I thought that if I just cover over the ear buds while talking that would mute the call.  Ah…. doesn’t work that way. The ear buds only work for the “output” of sound, the input is on the phone itself.

Hubby came home in the middle of the two conference calls. So I started talking and catching up, etc….Yes, EVERYONE at the ICE meeting could hear!!! Well, the conference chair of ICE texted me “Carol, you are talking REALLY loud.” and another person at the ICE conference call DM’d me on twitter “Carol, please put your phone on mute.” I think I was on top of it, so it didn’t go on too long. Still, super embarrassing!! The poster co-chair was on the call and I am going to talk to her at 3:30 to see how bad it was…. Ah… Note to self – ONE online conference at a time:)

Anyone else have an embarrassing tech moment? I completely apologize to all those attending ICE, working on my tech skills as I write!

Beethoven

I am currently taking a ten-week continuing education class at Northwestern University on Ludwig van Beethoven. The instructor is Dr. Drew Davies, a professor at the Beinen School of Music at Northwestern University. Undeniably, he is considered the most celebrated composer of all time. It only makes sense that we infuse Beethoven’s concepts in compositions within the 21st century.

Beethoven listened to his own voice and “marched to a different drummer.” Before Beethoven, musicians were employed by benefactors such as the church or royalty, he was self-employed. Music was published through these institutions with single parts only. Beethoven published outside the main stream through publishing houses and sometime published the same piece at a variety of houses, making more money for himself. He published full scores.

21st century – Publish your own works, set up your own publishing company. Have a full and individual parts available. 

He expanded the orchestra, but had a balance of old styles using new techniques. He was comfortable in his own world and created his own rules, but kept a skeleton of musical composition rules as to not to upset the mainstream community. Accessibility of musical instruments though the use of massed produced instruments made it so the masses could now own musical instruments. Performances moved from small venues of chamber music to the huge concert halls for all people to participate. The piano was the new instrument of era. Beethoven composed chamber music, symphonies, and piano concertos, using old instruments as well as new. He composed for the masses to hear his pieces.

21st century – Use new instruments on the iPad or create your own instruments. Instead of huge performing groups, compose for small groups of instruments that create a different sound. Compose using instruments that are not normally used together. Set up a soundcloud account or youtube channel so others can view and hear your compositions.

21st century – Technology has allowed anyone to compose and have playback without hiring musicians to play the compositions. Composition has moved mainstream.

He was famous during his lifetime. However, not a child prodigy. He was what we call a “slow processor” or “late bloomer.” His personal life of hearing loss and unrequited love affairs place his as a tragic figure. He overcame many struggles and is seen as an “emotional” artist.

21st century – anyone can be a composer with access to a computer and free online tools. 

Now, move into the 21st century, taking Beethoven’s life, philosophy and innovations. Many music educators teach composition like they are teaching in Beethoven’s era, not composing how Beethoven created. They demand that students compose for the symphony using forms that are so old that even Beethoven changed them in his time. Let’s compose like Beethoven would if he was in the 21st century using innovative and creative ideas.

I am presenting “Composing Online Is Not Just Notation” at the TI:ME conference in Louisville. What I to intend to expand upon is letting people experiment with different instruments and notation. Click here for the entire presentation.

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.

Illinois Education and Technology Conference in Springfield, IL

As we move more and more into more interesting tools, websites, and changing our teaching methods, the need to mentor those who are just beginning to use these tools such as new teachers and administrators is becoming a greater need.

Of course, it is “ALL ABOUT ME!” So, I will start with the f2f contact I got. Meeting with others and discussing what works and what does not work is an integral part of any conference. We all are struggling with those who are still in the dark with infusing curriculum with technology, some are other teachers, some are administrators. I do not have a “magic wand” that can change these people into completely changing how they “do business,” but first I have been rethinking how we conduct conferences, but that is a completely different blogpost.

Michele Widdes, (SRS 8th grade LA Teacher) Presenting at the poster session

I feel the need to mentor more and more.  That is why at the Illinois Education Technology Conference this week in Springfield, Illinois, I encouraged two of my colleagues to participate in a poster session and presentation. They were quite nervous, but I told them they had much to share and I would be the tech support.  After the two events, one poster and one presentation,  they really enjoyed the experience and learned so much from the other presenters.

On to the meat of the conference and the cool things I learned.

1. Keeping track of assignments

http://soshiku.com/

Online assignment notebook, save documents, share assignments with other, and a calendar.  Many college students are using this. I am going to “beta” test this some of my students, however they have to be on the network and have internet connection.

2. Online conferencing

http://www.bigbluebutton.org/

An excellent free, open source alternative to Skype and Elluminiate. This looks really cool. I wanted to start online learning with some of my gifted and talented students and parents, this might be the ticket. Plus, it’s free. I have to see if you can archive the chat. Still come testing to be done.

3. Pete Powerpoint

http://www.pppst.com/

Downloadable PowerPoints. You can save it as a copy, personalize the PowerPoint for classroom use.

4. Stop PowerPoint Paranoia – Annette Lamb

http://eduscapes.com/sessions/pop

A wonderful presentation that got me thinking about HOW we assign projects and the end result we want. You could spend DAYS looking at all the information and links here.

Terri Zazove, (SRS Gifted Teacher) Presenting Book Trailers

5. Book Trailers

http://musictechie.pbworks.com/w/page/32772360/Book-Trailers

This was Terri Zazove’s presentation about doing Book Trailer with the fifth graders and student examples.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed the personal interaction I had with other “techies,” and the colleagues that attended with me. The four hours down to Springfield and back created a stronger bond with the three of us and it can only help the collaborative projects we create in the future.

This is one of the first music presentations that is part of this conference. We had a blast talking and participating within this incredible conference, take a look, and “Don’t Suppose….. COMPOSE!”

Here is our teaser for the presentation.

Brenda Muench, John Heath, and Carol Broos

It started out like a bang; Brenda Muench was presented the “Mary Hoffman” award for excellence, basically IMEA – “Music Teacher of the Year.” Brenda and I are collaborating together with the Composer Collaborative, she has taught me so much. Last year I met John Heath, IMEA-President-Elect, he is amazing and his jest for life is so engaging.

On Friday, I presented “Be A Techie is an Hour.” It was extremely fast-paced and I know that people came away with their heads spinning. I had a least four people that are now following me on twitter/plurk or Facebook. So, some shift is happening.

We had a small roundtable concerning the state of music and it’s future at IMEA. There is a school district those blocks ANYTHING with the word “music.” Imagine the outrage if schools blocked “science” or “reading.” It would be the top of the news. Even in the more restrictive societies, music is not blocked. Being blocked at schools is the one of the major problems facing education today. That was one of the saddest moments at the convention.

Carol after eating the chocolate cake

Brenda and Carol ready to dig into chocolate cake

We always go to a wonderful fish restaurant.Brenda and I shared a delicious piece of chocolate cake, by seeing these pictures you can see I really enjoyed the moment. My favorite concert is the Friday night Jazz concert, which this year had special meaning. Two of my old advisees were performing; one made the All-State Honors Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the other the All-State Honors Jazz Ensemble, first chair trumpet. They both had solos and performed beautifully. I loved talking to them after the concert. They are both highly talented students in junior high, and surprise, took piano lessons at a young age.

Saturday, my presentation was at 8:00, “Music 2.0: Create. Share, Post, and Comment.” This is my favorite presentation because I show student files that have been posted, along with comments. The teachers wanted to know about “Hooked on Classics.” So, I posted the names of the songs on my musictechie.pbwiki.com site.

I always come away from IMEA happy I went and I am charged for the rest of the year. It was a magnificent conference.