tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75497385472731856402024-02-18T21:06:53.616-06:00From Musical Mayhem to Mastery......and everything in between! Ideas, inspiration, and the occasional drama of an elementary music teacherckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-34825495721072725372020-08-29T15:21:00.004-05:002020-08-29T16:40:00.886-05:00Google Classroom Settings (and why they are important to your life)<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FShIY6gkwH8/X0rKdRpRtYI/AAAAAAAADoI/_Tl-z-3arjk1OYyG3RNSVHo2CbWcIw9hwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Google%2BClassroom%2BSettings%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="288" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FShIY6gkwH8/X0rKdRpRtYI/AAAAAAAADoI/_Tl-z-3arjk1OYyG3RNSVHo2CbWcIw9hwCLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h288/Google%2BClassroom%2BSettings%2B%25281%2529.png" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Many school districts are using a Single Sign-On (SSO) platform to house all of their virtual learning. This is helpful because the kids (and parents) know to go to the same place every day to find their assignments. My district has chosen Google for Education for several years now, and I have used it in music classes as well. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;">When creating your class in Google Classroom (GC), there are several settings you should pay attention to. Different settings can be found in two different places within GC. Settings for one individual GC are found by clicking on the gear symbol in the top right corner. This covers settings unique to the class you are working in. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;">Class details</li><li style="text-align: left;">Class code and invitation to join</li><li style="text-align: left;">Stream settings (who can post and comment)</li><li style="text-align: left;">Guardian summaries (to send or not to send)</li><li style="text-align: left;">Meet link (a permanent Google Meet link assigned to your class)</li><li style="text-align: left;">Grading settings </li></ul><div style="text-align: center;">In addition to these settings, there are more that apply to ALL of your classes in GC. To find those, click on the three lines (menu) symbol in the top left corner. Scroll alllll the way down to find Settings. Here you will find</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;">Your Profile and Password information</li><li style="text-align: left;">Notifications --this is where to go if you are getting too many email notifications, or not enough. </li></ul><div style="text-align: center;">Before inviting students to join your class, take a minute to design your settings to fit your teaching style. The most important ones for me are Stream settings (I don't allow students to post or comment), the Meet link (keep it hidden until you are opening up a class meet), and Notifications (some people hate getting 47,000 emails a day). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">After helping several people find these settings, I decided to make a video showing how and where to access all of these. To see a demonstration in my (dummy) class, along with more details about how and why I use mine, click on the video below: </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K5Cze-0HmbQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="K5Cze-0HmbQ"></iframe></div><p><br /></p>I hope you are finding success as you navigate the Google platform for your teaching this fall. I promise, it WILL get easier! <p></p><p>Keep Singing,</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48tlinaHGzg/W0J0InW1pXI/AAAAAAAACnA/6VgKK2VgMBsIOk6dIYGnkLrnpNbqDktQACPcBGAYYCw/s228/signature.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="228" height="38" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48tlinaHGzg/W0J0InW1pXI/AAAAAAAACnA/6VgKK2VgMBsIOk6dIYGnkLrnpNbqDktQACPcBGAYYCw/w94-h38/signature.PNG" width="94" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-74751020038925303492020-08-23T10:49:00.005-05:002020-08-23T10:59:25.635-05:00What I Learned in Our First Week of Virtual Learning<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Poppins'; font-size: medium;">(and 8 Tips for Asynchronous Lessons in Google Classroom)</span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6_5BzjZaZO69RcbEXZCSDmhMn2cv_7ZUu_F0ZJkuhwfzCQHPnu7TQY5Y4oG6MloaPPPA8F4xAXXkOe4syEaM-f5Ge19f9wZ3-4RAKTvqX04-15Y-SE6UyyKEi-6JirN-W-WEdDa1NEFT/s1080/we+did+it.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6_5BzjZaZO69RcbEXZCSDmhMn2cv_7ZUu_F0ZJkuhwfzCQHPnu7TQY5Y4oG6MloaPPPA8F4xAXXkOe4syEaM-f5Ge19f9wZ3-4RAKTvqX04-15Y-SE6UyyKEi-6JirN-W-WEdDa1NEFT/w410-h410/we+did+it.PNG" width="410" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">We just finished our first week of school, and I am cautiously optimistic! I don't want to jinx it, but it seemed to go pretty well, with only a few exceptions. </span><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">My district is starting the year with virtual instruction for two weeks, then a "phase in" week where students are assigned a day to come on campus. This will give us smaller groups of students to train on the new procedures and expectations. Beginning September 8, all students who chose Face-to-Face learning will be on campus. We had about 1/3 of our enrollment choose virtual learning for the first nine weeks, so our numbers on campus will be smaller. (My district required parents to choose one and stick with it for the first nine weeks--no hopping back and forth--which I think is brilliant.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">As far as Music and Specials lessons go, this is our first time to teach fully virtual. Last spring, we were told not to overwhelm parents with too much stuff, so we only posted simple "suggestions" each week. Now we are creating lessons that are to be asynchronous, since we will also be teaching in person after week 3. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">So what did I do? I'm glad you asked! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">I created the popular Bitmoji Classrooms for each grade level--same template, different activities. I am really happy with the way they turned out, and I only had a couple of kids send me questions. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bit.ly/2Q7Gy4O " style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="853" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPKlw9rtd-bS7ZS7WcaKxIUvpcxTPIyqaZ99g4KKf7D8L5bwbUyz5gO1NH7uSbnMRQjh833XDvRS0eJpOCKGNBGXhJbceJoR0zqXgIMxwzZ3o1noM2OAwAtL_V8bSWvRMkH0_AdlT0Nyv/w410-h232/Virtual+Home.PNG" width="410" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">I tried to make them as user friendly as possible. If you want to check them out, you can see the whole presentation <a href="https://bit.ly/2Q7Gy4O " target="_blank">HERE</a>. <i>(Side note: On the second day of school, I stopped at a convenience store on my way to work. When I got to the counter, the clerk looked at me and said, "You look just like your Bitmoji!" Her kids go to my school. LOL!)</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">We are using Google Classroom to send assignments to students at all levels. We created one GC for Specials for each grade level. Within each GClassroom, we created Topics for each of our classes. At the top of the Stream is a post with directions for finding and completing their assignments. This is the first place we hit a bump. We forgot to turn off "Posts and Comments" for students, so as soon as 4th grade got on, they started posting "What do I do?", "How do we check in?", "Hi friend!", etc. [insert eyeroll here], sending the directions further and further down the stream. SO I jumped on and turned off commenting, deleted the useless posts, and moved the directions back to the top, answering credible questions with a referral to the directions post. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">The next morning, I decided to open a Google Meet to talk to 4th graders and give them the directions again. Since they are meeting their classroom teachers live, they thought they were going to see us, too. I explained again that they are to go into Specials GC and do one lesson each day. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Day 3, I still had kids asking where the code was to join the meet. [another eyeroll] </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Here is where you have to let go. Students have to learn to do things for themselves. I have given them all of the directions they need (both written and audio recording). I will answer legitimate questions when they ask, but I am not going to spoon feed them everything. Virtual Learning may be just what they need to develop the confidence to do it themselves. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Once we got past that first hour, everything settled down and went very smoothly! We got an occasional question, which we answered quickly and got most students sorted out. Other than wifi issues that I can't fix, I think everyone was able to complete their lessons so far. I have one more day to let them get to all of our classes, so I'll have a better count after Monday. </span></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Here are my tips for successful asynchronous music assignments through Google Classroom:</span></b></h4><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">In Google Classroom, turn off posts and comments for students when you set up your classes. They can still message you privately, but no one else sees their comments.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Post general instructions at the top of the stream. Add audio or video instructions for struggling readers.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Post all assignments under the "Classwork" tab. Create Topics to organize them over time. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Keep the first lesson simple. The goal for the first week is to learn how to navigate this new platform.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Add audio or video instructions to your lesson if you can. I used the Google Extension "Simple Audio Recorder" and read the instructions out loud. If you're interested, I can write another post about that. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Provide an easy way to find out who completed the lesson. I added a Google Form with one question at the end of the lesson. "Which song was your favorite?" is an easy one. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Give yourself some grace. If they don't all get it the first week, make the next week the same with only a few changes (different songs or activities, but same look and instructions). </span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">It's not going to be perfect, and that's okay. Teaching in person is not perfect, and we handle it every day. It just looks different now. Your kids will learn how to do this, and they will become more independent learners, which is what we want, right? Right! </span></li></ol></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">This is a learning curve for teachers too. We can do it. Ready or not, week two here we come! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Poppins';">Have a fabulous day, friends!</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrB39_uB_ziu8yCbL3h-UPaNss7G0JcysV-xgWnyLOS4tsKKW9YJosms7dzS5Z6dhi6WteCB67ekpTFdoXL3olHwYqv_v1UhKru7jhzJtpbi_Q20ow4kNAonUtRQXZD_OC69TyTOZWDOP/s228/signature.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="228" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrB39_uB_ziu8yCbL3h-UPaNss7G0JcysV-xgWnyLOS4tsKKW9YJosms7dzS5Z6dhi6WteCB67ekpTFdoXL3olHwYqv_v1UhKru7jhzJtpbi_Q20ow4kNAonUtRQXZD_OC69TyTOZWDOP/w146-h59/signature.PNG" width="146" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-55607770328214676862020-07-08T16:26:00.002-05:002020-07-26T16:34:52.222-05:00Create Your Own App--with Google Sheets! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JT3eOyCyozI/Xx303oBoJbI/AAAAAAAADdw/tZFULV_sZk8xx8ap3bBLe8m6tRr-zet2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Glide%2Bapp%2Bheader.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JT3eOyCyozI/Xx303oBoJbI/AAAAAAAADdw/tZFULV_sZk8xx8ap3bBLe8m6tRr-zet2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Glide%2Bapp%2Bheader.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Have you ever wanted to learn how to create your own app? </div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I always thought there was no way I could learn that. It was surely too hard and complicated for my life. I am here to tell you that is not true! If you can use Google Sheets, you can do this! I have used it to create apps for my Music Team, a Staff Directory for my campus, and even a documentation app for teachers to use as they are working with students. SO. COOL!</div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I recently presented a session about this at the TCEA Elementary Tech Conference last June. I made a few videos to demonstrate the app, so I thought I would share them here. There is also a handout to help you remember everything. So let's do this!</div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let me introduce you to Glide. Here is an overview from the creators at Glide to show you how it works: </div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img class="BLOG_video_class_sanitized cc_cursor" data-original-html="<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" youtube-src-id="t5UqouXcH5U" width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t5UqouXcH5U"></iframe>" height="333" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; background-image: url("https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t5UqouXcH5U/0.jpg");" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Are you excited yet? I was! I started experimenting right away! One of the first apps I made was for our team of music teachers in the district. It included a directory of all of the teachers, a calendar of our monthly meetings, and a link to our shared library of resources. They loved it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To create your own app, you will need to go to <a href="http://www.glideapps.com">www.glideapps.com</a> and create your account. Here is a video to walk you through the process: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img class="BLOG_video_class_sanitized cc_cursor" data-original-html="<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hvbqzUSqv4A" width="320" youtube-src-id="hvbqzUSqv4A"></iframe>" height="266" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; background-image: url("https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hvbqzUSqv4A/0.jpg");" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, are you excited to try this out? How can you see yourself using Glide in your own life or classroom? I would love to hear your ideas! Please share them in the comments! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Go make something amazing!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F8kWY8SVKrqliq8SKNo-Yaym8hFS09OO/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Workshop Handout HERE</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-57450499986544792312020-07-01T15:09:00.003-05:002020-07-01T15:13:21.858-05:00Are You Going to QuaverCon?<div class="separator cc_cursor"><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.quavered.com/events-and-webinars/quavercon2020/?inf_contact_key=3a3462ca2575af5a006ec539cbda662e680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="527" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1h5tgWCuEKM/XvzuIHxyv_I/AAAAAAAADWg/jsNuOZlZm3wUHEjQJyKM4Kz-gjhQUr6vACK4BGAsYHg/w500-h306/QuaverCon%2Blink.PNG" width="500" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>Hello friends! If you are looking for some summer PD hours, or if you need some more time to learn and work with Quaver materials, I hope you are planning to attend <a href="https://www.quavered.com/events-and-webinars/quavercon2020/?inf_contact_key=3a3462ca2575af5a006ec539cbda662e680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1" target="_blank">QuaverCon</a>. It is a Virtual Conference taking place on July 21-22, 2020. And......it's FREE!<div><br /></div><div>Oh, and if you're already signed up for Artie and Denise's Online Odyssey on the same dates, have no fear! QuaverCon will be available to registered participants to view after the conference. You have nothing to lose, and EVERYTHING to gain!</div><div><br /></div><div>Want to know more? <a href="https://www.quavered.com/events-and-webinars/quavercon2020/?inf_contact_key=3a3462ca2575af5a006ec539cbda662e680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> and read all about it on their website:</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Award-winning Event Apps and Event Management Software | Whova" height="88" src="https://whova.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/whova-logo-box.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="88" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption cc_cursor" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>After you register, be sure to download the Whova Conference App and connect with everyone. The app is how you will gain access to the conference, but once you set up your login you can access it on your computer as well. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I hope to see you there! Send me a "hello" in the app when you get there!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-64164300518728733762020-06-29T16:20:00.005-05:002020-06-29T16:40:12.403-05:00Quaver Teacher Ambassador Training 2019<div class="separator cc_cursor"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="500" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4VnUaWxqQMo/Xvo6dicH4VI/AAAAAAAADSY/_rBEoZinu0grgv8MD69gs1jWKpsv_ow-wCK4BGAsYHg/s320/QuaverTeacherAmbassador_Signaturebanner.png" width="320" /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>Hello friends! Sorry it's been so long! The last couple of years have been super busy, and I let blogging fall to the wayside. SO....I have a lot to share! This post is about an amazing opportunity I was given last summer. I have been a Quaver fangirl for a long time, and became the "resident expert" for my district. Thanks to my relationship with my Quaver rep, I was invited to attend a special three day training at Quaver Headquarters in Nashville to become a Quaver Teacher Ambassador! Squeee!!!!<div><br /></div><div>It was an AMAZING training, and further reinforced my belief in this company. They are not here to make money. They are here to make learning FUN for kids and teachers. They work hard to give teachers what they need as quickly and professionally as they can. They fix problems when you call them. They are constantly adding and updating materials. They offer regular PD webinars to keep you up to date on all the features. I could go on and on. Maybe that will be another post. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since we can't travel this year, I thought I'd share some memories of my time in Nashville. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator cc_cursor" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7g5zb0w5BFU/XvpW3Hlv08I/AAAAAAAADT8/pDMFds_FlK8KRDYgJqdqZXOvEFGXaI4oACK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0468.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7g5zb0w5BFU/XvpW3Hlv08I/AAAAAAAADT8/pDMFds_FlK8KRDYgJqdqZXOvEFGXaI4oACK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0468.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Quaver headquarters are housed in a...well, house. It's actually several houses in this area near Vanderbilt University. We stopped to pose in front of the awning, and look who photobombed us--it's Gwenda!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BoDw7ouuE4/XvpXkktZJvI/AAAAAAAADUQ/P1wLEy2oSBw9G5KZM5wmcOKtXqxXm4mbQCK4BGAsYHg/s1440/F6A86BF0-9153-430E-81A8-08CBB75D2114.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BoDw7ouuE4/XvpXkktZJvI/AAAAAAAADUQ/P1wLEy2oSBw9G5KZM5wmcOKtXqxXm4mbQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/F6A86BF0-9153-430E-81A8-08CBB75D2114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>Ever wondered what the infamous Maura Harwood looks like? That's her on the right. She's Facebook famous! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Btw, if you haven't joined the FB group for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/quavermusicteachers" target="_blank">Quaver Teachers</a>, do it now. It is a great PLN for Quaver users to share ideas and ask questions. Maura monitors the group and jumps in when needed to answer questions. She's the bomb!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cc_UosSSGYA/XvpYKVz2ffI/AAAAAAAADUw/goBZtAvZ5QQyudPj4E65Ew4Lq2j8MxRcgCK4BGAsYHg/s1440/13136302-7DAE-4C60-A5A9-E9476918490F.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cc_UosSSGYA/XvpYKVz2ffI/AAAAAAAADUw/goBZtAvZ5QQyudPj4E65Ew4Lq2j8MxRcgCK4BGAsYHg/s320/13136302-7DAE-4C60-A5A9-E9476918490F.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Quick! To the phone box! <div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pfgPL5ImriA/XvpYKeQ1D0I/AAAAAAAADU0/P4F3PXY709QoPbbZI-DtsygX9GBmbFgXgCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0764.JPG" width="320" /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We got to tour the studios where the magic happens: artists, musicians, and of course the set of the Quaver Episodes. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And I got to hang out with famous composers!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I could go on, but I don't want to bore you with all my photos. We heard from the artist who created the characters for You-Nique, creators working on amazing things for the future, and of course Otto Gross and his fantastic musicianship. There are SO MANY wonderful teachers and creators there who are dedicated to making music education the best they can for you--the teachers and students. </div><div><br /></div><div>I made a lot of new friends from around the country that I still keep in touch with online. The Quaver community is a wonderful network of people that I am honored to be a part of. Here's one last pic of your Texas Quaver Teacher Ambassadors:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--mNuoMt361M/XvpaptwwvpI/AAAAAAAADVY/jOb8NoYBp38bckdgfzQs8hMvMFaIoK9gQCK4BGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_0531.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--mNuoMt361M/XvpaptwwvpI/AAAAAAAADVY/jOb8NoYBp38bckdgfzQs8hMvMFaIoK9gQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/IMG_0531.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Need Quaver help? Ask me! If I don't know, I can hook you up with someone who does.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">See you later!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-45899394122256046302018-09-09T11:45:00.001-05:002018-09-09T11:55:51.031-05:00Music and SpEd AccommodationsSchool has started, and all your kiddos are settled in their classes. You've found your teaching groove. Life is good! Then comes the email from the Diag/SpEd Teacher: You have ARD paperwork to sign!<br />
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I don't know about you, but this stresses me out a little. Teaching every kid in the school means getting paperwork for <i>every single student</i> in SpEd, 504, Speech, Behavior Intervention, etc. That's a lot to keep up with! I want the best for all of my students, but it's hard for my ADD brain to remember who needs what in which class. So, I created my own Accommodations Tracking System.<br />
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I made a spreadsheet for each grade level with columns for accommodations. Each student has one line, with a check in the column that matches their ARD paperwork. After several years with this system, I have created a checklist with the most commonly applied accommodations for music (and other specialist classes).<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SpEd-Tracker-for-Music-Art-and-PE-4053314" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45KIWdyrmhk/W5VQNf0_PyI/AAAAAAAACoM/mOlcyTWQCNUX1nrY1EX6N20kqhzw1MXgACLcBGAs/s320/SpEd%2BTracker.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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This has turned out to be so much more helpful than I even imagined! Lesson plans, seating charts, and grading are easy to cross check with a one page list. No more giant folders of paper on my desk, or in my inbox. [insert happy dance here]</div>
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I have made my Accommodations Tracking Sheets available in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/From-Mayhem-To-Mastery" target="_blank">my TpT Store</a>. They include my pre-filled charts that I use, plus a blank sheet to fill in if you prefer a different list. There are two empty columns on the list too, for those less common mods that pop up. You can find it <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SpEd-Tracker-for-Music-Art-and-PE-4053314" target="_blank">HERE</a>. If you like it, please take the time to leave a review on TpT as well. It will earn you points for future discounts!</div>
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I hope this can help you master the mayhem of SpEd paperwork! Let me know what you think! </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-48tlinaHGzg/W0J0InW1pXI/AAAAAAAACnA/6VgKK2VgMBsIOk6dIYGnkLrnpNbqDktQACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/signature.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="228" height="80" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-48tlinaHGzg/W0J0InW1pXI/AAAAAAAACnA/6VgKK2VgMBsIOk6dIYGnkLrnpNbqDktQACPcBGAYYCw/s200/signature.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-49041590430420578842018-07-31T22:07:00.003-05:002018-07-31T22:16:04.886-05:00Back to School SALE on TpT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="160" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMu40SWtBmw/W2EhiVETtDI/AAAAAAAACnU/L2JEZ5kLy08KkwV_C_pp0BW-KesLuz9agCLcBGAs/s1600/sale_160_200.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hey guys! Just a short post today to make sure you know that <span lang="en" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: KB3JugglingAct; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" xml:lang="en">TpT is having a </span><span lang="en" style="background-color: white; font-family: KB3JugglingAct; font-style: inherit;" xml:lang="en"><b><span style="color: cyan;">Back to School Sale! </span></b></span><span lang="en" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: KB3JugglingAct; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" xml:lang="en">Save up to 25% on your favorite teaching resources on August 1st and 2nd. My entire store will be marked 20% off. Use the Code </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit;"><span lang="en" style="color: red; font-family: KB3JugglingAct; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" xml:lang="en">BTSFRESH</span></strong><span lang="en" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: KB3JugglingAct; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" xml:lang="en"> at checkout to get a total of 25% off.</span><br />
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Time to check your wishlist and get some new material for the new school year! I hope you will check out my small store while you're there: <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/From-Mayhem-To-Mastery" target="_blank">From Mayhem to Mastery</a><br />
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I have a feeling this will be your best year yet. I'm planning for it to be mine! After starting last year with a hurricane (Harvey took two weeks out) and all the mayhem that followed, I am positive this year will be more organized, more energized, and more joyful than the last. Less mayhem, more mastery, right?<br />
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May your coffee be strong, your shoes comfortable, and your voice clear and bright. Let's do this!<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-22926342205563584902018-07-08T15:29:00.002-05:002018-07-08T15:29:55.483-05:00A Little Shameless Self Promotion...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! <br />
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So I've been a fan of Teachers Pay Teachers for a long time. It's brilliant. Teachers can share the things they have spent hours creating --and that work for them-- and maybe even make a little money on the side. I'm also a fan of not re-inventing the wheel for every lesson. It's amazing what you can find if you just search Google, YouTube, and TpT!<br />
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That said, I also LOVE making things look cute and creating digital products to use in my classroom or everyday life. So I finally decided to take the plunge......and set up<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/From-Mayhem-To-Mastery" target="_blank"> my own TpT Store</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/From-Mayhem-To-Mastery" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="404" height="198" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-msapaIrQ-94/W0JvXJKcJwI/AAAAAAAACmM/hvXWHev1jMscvPZYSdHjUdP_w2ZVXX-ggCLcBGAs/s200/MtoMmulti.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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I only have a few items so far. It's a lot of work to make sure every font, graphic, and product comply with legal Terms of Use so I don't accidentally steal someone else's stuff. (If I did, it would totally be an accident! I promise!) I'm still working on "branding" and all that, but it's early days. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><b>Will you do me a favor?</b></span> Check out <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/From-Mayhem-To-Mastery" target="_blank">my store</a> and download one of the FREE items, then post some feedback for me. If you hate it, I'd rather you contact me personally before giving me a bad review so I can make it right. I'm just learning this stuff, and I am not a business person by nature-- right-brained musician and all that, you know? If you could help me out I would REALLY appreciate it!<br />
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Here are some FREEBIES to check out:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Imperial-March-Play-Along-3542891" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="125" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTMlLhjgga4/W0Jw_1RFfVI/AAAAAAAACmY/S_XzZBGqlE0kNe_0lpPpIO9Js17ZjV__gCLcBGAs/s1600/Imperial%2BMarch.jpg" title="Imperial March Playalong" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Imperial-March-Play-Along-3542891" target="_blank">Imperial March Playalong</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elementary-Music-Scope-Sequence-3902389" target="_blank"><img alt="Based on Texas Standards (TEKS)" border="0" data-original-height="91" data-original-width="162" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RvsOssqARpc/W0JxIvb3zTI/AAAAAAAACmc/8XfjyyQg5QAuuqTczmH5RgymtSh6VSE4QCLcBGAs/s1600/S%2526S%2Bcover.jpg" title="Elementary Music Scope & Sequence" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elementary-Music-Scope-Sequence-3902389" target="_blank">Elementary Music Scope & Sequence by TEKS</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teal-Desktop-Organizer-FREEBIE-3883143" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="112" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qNSEcj70xfc/W0JyO1S96NI/AAAAAAAACmw/2GNnwsilbBMbf9nXvauguJ6eaQ8anwvawCEwYBhgL/s200/Teal%2BDots%2BDesktop.png" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teal-Desktop-Organizer-FREEBIE-3883143" target="_blank">Desktop Organizer in Teal</a></td></tr>
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Thank you so much for helping me get started! Let me know if there is something you would like to see me add, adapt, or edit for you. I truly enjoy it. <div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-15057420472277802922018-07-03T12:45:00.003-05:002018-07-03T14:51:53.121-05:00Desktop Organizer Love with a FREEBIE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOopinGg4iVd7Qjuz0i270VjzG08Gkh_ntbT24LnvY6O3NsqXX6YZrZKErKLa0gZiFbEQL34XJl7Ci29FX_-U4NnyS48XlMilM_ROIxcA6wobxg_bFzml_8elfXnxP4iKc0M4Qepdv4XQ/s1600/my+dekstop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOopinGg4iVd7Qjuz0i270VjzG08Gkh_ntbT24LnvY6O3NsqXX6YZrZKErKLa0gZiFbEQL34XJl7Ci29FX_-U4NnyS48XlMilM_ROIxcA6wobxg_bFzml_8elfXnxP4iKc0M4Qepdv4XQ/s320/my+dekstop.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is my computer desktop. Isn't it pretty? I am obsessed with the desktop organizer. It's one of those ideas that made me say, "why didn't I think of that?" when I first saw it. I don't know about you, but I hate a cluttered desktop. It makes me feel scattered, and I'm always afraid of forgetting something I need to do. I like to keep current projects in front of me so I don't get distracted and forget to finish them (shiny squirrels everywhere!), but they were just all over the place.<br />
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Enter the Desktop Organizer. A background picture that you save as your wallpaper, then you can place your icons in groups and keep them organized however you like. Plus, you can make it as pretty as you want! I like pretty. It makes me happy!<br />
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I got so excited about them that I decided to make some myself. It's a great creative outlet, and maybe it can help make someone else smile, too! I would love for you to try out this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teal-Desktop-Organizer-FREEBIE-3883143" target="_blank">FREEBIE</a> and tell me what you like or don't like about it. You can also purchase a set of 19 different desktop styles and colors from my TpT store if you like them and want to try them out. They are in a powerpoint file so you can add text boxes to label your boxes as you like. Or you can skip the labels and just use them as is. There are instructions with the download to help you set it up. You can <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Desktop-Organizers-for-Teachers-or-anyone-3883148" target="_blank">find it HERE</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Desktop-Organizers-for-Teachers-or-anyone-3883148" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="494" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Z5fy-AIphhXZ8cpcWYNwcWPfc9_P6p9L57ZkKYUEBi46A-HfmXsp1iALspAw34Yi1VRpFCFtMWvvLPnVqWsk5sU09LY2hv6rsQhZEoF6ykg10mfWoCJNRECwZZQ9jBWIqBo8o5gxXZn6/s320/desktopOrganizerSample.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you decide to try it, please let me know if the instructions are clear and usable, and if the designs are useful. I really want some feedback so I can make it better. Seriously, be honest! I can also make custom desktops if you let me know what you need (how many sections, colors/patterns/ etc.). I am having a blast making them!<br />
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I hope you are finding a creative outlet for yourself this summer, too. Take the time to relax and do something just for you. You deserve it!<br />
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-46408842481580451512018-07-03T12:17:00.000-05:002018-07-03T12:18:04.627-05:00Flippin' Awesome Resources for Google!Hello friends!<br />
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A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to the Elementary Technology Conference in Galveston. It's the first non-music PD I've done in a while, but I love technology so I thought it would be worth it. AND.....I was right! I learned so many cool things! I hope to be able to write a few posts about these applications and ways to use them in music class. Our district is super big on tech right now, and as of last year we are 1:1 on every campus. We are a Google district, and students have Chromebooks, so that is what I am here to share with you.<br />
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Have you heard of <a href="http://flippity.net/">Flippity.net</a>? Y'all. This is a fantastic FREE resource if you can make a spreadsheet. Seriously.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9wPCLwG4GSzbn9aH19grLp3YeWs6m5UF918C_I2gRX1ZnEMPFkdlKg2Aae2hLTHoJSGrls6tGZ4S6FEIZDKL4Rnnc6IfDI4o9G_JB7ahtbFaxmZpLJORBtVsq-qeu0YkAQ8cXDzqijG7/s1600/flippity+sample.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="764" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9wPCLwG4GSzbn9aH19grLp3YeWs6m5UF918C_I2gRX1ZnEMPFkdlKg2Aae2hLTHoJSGrls6tGZ4S6FEIZDKL4Rnnc6IfDI4o9G_JB7ahtbFaxmZpLJORBtVsq-qeu0YkAQ8cXDzqijG7/s320/flippity+sample.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Flippity will take your Google Spreadsheet and turn it into SO. MANY. THINGS. Flashcards? Check. Random name picker? Got it. Jeopardy style game board? Yep. Memory game, Mad Libs, Bingo, Crossword, Word Search, Tournament Bracket, Yes, yes, and yes! </div>
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So here's how it works. Each application has a demo, instructions, and a template. To create your own, click on "Instructions". </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaxPLL10DHzkzrPAjXJ8lIdC5Yi_JMq1U8sd6zkRvb_zx0tK-ux4N0ld-iJq7p0BJxDBe7eMEr1G6Pbn92c9OdQrZpD9Wvap3aYMqXRp5POEUjMQIC3CKM777HAao4e1DExWWYsWVsdQb/s1600/memory+flippity.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaxPLL10DHzkzrPAjXJ8lIdC5Yi_JMq1U8sd6zkRvb_zx0tK-ux4N0ld-iJq7p0BJxDBe7eMEr1G6Pbn92c9OdQrZpD9Wvap3aYMqXRp5POEUjMQIC3CKM777HAao4e1DExWWYsWVsdQb/s1600/memory+flippity.PNG" /></a></div>
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The instructions vary a little for each one, but it is based in a spreadsheet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl0mOr07SfOkthA4PgNfBxKi83rNQhTtiMapu4hnLdicszg8MYnHJUS3fnbYMfeSYG-3_P3NeVmUMEyLoXrHwxEn-XTLSakeQYJA-Eqn_OKg1ymQsxUAF3wRrKuGLiEMdO1NSZlj2lG3W/s1600/memory+instructions.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="750" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl0mOr07SfOkthA4PgNfBxKi83rNQhTtiMapu4hnLdicszg8MYnHJUS3fnbYMfeSYG-3_P3NeVmUMEyLoXrHwxEn-XTLSakeQYJA-Eqn_OKg1ymQsxUAF3wRrKuGLiEMdO1NSZlj2lG3W/s400/memory+instructions.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Open the template, save a copy so you can edit, and create away. As you can see, the directions are pretty straightforward, step by step. Some of them even give you a QR code to share the activity with your students! </div>
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I'm thinking this could be great for review, sub plans, at home practice, and class use. So many possibilities! And did I mention that it's FREE? The teacher's favorite word! How will you use this amazing tool to make your life better or easier? Share it in the comments below!</div>
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-13970679318756630472017-06-06T23:02:00.003-05:002017-06-06T23:02:42.542-05:00Why, Hello Summer PD!We made it! Another school year is in the books, room cleaned and packed for summer break. Whew! For the first time in twenty years, my school year finished before Memorial Day. So, now that I have had a week to rest, it is time to look ahead!<br />
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I've been through countless workshops about Classroom Management over the years. Many have been very good, and I have learned many useful techniques. However, they have always been tailored to the classroom teacher. I find myself thinking, "That's a great idea, but how can I do that with 500+ students?" "How can I build connections quickly when I only see them for 30 minutes twice a week?"<br />
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Well, I have stumbled across a book that answers those questions. <u>Classroom Management for Art, Music and PE Teachers</u>. It is written by Michael Linsin, author of <u>Dream Class</u>. I love his approach to classroom management. In the introduction, he talks about his switch from classroom teacher to PE teacher, and how different it really is. Finally! Someone who GETS US!<br />
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My fellow music teachers and I will be doing a book study with this book over the summer. I have not been able to find a study guide, so I am making one as I go. I will post a review of the book when I have finished it, but I can tell you now that I will recommend it! Check it out for yourself <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Classroom-Management-Art-Music-Teachers-ebook/dp/B00K2FTKVS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496807489&sr=1-1&keywords=classroom+management+for+art+music+and+pe+teachers" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Let me know what you think about it in the comments! Happy summer!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrROtBM4pEgrnu7sMJFSCclXRYOimmoXeqGPpWXYAtUfbvmhrHYa4RC3Pk-5qoNvBVlusBr4oAfP3929g3o3N0A-_t5RNEqm0G03WQxQImkL5PioOzvwSqCxbhzGxf2xeR-Jgva1O01UtE/s1600/signature.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="228" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrROtBM4pEgrnu7sMJFSCclXRYOimmoXeqGPpWXYAtUfbvmhrHYa4RC3Pk-5qoNvBVlusBr4oAfP3929g3o3N0A-_t5RNEqm0G03WQxQImkL5PioOzvwSqCxbhzGxf2xeR-Jgva1O01UtE/s200/signature.PNG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-22722203663584007532016-07-25T18:48:00.001-05:002016-08-16T21:31:38.389-05:00Pokemon Rhythms<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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So, are you playing Pokemon Go? My teenage son is all over it. He goes on bike rides and for walks just to catch some more. (Better than sleeping all day, no?) I have downloaded the game and caught all of three pokemons, but I admit, I just don't care enough to walk around in the heat. Sorry, I'm old and boring! However, I was surfing about on the "interwebs" when I ran across this cute page of <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/74661306301828902/" target="_blank">Pokemon rhythms</a> on Pinterest. I wish I could remember who made them! I loved the idea, but there were only eight cards (<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/74661306301828902/" target="_blank">Free download</a>--go get it now!). So today, I got on Google and found some more and made a new folder game!<br />
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Students can pick out their favorite Pokemons and make a rhythm pattern to speak, clap, or play. Older kids can use them to compose in 2/4 or 4/4 with the meter cards. I'm going to add popsicle sticks to use as bar lines, too. </div>
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An extension of this activity could be a worksheet to write down their new composition. I'll probably make one of those soon, but for now, I just had to tell someone about my new game! My 15yo is just not excited enough....but I know my students will LOVE it!<br />
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If you want to make one too, you can download my additional cards <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-trdqmHphECM2Y4NlhWblR4SXc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a>, and the direction page <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BJr5RekUip0nVDO04pnnKdiuldHm4bFcGZ-kUFB0pcM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">RIGHT HERE.</a> I didn't have the same fonts as the original set, so they aren't an exact match, but they're free!<br />
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Have fun, and Pokemon......GO!<br />
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Update: First, I have reached level 5 in Pokemon Go! (I know, you're jealous 😂) Second, I had this awesome idea for the game folder. I am ridiculously excited about this!</div>
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ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-25555322295150517102016-07-24T14:15:00.000-05:002016-07-24T14:15:39.975-05:00Food for Thought<br />
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As I prepare for the school year, I am thinking about the culture of my classroom. I love this quote by Todd Whitaker. It makes me think of the end of the year last spring. That's usually when behavior is at its worst, and when some teachers choose to ignore small problems. Hey, I get it. By May, we are in survival mode: exhausted, out of ideas, and ready for vacation. At least I am. If you're not, well, we just can't be friends. (Just kidding!)</div>
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Every year, I make the decision to be better at classroom management than ever before. My students will be excited to come to my class! They will listen with rapt attention to my clever and entertaining lessons and participate wholeheartedly in every activity. Misbehavior will not even cross their minds, because music is the best class ever! We will make music like never before, and their skills will transfer to other academics, raising test scores to boot. We're talking Teacher of the Year material here! Hey, a girl can dream, right? </div>
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But how do I get there? I can start by making sure I have planned, clear procedures for everything. Spend the first two weeks (or more) teaching and practicing those procedures religiously, and hold the kids (and myself) to those high expectations. Because <i>what I tolerate now on the fringes of behavior is what will become the norm in my classroom by Christmas. </i>Thank you, Mr. Whitaker. </div>
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I challenge you to take the time now, before school starts, to envision how your class will function and write down clear procedures for every type of activity. You will be glad you did!</div>
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Happy Planning!</div>
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P.S.- I'm thinking about a future post about specific procedures in music, and how I run my classroom. Let me know in the comments if that is something you would be interested in reading!</div>
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ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-90309801212575569982016-07-23T20:39:00.001-05:002016-07-23T22:33:31.190-05:00Music CentersDo you use centers in music class? "Student-directed learning" is a popular buzz phrase, so how do we use this in music? As musicians, we are very comfortable in the director/ensemble format. It's easy to be the director/conductor all the time. But it's not the only way. Teachers have been using centers in PK-K-1st for EVER, so why shouldn't we?<br />
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Centers, or workstations, give students the opportunity to practice without pressure. They also learn to create and manipulate what they know in new ways. This is exactly what we want, right? I love it when a student asks, "Can I make my own ___?" Centers give them a chance to try it. They can also provide a way for you to assess students in small groups, or re-teach those who are struggling. A bonus feature of centers is that, once you have taught your classes how to use them, they are a NO BRAINER SUB PLAN! What? Did you say easy sub plan? For music? YES! (cheers and whistles in background)<br />
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So what makes a good center activity? Here is what works for me:<br />
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<b>1. Whole class games/activities</b> - I play SWAT! with my classes, dividing them into teams and letting two students at a time come to the board to challenge each other. Once we have done this in class, the kids know how to play without my help. I can set up a SWAT! station and they will love it even more because they get more turns! How many large group activities could become a center? You probably have several already.<br />
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<b>2. That cute worksheet you found on Pinterest</b> - I don't often do worksheets as a class, but it would be pretty easy to set them up as a center. Tracy King has a great DIY to make dry-erase pockets that would make worksheets even cooler <a href="http://mrskingrocks.blogspot.com/2016/07/diy-dry-erase-pockets.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>3. Books</b> - I love books. I have collected quite a few music-related books over the years, but I don't have time to read them all to my classes. Readers are leaders, so set up a classroom library for the kids to use. They will love to re-read the books you have read to them, too!<br />
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<b>4. Listening</b> - When I first started teaching in the early 90s, only classroom teachers had listening stations, and they were expensive. Today, you can set up a listening center with an ipod/ipad and a $15 splitter. Kids can even bring their own earbuds (showing up on school supply lists more and more) to use. If you do set up a listening station, be sure to have an activity to guide their listening. It can be a map, a listening log, a drawing activity....the possibilities are endless!<br />
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<b>5. Games</b> - Go to <a href="http://www.musicmotion.com/teaching-aids/games.asp" target="_blank">Music in Motion</a> and get some games. They will be so worth it when you lose your voice and can't miss school. Set up one game center and play with the kids so you can show them how to play. After a few times like that, they can play on their own without fighting. I like Bingo, Dominotes, Classical Snap!, and Note Nabber, to name a few.<br />
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So now you have five different stations you could try out in your room. I have found that they are great the week of a program, when I am focused on the performance group, and at the end of the grading period, when I need another grade. Try them out early in the year, when the kids are learning procedures and still listening well. Not that your students would ever have trouble listening or anything.....<br />
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Enjoy the rest of your summer break!<br />
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-79312802982805484242015-07-23T16:50:00.002-05:002015-07-23T16:50:54.499-05:00New Curriculum: New OutlookIn Texas, the music curriculum comes up for adoption every ten years. That means that we are using materials that were developed a decade ago, which in this age makes a huge difference! I am excited to say that our district has chosen the digital curriculum from Quaver Music for our new adoption. I tested the materials last spring, and they are COOL! Of course, I love technology, so I am thrilled to have interactive materials that are entirely online. I can access them from anywhere, and they are constantly updated and expanded without the need to buy new materials. (They also send a CD set in case your internet is not working up to par. Problem averted!)<br />
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As an experienced teacher, there are two ways I can look at this new adoption. <br />
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A: "Oh great. I'll just put it on the shelf with the last adoption." <br />
B: "Oh, great! How can I use this to make my class even better?" <br />
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I'm choosing B. In fact, I'm going to try to use it as much as possible this year. This will ensure that all of the TEKS are met, without my having to keep track, and give me a foundation to add my favorite lessons and activities to. This is a good thing. I hope to be back here sharing new and fun finds with you soon. In the meantime, rest, relax, rejuvenate, and get mentally ready for the Back to School frenzy. You can do it!<br />
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-43290777459088413432015-07-23T16:37:00.002-05:002015-07-23T16:37:25.934-05:00On Being a Marigold....Hello friends! I just read a great article addressed to new teachers about finding their "marigold" to help them through the tough first year. It is so well-written, I encourage you all to read it. It is a good reminder to all of us to think about our mindset as we go into a new school year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/marigolds" target="_blank">Find Y</a><a href="http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/marigolds" target="_blank">our Marigold</a><br />
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I am committing myself to being the marigold this year. You've got this, friends!ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-36803832576089315862014-09-11T21:19:00.002-05:002014-09-11T21:19:46.840-05:00Patriot DayOur counselor asked me to make a short video/presentation for Patriot Day. We had a brief assembly before the students went to their classrooms for the morning. The high school ROTC came and presented the colors, we showed the video, then went to class. Short and simple! <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qFomN-L4unw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Unfortunately, when I converted the presentation into a video, the music did not convert with it. I have to do some research to find out how to make that work. I haven't had much experience with making videos, but I am committed to learning.<br />
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I hope your day went well, and that September 11 can bring out the best in our schools. <br />
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-53756388869565982762014-08-23T15:13:00.000-05:002014-09-02T19:59:11.606-05:00I'm BAAAACK!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
UPDATE: I have joined up with other music bloggers at <a href="http://www.mrsmiraclesmusicroom.com/2014/08/my-music-room-set-up.html" target="_blank">Mrs. Miracle's Music Room</a> to share our classroom setups. Click the image below to check out some other awesome rooms!</div>
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again. It is a special calling to work with middle school/junior high kids. And I don't have it. After two (long, stressful, anxiety-inducing) years teaching grades 5-8 music and choir, I am finally back in my element--Elementary, baby! These are my people. We love the babies. Hugs, notes, pictures, cute bulletin boards, and even shoe-tying and nose-wiping. Okay, maybe not that last one. But I am SO HAPPY to be back with the littles! I am giddy with excitement, and I've spent the last two weeks organizing and decorating my new classroom. It is an old building--my husband had elementary music in the SAME ROOM many moons ago--but I've taken the blue doors and electric yellow trim and turned it into my happy home away from home. Here it is!<br />
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All my storage is in wooden cabinets. The doors are not very attractive, but I'm gradually adding to them. </div>
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Pocket chart ready for rhythm/melody cards, a spot for objectives (a.k.a. "What are we doing today?"), white board/projector screen, Who's Next Board. </div>
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I think I'm going to like the cabinets and shelf here. I keep all of my manipulatives, books, and toys/props readily available here. And the clouds. They are my new favorite thing. I found them on Pinterest and downloaded them from this music teacher blog, <a href="http://rhythmandglues.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-music/" target="_blank">Rhythm and Glues</a>. </div>
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My teacher's corner. Love. Complete with my very own teacher toolbox. </div>
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It's hard to see, but I used colored velcro to mark sit spots on the floor. I found colored velcro in 36'' pieces at Hobby Lobby this year for just $1.49! </div>
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This is a shortcut version of my guided listening word wall, first introduced <a href="http://mayhemtomastery.blogspot.com/2011/10/music-word-wall.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Hopefully one day I can upgrade to the original version, but this works for now. </div>
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Just a closeup of the cuteness inspired by Rhythm and Glues. </div>
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All ready to post objectives for the first week! </div>
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That's it! My new happy music home. I am looking forward to a great year of singing, playing, dancing, and loving on my kiddos. I hope your year is off to a great start as well. Remember to take care of yourself, eat well, drink lots of water, and take your vitamins. When I feel good, I am a better teacher/wife/mom/friend/person. So go to bed early, and get ready to change the world, one song at a time. </div>
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ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-69791416161423508002013-06-01T18:06:00.001-05:002014-09-02T20:08:03.273-05:00Fun with Dice!I just discovered a great app for classroom games! Make Dice Lite is a free app that allows you to create your own dice and roll them on your iPad or iPhone. You can put it under the document camera for the class to see.<br />
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I can think of so many ways to use this! Composing, adding note/rest values, music baseball.....the possibilities are endless!</div>
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How would you use it?</div>
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ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-18313035166057381362012-11-20T10:37:00.002-06:002012-11-20T10:46:04.593-06:00Technology Withdrawal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Technology is a wonderful thing. I am what my husband calls a "button-pusher"--someone who enjoys playing around with technology, figuring out how to do new things with it all the time. At my last school, I was fortunate to have a laptop, projector, document camera, ActiveSlate, iPod, and sound dock in my room. I was getting pretty good a powerpoints and online lessons, and even smartboard activities with the slate. I was in technology teacher heaven!<br />
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Then I moved. My new school has a desktop computer, a stereo with CD changer, and.....um......that's it. Oh wait, there's an overhead projector--as in, transparencies. Okay, so I taught forever with less than that, right? I can do this, right? ........ <crickets>......... I never knew how dependent I had become on all my "toys" until I didn't have them any more! Wow. I have had to dig deep into my toolbox of teaching tricks to remember how to engage and excite students. Some things have been great, others not so much. I've had my share of failed lesson plans this year, but I think I'm starting to get in my groove (finally!). I also found a projector no one was using and hooked it up in my room. I spent Saturday rearranging my classroom to start fresh after the break, and I'm kind of excited! The district is issuing laptops to teachers this year, and I am scheduled to get mine on December 10--yippee! I think I will be able to update this blog more often then, too.<br />
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So I'm looking for ideas now. I have four sections of 5th grade general music, one 6th grade choir of 22, and one 7th/8th grade choir of 41 (mixed). What are your favorite lessons, songs, sightreading materials, and games for this age group? This is new territory for me, so I need all the help I can get! <br />
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Please, leave a comment and share your collective wisdom!<br />
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-61784955370302356172012-11-20T10:13:00.002-06:002012-11-20T10:42:41.792-06:00Happy Thanksgiving!I know, it's been a long time since my last post. Things have been a bit crazy here in South Texas. We are now living with my husband's parents, still trying to sell our home in North Texas. Now before you start to feel sorry for me, let me clarify: My in-laws are wonderful. They have a large 4 bedroom home with space for all of us to have our own rooms and bathrooms, they are happy to help out with the kids while we are at work, they have a housekeeper who comes once a week (score!), and they are incredibly generous. I know not everyone could stand to live with family, and we are blessed to be a part of this loving, supportive one. <br />
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That said, I am ready to have my own space. It's still weird living in someone else's house, cooking in someone else's kitchen, doing laundry in someone else's laundry room (especially when you hate laundry like I do), and trying to keep kids and school stuff organized and together. (So NOT mastering this mayhem!) So if you know someone looking for a home in the Keller area, I have a great one for them!!<br />
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In honor of the holiday, I would like to share some Thanksgivings of my own:<br />
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I am thankful for....<br />
.....My MIL and FIL, who have been so generous and supportive during this transition.<br />
.....My own parents, who are supporting us in this move even though it takes us farther from them.<br />
.....Our new church home, where we have been welcomed with open hearts and arms.<br />
.....Our church youth group, a safe haven for the boys to build new friendships and grow in spirit.<br />
.....The staff family at my new school, who make starting over a little easier.<br />
.....My husband's new job, which has given him a confidence and fulfillment that he truly needed.<br />
.....A God who loves me and is providing for our needs every day.<br />
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Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the chaos of life and focus on the things we don't have. I know I have been guilty of that many times in the last few months. But really, I am so blessed. I have a job, a stable family, a home (two if you count the one we own and the one where we stay!), plenty of clothes to wear, food to eat, and cars to get us where we need to go. God provides for all of our needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus (Philipians 4:19). <br />
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May God bless you and your family with peace, joy, and love this Thanksgiving. <br />
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-72064921640433951082012-08-25T17:15:00.003-05:002012-08-25T17:15:58.372-05:00New School JittersInservice is over, and the kids are coming Monday! I haven't finished going through the storage room and library yet, but my office is no longer a hot mess--progress! The room is set for students, even if the walls are a little bare. I think the hardest thing for me is that I have to be okay with things not being "perfect" for the first day. I keep thinking of things that I want to get out of my school boxes (we may need to rent a truck to get it all here next weekend!), and it's killing me to not have it all ready right now. I don't have all the great technology and instruments that I had in my last school, so I'm having to remember how to teach without them--who knew it would be so hard? <br />
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I've gotten some great ideas from the amazing teachers on the Music K-8 list. If you are not a subscriber, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is a network of music teachers all across the country who share ideas, ask questions, and support each other in what can be a lonely job. You can subscribe at <a href="http://musick8.com/">musick8.com</a> by clicking on the "Mailing List" tab at the top of the page. I would suggest creating a separate email account just for this, though. There can be 100 or more posts every day, so you may not want it clogging another inbox. <br />
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Now that my stuff is organized, I need to write out my lesson plans. Have a great first week, everyone! <br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ESWRd-ObF7Nq3xjIcd0JWb7joW6CS6jLV1B5kuuQsIxVQqaXHKDsCQMin2B3BeGPIQSOmfvFThzoX3wSBtygxnYzmDcOm5tSzRr2pZThxLwzW0piw_GekXEzW4d48xjz810RDJXIBlUR/s1600/signature.PNG" />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-88295146294498807392012-08-18T09:52:00.000-05:002012-08-18T20:10:48.533-05:00Let the Mayhem Begin!WOW! I knew I was tackling a lot of big changes all at once, but the details are starting to sink in. This last week I went to my new school for the first time. I found a large room (good!) that shares a wall with the band hall (not so good), with an office, music library, and two storage rooms (good) that were all FULL of stuff (not good!). It looked like no one had cleaned out or taken joy in their teaching there in several years. It was overwhelmingly depressing. I'll admit it, I cried more than once this week over the mountain of stuff ahead of me.<br />
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BUT....I spent yesterday cleaning out the office and arranging the room with the young man who will be teaching the other sections of 5th grade music while I am teaching choir. Bless his heart, he is so excited to start his new job (he's a first year teacher), but he's kind of all over the place. I've been asked to mentor him this year, which any other year I would be thrilled to do, but right now I feel like need to get myself in order before I can help anyone else. If you are a praying person, please pray for me in this area! I want to be a good leader and helper to him, as well as to my students. I need a clear head and a calm spirit to make this work. <br />
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MEANWHILE, all of my school stuff from my old classroom is still in North Texas. I came down with ONE crate to start the year, and I am wishing I had more here. We will be going back to get more of our belongings Labor Day weekend, so I only have to get through the first week. So it's my turn to ask you for ideas! What activities can I do with 5th-7th graders that require little or no props/equipment? I found rhythm sticks and egg shakers, and I bought 30 cups last night for cup games. I'm going to try to borrow some beanbags or balls from the PE teacher (fingers crosssed they have some!). <br />
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I need help to master this amount of mayhem! Thank you in advance! <br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ESWRd-ObF7Nq3xjIcd0JWb7joW6CS6jLV1B5kuuQsIxVQqaXHKDsCQMin2B3BeGPIQSOmfvFThzoX3wSBtygxnYzmDcOm5tSzRr2pZThxLwzW0piw_GekXEzW4d48xjz810RDJXIBlUR/s1600/signature.PNG" />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-15902872305086454172012-08-09T10:21:00.000-05:002012-08-09T10:21:19.775-05:00A New Adventure!This has been a <strong>crazy</strong> summer at our house. In July, my wonderful husband got a job in Lake Jackson, six hours away. It is also where his parents live, which is helpful right now. Hubby started his job last week, and the boys and I stayed home, planning to spend the school year apart since I still have my current (wonderful) job. But wait! God has another plan. The district that hired my husband has found a position for me!<br />
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That is <span style="color: blue;"><strong>wonderful</strong></span>, because: now we can keep our family together. Since our oldest son is starting high school, I am SO glad to be with Dad this year (even if said 14yo is grumbling about moving). The town we are moving to is a great place, with great cultural opportunities for kids and community members. We already have a church there that we love, so we can jump right in there, too. <br />
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That is <span style="color: red;"><strong>scary</strong></span>, because: I have five days to pack up my classroom, my boys, my dog, and get us to south Texas. I will be teaching 5th grade general music and 6th-8th grade choir, something I have not taught before. New teacher inservice starts next week, I have to set up a new classroom, learn the curriculum, select music, and be ready for kids on August 27th. Yikes! <br />
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As much as I love elementary music, I am excited about working with "big" kids. It's like I'm just moving up with my fourth graders from last year (except a completely new bunch of kids). I have been a choir director before, so I know what to do. It's just that....in case you didn't know....I'm a planner. I like to think, plan, make lists, and THEN get started. This timeline does not leave me much room for that! But you know what? It's an adventure, and it's going to be a fun ride! <br />
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Guess I better redo my teacher binder.....<br />
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<br />ckmusicmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088263733240544998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549738547273185640.post-60683263214859499632012-08-07T20:45:00.000-05:002012-08-07T20:45:28.285-05:00Google Docs for the ClassroomThis is the time of year when most teachers are organizing, with a capital "O". We plan, design, arrange, rearrange, redesign, and do everything we can to make the new year start strong. One of my favorite tools to use is Google Docs. <br />
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If you have not seen or heard about Google Docs, it is high time you learned! It is a great way to store and share documents with others, collaborate on projects, and create forms for your programs. Best of all, it's FREE! All you have to do is create a Google ID for yourself. <br />
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My favorite features are:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">1. SHARING</span> - I can share documents with anyone, anywhere I want. If I want to share something I made with music teachers across the state, they can access it here. No more multiple emails to send large files or pictures. Many of the bloggers I follow share their work as a Google document, so I can download them easily. Also, if you open a shared document from someone else, it will be automatically added to your own Googledocs library. <br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">2. FORMS</span> - OMGoodness, this is the BEST! I use this to have kids sign up for choir auditions every year. You set up the form and share the link with whomever you wish. They fill in the form, and you have a spreadsheet with everyone's information already entered. I also use it to collect student information, take orders for t-shirts, and anything else I can think of. No more worrying about whether I wrote down the correct size, or trying to read messy handwriting! <br />
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<em>(You could also use the forms to create a quiz that students can take on the computer. Their answers will be put into the spreadsheet for easy grading. I haven't done it, but I think it could be useful.)</em></div>
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<span style="color: red;">3. ACCESSIBILITY</span> - You can access your Google docs from any computer, any time. Left your laptop at home? That's okay. If you have an internet connection, you can access your stuff and work on it. You can even share it with a colleague and work on it together. <br />
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As you can see, I am a bit of a fan of the GoogleDocs. I encourage you to check it out. Get a Google ID for yourself, if only to be able to check out other people's stuff! <br />
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For more information about using Google Docs in the classroom, check out <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1F8shFedGTdR9LSMoZnGc--m_d2_dPT4p9pIWKrdiWeM" target="_blank">THIS LINK</a>. <br />
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Here's to a well-planned, well-organized school year! <br />
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