Implementation Report

This was implemented into the music class and it was a 2 month long project. Since the building I work in has serious attendance issues, I wanted to make sure that students were going to have enough time, didn't feel rushed, and I wanted them to be proud of their end product. I would often joke around with them that I wanted to hear Grammy's by the end of the project. 

At first there was resistance to the project, which is something that I did not anticipate, I thought that the students would be excited to use laptops, and to be able to use the software. A lot of them thought that it was too difficult to do all by themselves, and I felt very pressured to change the project and make it easier, but I stuck to my guns and kept pushing through. 

The student learning outcomes that I want to implement were simple, I wanted students to appreciate the music that they hear on the radio. I felt that they were taking the music world as if it was so easy for an artist to create a song. I wanted to challenge them.  I have many students in my class that have IEPs, and to make the project fair to them their song didn't have to be as long as the other students (I had asked for everyone else to make a 3 minute song, there's just had to be a minute, but if they wanted to make it longer than they were more than welcome to). I also allowed these students to create their song using only loops. 

I had a few times where classroom management was a problem. I still haven't found if this is because of the classroom I have (which is auditorium seating) or if it was because of the students lack of desire to work on the project. As the project progressed, they seemed to get more into it, and the lack of desire to work changed into a drastic run to the finish. I'm pretty sure that was also due to the fact that they wanted to get good grades on their report cards. But I'll take that if it means they are completing the project. 

A big question that the students asked was why they had to do the project, and a lot of them seemed very against it and had this "we aren't artists" attitude towards it. I didn't like it, and I told that them if that was the mindset that they were going to have that they weren't going to have a good time with the project. 

The students didn't have a difficult time during the implementation process, after they got over the "we aren't artists" part of the project everything has gone swimmingly. The project is going to be over on Wednesday, and the students have been having a ball with it. The students are eager to get into the closet and record their songs, they have really gotten into the whole project. 

If I were to do this project again, I'm not sure if I would have given the students as much time as they got. I think I would have given them less time to complete it so we could have more time to review each others work.

Week 13

Where in your school or the school that you are observing are the characteristics of best design most likely to be seen in action? In what programs and subject areas would we most expect to see these characteristics, compared with other programs or subjects? Are there any patterns, If so, why?

After a study of sample units, and one of your own designs, edit or amend your list of characteristics of the best designs, as appropriate. 

Thinking back on my experiences as a learner, the best in school experience I had was in High School. I think this was one of the best learning experiences I had because I remember it the best. It was my senior year of high school and I was in an English class that was designed around New York City. We read stories that took place in New York, and then we went on a few weekend walking tours. It was fantastic to see my teacher so involved, and get so excited about the topic that learning was almost contagious. I think one of the reasons that the class was so exciting was because it was about our city. It was fun to learn about the way that the city has changed, and the people who influenced the change. 

Personally, it's very hard to see a good design at my school, it's not because of the teachers, but because of the students. Our school is comprised of a lot of "Newcomer" students the academy is called. These newcomer students are just that, new comers. They come from different countries, and they speak little to no English. They are put into regular classes, and it becomes difficult to differentiate the class when the teacher doesn't speak the language, and they are spending more time getting someone to translate than teaching the class. I feel that the classes that usually have the best design as classes where the students are able to express their learning in the best way they can. I would love to have a classroom that is a flipped classroom, and the everyday the students would be able to show me what they have learned and apply it into the music classroom. 

I still believe that students learning using PBL benefit the most out of regular classrooms. I believe that during PBL units they really jump in and the outcomes are greater than when you give them a set list of instructions and specific criteria that they must meet. 

Keystone Project

During this course I gained a better understanding of curriculum design and development using the UbD framework. I firmly believe that it is much easier to teach a student a topic when you already know what you want them to learn. As music teacher, not only do I want my students to leave with a love of music, I also want them to be able to produce their own works. By knowing what I want my students to create I can not only better plan my lessons, but I can make the lessons more engaging. It is also beneficial for a teacher to have an end in mind because it keeps them on track for what they need to plan for the students to do.

            I feel that curriculum design is easier using the UbD framework, especially as a music teacher. We don’t have regents to prep our students for, so we create our own curriculums. Our end tends to be our concerts and sometimes NYSSMA (New York State Scholastic Music Association) where the students get graded on their playing ability. When we are picking out the music for our students to play our end in mind is that they are going to be able to perform their parts well.

            After going through the course, I believe that music performance is one of the easier subjects to create a curriculum for using the UbD framework. If a teacher keeps in mind that having their students perform a piece of music as a cohesive group, than they already have their whole curriculum planned. A music appreciation teacher  has a slightly harder time creating their lessons, because they are the ones designing what they want their students to learn by the end of each semester. I’ve had to do this, and I’ve found it very stressful because I wasn’t sure in what was are the best ways to engage all the students so that they are learning. I used the UbD framework to come up with their units to make sure that each student is able to not only explain, interpret, and apply the skills that they’ve learn, but to also be able to have their own perspective, and have a self-knowledge of a software and topic. 

Interview a teacher to find out how they plan the curriculum and lessons.

I interviewed Mr. Budhu who teaches History at my school. He shared with me his lesson plans and how he uses the same template for every lesson because it helps him when creating new ones. Each lesson has a title, so he knows what topic he’s teaching, aim, do now, objective, goals, procedures, and standards.

He explained to me that because he has to teach to the regents, he needed to know what exactly the regents focuses in on every year so that he can gear his lessons towards it. He uses the Cornel Note Take method so that he can make adjustments to his lessons for the following days, and so that he can make sure that his students are fully understanding the materials they are given.

The curriculum, from what I understand, is set forth by the assistant principal of History, and they are supposed to have taught specific topics by set dates.  However, they get to pick how they teach it. Mr. Budhu is lucky to be on the classrooms which has a working projector with a projector pen, which he incorporates into all his class lessons.

Design and implement a mini-lesson integrated with technology, under cooperating teacher’s supervision.

Aim: How can we start using GarageBand for our second project?

Do Now:  What are some rules we should have while using the laptops?

Goal:

• Students will be able to organize information about rules for using the laptop
• Student will be able to analyze information about rules for using the laptop
• Students will be able to synthesize information about rules for using the laptop

Objectives:

• Students will create a list of computer rules
• Students will begin to use the application GarageBand

Procedure:

• Students will create an appropriate computer rules list.
• Students will exhibit proper use of the rules while handling the laptops
• Students will work in pairs to see begin exploring GarageBand

English Common Core

W.11.12-4

W.11.12-5

W.11.12-6

ISTE Standards

1.b

2.a, b, d

4.b

5.b

6.a, b

Music Blueprints

- Use music technology to create music.

- Utilize instruments and technology to create and present original work.

- Create and perform an original piece of music that employs standard notation using composition software.