Web Inquiry

I really enjoyed the inquiry based activity. Every time I keep using Wiki it gets easier and easier. Through the mineral activity we did in class with our partner, I learned to transfer documents from word easily onto the Wiki pages. This activity was much less teacher-director and I think young students would really enjoy this in the classroom. Not only was it an interesting activity for us, it is another learning tool to utilize in the classroom that is enjoyable and beneficial for students. Because they are not simply reading from text books like almost all their classes, they are using higher order thinking to navigate and find the necessary information from the website. 

I actually learned a lot from this activity. When I was in grade school, there was not much chance do do web-based learning activities. We were rarely on the internet browsing useful websites to find information. The website I used for "String Instruments of the Orchestra" (grade 4) was visually appealing and fairly easy to navigate. The students would read about instrument families and answer the corresponding questions. The website also included sound samples so that they could listen to each instrument to have an idea of how each one was different from the other.

The web based inquiry could easily be utilized in the classroom, especially these days with iPads and such being provided in classrooms. It would be be a fun individual or group activity that familiarizes students with web technology. I could see myself doing a "composer of the month", or "musical eras" with the wiki pages. I would ask members of the class to come up and present on the Smart Board so they each would have a turn. I think this activity is ideal for grades 3 through 8 for music students. Sometimes I had issues re-sizing some objects in my word document so that it would look proportioned on the Wiki page, but that is only because I had shapes added to a part of my last question. For the most part, I think students would feel comfortable, and they could always ask for my help. I am not sure yet what types of subjects I would use for high school music students, but I will keep brainstorming! 

Website Evaluation: Musictheory.net

This website was very user-friendly and included clear links to lessons, exercises and tools. Although the visuals are not colorful and exciting like some younger-based music websites, it was thorough and easy to follow. I found the lessons helpful and each one corresponded with the activities provided.

This website would be a useful tool for middle or high school students to use, and even to be evaluated on. If students have computer access, they can complete "activities" after learning lessons in class, and print out the page that their score is displayed on for the teacher to formally assess with a given grade.

Musichtheory.net is up to technology standards. It even offers a mobile device application for iPhones, as well as the iPad that teachers and students can use on the go. I could practice analyzing chords while waiting for a doctor's appointment! The website of course has social technology access to Twitter and Facebook.

The only thing I was disappointed with was the credibility of the author. I love that he gave his name, however we do not know his credibility or his musical background!

All about Wikis

The first and only thing I knew about "wiki" was Wikipedia. This became a very popular tool to me in my early college years, 2008-2009. Although teachers at first were not so keen on the idea of Wikipedia, I soon found out that it offered anything and everything you would want to know on a topic including its sources for the information to utilize for even further research. Wiki pages however are a little different and I did not know anything about them until this technology course.

The Wiki page is a great communicative classroom tool to introduce to students. Our technology class used it basically as an ice-breaker to introduce ourselves to the class, write a bio and post a picture of ourselves. Each student has their own page and there is a "front page" for the entire class. It is fairly simple to navigate, and you can learn about your classmates and their interests simply by clicking on their name located on the front (home) page. Each student is capable of editing pages to share or update information.

This wiki page may be tricky for younger students to use, but I can see how it can be used in middle and high school classrooms. I think the page gives students a sense of responsibility and ownership because they have their own page in school rather than a Facebook or Twitter. Students can still insert pictures and share what they are learning and their progress in the classroom. This could also be used for after-school programs or band and orchestra programs in schools. Because my speciality is music. my students could have their own page to show their practice progress or I could assign project presentations such as composers of the month or musical terminology.

My thoughts thus far

I am very excited for this class (TPTE) to be underway. Although I am fairly proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and other technological tools,  I am not so savvy with new-age computer technology advancements. Through the first couple of classes I have already discovered file sharing that doesn't require a disk or outside source, but is simply in the "clouds". In addition I have created websites and discovered new ways to communicate through group discussion board and pages that aren't social media tools such as Twitter or Facebook.

Being proficient with these new technologies will allow me to communicate and collaborate with my student's parents and different organizations. It will allow parents to know exactly what is going on with their children as if they were in school with them! In addition, it will be great to commincate with other teachers in my school if they are using the same tehcnologies to share and create new ideas together. I am eager to see how these tools will assist me in making my teaching career progressive and successful.