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22
Aug

2

Cool Tech I Used This Summer

By Carol Broos | Filed in Technology, Thoughts, Websites, Youtube

I just finished “What I Did On My Summer Vacation,” clearly a very 20th century topic. Now on to the 21st century topic. “Cool Tech I Am Used This Summer.” Instead of a travel log, I am showing how I used my summer vacation “time” to use cool tools and websites. I really learned a lot from the various conference and the eduverse. Thanks everyone!

iPad

  • I got an iPad this summer and I tend to use it more than my laptop. I didn’t “create” a lot of videos or music, but once the school year begins, I see myself using it for meetings, conferences, getting information, and interacting with music.  I love the music apps and more recently got 14 iPod Touches in my music classroom. 21st century music here we are!

Music Personal Learning Network http://musicpln.org/pln-posts/landing/

  • Thanks to Dr. Joseph M. Pisano for setting up this innovative networking site. We as music educators must connect and share. This has been an amazing social network, along with Monday night chat on twitter #musedchat.

Evernote http://www.evernote.com/

  • I have had an account for a long time, but really didn’t see the need until I got an iPhone (to take pictures) and an iPad (to take notes of a meeting/conference) This has completely transformed my life. I sync all the files on my MacBook Pro, iPhone, and iPad

OfficeHD for the iPad http://www.bytesquared.com/products/office/ipad/default.asp

  • I can now edit and save on my Google Docs and iDisc. I have this only only my iPad. I use my Google Docs for collaboration, Evernote for Professional Notes, and iDisc for presentation files and email downloads from people/administration from school.

PreziDesktop 3 http://prezi.com/desktop/

  • I have used Prezi before, but with PreziDesktop 3, I don’t have the lag time with the online version. I plan on using it for “Curriculum Nights” at my school in the fall. I will post the link once I am finished.

Bento for iPad/iPhone http://www.bentotrial.com/trial/default.aspx

itunes.apple.com/us/app/bento/id314638461?mt=8

  • I am using Bento for the grading and for the final awards I give out at the end of the year. Filemaker 11 is fine, but I like the interface and creating my own forms. I know you can do this in Filemaker, but it seems that Bento is easier and cooler than Filemaker. Plus, it only costs $4.99, as the Filemaker app is around $50.

xmarks http://www.xmarks.com/

  • I have been using this for the past year. ALL my bookmarks are on Diigo, then posted to Delicious. But, daily living I use bookmarks on the browser. Having identical bookmarks on ALL my browsers makes me so fast in finding things.

yolink http://www.yolink.com/yolink/

  • I am hooked on this. It is an add-on extension on IE, Chrome, and Firefox, coming soon to Safari. It enhances your search and you can save link and information directly to your google account. You HAVE to check this out!

SweetSearch http://www.sweetsearch.com/

  • This is a search engine for students and works great with yolink!! My students research skills are going to go off the charts.

Calibre http://calibre-ebook.com/

  • E-books are the new norm. Making them with calibre is amazing. (Plus, this is a free download!) You can then directly put it in your iBooks on your iPad.

The surprising truth about what motivates us

So, that’s what I have been doing this summer, using new links and software to being more efficient and creative. There really isn’t any new

I have to include a video, it’s just me! Here’s a great one, highly innovative, creative, and makes your think!


Let the new school year begin!

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22
Aug

1

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

By Carol Broos | Filed in Golden Apple, Presentations, Thoughts

This is a travelog of the summer of 2010. It was incredible and highly refreshing summer.  Many, many times I hate talking about what’s going on, so I decided to write the middle school essay “What I did on my summer vacation.” That way I can get it all out and live in the present and not talk about myself. Thanks to all those people I got to know and those people I was allowed see their passions and creativity blossom. It is one of two posts I plan of posting the night before the new school year.

Skype

  • Throughout the entire summer I skyped with two of my students concerning their musical compositions. Having the time to compose and create really put these two students into HIGH gear. I really don’t think they realize how much I enjoy and NEED the time to see these wonderful compositions. They are clearly ahead of me and push my musicianship to another level. Thanks Jack and Clay!

Dream Team 2010Golden Apple

  • I started out the summer with the Golden Apple Scholars at DePaul University. I had an incredible group of fourteen scholars who quickly bonded and called themselves the “Dream Team.” As our first group activity, we created t-shirts with our names using wordle, (www.wordle.net) This is a wonderful website that creates word clouds. They created a wordle for me, emailed me the file, then I ironed on a t-shirt  and wore on the last day.
  • I got to observe these incredible young educators at their respective schools. Castellanos Middle School and Columbia Explorers, which are both part of Chicago Public Schools. The administration and teachers welcomed the scholars and the cooperating teachers were outstanding. The scholars have such a drive to learn, teach, and empower others. I don’t think they realize how much their inspiration overflows to me. Thanks to “Mama C”  Carolyn Cyriaque and Jim Sorensen for impacting so many future teachers and allowing me to be a part of this program.
  • I presented “Google ME!” at IMSA (Illinois Math and Science Academy) with the Golden Apple Scholars. It was a hands-on presentation using Google Documents and other Google products such as maps, alerts, calendars, and much more. The excitement was in the air concerning all the possibilities. My favorite comment was “I wish I had known about this six months ago in college. It would have made my life so much easier.”  The intimate setting with these students and personal touch Linda Newman gives, has created a wonderful experience with these scholars.
  • The Golden Apple “Dream Team,” performed at the final evening celebration of the scholars. We chose to dance and involve the rest of the scholars, to a great success. The two-hour program was highlighted by the “Investing in Communities,” where the scholars chose organizations to give $5000. I created a social website that allowed everyone to connect and others to use http://grou.ps/goldenapple
  • Representatives from the various non-for-profits attended, along with students that will have new books, materials, or programs because of the wonderful organization that donated the seed money.
  • I ended the summer with presenting at CORE, a Golden Apple four-day conference at St Xavier for Golden Apple Scholars. It is for scholars that are now working in schools of need. I presented my top ten websites such as Glogster, VoiceThread, Diigo, Delicious, Doodle, Wallwisher, Prezi, and of course the famous Google Docs. Sister Raeleen Sweeney has the conference completely online and paperless. It was a resounding success, thanks to all the work of the “working” scholars and Sister Raeleen.
  • All of my presentations and Golden Apple presentations are available online. You can follow me on twitter or plurk, my nickname is “musictechie.”

ISTE

  • In between reflective meetings, I traveled to Denver for ISTE (formerly NECC, International Society of Technology Educators.) Saturday, June 26, I attended the Edubloggercon. a pre-conference activity with a face to face (f2f) meeting with people who blog led by Steve Hargadon. http://www.stevehargadon.com/  If you are not aware of who he is, google his name and EVERYTHING he does, sign up! He is a model of what teachers should be doing and connected me with so many web 2.0 material, my head sometimes spins. Meeting people face to face that I have either followed on twitter or subscribed to their blog, was a amazing experience. Sunday,  June 27, I attended the “Constructivist Celebration” with Dr. Gary Stager. http://stager.org/ He is a progressive, innovative, and creative educator who presents all over the world, to be able to be in the same room and learn from him and other educators of like minds was a rush. Finally, at ISTE over 17,000 people attended, so it was quite an honor that I was invited to be on a panel discussion with six other Google Certified educators. Our topic was ‘Dissecting the 21st Century Teacher.” Here again, I know these people via twitter and met most of them for the first time twenty minutes before the presentation.

People on the panel were:
Selena Ward, Middle School technology teacher from Maryland
http://thetechtiger.blogspot.com/
Gwyneth Anne Jones, ISTE K-12 and Middle School Librarian
http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/
Andy Losik, Elementary Technology teacher from Michigan
http://mrlosik.info/MrLosik.info/Welcome.html
Kenneth Shelton, Middle School technology teacher from Los Angeles, CA
http://techedanddev.blogspot.com/
Paula White, Middle School Technology Teacher from Maine
http://tzstchr.edublogs.org/

  • These I felt we all knew each other for years, because social networking has that effect, if done professionally and productively. Ken was able to get clickers from Quizdom which enhanced our presentations and gave us immediate feedback.
  • I attended many sessions and hung out at the Blogger Cafe, where most of my “tribe,” was hanging out.

ADE Camp

  • My highlight professionally was my five days in Orlando with the “Apple Distinguished Educators” at Full Sail University. One hundred educators across the world are invited by Apple Computers to attend this technology conference. We placed ourselves in groups of six to eight educators and through “Challenged Basic Learning Model” created websites, movies, and presentations all revolving around our interests. I choose Professional Development. My group created a website and videos for ADE’s to use within their districts. Apple computer is launching many of our projects in iTunes University later this year, which is a clearing house of podcasts, websites, and other material for educators. When you open up iTunes, look for the tab “iTunes University.”  I have a conference call later this month concerning our piece of the project. Thanks to Karen Thompson, Anthony Armstrong, Lee Simpson, Kevin Kneisley, Gayle Berthiaume, and Travis Harder.

MENC

  • I was contacted my MENC (National Music Education organization in Washington DC) to be on the Music Education Journal Board. This board decides what articles are published in the quarterly magazine. This is quite an honor since most of the participates are from higher education. I look forward to reading interesting material for the upcoming journals.

Art Institute

  • I finished the summer taking a class at the Art Institute concerning “Exploring Green Architecture and Design.” It was a fascinating class where we toured the Lourie Garden at Millennium Park, visited the Chicago Architecture Foundation, and created our own vision of how to “green” our current school. Being around art teachers gives me such a sense of awe. For it is the one art form I am completely incompetent on. I can create and do music, I love to act, and I can dance. (Not well, but I can get by) But, art really puts the awe and takes my breathe away.

ICE

  • I was contacted my ICE (Illinois Computing Educators) to help co-chair with Michelle Russell, the poster sessions at the annual conference in February. I am thrilled to be helping this organization, they have allowed the students of Sunset Ridge to present and giving back is just a small thing I can do.

Boating and Mr. Broos

  • The one thing I did not mention is the time I spent on our pontoon boat. It is my “happy place.” My husband is an amazing boater and individual. He is my secret weapon and I rarely talk about him. But he knows that he is my rock and without him, none of this summer would be a reality. He allows me to just be me. I enjoy the water and it is a place to disconnect with technology. Of course, I still have my iPhone with me and I love taking pictures of the sunsets on “the chain.” It is the chain of lakes in northern Illinois. I let nature be the rhythm of the day.

Lunch and Dinner Dates

  • I also want to thank all those “friends’ that had lunch with me and dined under the stars for reflection and love of life. I treasure the memories as well

Reading

  • I also manage to read two books. One fiction (“Private,” by James Patterson) and Seth Godin “LInchpin”) I adored “Linchpin,” it is one book every administrator, parent and teacher should read. I talked about being indepensible in your job and career, not  a slug.

Exercise

  • I also joined the social network site “Daily Mile,” and focused on exercise. Trying to two to three miles, five times a week. I post the exact route I take, so one of my former students in seeing the route, realized that he lives only two blocks away from me. He walks by my house when he walks with his nephews. His sister, whom I also taught, lives less than fifteen house away! We do live in a SMALL world.

In conclusion

  • So, that’s what I did on my summer vacation. To those people who say teachers only work nine months a year, off at 3:00, have a simple life, think again. Creative teachers are never off, we all always learning, doing and think of new ways to teach. In my world, the summer is a time for learning, creating, reflecting, and connecting.
  • So that’s about it. I have great excitement for the new year and meeting the incoming fourth graders. They are the first class completely born in the 21st century! Let the GAMES begin!

Links

http://goldenapple.pbworks.com is the main site for CORE and Golden Apple materials.

http://musictechie.pbworks.com Presentation wiki

http://grou.ps/goldenapple Investing in Communities site

www.carolbroos.com School website

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5
Aug

4

“I’m Not a Techie,” is NOT an Excuse Anymore

By Carol Broos | Filed in Classroom, Education, Technology, Thoughts

I am around two groups of educators. Those who are extremely technical and those who chose not to. The divide is getting greater and greater. As I approach the fifth anniversary of my website www.carolbroos.com I find it amazing that others have not jumped at the idea to do web 2.0 with their students and continue to use the same tools as they did as a child: paper tests and planners.  Some teachers have chosen to ignore that technology even exists in education. But, they use email, DVR’s, and cell phones. So, when they attack me on having the “techie” gene, I am going to comment back that maybe writing a letter would be better than email, and I have some VHS tapes at home they can use to tape their shows.

In any other part of education if a teacher would say “I don’t read,” or “I’m not interested,” people would wonder why they are a teacher. For to be a teacher is to have that thirst of knowledge. To be an effective teacher you need to be aware of how your students live life. The comment, “They are going to have to learn…” is no longer the battle cry, The battle cry is how are we preparing and educating students on how to teach themselves. For many of the jobs they are going to have may have not been invented yet. They need to learn how to problem-solve issues, learn to ask other for help and  create projects that teach others what they have learned. Many teachers are still teaching facts and figures that can easily be googled, then testing on memorization of facts.

The most engaged students I have in my music classroom are the ones that have learned how to teach themselves. My students are more concerned about getting their “work” completed and creating amazing musical projects. Isn’t that what we want? To only learn from me is quite limiting, but to learn from others across the globe is empowering. There are no walls of knowledge in my classroom. For technology is much like a musical instrument, the more you practice the better you get. My students understand how to practice technology and how to learn from others across the globe.

Some of these educator’s excuses are “I want my students to interact and not be in front of a screen.” or “I want my students to play outside and enjoy nature.” It just shows me how little they know about technology. It is NOT just sitting in front of a screen and there are amazing outdoor activities that students can participate in that use technology. Ever heard of GPS, ah right, most of these teachers use it in their car. They simply do not want to learn themselves.

So, as I begin my thirty-third year of teaching I am no longer going to accept the comment “I’m not techie,” from teachers, administration, or parents. It is no longer an excuse. My incoming fourth graders were all born in the 21st century. That is the reason.

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19
Jul

1

“Aha” Moment

By Carol Broos | Filed in Teacher news, Technology

I have had an extremely exciting summer of professional development with ISTE (International Society of Technology Educators) and ADE (Apple Distinguished Educator) Summer Institute. I have been with my peeps, these people are on the top of their game and are innovative with the creative meter off the charts. But, let’s come down to earth. We all started somewhere. We had a moment or moments, almost like a religious experience, that “aha” that shifted us to make technology a way of life. This was discussed in depth with my challenged based learning group from ADE, our project was professional development (PD) with fellow staff members or in the various presenting venues, thus the name ADE4PD.

I can remember when my school put in its first lab and walking in trying to use the mouse. I had NO idea how it worked. But, the biggest “aha” came from my students talking and showing me what was out there. Here is my video of my “aha.”  What was your “aha” moment?

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18
Jul

2

Purpose before Technology

By Carol Broos | Filed in Classroom, Curriculum, Technology, Voicethread

I recently received an email about report card revision happening in my district. Currently the fine arts report card is in Filemaker. The team wanted ALL the grades from the student in one file. So, since they know “pages,” (word processing) they wanted a pages document for each child housed on our domain-only google document. (If you are a super-user you can understand the issues)

They were starting with the technology they would use and didn’t focus on WHAT they wanted to do. In addition, I received an email from a friend that her elementary music teacher wanted to create a wiki for students to record, share, and comment on “like” music, like a Facebook environment. The students have to have separate emails accounts set up, then record in Audacity, change file to an .mp3 upload to the wiki, then insert the sound file. All done during the second grade music period! These are teachers who don’t know other tools are out there.

It got me to thinking, That we see “bad tech” when the tools drive the project, instead of the project driving the tools. If you notice, newbies talk tools, then what they want to do. Many times several different tools are being used for the same project. Using the tools for “what you want to do,” is the ultimate question. The newbie in tech wants to teach the tools, so you see  they answer “we are doing an iMovie project.”  In reality, it is a book review, which pages would be a better fit or a poem that Keynote/Powerpoint would be more effective. Looking at the purpose and how do you want the final product to look is the answer to the correct tools.

Update:

  • Fine arts report card will be done in Filemaker.
  • Elementary music teacher is using Wallwisher and VoiceThread.
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10
Jul

8

Finding A Balance and Creating a Movement

By Carol Broos | Filed in 1 Teacher at at Time, Google, Technology, Thoughts

The divide of the “tech world and non-techies.”

After spending five days at ISTE in Denver,  with my peeps and “birds of a feather” groups, I will soon head to Orlando for the Apple Distinguished Educators Summer Institute.  I was and will be others that understand me and I don’t have to explain myself. It feels so good and the learning is incredible. Then, while working with the Golden Apple Scholars on an online project, I was helping the college students and fellow teachers, they could barely login and answer a question online. Many berate you and state “I don’t have time for that,” or “I couldn’t log in.” and “What is a hyperlink?”

What a divide we live in. One area of education that is plugged in and creating and one group that finds it hard to create online or simply set up an account on the various social networks. (We haven’t even talked about setting up a wiki or website) It would be easy for me to be with those who understand me and hang with the “techies,” but where is the balance? In the world of social networks and technology, we often ask “how can we move and change education?” Well, it doesn’t start with those who “get it,” it starts with those who “don’t.” We have to patiently sit and at times, “hold the hand,” of those who are extremely low in tech skills. We have to set up the non-techie for success. This has to be a conscience effort – ONE person at at time. The personalization of technology and the “private” lesson in tech has to be the norm for some of these individuals.

Now the balance. We are hanging too much with ourselves. We need to “get out more.” So, as part of the twitter and plurk talk it should revolve around “who’d you help today?” Wouldn’t that be a great movement? This would be were we would post who we moved into the 21st century with online learning, setting up a classroom wiki, or simply got their files online. Let’s start small.

So, this school year I will document, using a google doc, who I helped and what they learned or setup –  ONE teacher at a time.  I think I have found my balance and with that, a movement of learning. Look for updates and how my “mini” movement is going. This is my new charge and new mission.

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14
Jun

4

Composing With A Purpose

By Carol Broos | Filed in Classroom, Curriculum, Education, Student News, Sunset Ridge, Vermont MIDI

I composed ZERO songs in high school and only composed ONE song in college. The emphasis was on playing or singing the compositions/songs with a director or conductor. The only creativity was the practice order of the director, no creativity on my part, it really wasn’t discussed. If you wanted to be creative, learn jazz. It wasn’t until I was involved with the “Vermont MIDI Project” that I realized I could and should compose.

I have always felt that composing was way too difficult and involved. Why, because my first exposure was music theory. I learned “how” music works before I experimented with  making melodies. All those intervals and the I, IV, V chord structure. Music theory was the starting and ending point, not the simplicity of melodies and chords. There was no freedom, just music theory; if you follow the rules, then you are composing like a musician. The only problem, my compositions were very programmed, uncreative, and unemotional. Not very inspiring, no wonder I felt I could never compose, it wasn’t my voice, my creation or passion.

That has completely changed…

I can remember my first day sitting in the room with all those composers in Vermont. I was excited my students were going to be a part of these wonderful composing tool, l didn’t realize that I was going to have to compose as well! I sat there for 45 minutes, I managed to get THREE notes on the staff. I was so stressed out and completely overwhelmed. In all my years of music education at the age of 46, no one had let me just compose, with no direction, but just compose, with no rules, no form, just make it sound good TO ME.  The freedom was so powerful. Over the course of the week, I composed faster and faster and with passion.

So, here I am years later, composing is the central most part of what I teach to my students. It is creative and I feel the way ALL music education should be taught. I just let my students compose and let them listen to sounds and notes. As they progress they slowly add chords and learn about theory, so music theory is NOT THE MAIN INGREDIENT. Creating songs with purpose and making music is the main thread. Making is sound good TO ME.

I know this is the way that music should be created. Just ask any of my students from the non-musicians to the students with years of piano. They all are on the same journey,   just on different locations on the journey. The delight of seeing the students share and listen never gets old within the music classroom.

There are always those students that rise to the top, I want to talk about three such students. They have moved me to tears and are the reason I continue to pursue teaching composition within my classroom.

First, a little over a year ago while I was on sabbatical, Sandi MacLeod, the director of the Vermont MIDI Project contacted me. She needed some Sibelius (composition software) files from students. I tell my fourth graders they have to be able to PLAY the song they compose. Well, she needed the files presto, so I told the students, “Just compose anything you can, I need it in one week.” One week passed. Jack was concerned he couldn’t play the song. I replied “Dr. MacLeod just need some files, you don’t have to play it!”  He had managed to have nine different instruments in his “An Adventure.” It was twenty-six pages long. As I began to listen, I was overcome and sat down on the rug and cried. Yes, cried, for I realized I had a “Mozart” in the making. To make a long story short, “An Adventure,” was submitted to MENC/NSBE which won runner-up in the elementary division. He soon will be studying composition privately because composing has become his passion. Here is his mp3 file, if you cannot access the Sibelius online version.

The second student had been a part of the Vermont MIDI Project in fifth grade and was going to another school the next year. He and his parents wanted to continue his music composing so we set up a skype conference on Sunday nights. Well, out of that came his website. http://www.cmusicmaker.com/ Clay and I would have discussions about music and how it works.  It is so amazing to see his development of his compositions. He has inspired me to compose more and be a better listener, musician, and a better teacher. As I talked about music theory and music form, he was quite interested how music works. He slowly began to study music theory, using musictheory.net,  but still experimenting with sounds. When he got his keyboard hooked up to his computer, he experimented more with jazz and various chord progressions. At the start of sixth grade, he had quit piano lessons and was taking drum lessons. Soon he began to see purpose in piano and started piano again, along with drum and guitar lessons. He currently is taking composition classes as well.

Finally, I had a fourth grader, Henri, he slowly became fascinated with GarageBand and composing. One day he knocked on my door and a flash-drive in his hand. To see the excitement of sharing his file and the pride of accomplishment of his composition was my joy of the day. He expressed his love of music and how much he enjoys creating and being in the MIDI lab, and has carried that on at home by composing every day. Here is major cool, his GarageBand composition.

These three students have attacked composing quite different ways. Jack sees music as various melodies, Clay see music as chords and rhythm, and Henri sees music as a release. That is also the beauty of allowing students to find their voice and create.

I personally want to thank the parents for allow them to pursue their creativity. Who knows where it may take them. Let the students compose, it has purpose and creates a voice.

Important links:

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