My colleagues and I have built a music department web page where we post upcoming concerts, dress rehearsals, and assignments.  For my jazz band, I have a separate page with links to videos that help students with beginning jazz improvisation.  I also have a listening list that used to be made up of Youtube videos but I plan on using Spotify to organize playlists for my jazz band students to listen to.  This is an excellent way to help stay in touch with both students and parents regarding concerts and other venues.  Many times I will receive calls or emails from parents asking about when the next concert will be and I often tell them right there, but then I'll remind them to check out the music web page for all of this information.

       Since we're on the topic of communication, there is an app that is very useful in helping students and parents stay on top of their band schedules.  It's called 'Remind' and it can be downloaded through the app store or Google play store.  Basically, it is an app in which you can organize a list of phone numbers (these can be parent numbers or student numbers if you're on a field trip) and then you can send out a text message to all the people on that list.  The best part is that your personal phone number is not listed!  As long as your students and their parents have this app installed on their phone, they can receive messages from you and they won't be able to actually see your phone number.  When my colleagues and I did our annual 6 Flags band and orchestra trip, this app was the star of the show!  Once we hit our first check-in time at 2:30, I sent a message to my band kids, "Time to check in!!" on the Remind app and within minutes, they started coming over to check in with their chaperones.  It is so convenient to be able to round up your students with the push of a button!  I strongly recommend this app, especially for field trips.

       I personally believe that when it comes to any school, that school's music department is the public face of that school.  The way the kids behave and carry themselves, how they follow directions during a concert, pretty much any performance is an opportunity for students to display themselves at their very best.  By doing so, they are representing the school that they are from.  That's why with public relations and music advocacy, teachers and administrators need to be mindful of how their programs come across the general public.  I've posted videos of concerts and other performances on Youtube and on the department web page and I do it so people know what goes into each concert.  The hours of practice, commitment, and working together all pays off in the end.  Students become better people as a result of their musical experiences and that is why we do what we do.  Of course, I have to get signed permission slips from students' parents to be able to post those videos but I want them to be able to see those performances, especially parents who could not attend certain concerts.  Just last year, I got a call from a parents thanking me for posting the band portion of the Spring Concert on the department web page so she could still see her children performing even though she was unable to be there.  It's moments like that where I am thankful that technology is around to help me do my job better.

Reflection - Week 6

       Being able to truly listen to music is a skill that all people can develop to varying degrees (Haack, 1992).  Musicians absolutely must have a keen sense of listening in order to be effective performers and artists.  People who are non-musicians can still listen to music and develop an ear that's on the same level as musicians.  There are a number of colleagues I work with every day who are amazing when it comes to interpreting or analyzing different pieces of music as they listen to it.  My mentor in the B.E.S.T. program has not played his trumpet in several years so it's safe to say that he no longer performs.  But when I put on a song that is very complex, he can point out the form, structure, and key changes almost instantly.  One of his favorite musical artists is Frank Zappa and if you've listened to any of his music, you would be hard-pressed to find anything remotely simple in any of his highly-complicated works!  I actually wasn't a big Zappa fan until I worked with my B.E.S.T. mentor and he pretty much turned me onto Zappa.

       The concept of hearing versus listening to music is an interesting one to me, mainly because I'm of the belief that everyone listens to music.  But it made more sense to me when it was broken down and I realized that hearing music can be reserved for passive-type activities venues where the music isn't necessarily the center of attention.  Prior to teaching, I was a performer for several years and most of my gigs were concerts and performances.  However, there were also quite a few parties, weddings, etc. where we played but we were simply providing background music.  This definitely harkens back to how music is an essential staple of all cultures.  Whenever there is an important event or ceremony, music is always provided to make that event more authentic and meaningful.  That being said, I'd like to share a quote I read recently, although I don't know who said it:

"Music makes everything better.  Think about it; when you eat out at a nice restaurant, when you attend a birthday party, when you go to a wedding or bar-mitzvah, when you go out for a run, there is always music.  If music can make everything better, why is it usually the first program to be taken away from public schools?"

       I may not have gotten the quote exactly word-for-word but it rings true nonetheless.  But going back to hearing vs. listening, it's important that students understand the difference as well.  When I assign students specific songs or musicians to listen to, I usually require some type of reflection or written report that shows their thoughts or opinions on the music.  The most common reflections I've received from my students are related to how the music makes them feel.  My students almost always write something about how the song(s) make them feel happy, sad, mellow, energetic, etc.  Over the years, I started being more specific and on the assignment, I would write down, "Please share your thoughts on the assigned listening.  You must write about at least 2-3 musical concepts within the song(s) you listened to.  These concepts can range from dynamics and tempo to form and time signature."  Once I started setting this kind of standard, the reflections I received from my students were more about the musical elements at work, not about how the music makes them feel.

       Just last year, my school instituted a new policy in which students are allowed to listen to their iPods or music on their cell phones during lunch time.  Since I have cafe duty every day, I saw this policy in action.  I was completely and utterly amazed at how much music was being shared!  Students were trading iPods, sharing ear-buds, and showing music videos, which I thought were non-existent!  The last time I saw a music video was back in the late 90s-early 2000s on MTV.  Of course, the music that was being shared wasn't traditional music-class type of music.  They weren't sharing Bach concertos or the nocturnes of Chopin.  They were sharing what they already listen to on the radio.  That's why it is crucial for music teachers to teach students about music that they wouldn't normally listen to.  My students always complain, "why can't we play something we know for the concert?"  They're referring to songs by Adele and Justin Bieber and whatnot.  The reply I always give is, "You kiddos already know that music inside and out.  In music class, the purpose is to explore music that you don't know.  Music class is meant to expand your horizons and teach you about music beyond your iPods."  One great moment I had with a student was right after his jazz band audition on electric bass.  I usually ask my students what type of music they listen to, kind of like an interview within the audition.  When I asked about his music, he pulled out his iPod and there were all these great jazz bassists like Paul Chambers, Charles Mingus, and Jaco Pastorius on there.  That made me very happy to know that, even outside of the classroom, he is using technology to listen to music that most teenagers would hardly listen to.

Reflection - Week 5

       When it comes to instruction, I've always stood by the old saying, "The ends justify the means."  With the end always in mind, I try my absolute best to construct lessons that work toward those end goals.  I suppose I'm a fan of backward instructional design, but it is challenging when teachers must make changes to their lessons in order to adapt to any obstacles that sometimes come up.  Effective teachers must always have a back-up plan to make up for lost practice time, rehearsals, or class time.  Even now in my 10th year of teaching, I feel pressured at times when there are field trips scheduled right before concert dates.  I've found that the best way to make the most out of the time I have with my students is to develop a foundation of assessment tools that are both fast and efficient.

       Assessment is one of those realms in education that can be approached a number of ways.  The more traditional approach would be to use pencil-and-paper worksheets or exams.  As music educators, we know that a student's progress on an instrument cannot always be measured this way.  Student knowledge of music theory can sometimes be assessed through written work or tests but often times in a music classroom, students display what they know through doing.  Being a hands-on learner is probably why music appeals to me.  Of course, I still use assessment tools like rubrics and grade sheets, especially when I hold auditions for jazz band and section leader chairs.  But I usually try to provide feedback to my students through some form of listening or discussion.  One example would be when my students perform at their winter and spring concerts.  The day after their concert, we listen to their performance and the entire lesson is built around reflection, both from an individual standpoint and an ensemble standpoint.  Students can either share their thoughts through discussion, or they can write down their reflection and hand it in.  This type of self-assessment can be used after the concert when there is time to spare, but in the weeks leading up to the concert, assessment needs to be done quickly.

       During our combined 8th grade band rehearsals this year, I started doing an activity that I learned when observing a conductor working with some of my students at Eastern Regionals.  They had just played through an entire piece and afterwards, she told the students "Ok, very good.  Now, take 30 seconds to a minute, turn to your neighbor, and talk about one thing that you did VERY well!  After that, discuss one thing that you would like to do better."  I took it one step further in my rehearsals by asking my students who would like to share their brief discussion.  This struck me as a fun, fast, and effective way for students to assess themselves as individuals.  Teachers can modify this activity so that students would discuss how they did as an ensemble.  Sometimes students are a bit shy to talk about themselves but they are more likely to share their opinions if they are referring to the collective whole.  One more change I made towards the end of last year was to record their combined rehearsals so that they could listen to their performance without playing.  It's amazing what students hear when they are not concentrating on playing their instruments!

       Using more technology for assessment and instructional design is something I'd like to do more of.  My students and I use our Chromebooks a lot, from recording practice sessions to completing work and submitting via Google docs.  They also use them to complete projects, echoing the project-based-learning approach from the text.  However, I would like to implement either SmartMusic or MakeMusic next year.  SmartMusic will supposedly be compatible with Chromebooks for the 2016-2017 school year as a web-based platform.  You can read more about this here:

http://www.smartmusic.com/blog/makemusic-acquires-weezic/

       So far, I've used the technology available to me in my school district and even though we just became a Google school last year, I am confident that we will find new and interesting ways to teach music with Chromebooks in the classroom.