After I decided on what format I wanted to use in my final project, I had to choose who I wanted to address it to. Right now at my high school campus, we are in a state of transition. My current high school principal is retiring. We are retaining as far as I know the assistant principal for the next year and will be transitioning in the elementary principal to be our new high school principal. On top of all of that many teachers are being reassigned due to the educational budget cuts in the state of Texas. So what would normally be a fairly easy choice to make took some consideration and waiting so that I could see so speak which way the wind was blowing.
With all of that said I have decided that this would be a good opportunity to form a relationship with my new principal. I'm actually pretty excited about this. I feel like this is a great opportunity for me to showcase what I have been doing with my students this past year and in what direction I would like to go this next year.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
THINK OUT LOUD #1
So I realized tonight that I forget to do my think out loud posts. This was an oversight on my part. I have been debating back and forth on paper versus presentation the past few weeks. Finally, I came to the conclusion that for where I am wanting to go with the information that I gathered in my AR Project that a presentation would work best for me. I came to this conclusion because I'm at a point where I am not satisfied with where the "story" has ended or don't feel like the story is complete with what I wanted to accomplish and so I feel like this is something that I would like to be able to address at a district level.
Comments to Tyler Badertscher
My Comments:
I appreciated your comment "taking the initiative to control how my life is run and the outcome of my life". This post and this book could not have come at a more opportune time for me. Like many educators, there are those weeks when life happens and we have to deal with situations that arise and make a choice on who, if any, are we going to allow to influence us during this time with their back-handed comments that are meant to elevate themselves and put you down at the same time. Thanks for your comment. This is something that I really need to hear again.
Tyler's Post:
I think we are all in agreement that this book was read at the right time in the program. We really didn't have to sink out teeth into with content knowledge. It was a new approach to looking at things, a new perspective, a fresh idea for us to grasp. It was well placed with in the timeframe of our program. I just love this book and all the musical references from allowing children to taking control of the orchestra to the vivid thoughts about the musical works he has performed with. Being a musician myself, I can really relate to a lot of the things he talks about. One thing that really hit me like most others in lighting the spark inside students to drive the passion they might have. All it takes is one small spark to set an entire forest on fire given the right ingredients. As a teacher, I really look forward to making an impact on my students. Another idea that hit me was the concept of being the framework for my life. It's not always about the others controlling my life, but myself taking the initiative to control how my life is run and the outcome of my life. I must learn that I can't blame others even if they are at fault. I can choose how my life is run and myself only. Now I can't control others and the environment 100%, but I can choose how they will affect me if in any way. I really enjoyed reading this book and taking a fresh look at some old ideas.
I appreciated your comment "taking the initiative to control how my life is run and the outcome of my life". This post and this book could not have come at a more opportune time for me. Like many educators, there are those weeks when life happens and we have to deal with situations that arise and make a choice on who, if any, are we going to allow to influence us during this time with their back-handed comments that are meant to elevate themselves and put you down at the same time. Thanks for your comment. This is something that I really need to hear again.
Tyler's Post:
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| Photo by JelleS |
Wk 4 - Comments to Tiffany Scanlan
My Comments:
I liked your introduction slide. It was really interesting that you used a ladder to illustrate that you were using your AR Project to teach students the tools they would need in either their college or career with your different activities. Can't wait to hear what your voice-over would be to go with your final presentation.
Tiffany's post:
http://tiffanyscanlan.blogspot.com/2011/04/week-4-publishingpresenting-ar-project.html
I liked your introduction slide. It was really interesting that you used a ladder to illustrate that you were using your AR Project to teach students the tools they would need in either their college or career with your different activities. Can't wait to hear what your voice-over would be to go with your final presentation.
Tiffany's post:
http://tiffanyscanlan.blogspot.com/2011/04/week-4-publishingpresenting-ar-project.html
Wk 4 - Wimba/Final Presentation
Final Presentation
Due to various time constraints that I have been under this past week it was not possible for me to join a group in the wimba session. So instead, I used my critical friend/husband as my sounding board for this stage of my presentation. He was very helpful in pointing out some of the pitfalls that I may encounter in my next endeavor and helping me to be concise(amount of info on the slide) but informative (with the adlib/voice over that is still to come) at the same time. To get a glimpse of the what this endeavor is be sure to check-out the hyperlink to the Flipped Classroom in my Final Presentation.
Due to various time constraints that I have been under this past week it was not possible for me to join a group in the wimba session. So instead, I used my critical friend/husband as my sounding board for this stage of my presentation. He was very helpful in pointing out some of the pitfalls that I may encounter in my next endeavor and helping me to be concise(amount of info on the slide) but informative (with the adlib/voice over that is still to come) at the same time. To get a glimpse of the what this endeavor is be sure to check-out the hyperlink to the Flipped Classroom in my Final Presentation.
Wk 4 - Art of Possibility
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| Photo by: S.Martinez - 2010 |
This week's reading helped to encourage me to light the fire and to reevaluate my framework, particularly my boundaries of who I am allowing to influence my opinion of myself and of situations. I have to decide and make it known and established that in my classroom this is what takes place to not only my students but to my co-workers. My students have, for the most part, never been the issue for me. It has been who I have allowed to come in and shred my self-esteem while they go on and on about how great and wonderful they are, and that this situation would never have occurred in the classroom.
These last few chapters in the book along with a situation that I had at work this past week really woke me up to taking control and dictating what type of comments that I would allow to be made to me by my co-workers and also to the fact that I really don't have to associate with my co-workers that are self-seeking and destructive to the people around them by always stirring up drama. Am I venting, just a little perhaps.
But I am so thankful for the timing of this book in my life right now.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Comments to Andrea Nichols
Comments to Andrea:
Playing for a change is something that my husband and I got turned onto about a year ago. I love how inspirational it is. It is also such an awesome opportunity for your students so that they can be exposed to different cultures and circumstances.
Andrea's Post:
Bethke Elementary School Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/bethkeelementary - p/u/3/MuSFYf5ctHg
This YouTube channel features the work of an elementary school teacher at Bethke Elementary School.I feel that the video casts that the teacher has posted would be of particular use for me. I feel that my students would benefit from viewing other student work by children the same age as they are (Grades 3-5). It is obvious that the media assets created in this teacher’s classroom is student led and is very educational and entertaining. I appreciate the way the teacher allows the students’ personalities to shine through their performances.
Playing for Change
www.playingforchange.com
Playing for Change is a non-profit organization that has traveled around the world videotaping street musicians. It is a fabulous project that has been going on for 4 years. Many types of music are represented in the project and utilizing them in the music classroom helps children broaden their view of the world and become more globally aware. I strive to teach tolerance in my music classroom and the videos provided by this website is invaluable to this process.
Here’s a few Playing for Change videos to get you started:
http://vimeo.com/16635645 This video is an overview of Playing for Changes’ seven music programs that have been established as a result of the Playing for Change foundation.
http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/8/War_No_More_Trouble This video shows musicians from all over the world singing Bob Marley’s War (No More Trouble).
http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/2/Stand_By_Me This is the video that started the whole Playing For Change movement. It features street musician Roger Ridley singing Stand by Me.
http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/3/One_Love Another Bob Marley song, One Love, featuring musicians from all over the world.
There’s many more videos on the Playing for Change website but these are a few of my favorites.
Blogging in Education
My AR project is Blogging Across the Elementary Curriculum and I found a number or video resources to support my research. One of my AR goals is to provide professional development to my fellow teachers. These videos would be very useful for teachers who are unfamiliar with the concept of blogging.
Blogging a Bigger Picture http://vimeo.com/4751315
CNN Report: Blogging in Education http://youtu.be/NRyh4UeP-IY
My Blogging Playlist http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D3B906FF4521C715
I created a YouTube playlist of all the videos I have found that focus on blogging in education. I have tried to focus in on elementary education as that is the level I teach.
PBS.org: Jazz: A Film By Ken Burns
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/
PBS has a lot of great resources for teachers, and the Ken Burns film Jazz is just one of many. Jazz is one of my favorite units in the music class. This site has lots of great videos to show the class without showing the whole movie to the class.
Playing for a change is something that my husband and I got turned onto about a year ago. I love how inspirational it is. It is also such an awesome opportunity for your students so that they can be exposed to different cultures and circumstances.
Andrea's Post:
Bethke Elementary School Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/bethkeelementary - p/u/3/MuSFYf5ctHg
This YouTube channel features the work of an elementary school teacher at Bethke Elementary School.I feel that the video casts that the teacher has posted would be of particular use for me. I feel that my students would benefit from viewing other student work by children the same age as they are (Grades 3-5). It is obvious that the media assets created in this teacher’s classroom is student led and is very educational and entertaining. I appreciate the way the teacher allows the students’ personalities to shine through their performances.
Playing for Change
www.playingforchange.com
Playing for Change is a non-profit organization that has traveled around the world videotaping street musicians. It is a fabulous project that has been going on for 4 years. Many types of music are represented in the project and utilizing them in the music classroom helps children broaden their view of the world and become more globally aware. I strive to teach tolerance in my music classroom and the videos provided by this website is invaluable to this process.
Here’s a few Playing for Change videos to get you started:
http://vimeo.com/16635645 This video is an overview of Playing for Changes’ seven music programs that have been established as a result of the Playing for Change foundation.
http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/8/War_No_More_Trouble This video shows musicians from all over the world singing Bob Marley’s War (No More Trouble).
http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/2/Stand_By_Me This is the video that started the whole Playing For Change movement. It features street musician Roger Ridley singing Stand by Me.
http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/3/One_Love Another Bob Marley song, One Love, featuring musicians from all over the world.
There’s many more videos on the Playing for Change website but these are a few of my favorites.
Blogging in Education
My AR project is Blogging Across the Elementary Curriculum and I found a number or video resources to support my research. One of my AR goals is to provide professional development to my fellow teachers. These videos would be very useful for teachers who are unfamiliar with the concept of blogging.
Blogging a Bigger Picture http://vimeo.com/4751315
CNN Report: Blogging in Education http://youtu.be/NRyh4UeP-IY
My Blogging Playlist http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D3B906FF4521C715
I created a YouTube playlist of all the videos I have found that focus on blogging in education. I have tried to focus in on elementary education as that is the level I teach.
PBS.org: Jazz: A Film By Ken Burns
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/
PBS has a lot of great resources for teachers, and the Ken Burns film Jazz is just one of many. Jazz is one of my favorite units in the music class. This site has lots of great videos to show the class without showing the whole movie to the class.
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