Differentiation/RTI

Differentiation

Differentiation is the adaption to the students in your classroom. In which your able to modify the activities and materials to accommodate the students with no disability to severe disabilities.

Being in the role of a music educator, having differentiation in the classroom is important. Often in the music world we're seen as only playing music, singing music, or looking at whats on the page. We're not known for much outside of that. Sure there is a whole world other than that in music, such as words, rhythms, theories, and concepts. Upon research and looking around I discovered that the Ten Methods for Differentiating Instruction and Digital Tools for Differentiation strongly shows what music is all about. Looking upon what we do as a music instructor, it feels very close to this set of ideals.  It's easy to get distracted from a similar instruction every day, or a same pattern. Students always love a choice or something out of the norm every once in a while. You can always be on task, and set on that task, but allowing an outside choices or concepts allow students to get more involved. Using technology, giving students a choice on how they do their assignment gives the student a spark and insperation. 

Below are two links to Differentiating Instruction and Digital Tools for Differentiation.

http://www.iceary.org/Conference/Differentiation.Conrad-Curry.pdf

http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com/w/page/48860812/Using%20Digital%20Tools%20for%20Differentiation

Voki!

Voki is a great educational tool that allows students and teachers to create their own animated talking character. You can easily record your own voice, type in words and click a preselected voice, or use by phone call. It allows students to react to scenes with animated characters, have their works read back to them so they can hear, or upload reading for the students to follow while listening.

RTI

Response to intervention is a United States concept that is provided early in the education system. RTI is avaliable to all students who are having difficulty learning or behavioral needs. It's universal screening that is provided in general education classrooms. This allows special needs students to have interventions with increasing intensity to accelerate their own learning rates. RTI uses many sources, and even has a website to help teachers get a better grip of the concept.
Below is a link to the RTI website.

http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/what/whatisrti

Smartboard Use in Music

Music Use?

Is there any way to use smartboards for music?
Yes! For music theory and composition this is the best thing to get the students looking forward and engaged in the lesson plan! 

Music Theory Staves are easy to find in the program. The smartboard has a music notes and staves in the program itself and easy to download. You can get students walking up to the board having from the very beginning theory to advanced college theory. Students can put the notes on the staff, build triads and even write out scales for you on the smartboard. And you can show everyone in the classroom how to resolve those chords, or let the class judge if its right or wrong. Composition Music programs can be pulled up and interacted from the smartboard. Allowing the students to see others compositions and give feedback. It also allows the composer to play the piece before the class and the class be able to follow the music on the board in front of them. Below is a link example of how to use smartboards for music classes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-szGy_9uDg

Interactive Whiteboards/Smartboards

Interactive Whiteboards/Smartboards

Why should we use smartboards in a classroom? What use are they from the average chalkboard? Chalkboards and projectors have been around since I was a kid in my kindergarten classroom. Its the norm all of us, teachers and students combined, have grown use to, why change it right? Times are changing, and technology has become a large part of society today, running anything from our cars to the phones in our hands. The best thing to do is get students involved with technology.
I was lucky enough from when I was in high school to have a smartboard in most of my classrooms, all but my music. And they were fun ways to get us students involved in a lesson plan. These interactive computer screens were a blast, allowing the students to go up to the front of the room and get involved with the lesson plan in the best way possible. Yes, a normal chalkboard can get a student involved as well, but lets be honest, students love technology today. Being able to mess with technology keeps the students entertained and active in the class. Your able to show the lesson plan, mark on it before the students eyes, and create activities for them.
The smartboard not only allows interaction with their lesson plans, it has a vase use. Smartboards can be used for attendance, subject games (like jeopardy), scenes for reading, and interactive writing. Though there is two flaws with this technology, only one person can write on it at a time, and orientation can sometimes be thrown off easily. Other than that it's a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom.

Below is a link with teachers saying why SMARTboards are great for classroom use.

http://www.waukeshaschools.com/WIT/SmartBoard/benefits.htm

Tutorials for smartboards can easily be found on youtube.

Student Engagement/21 Century Skills

Judging a website

Seeing if your websites your student's are using is authentic is very important, but teaching them to catch a fraud website is even better. When they're sent on their own its best that they have their own way of judging a website to see if its authentic enough to use for a project or a sited source.
Here are some links to help students and yourself to judge a websites authenticity.

http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic32.htm

http://www.schrockguide.net/critical-evaluation.html

Global Connections

Every teacher should be able to make global connections. It's not easy to do, these connections take more than overnight to complete, but it will make you a more successful teacher.
These connection take steps to follow but are long worth the process.

Step one is developing these connections. Look around and follow online communications; such as twitter, blogs, and then follow those who are following those. These allow you to build more connections to others. And even getting involved in organizations will help you build your connections further.
Step two is exploring. Your students, as well as you, should make sure you know the responsibilities of the internet. Have students work together on a technology project. As well as letting yourself explore different technologies along the way. Such as skype, Voki, symbaloo and much, much more.
Step three is create. Discover where you can throw in these global connections into your core standards. The more you have your students using technology, as well as yourself, the easier it will be to get your students active in school activities.

For more information on global connections here's the link to the website

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/new-teachers-make-global-connections-lisa-dabbs

Professional Productivity

Professional Productivity

Productivity is a large part of a teachers lifestyle. And being able to use technology in daily outcomes is a great way to set someone up for success. Word, GoogleDocs, Exel, Powerpoint and Prezi are great ways to be a productive teacher.

Word/Googledocs

Word and Googledocs are writing programs on the computer. Word being downloaded onto your computers mainframe while Googledocs is based off having an internet connection. Both programs can be very useful, not only being used to write papers or essays. These programs can be used to make diagrams, brochures and even interactive calendars.

Excel

Excel is a program that is downloaded onto your computers mainframe, allowing you to create an electronic spreadsheet on your computer. Teachers can use excel in a way to organize or keep track of a students progress. The best use of excel is by using excel as a grade book. Allowing the teacher to keep track of a students grades and see how each assignment is affect the student. 

Powerpoint/Prezi

Powerpoint and prezi are both digital creating slideshow formats. Powerpoint is a program that is downloaded onto the computer itself. While prezi requires internet access to be used to create lectures, creative ideas, or allow sources for the students to use as another way to present a topic.

Communication Tools

Email

Emailing is a large part of what a teacher does. Being communicating with the parents, teachers, academic advisers, board of education, or even your boss, you have to be able to write a professional email. You never want to sound bossy, or demanding when writing an email. So here are some tips when writing a professional email to one of these important benefactors. 

Email writing tips

• Don't put important or Details on the subject line. Put the main topic of the email.
• Make it brief. Don't put a bunch of useless information. Start the email right off with the main point.
• Don't use caps lock or all lowercase letters. Make the writing formal.
• Be Polite. Never sound demanding or bossy. Add please and thank you.
• Edit and proofread before sending the email. You never want to have a mistake caught after you sent it.

EduBlog (Blog)

Blogging, it sounds like a thing of the past, but its not. Blogging is still an interactive way of keeping the students up to date. Edublog is a blog that has been created for educational purposes only. This site supports students and teachers by facilitating reflections, questioning themselves and others, allowing collaborations and by providing contexts for engaging in higher thinking. It allows students and teachers to be more interactive with each other, creating a fun interactive environment for the class.

http://edublogs.org/

Wikispaces

Wikispaces is a great space to use to allow students to learn how to get more involved into a creative format. Wikispaces is a classroom social writing platform of wikipedia. This allows students to work in groups or individually, and allows real time involvement and communication skills. Wikispaces can be accessed by computer, tablet or even phones allowing a wide range of accessibility in the classroom and outside of it. Wikispaces also allows students to work alongside students to get creative and informed for life later on. 

Safe/Ethical Technology Use

Safe Ethical Practices

Digital Passport (Common Sense Digital Media)

Digital Passport is a program that teaches students about the ethical and smart ways of using technology. Digital passport is a website that has videos and interactive games in teaching students about when and where is the best times to use technology. This site also teaches students about how technology affect normal day activities or others emotions. This site is the best way to teach elementary students involved in technology. Below is a button linking your to the website.

teacher: 

https://www.digitalpassport.org/educator-registration

student:

https://www.digitalpassport.org/educator-registration

Glogster

What is glogster? Glogster is an interactive digital poster. It allows students and teachers to create fun posters that can help keep the students involved. It allows students to make the poster reflect themselves as well as the project at hand. Glogster is an entertaining environment for the student but keeps it straight to the point. 

http://edu.glogster.com/?ref=com

Eduscape

What is Eduscape? Eduscape is an excellent resource for teachers and students to discover if a website is the real deal and legit or a complete sell out. This website gives you many links and provided information on how to determine this. Eduscape provides a list of fake websites to show you how fake websites can look professional and legit. And then gives you a checklist to help you discover if the website is true to its word. As well as providing outside links to get more in depth to allow you access to true information.
Below I provided a button to the website if your willing to check it out.

Eduscape

What is Eduscape? Eduscape is an excellent resource for teachers and students to discover if a website is the real deal and legit or a complete sell out. This website gives you many links and provided information on how to determine this. Eduscape provides a list of fake websites to show you how fake websites can look professional and legit. And then gives you a checklist to help you discover if the website is true to its word. As well as providing outside links to get more in depth to allow you access to true information.
Below I provided a button to the website if your willing to check it out.

http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic32.htm