PLN 7: JAZZ

Jazz in American is a website filled with resources for music educators to teach jazz. This website includes in depth lesson plans, pictures, audio, and assessments. I plan on using this in my 8th grade general music class.

PLN 7:8notes

8notes is a website that provides free chords and music for popular music. Visitors can select an artist and song of their choice and see the chord information for that song and how to play them on both guitar and piano. You can also order the chart to the song in its entirety. This is a possible teaching tool for a SmartBoard.

PLN: WEEK 6

I found these classroom management rules on the same website as the last entry I posted. I can really take these ideas to heart. I have just entered a new school at the end of the year. Needless to say, my experience in the last two weeks has been quite trying. I just can't seem to get my students to respect and listen to me. I'm finding that it is very difficult to teach and I have had to teach and reteach my expectations for classroom time. This list is very helpful.

PLN Week 6

Here is an interesting blog post I found. I like to tell students about possible career paths in music. This website provides a list of ten musical professions and explains them. It even offers some insight into what school one might attend to achieve success in a desired field.

PLN5:Chorus

I have enjoyed watching the videos of this chorus for quite some time. The kids are obviously having fun,feeling the music, and learning.

PLN5:TEACHERTUBE

I just found this this week. TeacherTube has some great teaching tools.

PLN Week 4:EDMODO

EDMODO

I saw this posted earlier this week. Edmodo is a networking site for teachers and students. I look forward to looking into it more and possibly using it.

PLN WEEK 4

This kid is pretty amazing. His sense of rhythm and understanding of dynamics and the piece in general are impressive.

Week 3:PLN

Communicating vs. Talking

I reflected on my day today and realized that I had communicated with four people, but had only talked to one. I send people text messages to avoid a possible long conversation on the phone. The fact is, it truly may have taken less time on the phone. Emotions are lost. A simple statement can be completely misinterpreted. Personalization is the key to important conversations. A phone call or meeting conveys thought and caring.

Bad Denver:PLN Week 3

I discovered this video earlier this week and I find myself coming back to it almost daily. I am a dog lover and I've got a guilty grinner. What caught my attention was how fitting the music is. This could be a project for students. Music students could be asked to find music to fit a video or movie.

Bicycle Built for Two

Bicycle Built For Two

I really enjoyed exploring Noteflight. I found that it was very easy to learn through practice and the tutorials provided.

Ghana Dance

This is Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Akron, OH. I found this video and wanted to share it. These sixth graders were exposed to the culture of Ghana through music, dance, and dress.

Ear Training

I'm always on the look out for classroom exercises. This Site offers some fun ear training exercises that require a computer and a student. There are several exercises with advancing levels of difficulty.

Amsterdam Sinfonietta plays in KLM 747

http://twitter.com/#!/DoremiGirl posted this. I thought it was pretty neat. I just wanted to share it with everyone. I wish I was on that flight.

Move from Learning about Music to Creating Music

Move from Learning about Music to Creating Music

Creating music is part of the National Standards. It seems that it is sometimes put on the backburner for performance rehearsals. There are a lot of programs available that allow students to create with ease. This article serves as a reminder that promoting creativity is an important part of learning music as well.