Spreadsheets? What?!

I didn't realize how amazing spreadsheets could be until we created an INTERACTIVE SPREADSHEET! I basically made a worksheet for 8th-graders that students can input answers and immediately know their grade. I am impressed with the capabilities Excel has, and I am even more impressed that I was able to actually MAKE one of these because of my TPTE class.

Things did not go well the first time around--on my first draft. I completed the draft and did not attach it to the email I sent to myself and to Amy Graham. Since I composed it on a school computer in the Music Suite in AMB, the thing was erased from the desktop. I rushed to complete it a week later when I discovered the problem! The good thing about it was that I knew exactly what I needed to do from my former draft. I re-created the interactive spreadsheet and, voila! I was able to successfully "hand it in" digitally. Next time, I'll be sure to attach it!

This is a GREAT way to have worksheets that are technologically advanced and interactive for students in the classroom. It is applicable to any music classroom, though it would need to be extremely simplified if used for an elementary school music class. Students can instantly see their grades after inputting their answers, which makes it easy for the teacher to grade and the student to see.

Yo! YoDio!

Yodio has to be one of the most original things I have ever seen. My eyes have been opened to this new way of posting scanned images! I can have online power point presentations that take up no space on my hard drive. I would have used a different power point applicable to my teaching purposes next time, but I am glad to have used this particular power point to know how to use YoDio!

This is perfect for teachers. With online access in the classrooms, teachers can pull up presentations that employ SOUND and VIDEO easily rather than in a complicated (and large) PowerPoint format. Students can also use these in an easy way to access powerpoints for presentations, additional resources and learning, and review. Any music classroom could potentially use this!

Inspiration on Musical Eras

The above image is my artwork of...
TA-DA!  Musical Eras!

It includes all the major musical eras of music, from Medieval to Modern!  (Modern is comprised of 20th Century, Contemporary, and 21st Century.)  It is EASY to see how time progresses, as labeled by "time travel."  Dates of each era are also labeled under each, and instruments or composers of each era are given in sub-categories below each era.  Giving an example, I'll start backwards.  Chopin (which has a note attached) leads to the Romantic Era, which leads to Music Eras.  A picture of Chopin is displayed, though it is only a caricature.

I enjoy this program because of its simplicity.  I was able to create this within an hour, and it was easy and convenient.  It can be FAST, which is wonderful for teachers who do not have much time to spend hours on the computer.  I did wish I had a video for some instructions, since I did have to grill my classmates and teacher on how and what to do for this project.  It is also unfortunate that the program only has a 30-day trial and is so expensive to upload on a computer.

For students' benefit, I am excited to say that my organization can help THEM organize.  I can also use a different formats to help organize the information in a different ways, as adjusted by inspiration.  

Doctor Google! (Well, Google Docs)

Google docs....are easy. It isn't like going through medical school, though I have to wonder how difficult it was to figure out how to program this thing. I love how convenient and easy the process is. All a person has to do is get a (very FREE) gmail account email, upload a document on "Google Docs," and share it with someone via the "sharing" option. All you have to do is type in their email address! It is easiest if the person has a gmail account. I have encountered problems with google doc sharing in the past month, but we solved the problem quickly. It must have been a very small fluke in the system. The only "beef" I have with Google Docs is the semi-limited documents that can be uploaded onto the page. If I want to upload Finale files (a music composition program), I would not be able to upload it unless it was simply a scanned image or jpeg.

To use in the classroom, google docs can be essential to sharing knowledge given during class, after class, and during school breaks. Assignments can be given and shared through it, and even important things such as newsletters and calendars can be available and easy-to-access. In the case of a high school choir, for instance, google docs can be used for a booster club of sorts to sort out legalities, planning, scheduling, and getting documents easily without filling everyone's inboxes. It creates less of a headache as well for the director, who will be busy with other activities.

To be or not to be...Structure is the question!

Structuring is something that I need for my LIFE. I sometimes get so wrapped up in chaos that I must organize myself. (Think of my excitement when I learned how to do STRUCTURED DOCUMENTS, why don't you.)

It is exciting to know how to make something ON-LINE that everyone can follow for an assignment! Doing the pocket-reference-guide was an excellent example to use for the classroom, and I have to say that I'll probably use the PRG. What makes this difficult is knowing exactly how to do it on a PC, since I do not own a MAC computer. Next time, I will hopefully know more of what to do, and I'll also have it to apply even more to specific purposes of my own classroom rubric.

I can use such structured documents for other projects, not only in a PRG format. I can help them make flashcards, games for topics, sight-reading made easy, and more!

Why bother at websites?

Websites, websites, websites...

It seems as if creating a website was going to be the bane of my existence. I thought, "There's no way I'll ever learn how to create a website." That was before the existence of myspace, facebook, and now, this class. I can see how you don't have to use ridiculous codes that I will never remember nor make an effort to make...because all you need is a blank template and, voila! Ta-da! Ka-bam! Website created.

All we had to do, really, was to select from a simple, blank template, and then find a given template that we liked. I found something that described my thoughts on music: Endless possibilities as expressed in the stars (which are also endless to me.) I found it easy and simple to make, and I even got some hints on formatting from our handy-dandy instructor, Amy. Next time, I'd like to create something myself--but I will possibly have the TIME then do do it. (I like creating and spending lots of time with things, but as of NOW, I need convenient, easy, and simple.)

I am expecting that in the future, I will also be in the same predicament with my time while teaching. I will want efficiency and the ability to create a website that is easy and still looks fun/creative.

For my students, it is extremely important that I create a website (no matter how convenient or not.) Living in the "Digital Age," we have GOT to be able to provide for our students the technology they need. They can use the website as a resource, schedule builder, assignment-poster, place to contact me, and a window for parents to look into the school music program.

Embedding Those Images...Power-Point Picasa Style!

Picasa is easy as pie.
All you have to do is go through several different steps to adjust the picture, save as a jpeg, then upload to google docs, and embed on whatever you want! This example has my images embedded on a small power-point presentation as seen above.

I enjoyed finding pictures that would work for the requirements. I scanned a page out of a choral piece I was going to be teaching the following week at Bearden High School, and I could have used the following pages to give students digital access to the pieces. In the future, if I scan and share such documents on googledocs, this would prevent the need to make copies for students if they lose their music. It also gives students and parents to view what is being done in class, especially when absences occur wit students.

I did not like adjusting the pixelation or the imaging. I did not understand how adjusting the clarity down was impertinent to our uses.

However, the project was fun and useful. I can't "down" it! I can only "up" it!