BP15_20091122_THANK YOU!!! :D

I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of my classmates and Rena for all of the wonderful tools and insights that you have made available during this class. What valuable resources!!

I hope that you all have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving filled with family time and making memories!

Time to move forward into an area I know a little more about - MUSIC!!!!

Take care!!

Kathy (kc88keyz)

BP14_20091121_ETC Final Project

BP08c_20091108_Peer response post

BP11_20091115_Web2.0Tools

Screenshot of Web Poster Wizard by Hardy Reeves
Altec. (2000-2009). Web Poster Wizard. Copyright Altec at the University of Kansas. Retrieved November 10, 2009 from http://wizard.4teachers.org

This tool is very cool. I have been to http://wizard.4teachers.org/ before, but for their other free products, such as: rubistar, a rubric maker, Assign-A-Day, post your own online class calendar, and Casa notes-take home notes in English and Spanish. When I went searching for Web 2.0 tools today, I found Web Poster Wizard, an online poster making program.

There are several items of interest for this site. First, they say it is to make a very simple webpage in minutes, which it does. Teachers are able to create classes of students and then create worksheets and assignments for them to complete, a very simple Course Management System, but it doesn't stop there. Students are able to access a student site and either work on the assignments or create an online poster. This feature, the online poster, is what really got me excited.

We use teacher generated posters to learn material and then I have students generate posters as a group for review practices and checking for content mastery. What this site does is allow students to work as a group and collaborate on a poster that they will present online. Students login and add titles, paragraphs of information, pictures (and they must cite where they got the picture from), and urls for sites they would like other students to visit. This just made a poster activity in the classroom something that all students with an internet connection at home, are able to access and study there instead of just in the classroom.

For my class, we are wrapping up a unit in science on Physical/Chemical Reactions, Physical/Chemical Properties, etc. I already know that they will be working together with a partner to create an online poster to present to the class to review the concepts from this unit.
Posted by HardyReeves at 3:17 PM
1 comments:

kc88keyz said...
Hardy,
This tool looks very interesting and something that I might be able to adapt that I could also give my students as enrichment opportunities from my website just to get them using different media assets and building and developing their skill sets. Thanks for sharing :D
Kathy
November 22, 2009 1:22 PM

BP08b_20091108_Web Tool #3

www.doink.com

DoInk.com provides a tool for creating and sharing animations and I thought my students might enjoy seeing them in various media assets as well as having the chance to create their own and share with others, maybe to add to a song they have created or a sound story. Being in a fine arts magnet school, we enjoy the artwork of our students among their many other talents and I think this would be another way of them being able to express themselves and still use it with a musical connection.

We will be doing some work with nursery rhymes, tall tales, and folk tales and folk songs in the New Year and I could see ways to pull this tool into that aspect of the lesson plans. I also am preparing lyric pages for the students to see and I think it would be fun to add some of these created characters to that.

My biggest challenge as far as providing opportunities for the students to create is that I only have one teacher station and it is connected to my Yamaha keyboard lab. I have a projector and laptop on a cart and also an interactive pad so I think we will try working with that and see how it comes out. While we do have a dedicated computer lab in our school, that instructor works off the same student splits and schedules that we do, so when I would have a class that I might want to take into the lab to use the student stations, she would ALSO have a class.

There are a lot of possibilities and I will post how things have turned out. At the moment we are preparing for Christmas shows and we also do parent share shows in January that need to be ready before the students go home for Christmas break so it will be January before I can really put some of these tools into real motion. Just realizing how enriched my tool box is becoming as a result of this class is a joy!! :D

BP08a_20091108_Web 2.0 Tool #2

www.quizlet.com

Quizlet is a tool that can be used to create flashcards that can be used for group study and review, to introduce new material through games of matching that are timed. There is a learning mode that will keep track of scores and a test mode that allows for different question and answer formats. I see a lot of valuable uses for this tool for the six different grade levels of music classes as well as my before and after school groups. I am in the process of creating my own sets to try out for next week’s lessons using some basic music fundamentals, and also some questions related to the recorder and piano. I will update this blog and let you know how it comes out. Stop by Quizlet.com and check out all of the sets that are already available.

Adding the element of film to my instruction will be a positive for my students of all ages. This is something new and presenting the information to them in a way that really connects to what they are used to doing, not only at home, but in their own respective classrooms. I love sharing new things that I am learning with them because it really draws them in and builds a rapport that was not there before. They are excited to see the different ways that we are going to be using technology.


I am hoping to create some games to add another level of fun. I know it seems like I say that a lot, but that is one of my main goals – I want my students to enjoy learning and the more ideas I can come up with to present the content we are focusing on to try and reach everyone involved, the more exciting it becomes. I will update this blog and let you know how it comes out.
Stop by Quizlet.com and check out all of the sets that are already available.

BP13_20091115_Peer response 3

A web burglar introduces you to a new Web 2.0 website.
Posted by HardyReeves at 7:26 AM
Labels: web 2.0 classroom education
4 comments:

ETC - Orr_Toni_Blog said...
Hardy, Great video and sounds like a great site. Will have to check it out. Tried to post from the link you set and it would not let me. I can post only if I go on Blogger through Safari not Firefox. Any clue?
November 15, 2009 2:31 PM
McKinley_Megan said...
Hardy, this video is awesome! Someday you will have to teach me how to do all of this really cool things that you do with iMovie. This site sounded awesome and your delivery of it was awesome. My only suggestions were that it was hard to catch the name of the site because you were whispering and your mouth was cut off for a lot of the video. Other than that I loved it!!!! Such an inventive way to get people excited about your web 2.0 tool. I am definitely going to check out this site and I love that it also has links to other great sites, like rubistar, which is already a favorite of mine. Good job!
November 15, 2009 4:00 PM
Sergeant Sixpack said...
hey, hardy...i like the ski mask...or...motion-capture suit...or whatever that was. funny approach. i'll check out the link. by the way, i used your blog posts as an example to fix mine. they were all jimmy-jacked. hope all's well. PEACE!!
November 15, 2009 6:40 PM
kc88keyz said...
Hardy,
I LOVE the video!! Very creative and I am anxious to check out this new site that you are talking about :D
Thanks for catching my attention!
Kathy
November 15, 2009 9:43 PM

BP12_20091115_Peer response 2

I have NO idea why I have not used this before! Itunes U is going to be the next Web 2.0 tool that I use in my classroom. Itunes U is a collection of podcasts ranging from video lectures to interviews and includes many different categories. I have always known about podcasts, but just never really thought about how to incorporate it into my classroom. Probably because my district blocks itunes. As I was looking through itunes U, I came across a great podcast that talks about the history of Jazz. I am a huge Jazz lover! I came across a great podcast talking about jazz pianist Bill Evans, his influence, and how he lead the way for future jazz pianists in the 1960’s and 1970’s. As I was listening to the podcast, all I could think about was how this was a goldmine.


In my classroom, I like to teach my students how specific genres came about. For instance, every year I l like to teach my students the history of Hip-Hop. I would like to stretch myself even more and begin teaching students about the history of Jazz. This history of Jazz collection would be a great tool for students to use to learn more about this particular genre.


It would be great to use one of these podcasts for a quiz. I would require the students listen to a particular podcast through the week. After they have the week to listen and absorb, I would give a quiz at the end of the week. This quiz would have questions that the students could answer only by listening to the 12 minute podcast. This a great way for students to learn what a powerful tool itunes U can be. And the next best thing about itunes U is that the podcasts are free. All students can access it and it doesn’t cost a dime!

POSTED BY XAVIER AT 6:27 PM
1 COMMENTS:

kc88keyz said...
I totally agree about iTunes U which I just recently discovered - what a wonderful resource and strangely something that I think I can use without having to go way out of the way around the district roadblocks! Thanks for your insights! Hope things are going well for you!
Kathy

NOVEMBER 15, 2009 9:03 PM

BP11_20091115_Peer response 1

I had a great time looking at everyone's sites but was really excited at some new Web 2.0 sites I found. You will need to check this site out because it has numerous creative aspects to use in your classroom. I can not wait to use this for a lesson next week. I will create it this weekend to help me teach my students. This site is called "Proprofs" - click on the link so that you can explore http://www.proprofs.com/ I zeroed in on the flashcard part of this site so that I can teach Web 2.0 vocabulary to my students. http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards
Many sites are blocked at our school but I want to introduce my students to the vocabulary so they can check things out at home. My sixth grade students love flashcards that they can play with on their computer screen and work at their own pace. Since we do not have programs at school the students can use I will be able to type in my own definitions and terminology to customize for my classroom usage. There are also different flashcards that are premade by others in many different subjects to choose from. By picking a premade set you can customize them to fit your class. This site also has a way to create and customize quizzes as well. The quiz section allows you to shuffle your quiz, add images to your quizzes and also have two-way feedback. ProProfs provides free knowledge sharing tools and free online education. It also has blogs, wikis and a webschool. Let me know what you think!
POSTED BY ETC - ORR_TONI_BLOG AT 12:23 AM
3 COMMENTS:

Sergeant Sixpack said...
toni, this sounds like an excellent way i can get my 'intro to computer science' kids to be ready for the A+ exam at the end of the year. appreciate the blog. hope all's well.

NOVEMBER 15, 2009 9:50 PM
Emily Overstreet said...
Thank you so much for finding this site. I made ridiculous amounts of flash cards in high school and college. I'm sure the kids will love doing it because it seems like more of a game.

NOVEMBER 15, 2009 11:28 PM
kc88keyz said...
Toni,
This looks like a great site and I am anxious to try it out.This reminds me a little of the Quizlet site that I shared last week. Great tools!! Our district has a lot of things blocked as well and I only have my teacher station computer and a laptop on a cart so I pretty much need to create things for classroom use instead of the students being able to work on their own.
Thanks again!!

BP10_20091115_Reflective Media 2

BP09_20091115_Researching Web 2.0 Tools

http://www.go2web20.net/app/?a=Kideos

The Web 2.0 tool that I have worked with this week is Kideos videos for kids. There are multiple categories including the Top Ten, Baby Einstein, Barney, favorite book characters and cartoon characters, as well as cute animals, Disney channel programs and movies, Dr. Seuss, fairy tales, Mickey Mouse and friends, the Muppets, Nursery Rhymes, Trains and Machines, Wiggles, Teletubbies, Super Heroes, Spanish and Portuguese, educational videos, kids, and songs. There are also varied age groups that you can use to make selections. You can create your own playlists.

This site was of special interest to me as I teach elementary music and am looking for creative ways to add film and music to my lessons for each grade level, Kindergarten through Fifth grade. With such a variety of characters to choose from, as well as content, there are many ways that Kideos could enhance my units of study. There are so many things out there on the Internet that are not appropriate for younger students to see. It is encouraging to find a tool that provides variety and content that is age appropriate and could be used to make learning fun and engaging.

An added element for using Kideos would be to inspire the students to be able to write and create their own videos using music, a favorite story or nursery rhyme, or possibly a tall tale or fairy tale, or their own created characters and settings. Our students are very in tuned with music, art, and drama, and this would be a way to pull all three of those elements together to record and share with one another and possibly parents.

Kideos was created by Earlier Media to provide safe video viewing for children of all ages. This idea was inspired by a couple that were looking for safe online videos for their daughter that was hospitalized, and they were led to create the company to provide other parents and children the opportunities for safe online entertainment.

BP08_20091108_Reflective Media

BP07_20091108_Researching Web 2.0 Tools #1

There are so many Web 2.0 tools to choose from that it makes it really difficult to narrow the search.There are three that I have had the chance to play around with and would like to work them into using in my music classroom.





www.voki.com

Voki is a program created by Oddcast that gives you a chance to create your own speaking avatar that can be added to profiles and other web environments. The avatar can be personalized using drag and drop interfaces. You can record your own voice by using the phone, a mic, or by using text to speech or text to sing. There are also built-in voice choices and effects. You have your choice of characters including people, animals, and even vehicles, along with different themes and accessories. I wanted an avatar to represent me to use in preparing media presentations to be used in my classroom as well as on my web page and this tool shows a lot of promise. I am going to create a music room mascot or maybe several for different grade levels just to add another layer of fun.

The first selection I made was the type of character that I wanted to use. Then I was able to select hair, eye, and skin color, and accessories like the glasses and makeup. Next I selected the background and since it was close to Veterans Day and I am using my character as a teacher, I selected the American Flag backdrop. I listened to the different voice selections that were available and then I chose the text to speech feature to enter the introductory sentence that I wanted my avatar “Mrs. Coleman” to say. There was a limit to how long of a sentence you could use with that feature. I plan to try using the mic to record for the next avatar that I create.

I was excited to receive positive comments from other classmates and have even observed a few on their sites. This was just plain fun and EASY!! :D A big thumbs up!! Pay a visit to Voki.com and enjoy! You’ll be glad you did!


Pay a visit to Voki.com and enjoy!

BP06_20091108_Flickr

There are several ways I would like to use Flickr immediately for my music classroom lessons. For the Kindergarten and First and Second grade students I would like to select images that will illustrate the words to the assorted holiday songs that we are currently using. I will find pictures that represent celebrations in other countries as well to introduce the younger students to the ways different people around the world celebrate special days.

For the 3rd through 5th grade students I would like to take them on some virtual field trips and possibly some time travel as we study various time periods in music history and give them a sample of what living conditions were like and the kinds of barriers composers of that time were faced with as we use listening examples.

I have also started researching the creative commons areas in Flickr to find photos and clip art that would be applicable to the suggested plans above.

In January as we begin to study folk songs, folk tales, and tall tales, I think Flickr will also be a great tool to create some slideshows of various characters, time periods, and elements that would give the students an opportunity to glimpse a bit of history. If time allows, the students could do research individually or collectively in small groups or teams and put some projects together to tie in with these units of study. I think it would be fun to introduce the tools to them that they can use on their “palette” and then give them the blank canvas to create. The possibilities are endless!!

After researching media literacy, I feel a responsibility to do whatever I can to broaden my students understanding of the
necessary skills they need to use technology effectively.

One of the web resources that I researched included a blog for elementary music and technology. The link is:

http://amymburns.musiced.net/2009/07/

BP05_20091108_Social Bookmarking

There are multiple advantages of using social bookmarking sites in the educational realm. The resources that are compiled can be easily accessed on any computer that is connected to the Internet, making collaboration with peers, and between teachers and students a more viable option.

Most individuals are familiar with the traditional Favorites files and Bookmarks, but to make those accessible at any given time, it would be necessary to either put them on a thumb drive or burn them onto a disc that an individual would then have to carry around when accessing other computers and networks. The files that store the Favorites sites are labeled according to the site content and if a particular site could fit into multiple file categories, then it would have to be denoted somehow and bookmarked into several folders or files.

According to Jackson (2009), social bookmarking helps the learner to “benefit from the research of others, while having a far more dynamic and helpful system of organization” (par. 3). Social bookmarking allows an individual to save a site using keywords known as “tags” and then organizes those sites with researched sites of other users using the same key words. Riddell (2006) states, “tagging sites allow users to save their favorite links, content, and media to a centrally accessible site” (par.2).

In a study of social networking sites conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, students ages 16-18 were shown to be practicing 21st century skills that are needed for achieving success. According to Greenbow (2008) “students are developing a positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing and customizing content and thinking about online design and layout. They’re also sharing creative original work like poetry and film and practicing safe and responsible use of information and technology” (par. 4).

Social bookmarking can help educators and students remove some of the frustrations associated with Internet research by organizing and collaborating the contents into more user friendly and navigable locations.



Jackson, L. (2009). Sites to see: social bookmarking. Education World. Retrieved November 5, 2009, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/sites/sites080.shtml

Riddell, R. (2006). Social bookmarking makes its mark in education. Eschoolnews.
Retrieved November 5, 2009 from
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top- news/index.cfm?print&i=42069&CFID=1188443

University of Minnesota (2008, June 21). Educational benefits of social networking sites uncovered. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 5, 2009 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080620133907.htm

BP04_2009112_Web 2.0 Tool

Welcome to My Music World! on PhotoPeach

The Web 2.0 tool that I discovered is entitled PhotoPeach. This tool enables you to create a photo slideshow with music. I put together a tour of my music classroom and was able to add captions and select a music soundtrack to enhance the presentation. This tool will be very helpful with all levels of classes from Kindergarten through fifth grade as it will provide the chance to record the students in classroom activities and then produce a slideshow that can be used as a learning portfolio, assessment, or method of sharing. The students love to watch themselves and they could assist with writing the captions and selecting the music or even recording the music that would be added as a soundtrack. This could be used in a large or small group setting. Earlier this year, my 3rd-5th grade students worked in small groups to create their own sound stories and I am going to use this tool to record their presentations, add their stories in the captions, and the recording of their selected instruments. Parents love to see what their students are learning and this would also be an opportunity to share their student's talents. This was a very easy tool to use and it states that in the description - three easy steps!

The first step was selecting and uploading the images to be used. Then the images could be rearranged. The next step was adding the captions. The captions could be divided by using the "Enter" key after each desired caption. Next was the selection of music and there were several choices including a random selection, instrumental, or classic. The final step is viewing your production. There is a comment field and options for emailing to friends, or posting to Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter. You can also embed or copy the link. There are opportunities to go back and edit or completely delete the final product. Also there is an option to make the product public, or select the viewers. This is a tool that I will use because it is easy, accessible even through the district filtering system, and one that my students and parents will enjoy.

BP02_2009111_iGoogle_Screenshots

Here are the iGoogle screenshots of my WGO, AR, and ETC pages:

I really enjoyed setting these pages up although you could spend hours just having the chance to look through everything and all of the choices that are available as far as customizing the pages.
The one thing that is frustrating is that I can't access some of the features from my school and that is where the PLE would be most beneficial. Once this course has concluded I have decided to revamp my pages and find tools and widgets that are accessible through my district filters and set the pages up to really get the full benefits of have a PLE. :D

BP01_20091031_EducationalBlogging

This space is reserved for my findings on the uses of blogs in education. In researching several resources I found that some of the uses of blogging in education include: teacher communications to students, parents, and possibly other teachers, and the use of student and/or teacher blogs for collaboration, reflection, and dialogue. Blogging has been shown to increase student interest in writing in all subject areas and communication through sharing opinions, comments, questions, and concerns about daily issues and current events. Students can discuss assignments, and share reactions with one another while showcasing their writing abilities and developing critical thinking skills. Blogging has also been used to share student work, for online book clubs, class newsletters, and communication with students in other countries. Blogging has become more popular with the development of more advanced tools that teach a variety of skills and empower students to take ownership of their own learning experiences. Learning communities contribute to real-world experiences through blogging. While many still view a blog as a personal journal or opinion, the opportunities to connect and give and receive feedback add a new level of opportunities for personal growth, reflection, and development.

Our PTA has established an account on Facebook this year for our school so that teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders can follow the activities that make our school special, especially those programs and benefits that are sponsored by our PTA. This networking opportunity is very important to encourage collaboration as well as to communicate ways that volunteers can get involved and to share needs and accomplishments for all of the areas of our school.

Blogging is a valuable tool and one that I will have to adjust to using. While the benefits are obvious, the time factor that is involved not only to keep posts current, but also to follow other bloggers and feeds is a concern. I look forward to the possibilities and what I will learn from my peers and colleagues: D