ETMOOC

Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud

/ jamespjensen / Leave a comment

Sugata Mitra talks about self-directed learning and students using computers to find information for themselves. He has a lot of very interesting ideas about how schools could be run and the overall purpose of education. I’m not sure I agree with his total goals, but there are certainly concepts that need to be incorporated into traditional education.

How can we better use student motivation and student-led learning in music education? When introducing instruments how much could students learn of the fingering on their own if given the chance? How much music theory could students learn on their own if given the chance? How much music history?

The closest thing I’ve seen in my own teaching experience is with planning learning activities using Understanding by Design.

Anyone have any other ideas about how to design learning experiences like this? I’m still not convinced that this is as hands-off as Sugata Mitra describes, but I’m sure I overestimate how much I really need to do in the classroom!

#etmooc Digital Story Telling Experiment: Animated GIF v. 2

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Here’s a “prototype” gif for teaching students how to draw treble clefs, and learn the order of sharps and flats. Not perfect, but I think it has potential!

I know it is not a story per se, but I think it is a really interesting way to teach a concept like this!

I created this with the iPad app Moquu.

What other concepts or ideas could be taught using this kind of media?

EDIT: Here’s another one teaching intervals in the key of C!

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#etmooc Digital Story Telling Experiment: Animated GIF!

/ jamespjensen / 3 Comments

I haven’t ventured into creating my own content for an animated gif just yet (I’m still tossing around ideas), but I thought I’d try making a gif of an awesome video with music by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra.

I love this video because of how perfectly the staff syncs with the music and how the animators chose to highlight the drama of the music with the intensity of the rollercoaster.

If I was an animator as well as an educator, it would be awesome to animate student performances! Maybe make it an after concert project option? So many cool ways to go with this!

Anyway, here’s the gif! I had a really great time making it, and it was very easy!

I followed Jim Groom’s super easy to follow tutorial on making gifs using Open Source Software which can be found here!

Check out my other digital storytelling experiments here and here.

For all my other #etmooc (Educational Technology Massive Open Online Course) postings, check out my ETMOOC category here. 

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Five Card Flickr Story: Many Paths

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All of these images reminded me of taking a journey, and all of the new and invigorating experiences that come with that.

 I think it would be interesting to create a specific classroom version of this game. Maybe have students select photos around a certain topic specific theme and compile them into a database and then have students write their own stories based on the pictures they get or choose pictures that best represent a piece of music.

How would you implement this in your classroom to promote storytelling skills within music education?

/ jamespjensen / 1 Comment

This one really hit home. My mother was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer in October and began chemo therapy a month ago. She’s doing pretty well, but it will be a long few months.

AmusED

I wasn’t really planning to do the 6 word story exercise, but while making breakfast it came to me:

You had me at hello, Cancer

amychemo

(for some this may seem controversial, but I’m a 6 year breast cancer survivor. Unfortunately, my mom lost her battle with colon cancer 2 years ago. So I guess this story could be read 2 ways – from the first diagnosis shock to the defeated sighs of the last days. And there are many nuances to the word “had”)

I was overwhelmed by the lovely, heartfelt responses I received both on Twitter and G+

Screen Shot 2013-02-05 at 8.52.11 PMScreen Shot 2013-02-05 at 8.52.52 PM

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On a lighter note, I decided to try the “6 Songs of Me” project from @guardianmusic.

MY PLAYLIST

You just have to go with your gut feeling on this one…overthinking won’t be fun. I was a tad disappointed to see that Spotify did not offer New Order’s ’94 remix of “Bizarre…

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Education Technology MOOC #etmooc

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Jumping in a little late on this MOOC (massively online course)! I’ve attempted another in the past (a wonderful World Music in Coursera) and I’m currently taking a stab at a Philosophy course on Coursera (through the University of Edinburgh).

I’m thrilled to see what an MOOC that is directly related to my teaching will be like! Stay tuned for my posts!

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