musicmatters

2006-05-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

21st Century Assessment

My assessment for my 21st Century lesson plan would include the following:
Participation
Presentaion
Creativity
Originality
Technology
Group Effort
Individual Effort

These items combined would make the grade for the project. Projects would be evaluated by the other groups as well.

2006-05-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

10 Artifacts used in my electronic portfolio

1. Lesson plans
2. Recording Technology
3. Piano Compositions
4. Student Blogs
5. Choral Website
6. Group Websites
7. Student websites
8. Wikipedia Projects
9. Student Powerpoint Presentations
10. Student Interest Surveys

2006-04-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Composing an Opera
Objective: TSW create an opera scene
TSW demonstrate knowledge of an opera and the characteristics of an opera

Materials: The Magic Flute Video and CD Recordings
Paper and Pencils
Staff Paper
Xylophones
Critique Forms

Procedures: 1. Introduce operas.
2. Discuss the story of The Magic Flute
3. Listen to several portions of The Magic Flute
4. Discuss things heard in the recording.
5. Watch and discuss portions of The Magic Flute.
6. Discuss other operas students may be familiar with.
7. Divide students into groups.
8. Discuss elements to be evaluated on completed projects.
9. Students will create a storyline for an opera, dialogue two scenes, and compose a short song for one or both of the scenes.
10. Groups will present their scenes for the class.
11. Groups will critique each of the other groups using critique forms provided.

Assessment: The students will be assessed on group work, individual participation, quality of work, effort demonstrated and performance of composition.

2006-04-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

Creating an Original Opera Lesson Overview:

What’s opera?

Most people, including children, think opera is about actors in strange costumes singing in foreign languages about stories we don’t understand. But opera is much more—the stories express many of the same desires, angers, and hopes experienced in our own lives. In this lesson, students will use the PBS: Great Performances and other Web sites to learn about opera’s dramatic and musical elements, and discover the similarities and differences between opera stories and students' own lives. All the exploration will culminate in the creation and performance of an original one-act opera, written, scored, and performed by students.

Length of Lesson:Ten 45-minute class periods

Notes:This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 4-6.
This lesson may be taught during a four-week period.

Instructional Objectives:
Students will: research the lyrical and dramatic structure of opera through Internet sources and audio examples. cooperatively discuss similar and different elements of opera stories vs. their own lives. create one-act opera based on their own life experiences that has both singing and "spoken" (recitative) parts, and simple original accompaniment using classroom percussion instruments.Supplies:Computers with Internet access and word processing software Basic classroom percussion instruments including, but not limited to: rattles, shakers, bells and/or triangles, drums, barred Orff instruments (xylophones, metallophones, and/or glockenspiels)

Optional: Computer software program easily available in schools that allows students to create multimedia slideshow with text, graphics, and sound (i.e. Hyperstudio or Powerpoint)

Instructional Plan:

Introductory Activity Throughout this lesson, make sure to play recordings of operas as background music whenever appropriate. Students are often not used to classical music, and usually find the genre of opera quite foreign. They need consistent exposure to opera’s unique sound to become more comfortable with the music.Using the Opera Summary worksheet, begin discussion with students about the differences between opera and theater. Complete the organizer during the next activity.Watch the film version of an opera, such as Mozart’s "The Magic Flute" or Verdi’s "La Traviata". (Note: You can find opera videos either through your local public library system, a local university/college with a circulating collection of arts videos, or even your local bookstore. Alternatively, video clips for some operas can be viewed on PBS: Great Performances Web site .)
After watching the opera film(s), discuss tools of exaggeration, dramatization and fantasy. Use the Opera Summary worksheet to collect their thoughts and impressions about the films.Read plot summaries of the opera(s) watched in class while listening to recordings of these specific operas.
Plot summaries can be obtained either from the Web site, Amato: A Love Affair with Opera or from the book, 100 Great Operas and Their Stories. Conclude by asking students to discuss the similarities and differences between their lives and the opera characters.

Learning Activities If you have access to a digital camera, take pictures of the opera creation and performance. Digital pictures can be a great tool to document your project, and could be used for a digital presentation of the project using a slideshow program like Hyperstudio or Powerpoint.

Days 1-3 Have each student create a brief chronology of important events in their life using the All About Me worksheet. They should do this for homework after first day. The next day, have the class review the chronologies and select one particularly interesting life event to develop as an opera plot.Begin opera development by forming different student groups to perform the following jobs: plot writers, lyricists, composers and musicians, and publishers. The four groups together will create one opera. Explain the roles and responsibilities of each group.Students should work as a class to develop a general story for the opera. Note: If you are not a music teacher, try collaborating with your school or a neighboring school’s music teacher and pool instruments, resources, and time. Continue to brainstorm about the opera. Develop a working title for the production.

Days 4-10 Day 4: Plot writers and lyricists should begin to draft the plot and lyrics. Emphasize simplicity: for example, there should be no more than 3-5 main characters. Decide, either by class vote or discussion, who will play the characters. In the meantime, musicians/composers should experiment with their instruments. Publishers can create concert posters to promote the performance.
Day 5: Work with musicians to emphasize the idea that they are creating setting and tone through the instrumentation they choose. Their choice of musical setting and mood should be written into the script. Musicians group should also create a list of instruments they will use, and how they will acquire the instruments (e.g. another classroom, the music teacher, etc.)Publishers should begin to create the title page, including the names of the characters, names of students who are participating, etc.
Day 6: Plot writers and lyricists should begin a final version of the script. The publishing group should begin typing up final draft. Musicians should have at least one separate rehearsal. Actors/singers should also have at least one separate rehearsal.
Day 7: Rehearse the musicians and actors/singers together. Publishers should continue typing up final draft.
Day 8: Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! Do a final dress rehearsal before performance.
Day 9: Do another final dress rehearsal. Publishing group should finish and print final version of script.
Day 10: It's showtime! Have a performance for just one class, possibly at the same grade level, to minimize jitters and nervousness. Then, schedule additional performances for other grades or parents. Record the performance using digital cameras and/or audio visual equipment.Assessment:Give Process and Performance Reflection: So What Did You Think? organizer to students to have them evaluate the project.Use the Assessment Rubric to evaluate your students' work.Extensions:Collaborate with an art teacher at your school or a neighboring school to create sets and costumes for opera production. Perform the opera as a full-fledged production in the school auditorium. Collaborate with a technology/computer teacher to create a multimedia presentation of the opera using Hyperstudio or Powerpoint (or any other accessible presentation software). Include digital pictures taken of process and performance, as well as audio recordings.Sources:Print: Simon, Henry W. 100 Great Operas and Their Stories. Doubleday &Company, Incorporated, 1989.Media: Klemperer, Otto, dir. Die Zauberflote, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Philharmonia Orchestra of London. Angel Records. ASIN: B00004VVZN Knussen, Oliver. Where the Wild Things Are—A Fantasy Opera Opera. London Sinfonietta. Arabesque Recordings. ASIN: B000000T67 Mugnai, Umberto, dir. La Traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi. Edna Patoni, Gilberto Cerda, et al. Opera D'oro. ASIN: B00003Q5B7.Web: PBS: Amato: A Love Affair with Opera http://www.pbs.org/wnet/amato/ PBS: Great Performances http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/Authors:Jaana NarsipurWashington, DC TEACH CONNECT EXPLORE SPOTLIGHTS About Us Feedback Site Map Search ARTSEDGE Search MarcoPolo

2006-04-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Social bookmarking would be a relevant way for students to work in groups on projects. They could compile information individually and then work through it together. They could also use bookmarking for individual research. It is a great resource for students to have quick access to lots of information.

2006-04-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Social Bookmarking is a neat way for students to have access to lots of information in the same place. It is also a helpful resource for students to use to create a "library" for projects, unit studies, group work, etc. Students could use bookmarking as a group to compile websites and other resources for a project. Students could use bookmarking individually for researching a topic, completing a project or just general information.

2006-04-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

The following ten podcasts would be useful in my classroom.

1. Irish and Celtic Music Podcast- This podcast could be used to introduce this type of music. It could also be used to reinforce this style of music when we are working on an Irish or Celtic piece.
2. AcappellaU- This podcast would be useful for the students to use to hear other groups performing various pieces of music. It would also be helpful to the students to listen to the lectures and discussions to enhance what they are already learning.
3. Naxos Classical Music- This podcast would always be good for the students to listen too and describe various classical pieces. The studentsw would hear music written by many different composers that they may not choose for themselves.
4. My Germanclass.com Video pod- This podcast would be helpful to the students as we learn a piece in German. It would help the students to understand the language and the its meaning better.
5. Learn Italian Podcast- This podcast would also be helpful for the students as we are learning a piece in Italian. It would strengthen their foreign vocabulary and give them a better feel for the song.
6. MusicTech@Twin Lakes High School- This podcast would give the students the opportunity to see other students compositions and critique them. The piano students are required to compose their own piece, so this would give them ideas as well as encouragement.
7. Spanish Arriba! Podcast- This podcast would be helpful to the students as we are preparing a Spanish piece. The students would get extra practice on their language skills.
8. Piano Lesson Podcast- This podcast would be good for my piano classes as extra material and practice. The students could use this as a tutorial or as additioanl practice and information.
9. Frenchpod Learn Easy French- This podcast could also be helpful when learning a french piece. We use several languages in choir and each student usually only takes one in high school. So this podcast would be a good reinforcer of the lanuguage.
10. LEarn Japanese- This podcast would be a good teacher of the language. This language is becoming very popular and well used in choral literature.

2006-04-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia could be a great resource for students. Students could use it as a collaborative research effort. Students could use it to research as a group and make changes to different articles as a group. Students could also use it to find articles to add to individually. They could then have another students double check their work for accuracy.
One issue that may be involved is the accuracy of the articles the students ind. Are the resources they are using legitimate and true? Are the articles appropriate? Is there information the students should not have access too?
Educators can work through these issues by first viewing websites and the resources they are going to ask their students to use.

2006-04-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

A 21st cwntury classroom would have interactive and collaborative learning. Students would have access to many forms of technology as well as access to the teahcer and other students. There would be many opportunities for outside guests to enhance the technology aspects and skills the students would be learning. Students would complete lessons and projects that involve 21st century skills that are relevant and productive to their lives. They would see the connection between school, their skills and life. These skills would be learned through interactive learning, group work and individual work. The students would create websites, blogs, use wikipedia, as well as many presentations using various media. Students would use email, specially set up chat rooms, wikipedia, blogs, websites and many others. Most of these would be student run and monitored by the teacher. Students would participate in real world projects involving stimulated events.

2006-03-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

http://library.thinkquest.org/2791/

This is an excellent website for my music students. It contains a variety of websites created by other groups of students. It also provides the opportunity for my students to work in a group and create a site of their own. This could be used in many ways during various times throughout the year. The website allows the students to explore many aspects of music. They can search vocabulary, notes, composers and many other musical concepts.

2006-03-14T16:05:00.000-08:00

Digital immigrants teaching digital natives can be an interesting process. Immigrants may use different learning styles that fit what they know and what they are comfortable with. It may not be geared toward what the children or natives know or need to learn. Immigrants will still be in thelearning process while trying to teach natives who are also in the learning process or ahead of the immigrant.

2006-03-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

Five possible artifacts that could be a part of an electronic portfolio are: teacher resource websites, class websites, blog pages, 21st century skill lesson plans and student samples of assignments. The websites could be any sites that show 21st century skills or information as well as relevant subject matter sites. A class website would show what the class is doing as well as contain links for the parents and students to information about assignments and other resources. Blog pages which are used by the students to discuss ideas or create projects could also be used. Lesson plans that teach and use 21st century skills would be useful. Samples of things the students are doing, such as projects, sites, research and other ideas are a great addition.

2006-03-14T15:51:00.000-08:00

The next global event that will continue to flatten the world is the education and teaching of digital immigrants. Digital immigrants working with digital natives is going to take those not too familiar with 21st Century Skills and educate them as well as improve the skills of the natives. This will begin to put everyone on the same basic page with these skills. There will not be too many left behind in skills unless they choose to be.

2006-02-15T07:25:00.000-08:00

21st Century Skills in Today's Classroom Setting
I believe the core subjects are being emphasized, but not all students are mastering these subjects. Standard tests and assessments measure these core subjects regularly. Learning skills are supposed to be emphasized as well. Students use these skills to prepare for testing and other major events.
21st Century Skills are not used as frequently as they should be. Technology limitations in the schools is a main reason for this. Educators today need to be more creative and resourcefeul when planning for their lessons to include 21st century skills as much as possible. The more students use these skills, the better they learn these skills. They are not used much in most schools today.
Assessments that measure 21st Century Skills are slowly making their way into the classroom. Standardized tests are beginning to take computer forms. Writing assessments are being done on the computers. These may not always measure 21st Century Skills, but they are moving in the right direction. As more 21st Century Skills are being taught, more skills will be assessed.