KIS: Keep it Simple

1. Little-by-little. If you come down with a long list of do’s and don’ts the students simply will not remember. Limit your rules to only ten.
2. Posted rules. This is only for the rules of classroom and specific rules that you need to physically show the students on a daily basis. Post at least six copies of rules around the classroom. so wherever the students look they see the rules.
3. Implied rules. These are underlying rules as you go. In the beginning of the year, have a new rule a day as you interact with the students.
4. Establish a Culture of “Circle of Trust.” This used to be called “tech helpers.” These are the students that are also passionate about your subject and technology. They USE all the equipment and want the equipment when they want it. They are focused on making sure all the equipment is put back and in working order at all times.
5. Check out sheet. Make sure all equipment is checked out. I have a sheet, with name, class, and equipment. It makes everyone accountable.

Let’s Get Started

Classroom Rules

Go over your TOP TEN rules in the classroom. Many teachers have two rooms in one like a  music room and a tech room. The first day of school or class, we practice moving chairs. I do this once, I never have to reteach.Seating chart of Promethean or Smart Board, easier to move students around, plus use a screen shot for substitute teachers.

“Left-brain” day  versus “Right-brain” day

When teaching new technologies or program establish what I call “right-brain” or “left-brain” day. Left-brain day is where students follow along, step-by-step and EVERYONE in the class has to be on the SAME screen. This creates an environment of helping each other. Again, do not move along until everyone is on screen. Do not go around and help, make the students help each other. Have numbers on each station or create stations, so you are not calling out names, just numbers.

The gifted and talented student will totally buy into this, since you tell the class that the goal is the “right brain” day, where students can click where and whenever they want. We all have “swiss cheese,” in regards to any program or technology toy, when the teacher goes step-by-step, everyone is on the same page. The swiss cheese is eliminated. Use “left-brain” day quite sparingly, only ten to thirteen minutes in a class period. Don’t use it everyday, only when you are introducing a new program or project.

Implied Rules

These can be as simple as the bathroom pass to the way ones passes out the iPod Touche devices. Everyday a new implied rule, only one a day.

Simple Tips

1. Purchase equipment that all uses the same batteries or sans disc cards. If you have a classroom with a variety of different batteries and cards it will drive you nuts.
2. Download all files the day they are filmed or shot. If you don’t follow this rule, it also will drive you nuts.
3. Have an external drive of 500GB and at least two jump drives. You will need this in case you have to dump the video for later use or move files from computer to computer.
4. Scout day before using any camera. Have the students “scout” for their pictures or video before you hand them a camera.This will eliminate the students leaving for twenty -five minutes with the one camera everyone is waiting for to use.
5. Tech Day. Have a day where all the files are either dropped or saved to an external hard drive. Test out the files before you show them to the class,this way any tech issues are fixed before the big presentation day.
6. Never have your presentation day be the last class. Here is where time management for the teacher comes to be so important. It also allows those students who need the extra time to work on their project. Try to end the class two days early. The last days of the class will be for evaluations and the google 20% (working on something they have never had the time to work on in class.)

Finally, we can have all those toys and tools, but classroom management really plays an important role in how these toys and tools can be controlled and implemented within the classroom environment. These have seemed to work well, I am interested in any other ideas teachers have, please contact me.

The thirty years of composer project my students have been learning the history of a specific composer. Five years ago, instead of learning facts, I moved the students to CREATE. They created a thirty-second multi-media projects using the music of a specific composer. To my amazement, the students learned more about the composer than just learning facts. They learned about ALL the music EVERYONE else was using for their individual projects. Because the music was the focus of the project, they were driven to learn more about the composer.

Students create and compose more in music today because the technology has taken us there. Having Sibelius or Finale in the lab, or with looping software such as GarageBand, pushes the teacher to create instead of learning facts. The creative side takes over. Anyone can google the facts of the composer, not everyone can create a meaningful project using the composer’s music.

The fifth graders at Sunset Ridge have just finished the first part of their composer videos. Now comes the commenting and the validation of their projects they created. Some chose to learn facts, others saw it as an opportunity to create amazing projects with with music by using video, iStop Motion, Flash, and Keynote/Powerpoint. They chose the tools to create their project, they chose the thirty-seconds to create, and some even chose to learn the music of their composer. Because the music was the driving force, students were inspired to learn how to play the music of their composer, to learn more about other works the composer composed. The depth of knowledge amazed me as well as how much retention they will have over the years, by making the music central in the project.

So, to new music educators out there, or to those who have taught a long time, remember it is about the creative process, not the facts you know. For anyone can learn facts, not everyone can create and compose. If you put creativity and composition as a central part of your curriculum, the students will feel like many of my students feel “It’s the best place in the school, I can create and express myself.”

Click here for the Composer Project 2011 at Sunset Ridge School.

In today’s society, innovative and creative classes and projects must be the standard. In some higher level colleges, it is stressed one must to be creative by having “two” things you excel in. Notice the word “excel,” it is a way to move ahead of others, be an individual thinker and innovator. Being tolerant and being able to WORK with others is important, but pushing the envelope is important as well. Yes, I still do the traditional concerts, but allow talent to shine with soloists. You have to have a balance and let the stars shine.

I have been reading a lot about 21st century skills from well-known authors and philosophers as Seth Godin, Daniel Pink, and Don Tapscott. If you have not heard about them, you are stuck in the 20th century, for they are the movers and shakers of today. In their writings, they talk about  independent thinking and being an innovator, which is more important than following the rules.

Anyone that knows me, I see the rules as a skeleton and many times do not follow the rules. Of course this drives many an administrator nuts. I am always ethical and stick to my core beliefs. I do not subscribe to the “group” mentality, but the “star” creation.

This is much a kin to the divergent theories concerning performing groups. One theory is to take the BEST singers in the school for the top performing group. The other theory is to have the singers who sound good together as the top performing group. One fosters excellence of each of the performers, the other is excellence to the whole. The second dumbs down talent to be the same, the other fosters star status.

“The Group,” was a theater company in the 1930′s. It was a collaborative group of actors where no one was allowed to stand out. It was a new way of achieving “the whole” on stage. Katherine Hepburn was asked to take part in “The Group,” After listening to the presentation about “The Group,” Hepburn replied, “This is all very well for you people. But I’m going to be a star, you see.” (Taken from http://thebrittbeat.blogspot.com/2008/06/im-going-to-be-star.html) After ten years, the group disbanded. Who got the last laugh!

That is exactly what I want for my students. To be excited about others successes, but achieve your own excellence and not just be a “star,” but a ROCK STAR!

I do not run a “team” mentality within my classes, but my students still feel like a family. Within a family, one is allowed to share talents, allowed to grow talents, and expand upon talents, not “dumb” down talents so someone doesn’t feel bad.

In the middle schools where students start to realize their passions and talents, it is important to give student the wings to fly, not a rope that ties them to each other. We rarely find our “tribe” within the general population in middle school, but often in clubs or activities before or after school or later in high school or college. Sometimes it takes years to really find our “tribe.” When you are with “your people,” you demand more of yourself and achieve more because your “tribe” expects you to soar. I try to have students of like minds work together.

The students I have taught or are in my classes know that I am a “different” teacher, one who seeks out talent and passion. I ALLOW students to excel, or with some, demanding they excel given their raw talent. I do not accept mediocrity, because I have high standards. For those extremely gifted and talented students, my battle cry is to give them “time and software” to allow their creative process to take over. Then the ROCK STAR appears and all is good in the kingdom.

It was a blast having my students videotape their experiences and how they create their files using music as the glue for all projects. Here is the trailer, which ironically, is much harder than the 20-minute final video I edited. Trying to put together a short one minute teaser doesn’t capture all the students how they come to create in the variety of ways they do.

I am a music teacher first, so ALL files music is created and composed. That is the common thread throughout the class. But, in this audio-visual environment (my students also must have a visual content) is the real story here. My students use such a variety of visuals, be it flash, iMovie, gaming, Photoshop, or just pictures of themselves. Some start with the music, other start with the visual and make the music complement the audio. Whatever they do, they work in a flurry of activity in class and at home.

We are scheduled go live on Monday at 7:00am. Enjoy! Click here for the schedule.

I am also honored to be aligned with Barb Freedman, a wonderful blogger and social network guru.  She is an amazing music technology teacher and an innovator in how we teach music. I got to know her online with the Music Professional Learning Network and of course twitter.

So, take the time and read the article. I know that it is long, but it shows my passion to transform music education for the 80% not in band, choir, and orchestra.

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.

I have always felt that composing was difficult . Why? Because my first exposure was music theory. I learned “how” music works before I experimented with  making melodies, using 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. They weren’t very inspiring, so no wonder I felt I could never compose. It wasn’t my voice, my creation or passion.

My approach completely changed when I attended the summer workshop in Vermont.

I can remember my first day sitting in the room with fellow educators in Vermont, as part of the Vermont MIDI project. I was excited my students were going to be a part of this wonderful composing tool. But I didn’t realize that I was going to have to compose as well! I sat there for forty-five minutes and 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 forty-six, no one had let me just compose, with no direction, 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 with passion.

Composing is the central most part of what I teach to my students. It is creative and I feel it is the way ALL music education should be taught. I let my students compose and let them listen to sounds. As they progress they slowly add chords and learn about music theory, but music theory is not the main ingredient. Creating songs with purpose and making music is the main idea. By making the composition sound good TO THEM creates an authentic voice.

I feel this is the way that music should be created. If you 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, when students are allowed to be free to compose.

There are always those students that rise to the top and I would like 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 McLeod, the director of the Vermont MIDI Project contacted me. She needed some Sibelius (composition software) files from students. In fourth grade, they have to be able to PLAY the song they compose. She needed the files as soon as possible, so I told the students, “Just compose anything you can, I need it in one week.”  Jack was concerned he couldn’t play the song. I replied “Dr. McLeod just needs some files, you don’t have to play it!”  He had managed to have nine different instruments in his “An Adventure,” and 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 and won runner-up in the elementary division. He soon will be studying composition privately because composing has become his passion. Another one of his compositions was performed at Ravinia as part of the Midwest Young Artists contest.

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. Clay and I would have discussions about music. It was so amazing to see him develop his composition skills. He has inspired me to compose more and be a better listener, musician, and 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 http://www.musictheory.net/,  but still experimented with sounds. When he got his keyboard connected 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 a purpose in piano and started piano lessons again. He has pursued additional composition classes at the local music store where he has started taking guitar. All of this resulted in the creation of his website. http://cmusicmaker.com/

Finally, Henri, a fourth grader, slowly became fascinated with GarageBand as a result of the MIDI lab at Sunset Ridge School. One day he knocked on my door with 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. He has carried the excitement of composing home and creates compositions daily.

These three students have attacked composing in 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 the beauty of allowing students to find their voice and create.

I personally want to thank the parents for allowing them to pursue their creativity. Who knows where it may take them.

Important links:

• Vermont MIDI Project:  http://www.vtmidi.org
• Jack’s An Adventure, mp3 file of An Adventure

• Clay’s website: http://www.cmusicmaker.com/

• Henri’s major cool

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 forty-five 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 forty-six, 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 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 and it 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 McLeod, the director of the Vermont MIDI Project contacted me. She needed some Sibelius (composition software) files from students. 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. McLeod 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.

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. 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 a purpose in piano and started piano again, along with drum and guitar lessons. He currently is taking composition classes.

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.

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.

Important links:

• Vermont MIDI Project:  http://www.vtmidi.org
• Jack’s An Adventure, mp3 file of An Adventure
• Clay’s website: http://www.cmusicmaker.com/
• Henri’s major cool

Here’s what I classify the talented/gifted student:

a student that has taken piano lessons and performed in recitals, they can play and doodle on the piano or other instrument. They love music and practice on a daily basis, either by parental intervention or by themselves.

Here’s how I classify the general population student:

this student might have taken private lesson on an instrument, but may not remember how to read music. They have no knowledge or commitment of how to practice or may never have taken an instrument outside the music class. They may or may not like music, or even listen to music outside class.

There is a constant challenge within my classroom in trying to keep the gifted/talented student engaged and the general population student in “having fun.” Here’s how I have perfected the experience.

First, acknowledge the gifted/talented student. They have worked hard on practicing their instrument and many have a passion to create. They are a different type of student and let them know that they are NOT going to do the same project or have the same rules concerning the project. Yes, I “track” the students in two separate projects/groups. To the gifted/talented student I say “keep working.” I do not stand over them and watch them work. I only interact with them when they ask me to. Once I get the gifted/talented student working, they usually over achieve their boundaries and allowed to move faster and farther. If they slow down, I immediate explain that they are different and should be doing more, much more than expected, or they will have to do the general education project.They quickly get to working.

With the general population student, I treat them completely different from the gifted/talented student. They need individual goals and assessments along the way. I monitor them more closely. I am always asking them if they need help or can I listen to their “creations.” Since I have been doing this, no students have asked why they cannot do what the gifted/talented student is doing. It is because it is more work and demands more time or they couldn’t begin to do the project. Plus, all of the students in my classes know they can “change up” the project and design a project themselves.

Students often ask me “how long or how many slides do I have to have?,” I quickly answer, “,,,as long as you need to finish for it to be excellent..” Excellence is the main thread, not how many minutes, slides, or measures long. Excellence in all work they produce. If you do not finish and you need more time, the magic wand comes out and “poof” you have more time for excellence.

I love assemblies, performances, and showcasing student work. It validates the student and creates an environment of creativity. If we do away with these special times and only teach classes, we risk being just like an academic teacher. Thus, we are not servicing the arts as they were meant to be, an expression of feelings to OTHERS.  The arts ARE different from academics. In the real world, they are judged, not graded. By becoming “excellent” in your artsy world, it needs an audience, not a classroom of 24. That is why I have embraced the online world. My students can have a voice outside the classroom, more people online can view my students talent than within the classroom, which has been a blessing. It has created an underground community of creativity and excellence that is judged, not graded.

Here are some examples:

• The Uniquia Show Uniquia, is a seventh grade girl obsessed with making videos. She gives me a video almost daily. These are amazing and tell quite a story about her and her friends.

• Number 47, I had two eighth graders work on a wonderful Flash presentation, one with the visual, the other with the audio. Judge for yourself.

• Single Ladies Dance, Within my sixth grade music class, we reenacted a scene from “Glee,” it was a terrific bonding experience.

• Cmusicmaker, Every Sunday night I skype with a former student, who is attending a different school. He is composer and we have setup a website to showcase his compositions. We talk music theory and how music creates a mood for each of his works.

• Chordsville,  for three years a student composed, wrote, and directed a movie. All of the videos are posts, as well as process he did and how he conceived the story.

• Pixx, Another student loves Photoshop, even though I am a music teacher, he works on his own time and gives me wonderful pictures of creativity.

Often I am asked, “So what was your rubric for the project?” My retort is “If I had made a rubric on this, it would have placed a ceiling on their creativity.” Of course you have to let the student know what you want, but DON’T set the limit, students will only work to that level. Have NO limit and demand creativity and excellence, that will be judged.

The Fine Arts is a very small community and is the David within the school. The Goliath’s have all the power and many administrators, as well as fellow educators, have not performed or understand how important the arts are within the 21st century skills. We have to continue stress WE are different and will not become an “academic art,” by just teaching classes and having no additional assemblies or programs, But if that is not supported, then there is always the internet! What a great world we live in!