21st Century Music Teacher

Who is your Blues idol?

After studying the musical contributions of these stylistically different, yet musically gifted musicians, who do you believe is the best guitarist of the Blues unit and why? What was their claim to fame? Why was their sound or style so unique?

Note: Remember the posting format: quarter/period/student#(example q4p5#17)

Who is your "Jazz Star"?

After studying the musical contributions of these stylistically different, yet musically gifted musicians, who do you believe is the best guitarist of the Jazz unit and why? What was their claim to fame? Why was their sound or style so unique?

Note: Remember the posting format: quarter/period/student#(example q4p5#17)

Who is your "Rock Star"????

After studying the musical contributions of these stylistically different, yet musically gifted musicians, who do you believe is the best guitarist of the Rock unit and why? What was their claim to fame? Why was their sound or style so unique?

Note: Remember the posting format: quarter/period/student#(example q4p5#17)

Copyright: Who has all the answers?

One of my final projects of my ELT7007 - Ethical and Legal Issues in an Online Course inspired me to design an addition to my website called Copyright 101. Here you can find links to all the things you didn't know about copyright but were afraid to ask.

I also wanted to bring to your attention a new text by Dr. James Frankel called The Teacher's Guide to Music, Media, and Copyright Law  which has been an invaluable resource in my classroom and doctorate studies. 

Smartboards: A tool not a shrine

I have been told that I will be getting an interactive whiteboard called a SmartBoard (made by SmartTech.com).  For those who are not familiar, this interactive whiteboard displays your computer desktop and allows the user to interact with a computer without leaving the front of the room.  It also allows students and teachers to interact with the board by choosing different colored "pens" to highlight and draw on the screen.

   

Although I am very excited to have access to this resource in my classroom, I remember that it is only a tool which allows me to engage my students in a technology influenced environment.

In a recent article by Jamie McKenzie titled Just in Time Technology, he warns that technology does not hold all the answers for the future of education and cautions against having technology without the plan of integration.  Educators need to see technology for its potential to reach more students in different ways, not to entertain them. 

I fear that some teachers have been given access to these interactive tools and don't know where to find or create their own materials.  I invite you to navigate my website (www.theradiohour.net) with your SmartbBard.  You can select flashcards, bring up interactive harmonica lessons (using Scorch - see my blog "Do You Know About Scorch?"), or present overviews on the musical accomplishments of over 200 musicians.

You will not see me waiting for new materials to be developed for my SmartBoard.  I'll make them myself.  If you can't find it on my website, drop me a line at chetcutis@theradiohour.net and I'll try to create it for everyone to use.

As always, I look forward to your comments.

Living History through Music

Back in October of 2007, a colleague and friend asked me if I could put together a drummer and play flute at a "Living History" awards ceremony.  Living History is a club that teaches about Revolutionary history through reenactment.  When I attended this function I learned that the students and their parents were excited about the learning that had taken place the year before.  I was so inspired at this event, I decided to create an outgrowth of the Living History unit with a Fife & Drum Band. 

By November, I had 2 drummers and 6 fifers.  Currently I have 7 drummers and 46 fifers.  I needed a way to teach all these students with limited contact time in school.  My answer was to create an online Fife & Drum teaching station.

The site http://www.theradiohour.net/smsband_fifendrum.htm uses Sibelius, Scorch, and Quicktime to provide the students with an alternative to multiple ensemble lessons to complete basic performance tasks.  On the site you will see a fife lesson section and a drum lesson section. (I felt that the two combined units were cluttering the focus of each unit)

The group now has a repertoire of 6 songs including Yankee Doodle, British Grenadiers, and all are taught with the use of technology.  The students are motivated by the desire to be a part of the next performance.  "If you can play, you can stay" and those who can't can be a part of the color guard holding flags and muskets until they are ready. 

This year I play to take the group to Boston.  What a connection to play marching past The Old North Church or at Bunker Hill.  I'm so proud of my students.  It was definitely worth the extra effort!
If you have any questions, drop me an email at chetcutis@theradiohour.net

Do you know about Scorch?

I have been using Sibelius as my notational tool since the introduction of Scorch.  Don't tell me you haven't heard of Scorch!  Scorch is the main reason I changed from the notation program Finale (Which has some fabulous features I'll go into in another session) to Sibelius.  Before you go any further you might want to download your free copy of Scorch to view sample links below.

I needed a way to provide interactive music exercises on my website and Scorch was the answer.  Scorch is a free Plug-in that allows the internet user to view and interact with notational examples.  This allows me to create my performance benchmarks for my band tests, reproducible scale sheets, sol-fege units, harmonica, fife & drum, and guitar lessons. 

I know that other notational tools maybe more powerful but this is all I need for my students right now.  When this program can't do what I need it to do for my students I'll search again or maybe some new product will catch my eye at a conference or in a magazine. 

As always I look forward to your feedback and hope you'll take a look at my site www.theradiohour.net

Issac Hayes Dies at 65

An iconic figure of Soul, Funk and a predecessor to Rap died today in Memphis at the age of 65.  To learn more about his life and music accomplishments go to my website at www.theradiohour.net.

Are we raising a society of "Cut & Paste" thinkers?

How do we teach research skills?  How do we explain research assignments? More importantly, how do we assess our student's work?  Are we raising a society of "cut & paste" thinkers.  We need to be careful about what we assign and what we accept from our students.  We need to ask ourselves, "What are our goals for our students in each assignment?"  My answer is to break down the assignment into manageable/accessible bits.  Students need to learn to attack an assignment of this type like they would a pizza, one slice at at a time.   My research project is to simulate a radio show from a period in history.

Students need to produce:

1. An interview with a musician, contemporary to a period in history.
2. An interview with a political or public figure, contemporary to the same period in history.
3. A brief current events spotlight of the day - in sports, entertainment, and weather.

Come visit my website at www.theradiohour.net and give your students something to think about.

I am not a Blue Whale!

I recently finished a book by Ted McCain and Ian Jukes called Windows on the Future(Corwin Press) which supported my philosophy for the future of education.  In chapter 11, A Need for Vision,  they present an analogy which describes my frustration with technology.  To paraphrase the story, the blue whale is like the current school model that takes 5-7 minutes to change its direction.  A school of thousands of sardines only needs a small percentage(20%) to initiate massive change in seconds.  While we are waiting for education to catch up to the business model of technology, what are we doing for the students of today?  They don't have 5-7 minutes to wait for us as educators to turn our blue whale around.  We need to embrace technology in our classrooms and model lifelong learning to our students.  I know that the more I learn about technology the less I can predict what the future of education holds.

I would like to think that I am one of the 20% who initiates change today.  I have received grants to purchase influential technology for my students.  I try to encourage composition, recording, podcasting, research, and performance through technology.  I invite you to visit  my website at www.theradiohour.net where you can share my vision with your students. 
I look forward to your feedback!