Blog Journal #10

I would like to teach middle school choir. I would use survey and data collection to measure my students' confidence on certain musical concepts. I would also use it to check how they are feeling overall throughout the semester. If a student responds with their mood being down, then I will have a personal check in with them to see if there is anything they might need. If the average mood is down, then I will adjust my lesson plan to fit the energy.

I enjoyed getting to know my classmates by reading their blogs. I particularly enjoyed the introduction blog as well as the blog on assistive tech. I felt valued when some of my peers discussed my presentation on screen readers. I often feel like I am in a music bubble. It was refreshing to gain new perspectives on teaching outside of my field.

Going forward, I would like to learn more about using Google Sheets. I plan to use it to track attendance over time. I've also seen other teachers use it to create seating charts. I know the basics, but I would like to learn about the different add ons and filters. I have a list of repertoire for choir that is categorized into different themes, ability levels, and voicings. My goal is to be able to sort through that easily as needed.

Blog Journal #9

In high school, I participated in distance learning through Florida Virtual School. I also participated in distance learning in college during Covid19. I enjoyed distance learning because when I was in high school, it allowed me the opportunity to enroll in honors courses that were not offered in person. I was able to complete assignments at my own pace. I could choose my learning environment. I think that while I liked the idea of working at my own pace, it did not actually work for me because I would often procrastinate. I did ot like distance learning because it felt isolating. I enjoyed leaving my house and walking to class every day. Learning in person keeps me accountable because I know I will see my teacher and have to turn in assignments. As a teacher, I can create activities for students to collaborate with each other, so they do not feel so alone. For example, I could plan a virtual lunch or coffee hour for students to connect.

Open educational resources (OER) are educational resources which anyone can access. Students often use them to gain access to textbooks they may not otherwise be able to afford. However, educators can use them too. Click here for an open educational resource on assessing linguistically diverse students. This resource provides information on assessment practices and examines how we can make assessments more inclusive to linguistically diverse students.
In the first powerpoint assignment, I learned how to create a voice over for the lesson. I did not like that when I would play a video, there would be an echo. I liked this assignment because it could be helpful for teaching students certain concepts if you are away. In the interactive powerpoint assignment, I learned how to create a virtual escape room. I appreciated that the images I added had alt text. However, the assignment took a very long time because there was not a straight forward accessible method of adding hyperlinks. In addition, it was a tedious process to add the action buttons and link them to different slides. Despite the challenges, I am proud of my work.

Blog Journal #8

The educational environment should be accessible for all students. My key takeaway is to ensure that students with disabilities are accommodated by providing a variety of technology for them to use. For visually impaired students, I can accommodate them by ensuring that the computers have screen reader software. I can accommodate students who are hard of hearing by using a microphone when speaking. Students who are non speaking can use a communication device.

I enjoyed learning about Diigo. I can use it when networking with other teachers. We can share different resources on the platform. We can then engage in further discussion on how these resources might be beneficial for students. Some resources we could share on Diigo include journal articles on educational topics, teaching videos, and resources to incorporate technology into the classroom.

I believe that the best way for teachers to stay on top of technology trends in education is to take note of what technology students are already using in their every day lives. Students are more likely to stay engaged with the lesson because they will be familiar with the platform. A teacher could use TikTok to have students duet a video for a part assessment. Teachers can also learn about technology trends through Twitter chats and podcasts. Ed Tech Magazine is another great website.

Click here for an article on trends in education technology.

Blog Journal 7

I looked at the DMS choir website. I liked it because the teacher published a welcome message with a bio. There was also a calendar posted on the website. The website featured descriptions of each choir and the performances they participate in during the school year. My favorite was the Google form for parents to request a meeting if they have concerns.

Here is the link to the website.

I plan to use technology to become more productive with the things outside of actual teaching. When I teach, I can use Google Classroom to post announcements and assignments. I can publish a website with resources for students and parents. I can create events on Google Calendar and send reminders via Remind101.

I believe the website design assignment can be transferred to my future career because I can use the website I created for this course as a template. I learned how to add a Google Calendar to the website. In addition, I learned how to post announcements and links to resources. I especially liked the Google Calendar for creating important events. I did not like the drag and drop boxes or that some buttons were inaccessible with my screen reader.

Here is a link to my website.

Blog Journal 5

I first began using Twitter as a way to connect with fans of celebrities I liked. When I was in high school, I began participating in Twitter chats. Since then, I have significantly grown my PLN. I have enjoyed gaining tips and resources from other teachers in the field. I participate in the following Twitter chats: TLAP, MGBookChat, Build Hope Edu, and Always Believe. I plan to continue participating in Twitter chats going forward.

The digital divide has a major impact on students today. Some causes of the digital divide include low socioeconomic status and limited access to the internet due to living in a rural area. As a classroom teacher, I will most certainly experience some students who are unfamiliar with technology because of the digital divide. It is my job as an educator to ensure these students feel included. I can do this by incorporating technology into daily activities, so students can become more familiar with the various softwares and applications. I can also apply for technology grants for my classroom if it is lacking. Students can use technology for group work. I can assign peer mentors to assist those who might be struggling.

I liked assignment 2 because we were able to create different pages to upload information. However, I disliked assignment 2 because the table was not accessible with my screen reader, In my classroom, I could use canvas to upload reminders for students. In addition, I could put practice rehearsal tracks in modules. I could publish music vocabulary worksheets and listening or practice journals for students to complete. Finally, I could assign an ungraded check in quiz to assess each student’s progress.

Blog Journal 4

I chose to focus on the k-2 collaboration computer science standard. By using this standard, teachers will be expected to teach basic key word searching skills and exchanging emails and texts with others. I believe I am ready to teach this material because I have experience with both of these things. For key word searches, students could search what is interesting to them as a way for them to be engaged in their learning. I could have students send practice emails to each other. When I need teaching resources, I can do my own research as well as reach out to my pln.

I was not aware of the CPALMS educator tool kit until taking EME2040. I think the tool kit is useful for teachers because it gives them lesson plans which match the standards. Additionally, it gives teachers ideas for creating their own lesson plans. I searched music 6-8 standards. In one lesson plan overview, students were expected to examine the tone quality when playing their instrument.

I believe internet searching is important for teachers because it allows them to gain teaching resources for different lessons. For example, a teacher could use the advanced Google search feature to find activities for teaching reading or activities for building community. They can filter the search to only include certain things. For instance, a music teacher could search for music appreciation and filter for only power points. In addition, a teacher could use the reverse image feature to learn where a picture originated from. They could then use other images from that source. When I teach, I can use the quotation feature as well as the and/or feature to search for resources.

Blog Journal 3

Material that is copyrighted belongs to the person who created it. This means that it is illegal for someone to use the material without their permission. Fair use means that certain materials can be used without permission if the meet the four requirements for fair use. Ultimately though, fair use is decided by a judge. As an educator, I would ensure that I purchase all my materials from a reliable source and give credit to the owner. For my students, I would make sure that their work remains private because it is copyrighted to them.

There are several technology issues which can occur in the classroom. In this blog post, I will touch on lack of funding and academic dishonesty. As a solution for lack of funding, I would apply for various technology grants. Additionally, I would hope to purchase a set of class iPads to be used in group work or for individual assessments. To address the issue of academic dishonesty, I would have students sit spread out, so they could not read each other’s answers. The students would have the same questions on the assessment but in a different order. I would then block access to certain programs, so they could not look up the answers. I would choose to have written response questions like reflections which would make it difficult for students to cheat.

By completing the newsletter assignment, I learned how to share important dates and other announcements, how to create a banner for the design of my letter, and how to create a permission slip for class trips. I can use my newsletter template when I teach as a method of sending important reminders to students and their family members. I could even insert a link for practice tracks for students to review. For future newsletters, I would like to improve on having more details in my announcements. I would consider creating a Google Form for people to ask questions anonymously.

Click here for a link to my newsletter.