Claire Burns

March is MIOSM – “Music In Our Schools Month” – sponsored by MENC, Music Educators National Conference. As a music educator, obviously I support music education in school. However, it is interesting to hear what other people think about music education. Check out these Public Service Announcements from MENC’s MIOSM website. Clay Aiken’s PSAhttp://ak.webfetti.com/assets/modules/music/music_11.swf SaraContinue reading

Cool Web Elements

Check out webfetti.com. A cool web elements generator for free. I am sure all you Facebookers and MySpacers know all about this service, but I am slow……there are really cool animated lettering graphics, postcards, photo slideshows, and tons of other stuff! Lots of fun! Check it out! (the only catch is they make you installContinue reading “Cool Web Elements”

Korg nanoKey

So I am working on a Capstone Project proposal for a technology endorsement called Teach21. While selecting the hardware and software I will need for my project, I stumbled across this cool little piece of hardware called a nanoKey. I am so excited about this little guy for a number of reasons…. It is smallContinue reading “Korg nanoKey”

March 2009 Music Education Carnival

Please check out this month’s “MUSIC EDUCATION BLOG CARNIVAL” at Tanbur Music Education Blogspot. My post “Using Audacity to Have Fun with Folk Dances” is one of the featured articles this month. From the Carnival, I also like Joseph Pisano’s article “Should we Utilize Technology in the Music Classrooms? Questions to Ask First.” This isContinue reading “March 2009 Music Education Carnival”

Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

Last week 2nd grade was studying the instrument families in the orchestra. My student teacher did a great job of introducing the four families and the instruments that belong to each family. He chose some really cool listening examples from Play Music. Then we worked together to create a listening map for Benjamin Britten’s “YoungContinue reading “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”

ActiVotes are Great!!

First of all, it has been FOREVER since I have posted. I apologize….March is a busy month, and things get crazy. Second, I used my ActiVotes for the first time this week. My classroom is equipped with an ActivBoard by Promethean. Included with the ActivBoard are these little voters called ActiVotes. They are wireless, battery-operatedContinue reading “ActiVotes are Great!!”

Importance of American Folk Songs in Today’s Education

My student teacher has given me much fodder for thought in the past weeks. Its amazing how mentoring someone can generate so much reflection on one’s own teaching methods and philosophies. Today my student teacher introduced “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” to our Kindergarten through Fourth Grade classes. He created an animated, illustated PowerpointContinue reading “Importance of American Folk Songs in Today’s Education”

Using Audacity to Have Fun With Folk Dances

I absolutely love folk dancing. And naturally my students do too!!A husband/wife team named Peter and Mary Alice Amidon are folk dancing“masters” literally – known as the “New England Dancing Masters,” along with their friends Mary Cay Brass and Andy Davis. They are collectors of traditional folk dances and singing games from North America andContinue reading “Using Audacity to Have Fun With Folk Dances”

Blogging With Students

I have been using a WordPress blog, Boston ES Music Room, with my music classes. We use it to share recordings and have students comment on activities in class. I started it back in October and it has been a hit with my fourth graders (my oldest group) in particular. It is difficult to doContinue reading “Blogging With Students”

Places To Find Free Music Graphics, Photos, And Clip Art – From MusTech.Net

Check out this great compilation of great places to find Music Graphics, Photos, and ClipArt!! What a great resource! Thanks, Joseph Pisano of MusTech.Net! MusTech.Net! Places To Find Free Music Graphics, Photos, And Clip Art Posted using ShareThis This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.