Day 61: Master Teacher

Daily Blog Challenge Day 61/365 

I recently had my first observation of this school year. As a non-tenured teacher, I am formally observed two times a school year (more if there are issues).  I am transitioning my classroom to standards based and I have been doing a lot of reflection this year on grading: it's purpose and best grading practices.  Reading my observation form was another great reflection tool and the questions I am left with are 1. Is there a such thing as a excellent teacher (with no need to improve) and 2. Are there different expectations depending on length of teaching career (should there be)?

I teach elementary music and although the standards may be the same, what I expect from each grade is different. Shouldn't this be the case for teacher's evaluations?  In my opinion, a first year teacher should not have the same expectations as a veteran teacher. For example, a middle school student may be an excellent athlete, but compared to a professional they would not receive the same rating.  It seems unproductive to expect new teachers to be at the same point as veteran teachers.  

If a young teacher is deemed excellent does that mean they can just coast the rest of their career? I understand the purpose of evaluations, but as with grades, I do not believe they are fulfilling (in many circumstances) their intended role. 

I would love to hear your thoughts about teacher evaluations.

Day 60: Teamwork

Daily Blog Challenge Day 60/365

I cannot believe I am already on day 60 of my year long blog challenge.  Lately it has become the "write 365 posts before the end of the year challenge" instead of writing one per a day, but life happens and I am trying to flow with it.  Regardless of when I write, it has been great to force myself to write more often (with the goal of being everyday).  Eventually I will get back to writing everyday, but at the moment I am still playing catch up.

 This whole journey has reminded me how important teamwork is in life.  We all have amazing strengths and we can accomplish so many things, but as a group/team our powers become magnified.  Feeling part of a team is a great feeling for me.  There a sense of safety, support and understanding within a strong team.

I am blessed to be part of many wonderful teams: family, friends, athletics, coworkers and my online PLN.  Every single person offers something to this world and together we can use our strengths to make things better.  The best part is my teams help me stay focused, grounded, honest and reflective.  Having people to bounce ideas off of, talk to about frustrations or helping share the work load is a wonderful gift and has helped me be able to stay in the teaching field.  My teams help balance out the low times and they help me celebrate the positives.

We are all part of someones team and we have a duty to make sure we are the best teammate! We all matter!

Day 59 : AR in the Music Classroom (Tech Tuesday)

Daily Blog Challenge 59/365

Tech Tuesday

Last week I wrote about ideas I had brainstormed (stole from others) on how to use AR (Augmented Reality) in my classroom.  At first Aurasma and I were not getting along.  In order for an Aura to work (if you make it on the computer) you must have 1.) a trigger image, 2.) an overlay and 3.) you connect the two to create the Aura.  Someone I managed to miss a step, so my Auras never worked properly.  Eventually I figured it out and I now find creating Auras to be easy.

The first project I completed was to create trigger images that were connected to videos so parents can see what we are doing in class.  I hung the trigger images on the wall outside my classroom and I plan to update the videos throughout the year.  Not many parents come to visit the music room, but this was a great first project for me to figure out how the program works and I can show my students (the ones who have seen it so far were very pumped about it.)  I know I may not be using AR correctly and I know how I use this in my room will grow and change over time.

 

The next project I am in the midst of is having my students help me create a Aura Word Wall.  So far my third graders have made one Aura for "Legato."  I took a video of them performing chords on Choir Chimes in a legato style and I created an aura from this video.  My second grades are learning "Diddle Diddle Dumpling" on boomwhackers and it includes a C Major Scale.  I am going to have them help me create an Aura for a C Major Scale

Do you use AR in your classroom?  I would love to hear how you use it.

Day 58: Incredibox Lesson Plans (Material Monday)

Daily Blog Challenge Day 58/365

Material Monday

 This post could fit under both technology and lesson plans, but I decided to focus more on the lesson aspect of using Incredibox than the technology aspect.  Earlier this week, a new version of Incredibox was released.  It is an online "game" that allows you to compose using different vocal tracks.  There are a variety of different melodies, voices, effects and beats that you can combine into different compositions.  The program allows you to record and send your work to others.  While recording, you can change and add different voices, so the possibilities are endless when it comes to combinations.

I decided to take my third and fourth graders to the lab this week so they could compose using this program.  We used it a little as a class last year and they were really excited to try it themselves.  We just finished Halloween Music (we performed a mini concert at our Halloween Parade) and we will be starting Christmas Music for our concert next week, so this was a great transition point.  Illinois is going to an all internet standards test next year, so this program also offers students the opportunity to learn valuable computer skills.

Lesson Plan (we spent a whole 40 minute period in the lab.)
1. Open a web browser and go to the Incredibox site.
2. Explore different voice and combinations.
3. Record a composition.
4. Name the composition.
5. Send composition to Mrs. Wren's e-mail.

Music Outcomes
1.  Explore different voices.
2.  Compose music.
3.  Listen to other compositions.
4  Compose a "final" project.

Technology Outcomes
1. Open a web browser.
2. Record a composition.
3. Label composer and title of my composition.
4. E-mail Mrs. Wren my composition (this required reading/following directions and typing in an e-mail with no mistakes.)

Being in the computer lab with a class was a bit stressful, but overall it was a valuable experience.  It reminded me the importance of patience and my students really enjoyed the project.  I am planning on doing this project again with this grades, but we will focus more on form.

I would love to hear how you use Incredibox in your classroom.

Day 57: Bad Idea vs Bad Execution

Daily Blog Challenge Day 57/365

A recent conversation on Twitter forced me to reflect on my experiences in the classroom and how some ideas work and some ideas fall flat on their face.  An idea that may work for one teacher/class/school may not work for another (even when they seem like great ideas.)  I became curious as to why this happens.  Is it the idea?  Is it the school?  Is it the culture?  Is it the teacher?  It is the implementation?

Is it possible for something to be a good idea, but the execution to be horribly wrong?  How do we learn from this as teachers?  I think it is easy to write ideas off as bad when it may not have worked for a variety of different reasons.  As a music teacher I see this on a daily basis, a technique/exercise or lesson may work perfectly for one class and not for another.  No two students are alike and no two classes are alike.

How do you determine if the idea or implementation of an idea is bad?  Thank you for reading.

Day 56: What is Professional Development?

Daily Blog Challenge Day 56/365

I believe the purpose of professional development is to help teachers improve their craft.  This is a broad definition, but I believe it should be.  We need to take professional development out of the box we have created for it.  Professional Development should not be limited to early out days or School Improvement Days (SIP).

The technology that is now available (Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Skype just to name a few) offer many possibilities for teacher development and now learning can happen whenever, wherever and with people from all over the globe.

It seems that Twitter and Facebook both have bad reputations as a social network, but they both offer many possibilities for learning from other teachers.

Teachers become better teachers by learning from those who are doing things they want to do.  Conversations on social media and blogs are a great way to learn new teaching ideas.

What are your favorite forms of Professional Development?  Thank you for reading.

Day 55: Assumptions

Daily Blog Challenge Day 55/365

Our society is full of assumptions about everything. These assumptions towards teachers and students are possibly harmful. Assumptions we have as teachers can be potentially damaging in the classroom.  I am realizing that I make a lot of assumptions about my students and those around me.  Some of them have negative impacts in my classroom.

1.  Loud = Off task
2.  Off task = They are not paying attention
3.  Wrong behavior = Making a bad choice
4.  Off task = They don't care
5.  Talking = Note paying attention, don't care, causing problems


What assumptions do you make and how do they impact your classroom?  Thank you for reading.