New in my Classroom

So far, I have only blogged... in graduate school... because I had to.  My program had an emphasis on "Technology-Enhanced Teaching", therefore, a requirement in one class was to start a blog and post based on the topic in the class.  Since then, I couldn't remember where my blog even was on the internet.  All of a sudden, I found it!!  I have now been out of my graduate degree for almost 2 years, and I thought I would start writing about all the new things I am wanting to implement into my orchestra classroom.  This is mainly for my own reflection purposes; I thought it would be nice to process while typing as well as be able to reference back to the beginning at some point and see where I started.

That's where I am now.... at the start.

Some background

I have been teaching now for 13 years.  I am at a wonderful middle school, teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.  We are a 1:1 iPad school with a newly renovated library media center and learning pockets that have lots of the bells and whistles of the 21st century.  We have a supportive administration, as well as a community that definitely loves the fine arts programs in town.  I love my building, I love my staff, and I love my students (most of the time).  We start orchestra and band in the 6th grade, but we get to see them 5 days a week, for a total of 207 minutes a week.

NOW....

I am going to incorporate a system of self-evaluation and practice tips with my 8th graders.  I want to try it with them, then start using it with my other grade levels in a simpler format.  Here, I want to process the plan for my 8th graders, then I will update as I go through the process to see how successful it is.  I am very excited about it, so I hope it goes well.

Step 1: (I have already done this)

Have students brainstorm skills they have already learned.  They did this using a discussion technique I learned about from Jennifer Gonzales on the Cult of Pedagogy podcast called Affinity Mapping.  Students wrote brainstormed as many skills as they could recording each one on a different sticky note.  Then, I had students group them into categories of their own choosing.  We then shared out and created one master class list.

Step 2: (I'm doing this today)

I put all of the skills on a Google Form for the students to rate their comfort level of each skill.  What I realized when the class was sharing out that my students who take private lessons had a lot more advanced skills on their list than the majority of my students who do not take private lessons.  So, I want to know how each student sees themselves with each skill.  I also asked students to decide on the top 5 skills they would like to learn more about or improve upon.

Step 3: Next week - Growth Mindset

I am working with my learning coach to co-teach a lesson on Growth Mindset and how that looks in life versus how it looks in orchestra class.  I downloaded lots of resources on teaching this lesson from Angela Watson and her website The Cornerstone for Teachers (or her TpT site).  I want students to 1) know how they currently see themselves through the lens of a growth mindset; 2) what does it look like to have a growth mindset, and 3) how to make decisions on how/what to improve.  My learning coach will be introducing the Growth Mindset, and I will transition into what it looks like in orchestra.  I want my kids to get away from the mindset that "I am not very good on my instrument" to "here are the areas that I could improve and here is what I can do to continue to improve in those areas."

Step 4: Practicing Techniques

I would like to start introducing specific practice techniques to my students.  I do this, but I want it to be more intentional, use the same vocabulary each time so students really know what I am talking about.  I also want to make sure each practice technique is tied to specific skills.  That way when students think "I am really missing a lot of notes in this section," they can also think, "here are the practice techniques I can use to improve upon that."  (Of course, I know this is the exact wording my students use when they think!)

Step 5: Eventually - Recording and Self-Evaluations

Here is where I am going eventually.  Students will video record themselves playing a given excerpt.  They will then evaluate their recording, on skills that we have been discussing in class at that time.  Then, I would like them to create a goal on how to improve their skill.  Next, would come a plan of attack, so to speak.  Students would come up with the practice techniques to use for the chosen skill and a schedule for practicing at home.  In a given span of time, like 2 weeks, students would work on the skill within the given excerpt and record their playing time and what practice technique they used during that time.  At the end of the 2 weeks, students would re-record their playing and re-evaluate their playing.  After having a chance to do all of these steps, students will reflect on the entire process and decide if they improved or not and why.

Reasons

In high school, students have more playing tests for higher stakes.  They decide their seating placement, the orchestra they play in, etc.  I want my students, by the time they get to high school, to be able to listen to their own playing, self-evaluate, make a decision on what needs to improve, use specific practice techniques to improve that skill, and feel more prepared for those playing tests as they happen.

If students never have a "flow chart" of sorts, they could be spending time at home playing, but never really see any improvement.  Where, if they have a plan of attack, even a short amount of time can show improvement.  We all know that as adults and teachers of music, but how do we teach students that process?  I have student evaluate their playing informally in class all the time, but do I intentionally teach them what it means and what to do with that evaluation?  I will now....  hopefully!

Serious Gaming

There are so many definitions to this term: serious gaming.  It could be a technology resource that creates simulations for hands-on experience for our students.  It could be a game that kids can work through to still learn information, but in a game type setting.  However, in music, there are not a lot of simulations or games that are strictly for music, especially music in an instrumental ensemble setting.  Therefore, as an orchestra teacher, I have to think outside the box in order to implement this strategy that can be extremely motivating to students.

I have used resources, such as www.MusicTheory.net, in order to play note naming games and key signature games with my students to help practice their knowledge and identification skills through a fun, interactive method.  However, since this website calls them exercises, they don't increase in difficulty unless you change the specific settings.  It does not have levels or set goals for you.  I will definitely continue to use this in my classroom, and have my students set their own goals and evaluate if they reach those goals, but I would also like to expand how I use the concept of serious gaming in my content area.

At the elementary level, music teachers often use a gaming system to teach recorders.  They have beads or ribbons that kids can earn as they progress on the recorder.  I would like to use a system like this in my classroom.  This way, I can use the resources that I already use, but add a gaming aspect to it.  As I have started thinking about this, I thought I'd use a point system that the kids could keep track of in the classroom.  They would receive points as they did theory skills, practicing, as well as doing the exercises in MusicTheory.net.  They can reach different levels as they earn more points.  There could be prizes along the way or more difficult content as they progress.  They can "beat" the game when they've reached the highest level (although, you can create it so they only beat the game at the end of the year!).  Then the next version of the game comes out the next school year. 

This could keep my students engaged, and get to the point where the end goal is not perfection, but constant learning.  I will go back to Candy Crush for weeks trying to pass the same level, but when I do, it is very exciting.  That feeling becomes addictive, and I continue to the next level.  This is what learning and education should be about.  The feeling of success for learning something or perfecting something becoming addictive, so our students want to continue learning more and more.  With an added level of serious gaming in our classrooms, learning could be just that. 

Serious gaming can be expensive, I'm sure, but it can also be completely free.  If you find the right resources and work a little to create that environment, this strategy is completely free.  It could use technology, it could be all hands-on; it all depends on how you want to implement it and how you want it to look in your classroom.

Collaborating Through Technology

Having students collaborate is essential in any classroom, even in music classes.  Although this may be a difficult task to think about considering we want our students to be playing as much as possible during class, it is made easier through the use of technology.  There are so many resources at our disposal that can make this easier.  Some of those resources consist of Google Docs, Google+, and Social Media apps.  I cannot use Social Media apps in my classroom directly, so I will not be talking much about that.  However, I have my own Twitter account as well as other social media accounts, and there is exorbitant amounts of ideas floating around to use in the classroom.

Google Docs is a resource that I am currently using in my classroom.  My students are doing a research project within small groups that are using Google Docs to collaborate outside of class.  Because I want my students to play as much as possible, this project has been done mainly at home, with small amounts of time to discuss in class.  It has been a huge help to my students to keep all of their information in one place and be able to manipulate as needed without having to be in the same room at the same time.  I am looking forward to these final projects to see what amazing things my students were able to do while collaborating with their classmates.

Google+ is much like a Social Media site.  Although I have not used it yet, I am looking forward to seeing if it something I would like to incorporate into my classroom.  I see many possibilities there, such as allowing my students to post in way that is non-threatening.  They can ask questions, make comments, and have discussions with their peers in a way they cannot do any other way.  I am going to have to refer back to my Twitter friends to see just how I can use this resource in my orchestra classroom.  If you have questions about how Google+ can work for you, refer to this article from EduTopia: Google+ from EduTopia

Cost and Dilemmas

In my school, students were given iPads for their educational use  Also, students that do not have access to Wi-Fi at home can check out a mobile hot spot from the school library.  For this reason, there would be no additional cost in using these resources to collaborate.  However, both of these are huge considerations when thinking about using collaborating tools for your classroom.  Do your students have a device to use for these tools?  Do your students have access to Internet outside of the school in order to follow through with their responsibilities? 

Other dilemmas to consider are: what are your priorities?  What are your goals?  What are your curricular goals?  As responsible teachers, we do not want to use technology for technology sake.  We need to make sure we use technology in a way that is adding to our classroom and our curriculum. 
We want to use it in new and innovative ways while still keeping the authenticity and efficiency of our class. 

Learning Management Systems and Google

Google has so many apps and uses.  Some of my favorites include: Google Forms, Google Docs, and Google Classroom.  Google Forms can be created for assessments: pretests, or post-tests.  You can also use them to get opinions from your students, both of which I do in my classroom.  Google Docs allows your students to collaborate in any number of ways or for any number of assignment types.  This also allows for the teacher to be in involved in the collaboration as well.  Teachers can make comments without changing the information on the document.  The teacher can help by giving suggestions on a project or by checking grammar or editing content. 

My class is currently doing a research project in small groups.  Most of their work is being done outside of school, so having the ability to collaborate with their peers without being in the same place at the same time is crucial.  Through this same method, I have the ability to keep an eye on their progress and make suggestions along the way to keep them on track or make their project better.  This is invaluable.

Google Classroom is a Learning Management System (LMS) that can be set up in multiple ways to help organize your class content, assign work, have discussion forums, and keep track of grades.   This is the LMS that I use in my classroom.  Google Classroom has many positives: it is very easy to use and navigate, for both the teacher and the students.  It is very easy to submit assignments, including videos, and it is easy to grade those assignments, give personalized feedback, as well as grades.  The negatives are: the assignments are difficult to find once they are past because everything is shown in a feed form, instead of folders that are easily organized; and it does not allow for built in lessons where the students are required to go from one page to the next in an preset order. 

For students, this LMS is extremely helpful in the classroom.  There is one place where students can go to find everything necessary in the class - assignments, due dates, resources, forums, and easy communication with the teacher.  The other great part of Classroom, parents can be added to the account to be able to see what their child is doing in class.  This helps with communication with parents, as well as support from the parents. 

In my classroom, Google Apps and Google Classroom are invaluable.  They help me assess my students, both formally and informally.  They help me keep my assignments organized and accessible.  They help me communicate with my students and their parents/guardians.  There may be downsides, but for me, the positives definitely outweigh those downsides.  As I use it more, I will probably have to change some details or processes, but overall, this addition to my class has been a great technological resource.

Digital Learning

Using Technology in the Orchestra Classroom

This week we have an assignment through my graduate class to create a lesson plan using a digital resource.  In my opinion, there are so many options, it is difficult to choose only one.  I will begin, however, stating that I am not going to discuss how to choose the actual device to be used.  My school just adopted 1:1 iPads, which is a great thing for me and my class.  There were many considerations when deciding what device to go with for my district, and we are still trying to decide what device to go with for the high school students - if they are also going to do iPads or go with the Chromebooks.   The considerations consisted of mobility - how easy is it to carry around, usability - how easy is it for the students to use, and cost effectiveness - does the cost make sense for this group of students.  For the types of assignments our district was accounting for, iPads seemed to be the best option.  Although students still write papers and such, it is not to the same extent as high school students.  As middle school students, we do more drawing projects and creative videos than the high school, therefore iPads work great for us.  Also with the right protective case, they are more durable than laptops; this is also an important consideration.  Therefore, this is what my district decided to do.  As a teacher, I like this decision and am happy to use it to the best of my ability in my classroom.

Socrative

Now, on to my decision making process for my classroom:
Although I have many ideas, I am trying to get out of my comfort zone to work on something new.  I have already started using exercises and lessons provided through the website www.musictheory.net as well as assignments through Google Classroom, including the use of collaboration through Google Docs.  I would now like to expand into something new.  I'll start with Socrative, which is an app for student discussion or timed quizzes.  If a question is posed to the students, each can respond with an opinion or fact.  This can be a student-led discussion or a team-based race.  Although audio and video recordings are not supported by Socrative at this point, you can attach an article for students to read before answering any questions (Socrative.com, 2016).  This allows classes to have a Socratic Seminar type discussion without having to answer questions aloud in front of their peers.  This resource would be good when thinking about how music makes an impact in different situations or time periods or even the students' own lives.  The downside to Socrative is that the free version only allows one class to be added.  Otherwise, there is a $29.99 per year subscription in order to have up to ten classes enrolled.  This would have to be a part of the consideration before implementing it into the classroom.

Classroom Response System

This is also known as using clickers.  This is a system set up as multiple choice questions where the students use a "clicker" to choose an answer and submit it into the system through a teacher computer.  When most people hear of multiple choice question, they think of basic recall questions.  Although that is one way to use multiple choice questions, that is not the only way to use them.  They can be used for deeper level thinking skills, student monitoring, and application questions.  Depending on the immediate feedback the teacher receives based on the student responses, the teacher can then guide the discussion or the lesson.  There are many different options when deciding whether or not to use this system.  One is using it as an opening activity to start class, find out what students know about the current topic or start a discussion.  Two is using it as an assessment, find out how students are comprehending the current topic.  The third is to use it as a possible "choose your own adventure" activity.  This would allow the teacher to ask a question, and take whatever direction the students choose based on the choices given. 

The positives to this system is that it gives every student a chance to give their opinion in a more anonymous way, which is much less intimidating in front of peers.  It also allows them to have some choice in the direction of the discussion or show when they need more explanation of a certain topic.  Last, this definitely allows for student engagement in the classroom, which every teacher wants. 

The negatives include: it takes time to set it up, especially the first time; technical difficulties can arise; and teachers must learn how to write multiple choice questions in a way that allows for open ended discussions or deeper level thinking (Vanderbilt University, 2016). 

Another Consideration

A teacher must always make sure each of their students is considered when deciding on any resource for the classroom.  All IEP requirements, as well as other personal needs, must be met when using technology.  If students need specific differentiation, whether it be more challenges or making it slightly easier, every students needs that consideration before the technology is introduced into the classroom and planned for accordingly. 

Have fun choosing different resources to use in the classroom.  It can be fun and educational!

Digital Citizenship

What is Digital Citizenship?

Digital Citizenship is knowing how to be responsible and appropriate online.  It is all about making good decisions when interacting with the web.  BUT...  How do we learn how to be good digital citizens?  Who teaches this concept?  How is this concept taught? 

Although it should not be solely the responsibility of school to teach about good digital citizenship, it does fall heavily on the schools, especially when the kids are using technology and online resources as part of their education.  If technology is a part of our classrooms, so is the obligation to teach our students how to do it safely, responsibly, and appropriately.  I know at my school, we had five school wide digital citizenship lessons that were presented to all students before passing out iPads to each individual student in the school.  It was an effort to make sure all students knew the dangers that are present when using online resources and to teach them how to look for those dangers and how to avoid those dangers. 

Why is it important?

To teach digital citizenship is as important as teaching our content area, in my opinion.  What do kids do in their free time?  They play online games, they cruise youtube, they Google random topics.  All of these things can present opportunities to get themselves in trouble.  All of these websites have ads, which the kids have no control over, that are trying to grab their attention, get them to click on a different website, and possibly trick them.  They also have opportunities to purchase items with questionable reputations.  Kids need to be aware of these things before they discover them themselves. 

They need to know that not all things are good; not all websites are good; not all offers are good.  We are all fascinated by what our students can do with their devices, and now we have to make them aware of what other people can do with these technological devices.  Information and even pictures can be stolen, your location can be found, and tricking people is an everyday occurrence on the internet.  We want our students to be safe and responsible.  This is where digital citizenship lessons come in to our classrooms.

Digital Citizenship Lessons

There are many resources out there that can be used to teach these lessons.  Mike Ribble wrote an article that is now posted on www.ISTE.org about the acronym REP that helps students remember proper behavior online.  Respect, Educate and Protect are three words that kids can easily remember, using this acronym.  Vicki Davis wrote an article on www.edutopia.org that introduces the "Nine P's of Digital Citizenship."  They are: Passwords, Privacy, Personal Information, Photographs, Property, Permission, Protection, Professionalism, and Personal Brand. 

Teachinctrl.org has lessons already created for teachers to use.  The video designed for students talks about how kids spend 458 minutes using media every day.  It introduces the rights and responsibilities of being online.  It talks about being kind to one another while still having the right to free speech.  Students need to be smart, fair, and considerate.

Reflections on Teaching Digital Citizenship

Although teaching Digital Citizenship in the classroom might take time away from the content area, it is extremely important.  We need to be proactive about this knowledge for our students.  As all other lessons that we teach in order to be proactive, it takes time, but it is definitely worth it in the end.  We do it because we care about our students; we do it because we want the best for our students. 

My name is Amanda Peterson, and this is the first post of my new blog.  I am an orchestra teacher at a middle school in Kansas, and I teach grades 6, 7, and 8.  This is our first year as a 1:1 iPad school, and I am very excited about the possibilities and opportunities for my students.  I have not done much with iPads this year, but I have had a playing test in every grade level.  They have recorded themselves, and submitted it online for review, grading and feedback.  This is a great way for me to give personal feedback to each of my students about their playing and what they can work on.  I am hoping to take this a step further to add self-evaluations and goal setting.  This way, students can listen to their own recordings, evaluate themselves, read my evaluation of them, and create a goal to work toward over a specific time frame. 

Another way I'd like to incorporate iPads in a way for students to learn about background and cultural information about pieces of music performed throughout the school year.  This year, I am focusing on multi-cultural music; the next concert is focusing on Mexico and Africa.  I want my students to research different aspects of each culture, the music of that culture, and how it pertains to the piece of music we are performing.  Students may do this in small groups or independently. 

Next, I would like to use the iPads to practice music theory skills.  There are websites that create games and lessons to help students learn these crucial skills.  I did this last semester as a beginning step, and I did it once this semester.  If I can continue doing this and build upon it, I believe that my students will gain momentous knowledge.

Lastly, I would like to begin a flipped classroom model.  This would give me the ability to have my students watch videos at home explaining a playing technique, either something brand new or a much needed review.  Then, during class time, we could work on the playing aspect of those techniques.  This gives me the chance to take less time explaining why and how the new techniques work, and spend time playing and giving feedback to them on their actual playing abilities.

The most important part of using technology in the orchestra classroom is the ability for my students to become more independent learners.  Hopefully, all of these techniques when combined teach my students how to use technology to further their knowledge base, in music, as well as other areas in their lives.  Through this blog, I will keep updated all of my experiences of the start of iPad use in my orchestra class.