Blog Assignment #5
Provide 1 “in depth” example of how you might use podcasting in a classroom setting.
1 for Elementary (K-5)
1 for Middle Level (6-8)
1 for High School (9-12)
In addition, list 5 sites (excluding Gcast) that enable free podcast hosting. Please list the website name and address (ex. Gcast - www.gcast.com)
* Reminder....this blog post is instead of an assigned reading for the week.
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17 comments:
Elementary
I would use podcasting in a general music classroom to teach about broader musical concept such as musical instruments or genres of music. I would talk in the podcast about to overall concept, and then use Audacity or Garageband to input aural examples of whatever I was discussing. For example, I might say “a violin is a string instrument, and this is what it sounds like: [input example]” At the same time, I would be putting pictures of the instruments on the board or projection screen for the students to visually connect to.
Middle
I would use podcasting in a general music classroom such as guitar to teach kids about something specific. For example, I might teach them how to tune their guitar on a podcast, and then have them access it at home. The assignment would be to take a guitar from class (I would make sure they were all out of tune) and come back the next day with it in tune. They would need to log on to the podcast at home, and listen to it to learn how to tune it. The assessment would be the next day just playing the guitars to see if they did it correctly. The podcast would allow me to play my own guitar in tune so they can see if they sound the same, as well as talking them though what the tuning pegs do and how to strum the strings.
High School
I would use podcasting in a high school band or orchestra setting to record the students individually, and then us as a group to practice at home. I would record us together for both practicing and for their parents to hear what the ensemble is working on. I would record us individually so the students can hear themselves at home – I think learning to listen to yourself play is very important in playing an instrument and developing a good ear. The assignment would be to write down three major issues with your recording, and then to fix them for next class or by the next recording. If we record once a week, they can hear if they are getting better or not, and so can their parents.
Podcast cites:
Podcast Machine - http://podcastmachine.com
My Podcast - www.mypodcast.com
My Data Nest - http://.mydatanest.com
Odeo – www.odeo.com
Podbean – www.podbean.com
One example of how you could use podcasting in a classroom for elementary general music would be to record the sing-along songs that the students are learning in class and create a podcast of these songs. There have been more occasions than I can count on my fingers when my own children would come home from school, very excited about a new song that they are learning in music class. The problem is that they don’t always remember the words or the correct melody, and I am usually not familiar with the song. If there was a way that I (as a parent) would be able to hear the melody and lyrics of the song, I would be able to help my child learn the song, and help build their confidence in singing.
One way that a podcast could be used in the middle school classroom setting would be to have assignment tips read by the teacher. These tips would be little clues to help with an assignment, possibly help on an answer by reminding students what was talked about in class, or a recording of a piece played. You could also record the first rehearsal of your band, orchestra or choir and then compare it in a podcast to the recording of the actual finished concert performance. The idea would be to give an idea to the parents of the weekly/monthly progress being accomplished in your classroom.
In high school, the level of musicianship from the students increase, and getting outside sources, or the pros, to come in and demonstrate can be an effective tool for motivating students to practice and reach a higher level of musicianship. Paying professional musicians to come into your school and perform can be a costly addition to your curriculum, especially trios and quartets. One way you could reduce the cost of this listening tool would be to go outside of the classroom and set up an interview with the musicians, where you the teacher would ask the ensemble questions that were thought of ahead of time by your students, and also record them playing a few songs. This would cut down on the cost of having a group come to you, and at the same time still be informative.
Five sites that enable free podcast hosting:
1. Podbean
http://www.podbean.com/start-podcast?sourceid=goog_37
2. Mypodcast
http://www.mypodcast.com/
3.Lifehacker
http://lifehacker.com/131227/free-podcast-hosting
4. The Podcast Studio
http://www.thepodcaststudio.com/2008/04/11/free-podcast-host-mypodcastcom/
5. Podcast ALOUD
http://www.podcastaloud.com/
Elementary- With younger students I would try to have podcasts serve as extra listening lessons that can correspond to the lesson of that day.So if they learned about different rhythmic patterns, there would be a podcast they could go home and listen to that reinforces the skill as well as musical examples of that rhythm. I would not make listening to the podcasts mandatory, but would highly encourage the extra practice and maybe offer some extra credit assignments to go with the podcasts.
Middle school- In a middle school setting I would try to use podcasts as a way of facilitating take home assignments. There could be some on different composers, styles, eras, pieces, artists, etc. that would have a worksheet to be completed and brought to class the next day. Especially in a large ensemble it is hard to find time to rehearse and teach other concepts, as well as assess this learning, podcasts at home would help deal with the time issue.
High school- For high school students I would do the same basic thing as for middle school, but with more complex assignments or even prompts for sort papers instead of worksheets. Instead of just learning facts like in middle school, they would be more centered on critically thinking about music and musical concepts.
1.digital podcast- http://www.digitalpodcast.com/
2. Run Stream- http://runstream.com/
3. blubrry- http://www.blubrry.com/
4. My podcast- http://www.mypodcast.com/
5. Podbean- http://www.podbean.com/
Elementary school:
I would podcast a group composition that the class made and give the link to the students' parents so they could have a tangible example of what we do in class.
Middle school:
I would use podcasts as examples to let these students hear and experience what places like symphonies and opera companies do, and to encourage interest.
High School:
I would have these students create their own podcast, 2-3 minutes long, just like we did so that thy have the opportunity to get a little bit more used to using these types of technology. They could record themselves practicing so they can then go back and listen, and improve their technique and musicianship.
Free podcast websites:
1. Podbean.com - www.PodBean.com
2. Mypodcast.com - http://www.mypodcast.com/
3. Apple itunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/
4. Podcast Free America - http://podcastfreeamerica.com/
5. Lifehacker - http://lifehacker.com/131227/free-podcast-hosting
Elementary School
I would use podcasting for Elementary school music children in a fun and exciting way. At this age kids are learning the instruments and the differences between the sounds. I would play recordings of each instruments and have them guess which instruments they are. I would also ask them if the instrument sounds higher or lower then the other instrument. I would also put any recordings of songs that we will be learning in class for them to practice at home.
For middle school or elementary this is the age where most children enter band orchestra or choir groups. I would use this tool to record the school orchestra and put it online so they can practice with it. I would do this instead of a professional recording so that the tempo would be just right. I would also play individual instruments of their own orchestra parts and place it online so they can practice with it.
For highschool band or orchestra, I would use the same method as junior high. I would also have professional recordings so they can listen to it. I would also have the students that have podcast equiment at home to record themselves and post it before auditions so that I can make comments to it.
www.podbean.com
www.mypodcast.com
www.thepodcaststudio.com
www.podcastmachine.com
www.podcastaloud.com
Elementary School
In this situation, podcasting could be used more for the parents rather than the students. I know that in my elementary school, our general music class only had one performance per year, even though we worked on music all year long. With podcasting, I could have little mini-performances in the class recorded and posted online for the parents to hear. And even if we did have many concerts, some parents simply can't make some of them for whatever reason, so this way I could just put them online for friends and family to listen to without the hassle of sending out CD's and such.
Middle School
Anyone who works in the choral world knows that middle school is a terrifying stage in the adolescent's life, with the coming of puberty and the dreaded voice change. Podcasting could be used here as a heads up for what's to come, to make sure all the kids understand what is going to happen. I could record the various voice parts and ranges that occur after puberty, especially in men, so they are not alarmed when the wake up one day and can sing an octave lower than the day before!
High School
Podcasting in a high school choral setting could be a very useful way to not only learn individual voice parts, but also learn the style of the piece as well. Sure, I could just get a MIDI track of the piece that they could go home and listen to, but then they sound like robots. Instead, I could make a podcast of me singing each voice part (the soprano part may not be pretty, might need some help with audacity there....) and modeling appropriate musicality as well.
5 free blog sites
Podbean - podbean.com
PodOMatic - podomatic.com
Podcast Aloud - podcastaloud.com
My Podcast - mypodcast.com
Podcast Free America - podcastfreeamerica.com
Elementary:
I podcasts would be perfect as an introduction to instruments for students. Because podcasts are audio files, sticking to a basic lesson is safe. I would start the lesson by playing an excerpt with many different instruments that can be easily differentiated. Then I would go ahead and explain the difference between the instruments and the family they belong to. The play a little bit of just that instrument so that the students can get their ears around each unique timbre or each instrument.
Middle school
I would use podcasts for extra practice, or to review any lessons that the students had difficulty doing in class. Perhaps have different podcasts for each individual instrument or voice and have a mini sectional to focus on specific problem areas from the class before. This way the students can understand what I want from them and how to achieve that sound. They can also be given an example of how it should be played so they know what the goal is.
High school
In high school, I would have the students record themselves so that I can assess them individually without having them play in front of the whole class. I would also use podcasts for students to assess the class itself. They could simply keep a podcast and update it every week to express how they feel the class in doing and what they feel they can improve on. The other students can have access to this and should listen to what their classmates have to say. This will enforce a group learning process.
Free Podcast hosting
Pod bean - podbean.com
podcast machine - podcastmachine.com
my podcast - mypodcast.com
life hacker - lifehacker.com
Podcast Free America - Podcastfreeamerica.com
Elementary
In an elementary setting I would use podcasts to keep in contact with parents. As a general music teacher I would not get very much time to tell parents what I am doing in class. I would create a weekly podcast to keep parents updated on what was going on in class and how they could enhance their child's musical experience.
Middle
In a middle school choral setting I would use podcasts to teach students about the history of the songs that we were singing. I would discuss the songs and share other songs like them. It is important for kids this age to understand what they are singing and find some way to connect with it.
High School
For a high school choir I would work on foreign languages. I think that too few high school choirs sing in languages other than english and latin, and part of the reason is that it is hard to teach good diction. I would create podcasts of me saying the text correctly so that kids have a good model and can sing correctly. I think that this will create a much better choir.
Podcast Sites:
Podcast Machine - podcastmachine.com
Podbean- www.podbean.com
Mypodcast- www.mypodcast.com
Podcast Free America- podcastfreeamerica.com/
PodOMatic - podomatic.com
For elementary level school students I would use a podcast in two ways. I could use the podcast as a listening device, for getting familiar with songs. As a male teacher, singing for children in head voice all day long can become vocally exhausting. Therefore, I would either record myself singing in in head voice, or have an actual girl sing the songs for them (for a better vocal model). I could also use the podcast in a much more fun and interactive way like using different instrumental sounds to better help them hear the difference in each of them.
Middle School
In middle school, I would use the podcast in a more factual kind of manner. Let's say we are doing a section on Beethoven. It would be nice to have them go home and listen to the podcast of me discussing his life and works, while they are working on a "fill in the blanks" type of assignment. The podcast can also be used as a listening device where the students can go to listen and play along with the song as they play their own instrument. If a certain section is having real trouble getting a passage, it might benefit from having it available for them to listen to as many times as they'd need.
High School
I feel that high school students would have more access to podcasts, and therefore there are many ways in which a podcast could be used for high school (all of which include the aforementioned examples). For high school, a teacher could even have their students make their own podcast compositions and have the classroom listen to them and write something about what they thought of the piece (positive things) . I think it would be a great idea to have the students listen to different examples of a piece you are working on, more so if the recording is a professional one. This way, they can get a better idea of what the ensemble is aiming for, without having spent class time on the listening.
Podcast Hosting Website:
Podcast- www.podcast.com
My podcast- www.mypodcast.com
Podcast Aloud- www.podcastaloud.com
Solid Casts- www.solidcasts.com
Podcast Revolution- www.podcastrevolution.com
Elementary School
The general music class for which we may be teaching cannot always have enough time to sample of every culture and composer. With a podcast I could introduce the idea of homework to students without the needing to add to their non play time with written work. I could easily create podcasts for example on different cultures and composers, where students could listen to different deeply cultural and religious tunes of peoples from different African Countries to South America. The children could then come to class and talk about the music they heard.
Middle School
This time provides more opportunities with children entering instrumental programs and still the general music class room. For the instrumental programs it is essential that students begin to practice their instruments and understand a good sound for their instrument. I could create a podcast where students could here a small portion of the lecture from the day reminding them aurally how to put together their instrument, clean it, and how to form the embouchure. Also I could have small audio clips of staccato playing and legato playing of a famous artist on their instruments so that they may build a strong ear.
High School
This is a great opportunity for the continuation my ideas for the middle school podcasts. Now students could go and listen to rehearsals from the day before or listen to the piece (if available) to analyze their own playing. Also when the district band competitions are coming near students could go listen to someone play the excerpt at a highly proficient level so as to hear the piece correctly.
Podbean-http://www.podbean.com/
mypodcast-http://www.mypodcast.com/
ourmedia-http://www.ourmedia.org/
Podcast Free America-http://podcastfreeamerica.com
Podcast Aloud-http://www.podcastaloud.com/
Podcasting in the elementary grade class could be used as follows:
To introduce the fourth graders to various orchestra instruments, a podcast introducing the sounds of the instruemnts could be available for the students. Then, if the student is not able to attend a live presentaiton, or if he wants to listen to the distinct sounds of the instruments, he can easily download the podcast and listen at his convenience.
Podcasting for the middle school grades:
A podcast that explains and exmplifies major scales and the three tyeps of minor scales could be created. The student could listen and sing along to "experience" the scales and be able to play them accurately on his instrument.
Podcasting in the HIgh school grades:
The repertorie for the upcoming orchestra concert could be put on podcast for the student to download and listen. He could even play along with the podcast and he could practice with the orchestra, even while away from the class.
The free podcast hosting sites include:
Podbean: www.podbean.com
Mypodcast: www.mypodcast.com
Ourmedia: www.ourmedia.org
Podcastalley: podcastalley.com
Podcastrevolution: www.podcastrevolution.com
For elementary students, podcasting is a great way to improve their listening skills. Topics such as "Instrument Families" or "High and Low" would thrive in a podcast medium. Perhaps I could examine a particular instrument family each week, and have several listening examples of the instruments alone and in an ensemble. We would of course do all of the listening examples in class, and the podcasts would be available to the students at home who might want extra practice listening to the examples.
In middle school, I would say that podcasting would be great for take-home assignments. For instance, there could be worksheets that the students must complete to prove that they were actually using the podcasts at home. These podcasts could deal with topics such as composers, musicians, and eras of music. These would supplement the lectures in class.
In high school, I would have the students make their own podcasts. This is under the conditions that the school has computers available to students. Students can create their own podcasts to journal their practice habits. This would be particularly helpful around solo/ensemble competitions or State level competitions. This would make life easy for the teacher who could simply access the podcasts to monitor the students' practice habits. Podcasting is much more effective than a practice journal, which could easily be faked.
Podcasting Sites:
Podcast Aloud (www.podcastaloud.com)
Podbean
(www.podbean.com)
Podcast Free America
(www.podcastfreeamerica.com)
Podcast Machine
(www.podcastmachine.com)
Run Stream
(runstream.com)
For an elementary setting I would set up a podcast with recordings of me singing all the songs the students are learning in class. That way the students can listen to and sing along with the songs at home or put them on the iPods and listen to them whereever they go. I know I would! I would also put up versions of the songs that just have backgrounds and chords so they can sing by themselves and start to hear how the song fits within the chords instead of just relying on following along with someone else singing.
In middle school I would use the podcast to distribute listening examples. The students would listen to short excerpts of major works and every couple weeks I would group a couple excerpts into one podcast and make it out to be a listening quiz. I could then either play the podcast in class and have the evaluation go on during class time, or I could make it a homework assignment. There would obviously be issues of honesty and helping each other out if it was used as a homework assignment, but hopefully used as a just a homework assignment the students would not be as compelled to cheat and it wouldn’t count for as much of a grade as if I used it as a test in class.
For a highschool band setting, I would set it up much like I am doing my podcast for class. I would have my friends and collegues record sessions on playing different excerpts, parts of pieces we’re working on in band, and solos. Then the students would be able to listen to the podcasts when they practice and play along with them. They would be able to have something like private instruction without the teacher needing to be there. There would not be instant feedback, but the students should be able to listen to themselves and asses themselves when they are playing at a highschool level. I could then have the students play the parts on the podcasts as playing tests in class to make sure they are learning the parts, and it would give them an opportunity for feedback.
Other podcast sites
www.podbean.com
www.mypodcast.com
http://podcastmachine.com/
http://odeo.com/
http://www.podango.com
Blog Assignment #5
I would use podcasting in a general music setting for many different activities. One of which could include creating a podcast with general overviews of various important musical topics, such as composers. I could include information about these composers as well as provide musical examples composed by them in order to give the students a wealth of knowledge of the history of music.
1 for Middle Level (6-8)
For middle schoolers I would make a podcast for the band program in order to give them examples of what bands of their nature are supposed to sound like. Bands in grades 6-8 are not mature, as the students have not had a lot of exposure to the various aspects of their individual instruments that older players have. I could make different podcasts for each of the concert cycle pieces.
1 for High School (9-12)
In high school I would use podcasts to demonstrate the different styles and performers found in the history of jazz music. As many high schoolers play jazz for the first time in these years.
Podbean - http://www.podbean.com/
My Data Nest -http://.mydatanest.com
Mypodcast.com - http://www.mypodcast.com/
Run Stream- http://runstream.com/
blubrry- http://www.blubrry.com/
In an elementary school setting, the teacher may record vocal or recorder performances of the students to be posted at a podcast site for parents and teachers to hear what the children are up to, and as a preview to a major performance.
In a music school setting, the students can make a podcast of a research project. They would give an oral report of a specific composer’s biographical background, then mention and play a few of his or her most famous or significant pieces.
In a high school setting, The students may use podcasting to submit performances they have made of themselves. In a jazz setting, the students may have used Garageband to record their playing with a pre-recorded band (like a Jamie Abersold CD). They could submit the ‘performance’ of the melody and an improvised solo and do some light balancing work to show the class what they did at home. The performance could then be shared with other students, teachers, or with parents via any free podcast site.
Podbean- www.PodBean.com
My podcast- www.mypodcast.com
Life Hacker- www.lifehacker.com
Poderator- www.poderator.com
Gasther no Dust- www.gathernodust.com
In the elementary music classroom I would create podcasts about the different instruments or instrument families. I would provide live recordings of the different instruments and then also give small samples of different ensembles or popular individual artists on that instruments to demonstrate the different sounds and uses that the instrument could be used in.
In Middle School I would use podcasts to do two things in the instrumental classroom. One would be to provide information to parents by recording announcements and weekly updates for all the parents of the students. The second way I would use podcasting would be to provide short recordings of the works we are rehearsing or the sections of the music we are practicing so that the students could have an aural example of what they are striving to achieve.
In the High School Instrumental setting I would use podcasting as a self-reflective assessment tool. weekly rehearsals will be recorded and posted to a secure site allowing the students to listen to the recording. The students then would be required to fill out a questionaire online which gets emailed back to me on a weekly basis. Also I would make comments to sections as to things to practice or things we will be practicing so the students can be prepared for the coming week.
my podcast - www.mypodcast.com
podbean - www.podbean.com
podcast alley - www.podcastalley.com
podhoster - www.podhoster.com
cyber ears - www.cyberears.com
podcasting can be a great resource for students in several different settings as they can give students individual instruction that tailors to their specific needs, all at the same time. What I mean by this is rather than a teacher having to address each individual need, they can have the students each listen to specific podcasts of information.
Elementary school:
for this level I would have podcasts focus more on basic information like instrument families and sounds. A basic lesson plan here could be to provide a podcast that overviews different families of instruments. students could break into several different groups and each group could listen to a podcast related to their assigned instrument family. If there is time at the end of class students can present what they have learned to the class so the information can be shared this way.
Middle school:
by this age the students should be more capable of handling more in depth information regarding music. At this level I may have students listen to a podcast that explains a few composers of very different styles and examples of how their styles differ. This can either be done in groups or individually but with the idea that after listening to this podcast, the students can take an online quiz that plays for them an audio example and students can give a breif explaination of which composer they believe wrote the piece and why.
High School:
I would tailor this podcast to ear training to help my musicians build their aural awareness. I would have students either in groups or individually listen to a basic counterpoint which I could compose in finale and export as a .mp3 which would have several key elements: a basic chord progression that leads to a deceptive cadence and then resolves later to a perfect cadence. In the piece there would be a multitude of problems from balance to incorrect notes to intonation issues if it is possible to input this as well. Students would then be asked to identify as many of these problems as possible to help me decide what the students are capable of hearing well and what needs to be focused on more. For example, if the students find all the intonation issues but none of the balance, then balance should be something that should be emphasized instructionally.
Sites that offer free podcasting:
My Podcast (mypodcast.com)
Podbean (podbean.com)
Podcast Machine (podcastmachine.com)
Pod hoster (podhoster.com)
Hipcast (hipcast.com)
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