BP7_Google Apps and More

This is a one minute video describing how I plan to use the Google applications in my classroom next year.  Google apps, when used with other sites, are an amazing way to stay organized and share information.  In the video I talk about how I use Google Apps to link to other Web 2.0 tools including Facebook, Twitter, and more.  Enjoy!

BP6_Comment to Amille

Follow this link to my comments on Amille's Blog.  

She goes indepth on this wonderful site that contains many tutorials that I could use as a music teacher, and also tutorials for everyone else to learn from as well. 

Thanks Amille!

(Screenshot of Amille's Blog page)

BP5_Comment to Sabrina

Follow this link to my comment on Sabrina's blog!  Sabrina talks about an amazing music site that allows you to create playlist, and access them on any computer.  Perfect for a music teacher like me!

(Screenshot of Sabrina's Blog Page)

BP4_Soundation

I discovered a wonderful Web 2.0 tool called Soundation!  

This site allows the user to actually create music online.  At the top of the creation page, there are meter markings showing the beats in a measure.  On the right hand side is a list of loops already part of the online program.  You can add loop or instrumental tracks.  When working with loop tracks, you can drag the loops to the right, right into the working platform.  You can shorten the length of the loop, copy, paste, modify, and much more.  It even has the workings of panning and other advanced mixing properties.

Web 2.0 tools along with being interactive and creation based tools, are also social tools.  This site allows you to then export your song onto your computer or publish onto the web.  The site generates a site URL in which you can share with your friends.  Here is a link to my little techno song.  You can also export the song to a linked Facebook account.

                             

I can use this in a couple different ways.  Students can go onto the site and build their own piece of music.  The great thing is that they need to have an understanding of meter and rhythm in order to coordinate the loops in proper rhythmic order.  The students can then export the song onto the computer and possibly even upload it on the class Soundcloud account.  This would then sync with the class Rootmusic account, and be published on the Hammonton Music Department Facebook Page for all to see.  This combination of Web 2.0 tools is a great way for the students to be creative, original, and proud of their musical abilities.

BP3_RootMusic

I came across an amazing discovery of www.rootmusic.com.  After making an account, I found that I was able to make a band or music promotion page for Facebook.  Those that have been on Facebook probably have seen band pages before, but this is different.  This site allows you to add music and a whole bunch of different features.  Unfortunately, in order to get all of the really cool features like coloring and banners you need to pay $2 a month.  The standard features are nice though and definitely are a nice touch if you are in my profession.

As you can see from the picture, the standard features include a player for music.  It also has your band logo to the left of the player.  In the middle of the picture, there were areas for contact information, band members, photos, and videos.  To the bottom of that is a great area to promote upcoming gigs and concerts.

The complete bottom of the page has a great link to Twitter.  Since I have an account for my music department, and that is what I created this page for, I linked the two accounts.  The bottom instantly started showing a feed of my Twitter account, including post that the students and parents have replied too.

On top of this website, in order to upload a song, I had to create an account on www.soundcloud.com which is a nice site for uploading music.  The two sites sync together, which then syncs to your facebook.  If you click here, you can go to my facebook page made for my music department that I teach.  I feel like this will be a great way to promote the songs that the students create.  This will allow students, their parents, the community, and others to check out what is happening in my music department.

BP_Diigo Group

Diigo is a very interesting website.  I really like the idea of being able to highlight material on the web and keeping it in a library.   Also being able to write sticky notes and take snapshots of sites is very appealing too.  I definitely think that this will be a great tool for my action research project.  Little features like tagging will help be able to navigate the information fast, and with ease.  I also think this will be an incredible tool for my students.  By installing diigo on my classroom browers, this is will allow students to create their own libraries and be able to transfer information from the classroom to their home or vice versa.  What a wonderful tool!

BP2_iGoogle Screen Shots

This was definitely an educational assignment.  I had the opportunity to explore iGoogle and a bunch of the amazing apps that it features.  Since I already had a facebook, twitter, blogger, and linkedin account, it made it really cool to see it's connectivity and accessibility right on my homepage. 

I did come up with some problems, though, that are also seen through the screenshots below.  For some reason the facebook and linkedin apps did not load for me.  I even got prompted for this very strange username and password area, and still didn't work.  I will definitely investigate those issues in a later time. 

Once again, very happy to have discovered all of these apps.  This may be a great way for my students to share and create projects online.  Oh the ideas......!!!

(Home Screenshot)

(FSO Screenshot)

(AR Screenshot)

(ETC Screenshot)