music teacher 2.0: blogging your way to a better classroom - fmea 2011
DESCRIPTION
This session from the 2011 FMEA Conferences provided many different techniques by which teachers can use blogging (and microblogging) to enhance both their educational objectives and administrative tasks. It included a hands-on tutorial for setting up and using a blog and a Twitter account, as well as resources for effective use of both.TRANSCRIPT
Music Teacher 2.0Blogging Your Way to a Better Classroom
Before We Begin… Session Materials:
http://musicedmajor.net/FMEA10/blogging Handouts: QR Code Audio Recording-available afterwards On Twitter? Use #mt20 for discussion!
Not on Twitter yet? Just text to “40404” Questions? Ask away!
Before We Begin…
Before We Begin… Session Materials:
http://musicedmajor.net/FMEA10/blogging Handouts: QR Code Audio Recording-available afterwards On Twitter? Use #mt20 for discussion!
Not on Twitter yet? Just text to “40404” Questions? Ask away!
What IS Blogging, Anyway?
blogweblog
What IS Blogging, Anyway? Blog – A journal written online and
accessible to users of the internet Blog – An online, regularly updated journal
or newsletter that is readily accessible to the general public by virtue of being posted on a website
Blog - A website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order
What IS Blogging, Anyway? A blog is a tool for content creation and
sharing. In other words, a blog is…
A Teaching Tool!
Blogging can very easily help you create a better music classroom.
A “Better Music Classroom”Characteristics of a good music classroom:1. Well-prepared teacher
Degrees – Compare Years Professional Development
2. Smoothly-managed program Paperwork Collecting/Spreading of Information
3. Engaged Students! Interested in the material Excited to learn
Well-Prepared Teacher Professional
Development As We Know It: Journals/Periodicals In-Service Days Conferences
What type of effect do these create?
Where does that effect come from?
How do we replicate this effect?
Blogging for Professional Development Writing a Blog
Share your thoughts/ideas Ask questions – answers via comments
Reading Blogs Read others’ thoughts/ideas Help with others’ questions
Blogging is Professional Development! So… How the heck do we do it??
WordPress.com
RSS/Syndication What is it??
RSS Syndication brings the information to you
RSS Feeds – List of updates
Feed Readers—Google Reader, Bloglines
Google Reader
Syndication Examples Blog Syndication
Integrated in Blog Platform! FeedBurner – Advanced Features
Analytics Email Subscription Adsense
Podcast Syndication Blog Integration—Plugins iTunes Integration!
RSS/Syndication Resources OPML – File containing
multiple RSS Feeds Import into RSS Reader Music Education OPML
Project Web-based RSS
Aggregation MusicEdNews.com
Professional Development in a Box!
Smoothly Managed Program How much time do you spend being an
administrator? FACTS
1. Paperwork takes time2. Some paperwork can be reduced using
blogging3. This doesn’t apply to everything!
Blogging can help us distribute information to students and teachers
Remember RSS?
Let’s Compare… Trip Itinerary
Paper Copy Type up itinerary in
Word Print itinerary Make 80 copies Distribute in class Find 57 on floor after
orchestra Of the other 23, only
half make it into Mom/Dad’s hands
Make 57 copies the next day
Find 32 on the floor
Via Classroom Blog
Get parent emails at beginning of year
Subscribe them to email RSS Updates
Type up itinerary online on blog
Click “Publish” 80 emails go out to all the
Moms/Dads with your itinerary
Advantages to Using a Blog Environmentally
friendly – less copies!
100% Guarantee that parents receive the information
Keeps your classroom clean!
Engaged Students (MORE) FACTS:
1. Students like being knowledgeable2. Modern Students: Typing > Writing3. Students probably know more about
technology than you…
And That’s OKAY!
How Do We Harness This? Weekly Reflection Blog
General Music – What I learned this week Performing Ensembles – Rehearsal
reflection Blog Comments
Students comment on each others’ posts Weekly Listening – Post recording,
students comment
FAMS Music Blog: Listening Lesson
FAMS Music Blog: The Magic Flute
Twitter: Micro-Blogging Twitter Basics
140-character “Tweets” to followers Don’t need to accept a new follower Replies, Retweets (FWD)
Twitter is NOT about telling people what you ate for breakfast!
Twitter IS a blogging platform Twitter IS a tool for content creation and sharing. Twitter IS an incredible medium for professional
development
Hashtags on Twitter In Twitter lingo…
Hashtag = Keyword Hashtags let you search for specific
topics Some examples:
#followfriday #musiced #mpln #edchat
#MusEdChat on Twitter The Problems:
Teachers are Secluded Not many music teachers at each school This makes Professional Development
hard! The Solution:
#MusEdChat Weekly Twitter Chat on Music Education
#MusEdChat Basics Homepage:
http://musicedmajor.net/musedchat Includes:
Topic Submission Form Topic Poll Chat Transcripts Chat Recaps
#MusEdChat: The Chat Monday Nights, 8pm Eastern Time:
Sign on Twitter (or use an app!) Search for “#musedchat” Read the Tweets Respond using #musedchat hashtag
Reply Retweet Ask Questions!
Wrap-Up
Questions?For more information:
http://musicedmajor.netTwitter: @Zweibz7, @MusicEdMajor
Email: [email protected]
Don’t forget! Materials/Audio available at:http://musicedmajor.net/FMEA10/blogging