And now it's time to talk about what we've learned today.

Just a few thoughts on things we've learned and how I plan to apply them to my teaching.

Blogging
Far and away, the best idea I've gotten from this class so far. I already knew about blogging and have been keeping a blog as a way to stay in contact with friends for several years. However, I never would have thought of using a blog as a teaching tool. By the end of the summer, I want to establish 2 blogs, one for each building I teach at. The blogs will be used as a means to communicate with choir students and parents and to keep everybody informed as to upcoming events, homework, last minute changes, etc.

YouTube
Ok, I know this hasn't really been a topic in class, but there are so many videos on YouTube that I would love to show to my general music classes. I've been perusing the collection and saving videos to my account that I think would illustrate ideas/topics that I'll be covering throughout the year. I've also saved some that I think are just fun and the kids would enjoy. For example, I found several videos of recorder consort performances. I think these videos will help in my personal mission to teach the kids that the recorder is a legitimate instrument, it's not just a toy that we play with in music class.

Wikis
I'm not sure I'll be able to apply this to my current teaching situation, but I could see myself using it in the future. If I taught a middle school or high school level general music or music appreciation class, I would use the wiki as a way to keep track of what the kids are learning, as well as to help them keep track of topics covered in class.

Band-in-a-box
As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, I would like to start using this program to create practice cd's for the kids. In the past, I've sat down with a cd recorder and recorded myself singing and plunking out each individual part. While this is very helpful to my weaker singers, it doesn't challenge my more advanced singers. I think that by creating practice cd's with a basic chordal accompaniment, their home practice will become much more meaningful. They will have to rely on their own ears and pitch memories as they practice, and that in turn will help them develop into better singers and musicians.

That's all for now!