Best+Practices+and+Lesson+Activities

=Best Practices and Lesson Ideas =

= =  Unit 5: New Instructional Tools for the Classroom There are many Web 2.0 resources that can be incorporated into the classroom. The unit provided many tools to research and also gave great ideas on how to use the Web 2.0 tools in lesson plans. I am fairly new to the Web 2.0 world, this course has opened my eyes to the resources available on the web. Being an elementary music teacher can make it difficult to incorporate Web 2.0 in my classroom. I recently found out that next school year I will be receiving a SmartBoard, which means it will be even easier to use technology in my lesson plans. I look forward to the convienence of having a SmartBoard in my room.

The second section of Unit 5 dealt with understanding the law regarding technology. My biggest fear in taking the students to the computer lab is that someone will stumble upon an inappropriate message or graphic on the Internet. The custom search engine offered through Google Apps will really help that situation. But students today need to understand the severity of the Internet and how important it is to follow directions and stay on the assigned task. I don't think there is too much to worry about in an elementary setting, but in a secondary setting, students need to realize the trouble looming on the Internet. Teachers need to review the copyright laws, trademark, and fair use with all their students. I even discuss copyright in elementary music class when creating a song. Students need to understand that anything they find on the Internet needs to be recognized with a citation.

Unit 4: Podcast

=
 I really liked the iTunes podcast called "SignMyPiano: Classical Music". This podcast can be used in my classroom to study composers and their music. Every week a new song is posted to the podcast and there are many to choose from already. ======

=
 A second podcast in iTunes that I think my students will enjoy is the "Blue Man Group Video Podcast". On this podcast, they conduct interviews and show clips of performances. This will be a great tool for my students to learn the different ways to perform music. ======

=
 I created my own podcast centered on the instruments of the orchestra. I chose this topic because my second grade students cover a unit on instruments. This podcast is a great introduction tool for that unit. ======  [] Unit 3: Google Applications

Google Maps Here is a link to the Google Map I created outlining the boundaries of Exeter Township School District. [] Google Maps would be great to use when learning songs from certain states and cities. For example, if my students are studying country/western music, we could identify the state the song was written about and then locate music venues around the city.

Another idea is to locate all the major cities and the corresponding symphony centers around the country. We could then search those centers to see if any have a website and browse through their information. Google Earth and Google Sky Wow! Google Earth is completely amazing. I love how you can fly from one city to the next. I clicked on Disney Land and was able to view any part of the park. Google Earth can be used in my classroom much the same way that Google Maps can. I can use the application to show students where songs originated. We could also search cities where composers were born and learn/view more about that city. I can't wait to implement this into my classroom. Google Notebook I thought that Google Notebook is a great way to store information that you will need anytime. I like how I can access my notebook from my computer, my husband's or even a computer at the library. Therefore, whenever searching for lesson plan ideas or images, you can upload the information onto the notebook and it's there forever. Here is the link to my Google Notebook:[] Google Search Engine The application that I think can be integrated most into my curriculum is the “Custom Search Engine”. I made a music information search engine as practice and I love that you are able to only include certain sites. This is a great tool when teaching elementary school because I am leery about inappropriate information on the Internet. Using the Custom Search Engine will help my students locate the correct answers on age-appropriate sites…love it! Here is the link to my search engine: []

Unit 2: Blogs and Wiki's in Education

Blogs Music blog: http://www.funmusicco.com/musicteachersblog/ I could use this blog in my classroom for children to explore various music activities and comment with other children about those activities.

Wikipedia I thought a fun activity with Wikipedia would be to research composers and find information such as life span, birth country, and famous works. Then the students will research an accredited encyclopedia and determine if the information is the same or different.