It could have been worse, I could have crashed in an airplane, struck by lightning or even hit by a train, luckily THAT didn’t happen. You don’t take a step off that cliff into chance and expect to float all the way down without a few bumps and bruises along the way. It’s how you learn and how you grow. For every person out there who believes in weighing life, for every weight on the left, a weight on the right balanced it out. In the end, the school year has wrapped up, and it all turned out in a happy ending with a little more gained knowledge and a step further into shaping who I am and where I want to go.

   Taking a leap of faith I tried to put myself out there even more this year with conference presentations in state and on national level, I continued to blog every friday and after putting a few pins on the website www.pinterest.com my ideas reached a whole new audience. I tried to get the Music Ed Motivation Day www.musedmot.webs.com off the ground, even though it continues to be a struggle to reach a wider audience I’m learning and getting better time after time. I also took a bigger step into the Technology Institute for Music Educators organization www.ti-me.org joining their marketing committee and taking on the responsibility of writing their commercial member feature articles. On top of all of this I have written multiple blog posts for www.quavermusicblog.com  and have been a proud member of their Quaver Advisory Council. I know I’m nuts but I have the Speed theory, if I stop going 50 mph I might keel over hehe.

     With all the positives obviously came some negatives, I don’t think I have ever had a period where I have been so depressed and stressed in my life. It s amazing how only a few words can hurt you so badly that sends you spiraling into such a negative place. Sometimes it might not show, but, never question the heart a teacher puts into teaching. We don’t do it for the money or the glory, we do it because we love it. Thanks to a support system that is so amazing I made it through and truly realized who I need to keep myself surrounded with. Teachers in my buildings, and my amazing PLN got me through it with only a bruised self esteem and another big learning experience notched in my belt.

So what are the hopes for next year? Now that I know my biggest fear is no more, I have another year set up in my current district (year 4!). I’ve begun searching for that perfect grad school, started some bigger projects to take me to the next level professionally,  and continued my favorite thing of making new friends and connections in the music education world. In my head I have at least one more year in my current school, after that who knows I hope to make a big leap out of the school district I have been in since I was in Kindergarten. I might leave teaching for a bit to get my grad degree, I might not, I’m one of those people that if a good opportunity comes along I’m going to take it. It’s a new experience I can look back on later in life.

In the end, it’s going to be another exciting year ahead and odds are, I’m gonna be alright.

The race has begun, only a few days of school left before the Alice Cooper hit “School’s Out” will be playing in my head over and over again. In my classroom, it’s time to get a little nuts, be a little loud, and have a little fun. I always make a playlist of all the songs I plan on using for the last week of school for easy access. From singing to dancing and even playing we take the last few moments we have together and just make music. Below are the songs I have on my list divided up by activity!

Songs to Sing:

Sing Together by Train

We Are The Champions by Queen

Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland

Songs to Dance to:

Macarena by Kidzone

Cotton Eye Joe by Star Sound

Cha-Cha Slide by Mr. C

Cupid Shuffle by Cupid

Activity Songs

Pete the Cat and His White Shoes by Mr. Eric – With this song by Kindergarten Students and I read the story and sing the song. We then get to color our own shoe paper and design our own shoe which we put into a book that I give to the teacher after we all sing it together!

Drum stick songs (We use these songs and create patterns as a following the leader activity . The students love to sing along as they drum like a rock star) 

I Gotta Feeling by Kidz Bop Kids

Fireflies by Kidz Bop Kids

Firework by Kidz Bop Kids

Dynamite by Kidz Bop Kids

Magic by Kidz Bop Kids

Some Nights by Kidz Bop Kids

  What songs are you doing or did you do for your last few days of school?

   As the end of school draws near (1 more full week!) I tend to get more and more work completed so my time becomes free especially after school. Kids start to feel the oncoming pressure that summer is arriving and they won’t see me for a while so I take more and more students afterschool to hang out until their buses are called. During this time they are allowed to do things they would not normally do during class time. An iPad club has been formed!

  I have multiple iPads. I do not have enough for a full class or even a  full class to use in small groups, but I have enough for a few kids to be working on them at a time. One of my wishes for next year is to acquire more iPads or more iPod touches to be able to do more with the students in a full class setting. Since I have a handful of iPads, of course I have multiple students want to use them. I have a few certain students who asked me to come after school and of course I said yes. In our school it is required for them to have a note to come hang out with me so I have prewritten notes I can put their name on and sign.

   So what do they use the iPads for afterschool? Oh, multiple things.

         – I have a few students who come into record using the  app Pocket Wavepad. They will record using anything from their voice to a band instrument or even a recorder. As I’ve stated before, they know how to use this and they know how to be in my recording studio so I trust them.

           – I also have students who are testing a practice app called Jammit where they can choose from one of my electric guitars I have on a table. Then they can practice a rock or pop tune in the Jammit app with the guitar. Since I am testing this one, they have to give me one thing they liked and one thing they did not before they leave so I can give proper feedback.

            – I also have students come to play with the Joytunes apps to practice and/or learn piano. If the piano is free they can use the piano with the apps or most of them use the touchscreen piano inside of itself.  The one app they have been fixated on is their new Piano Mania app.  They are also welcome to bring their recorders to play the Recorder Master app as well.

              – The students also play a plethora of different apps as well, anything from Toca Boca Band to QDancer to even just games like Temple Run.

   It turns out everyday that I get a really good group of kids come in, but I always have a couple rules just incase:

          1.) Carry the iPad with two hands and never use it by holding it and standing up. Always have it on a hard surface where it won’t fall.

          2.) SHARE!

          3.) Treat it like your own iPad, make sure it is safe and if you are done with it leave it on the desk.

          4.) When you’re bus is called, make sure you put the iPad away immediatly and go. The bus will not wait if you are being a slowpoke on purpose.

          5.) If you are here to test an app, you MUST give Ms. Dwinal your feedback. She reports to companies on how you like it, give her good stuff to say!

     It feels pretty cool to have so many kids want to come create music on technology. I feel so happy to know my love of music tech is rubbing off on these guys. We call this group the iPad club, do you have something like this in your classroom or school?

June 29th is our next date!

    Can you believe it? It has been a whole year since the very first #musedmot and we are coming up on our 4th event on Saturday June 29th beginning at 10am est on Twitter.  This day is meant to get us motivated to continue learning all thoughout this summer and the rest of the year. Yes, I am saying it. Due to a variety of  issues we will be moving to a once a year big event.  This is because of many factors but with high hopes to attract a bigger crowd and more moderators with a once a year date.

          Are you interested in moderating a conversation this year? Please either: leave a comment below, email cedwinal@plymouth .edu, or visit our Volunteer Section on our new website! You do no have to be an expert to moderate, just be excited and have a lot of questions! These are discussions AND presentations, you choose the topic, the format of Twitter or Google plus and then you choose the time slot on the Schedule. I am looking for MANY more moderators, please consider signing up!

     We also have a new Registration system. There is no money involved! This system just allows me to see who is going to be on and be able to help out those who need tech help in order to participate and to invite those into the Google Plus Video Chat Hangouts that would like to stop in. If you are unsure of your prescence about the event, still sign up that way just incase you run into trouble we can be there.

   Over the past year Musedmot has begun to evolve! Our new website is up and looking fabulous! www.musedmot.webs.com , we have connected with Pinterest, Twitter, and Google Plus and have begun to connect with many new friendly faces from around the globe!

   It’s always amazing how one little idea can turn into a whole new life style for one classroom. You make one small change thinking nothing is going to become of it but in reality the students can take that one little idea to new heights and create a whole new motivation to bring more music in to the school.

As some remember from a previous post, I decided to start up a recording space in my classroom.

   Cleaning out the closet was the easy part. After cleaning, I set an iPad with the recording app Pocket Wavepad and had the students record their final result to their Silly Rap Rhythms.  After I had finished with these projects at both schools I thought it would be time to close up shop on the studio thinking no more would come of it. I really was truely wrong with that thought. It seemed the recording studio had brought about so much buzz that would just not go away. I had students begin to come up to me right and left asking for permission to record a song they had been practicing or one that they had been WRITING. I had to keep it open! It would just not have felt right if I hadn’t!

    When letting students into my closet to record, rules had to be posted in there. We came up with them as classes before for our projects so I took the top 3 that really covered everything and posted it in there:

  1.) Be Safe- Do not touch anything other than the recording equipment and your things, stay off the shelves and keep off of the boxes on the floor.

  2.) Be prepared- Rock stars are ready to record before they head into the studio, have your song written and practiced before you record!

  3.) Be Respectful- No one likes a Diva, work together if you’re with a partner, and be respectful of the equipment, yourselfs, and eachother.

   If students followed these then the studio stayed open, and most of the time it did, I might have had one or two people I kicked out of there for fooling around.

     Students are required to check with me to make sure they have a finished song before signing up for the room. It becomes fun for me to give them advice on their tune and help them with lyrics and melody along the way. I always tell them “You come up with the ideas, I just help you elevate them” they always need to come to me with something down on the paper before we go on. When they are ready for sign up my sheet is posted next to the room door and looks like this:

   Name                                           Class                                            Song Title                                 Time to Record (Not during class)           Need a CD?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          (Can I use?)

1.

2.

3.

4.

      Students know I can’t allow them to disturb another class so they must come in during one of my prep times or before or after school. I am only there for technical emergencies as well. They know by now how to work the recording equipment and should not need my help unless the iPad goes boom or something terrible like that.

        After they are done they leave, I take the sheet and recordings at the end of the week and using file sharing on iTunes I take the songs and will put them on cheap burnable CDs for those who request them.  They also answer the question on whether or not I may use there song for things as school events and conference presentations. I never use faces or names so most are ok with it. I am working with our principals to possibly turn this into a CD program for next year and use CD sales as a fundraiser for the school.

    Aside from having budding songwriters and hard core musicians walk in and out of my classroom at all hours of the school day, I also began using it to record students for assessments as well. My fourth graders have been working so hard on their recorders, they jump at the opportunity for me to be able to hear them one on one!

                      Do you have a space to record in your room?

Feels like forever since I have really posted anything about Quaver Music on my own blog! They have come out with so many tools in the past few months my head is spinning with the ways to use everything. At one point my desk was plastered with post it notes about how to use each new thing (I have a weird thought process). Undoubtably the best tool that they have introduced is amazing, especially for a still fairly new teacher who is always looking for new songs to teach and play with her class.

ClassPlay itself is only out as a preview right now for everyone with current scheduled release around mid-August that will then require purchase.

Right now, ten out of the eighty or more promised songs for ClassPlay are available for all to preview and play with. I have gotta say, those 10 totally ROCK.

ClassPlay is a tool to help teach students simple songs developed by the Quaver company and also, songs that are in the public domain. It goes through the song step by step, starting out with learning the melody by solfedge, then the lyrics, and so on. Each step provides a stunning visual for the students to follow along with and use as they are learning the piece. It also provides activities and virtual instruments for the teacher to use along the way so students can develop a full understanding of the song they are singing. ClassPlay pretty much turns what would be about a 10-15 minute song learning activity into a full lesson reaching all standards and learning styles in the process.

We are seeing more and more digital natives arriving at our schools, here at the k-5 level I have Kindergartners able to use an iPad without assistance. That is the way our culture is beginning to lean towards. With more digital natives arriving, they require more visuals because of their longer amount of daily screen time. ClassPlay provides those bright and simple visuals for those visual learners to follow along with. They are simple and great for teaching the younger ones how to track along with the music as well. The background tracks that are provided with each screen teach and model correct vocals and lyrics for the auditory and verbal learners and allow the whole class to sing along correctly with what ever step of the song they are on. Of course the tough bit to every song is trying to provide movement that will help them learn it and not hinder their focus that takes away from the melody and/or words. ClassPlay caters to those physical learners by providing movement to most of the songs whether it is keeping the beat to acting like goofy animals. After they have learned the song and have gone through the performance, ClassPlay takes it one step further providing those logical learners with activitys and thought provoking questions relating to the song and its lyrics or history.

Taking a look a step further into ClassPlay, one can actually relate this technology tool to some of the NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) that can be found at ISTE Website. These are standards used for students to help them become more technology savy for the digital real world that is developing around us. The Quaver Music site itself connects with just about all of these standards. ClassPlay itself fulfills the first two:

1. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

     With the activities and questions that go along with each song, ClassPlay fully shows it can provoke thought and inspire creativity through each song giving the students a deeper experience with the tunes.

2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

  ClassPlay is found in the teacher bulletin board and is suppose to be used as a whole class. It requires the students to work together to perform the songs and finish the activities provided again using technology. It might not allow us to collaborate with other students at a long distance (THAT WOULD BE COOL! SKYPE WITH ANOTHER QUAVER CLASS AND PERFORM THE SONGS!!) but the collaboration in class using technology creates the ultimate experience.

I spent the week having my students run through centers. It’s a great way to see who needs extra assistance and who are stronger at certain things that could buddy up with others in the future. As I did with my first wall at my first school : Wanna See My Wall? Part 1 my second school built the same. It was great to see some of their examples and how they differed between grade levels and between schools. Now that my hallway is filled to the top with pictures and poems I thought I’d share some fantastic work by my students about why music is meaningful and should stay in schools.

 

MIOSM may only be a month, but how do you continue to advocate all year?

Have you ever had that one song that is so widely inappropriate but every single student in the class begs you to sing it? I’m sure it has happened to many of us, but most of the time we just say “no”. I didn’t say no this time, I knew the lyrics to this song and decided it was easy enough to fix up into something appropriate enough my 5th graders could get into it (Half of it makes no sense but that’s what makes it fun right?). So what I did was take the original lyrics and change them into all completely appropriate lyrics, then I found the karaoke track and handed it off to my  5th graders in chorus (there are 13 of them) and told them to go out in the hall and if they wanted it on the program for our concert they had to get it concert ready themselves. I’m hearing them next week..crossing my fingers it works!

I have been asked for my PG lyrics to the song, most of it fits right in to any typical karaoke track for the original!

Link to background track download: ThriftShop by Instrumental Heat

PG Lyrics to ThriftShop:

I’m gonna pop some tags

Only got twenty dollars in my pocket

I-I-I’m huntin’

Looking for a come up

This is really awesome!

Walk into the room like what is up I got big money

I’m so pumped I bought some shoes from a thrift shop

Ice in the fridge is so so frosty

The people like “Wow, that’s a cold coffee!”

Roll’in in the deep headed to the mezzanine

Dressed in all pink ‘cept my gator shoes those are green

Draped in a leopard coat girls standing next to me

Probably shoulda washed this, it smells like stinky cheese

Yyeeeaaahhh

But like it was 99 cents!

If I get caught in it, washin’ it

‘Bout to go and get some compliments

Passin’ off those moccasins

Someone else has been walkin’ in but me and grungie feet in ‘em

Im stuck in ya closet

Savin’ my money and I’m so happy that’s a bargin, yeah

I’mma take your grandpa’s style, I’mma take your grandpa’s style

No for real, ask your grandpa can I have his hand-me-downs?

Velor jump suit and some house slippers

Dark brown leather jacket that I found diggin’

They had a broken keyboard I bought a broken keyboard

I bought a sleek blanket and then I bought a kneeboard

Hello hello my ace man my mello

John Wayne ain’t got nothin’ on my finger game

Oh no

I can take some pro wings make ‘em cool sell those

The sneakers will be like

“aahh, he got Velcro”

I’m gonna pop some tags

Only got twenty dollars in my pocket

I-I-I’m huntin’

Looking for a come up

This is really awesome!

I’m gonna pop some tags

Only got twenty dollars in my pocket

I-I-I’m huntin’

Looking for a come up

This is really awesome!

Whatcha know bout rockin’ a hat on your noggin

Whacha knowin about wearin a faux fox skin

I’m digging. I’m diggin’, I’m searching right through that luggage.

One man’s trash is another mans come up.

Thank you grand dad for donating that plaid button.

That shirt goes great with that skirt

I’m at the Goodwill you can find me in the

I’m not I’m not stuck on searching in that section

Your Grammy, Your auntie, your momma, you sister

I’ll take those flannel zebra jammies secondhand I rock that Oh no!

The built in onsie with the socks on the Oh No!

I hit the party and stopped in that Oh no!

They be like oh that’s Gucci that’s very tight.

I’m like, Yo! That’s $50 for a t-shirt

Limited edition lets to some simple addition

$50 for a shirt that’s some stress

I call that getting swindled and missed

I call that getting tricked by a business

That shirts very sweet

And havin’ the same one as six other people in a club is a no don’t

The gang come take a look in my closet

Tryin’ to get girls with my brand man you just won’t

Man you just won’t

Goodwill

Poppin’ Tags

Yeah

I’m gonna pop some tags

Only got twenty dollars in my pocket

I-I-I’m huntin’

Looking for a come up

This is really awesome!

I wear your granddad’s clothes

I look incredible

I’m in this big ole’ coat

From that thrift shop down the road

I wear your granddad’s clothes

I look incredible

I’m in this big ole’ coat

From that thrift shop down the road

I’m gonna pop some tags

Only got twenty dollars in my pocket

I-I-I’m huntin’

Looking for a come up

This is really awesome!

  Next on my list? Chicken Fried by Zac Brown and Can’t Hold Us Down also by Mackelmore!

I am excited to introduce a guest blogger for the week, Margaret.  She has been working with identified adults in need of assistance on a day to day basis for the past few years and is here today to talk a little bit of how different ways of communication is essential.  Take it away Margaret!

Communication is essential to our lives and how we interact amongst each other.  Now please do not mistake “Communication” for “Speaking” as they are not mutually exclusive.  One can communicate with a look, a gesture, a word, or a machine.  It would not be correct or wise to conclude that just because someone cannot speak means they cannot express themselves.  Certainly there are those who may not express themselves fully or are in need some help from others in the process, but anyone can learn independently to share what they have to say with the world.

Take for example a young woman, whom I shall refer to as Amy, I have come to know quite well over the past couple of years.  She had learned over the years that her inability to verbally speak was a great way to have others communicate for her.  It was not that she was not expressive, but rather the opposite.  Though unable to formulate words other than  “huh,” “yeah,” and “mum,” she is adept to vocalizing, using her volume and tone to share pleasure or displeasure at any given moment, which many can find off-putting or confusing.  But, it is by her vocalizations that she is able to make phone calls with the people in her life, done so by having whoever is with her during the call relay every detail of the day to the receiver, to which that person on the other line would repeat these facts back to Amy for her to respond (often with great enthusiasm) to the various activities she participated in.  In public settings, Amy would often look to others to make statements or answer questions that were not a simple “Yes” or “No” question.  While having a limited vocabulary in a modified Sign Language helped her communicate some basic needs, such as “Help,” “Bathroom,” “Food,” and “Drink,” there was much to her that we knew she could be telling us.

Now, here I will share briefly one practice being used for people in similar situations who cannot speak or speak clearly, which is facilitated communication, or the assisting of an individual who is typing or spelling out words on a computer, iPad, or Alphabet Chart that he or she wishes to say. 

A controversy with this method is the misunderstanding that the person facilitating this is guiding or forcing the particular letters to be typed while holding onto the arm of the one typing, so what is being said are not the true words we are meant to hear.  Having been trained in directing and utilizing facilitated communication, I can assure you that the image above is not accurate as to how one approaches.  The person who is typing ideally knows how to type and what they want to type, and will actively reach for the correct letters necessary for a word they need or want to convey.  Oftentimes, this individual may have difficulties processing and need to “reset” before they reach out to hit another letter.  This is where the facilitator uses their hand as a support (using the palm of our hand and not gripping as the photo indicates) to hold back the arm in order for the one typing to stop and think about what letter it is they need to press next, so that they may proceed and reach out to select the correct letter.  When this “reaching out” occurs, the person supporting does not actively hold back or push forward the hand to try and control what is being typed.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, due to Amy’s fine motor skills, or lack thereof, typing out letters to spell proves to be a difficult task, as well as being able to differentiate some of them by their appearance.  Because of this, the above form of facilitated communication would actually further limit her ability to communicate.  Instead, we have had the pleasure of using a wonderful program for the iPad called Proloquo2Go (unfortunately not a free application when used for its full potential), and we have given her a voice that she can control.  Using images to represent a word or phrase, we have given a source of ways to express needs and wants to anyone, and not just those of us who knew her enough to recognize her vague vocalizations and modified signs.

The success of this program has been made very clear when, after a wonderful and very new trip down to Florida, we gave her a series of phrases that simply described what she did during this vacation.  Then while on the phone with someone, she was able to say “I went to the ocean for the first time,” or “I rode on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” or “I stayed at many hotels” without needing others to speak for her.  Through this device, she has found her voice, and found how receptive people can be when they are able to respond directly to her.  There is no greater joy than seeing someone so lost in her “learned helplessness” (ie letting others speak for her) discover just how communicative she can be.

Thank you for sharing your expertise Margaret!

Have you ever walked into a school lately and really taken a good look at the expression on a teachers face? Normally one would say it is a look of utter exhaustion! With the piles of paperwork, IEPs and 504s to follow, state tests, evaluations, grades, behavior issues, professional development, and whatever else is going on that day one would be shocked if we had time to teach a lesson! The time that is spent running a classroom takes up a lot of focus and time that could be spent truly educating and engaging what we hope are soon to be lifelong learners sitting in the seats in front of us.

I have been told that what makes good classroom management is not only the ability to command respect and lead with a fair mind, but also to be able to completely engage the students with every important concept I teach. I recently read a book entitled Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess (Yes, I thought it was literally going to be about Pirates but it was still very interesting!) This book got down to what truly can engage a student in this 21st century learning atmosphere reminding the reader what it takes to keep them interested from the time they walk in to the room until the time they walk out.

Passion- It truly is all about the passion. You wouldn’t be teaching if you didn’t have passion for educating the next generation. In order to truly engage your students they need to know that your passionate about it too. Emanate confidence about the subject and how much you love it and it will radiate around the room.

Raport- The most simple thing to engage is a student is to build a connection. Many times I have had a student stop by my room just to tell me how their day was, in my class a way I build that connection is to use music they listen to on the radio in class. Some teachers will give me a funny look when I say this, but I make it work even if I have to spend some time changing lyrics and editing audio to make it work. Just like an actual couple relationship, each side has to put in effort to make it work.

Asking the Right Questions- You can never ask too many questions!  Asking the right ones that will provoke a deeper thinking and the want for self discovery will engage your students. Sometimes I like to think that their brain is asleep when they walk in school in the morning, it just takes the right questions to wake it up and begin the learning. Ask a question as soon as they enter the room and keep the gears running all day long.

Enthusiasm- I remember that scene from Ferris Bueller where attendance is being taking and Ben Stein is taking attendance. That voice just makes one want to go to sleep, imagine if you had a teacher who talked like that too? No enthusiasm, there is a reason why students fall asleep in class. Even if you have to fake it for a day, be excited about what you teach! (There is a reason why most teachers are caffeine addicts!)

Hooks- Having the proper hook to get your students interested makes all the difference. This book is the ultimate guide to catching their attention from minute one of class. From the movement hooks to the acting to the technology and even the questioning, you will find the right ones for you in here.

Pirate Crew- Arrr need help? Need support? A little too shy to do this on ye own? Form a crew of goofy scalawags to join you in your journey to be the wackiest and most engaging teacher in the building!  I’ve gone through it and so can you!

    This book was the silliest and best teacher read I have gone through in a long time. With the tricks in Teach Like a Pirate and the book Teach Like a Champion my classroom is quickly turning into a popular space!

What kind of hooks do you use to engage your students? Have you ever read this book before?