AIS
Too Much Culture?
22-Nov-09 22:43
On Friday, my school hosted its annual Cultural Fair. This is a whole-school festival that includes carnival games, international food, and a center stage of cultural performances. My concert and jazz bands performed along with many other student and parent presentations. The night ended with a song by the faculty band, comprising myself, four other teachers, one student, and one parent. By the time we performed it was about 8.30pm, about six hours after the festival started, and I was cold and a bit cranky after a long day.
On my way home, I realized that it was actually a good thing that we had so many performances and so many students eager to perform for others. BAM! It is a sign that the cultural and artistic heartbeat of the school is going strong. So, while it was a long, cold, windy day, I am glad that so many people were able to add to the cultural life of our school.
On my way home, I realized that it was actually a good thing that we had so many performances and so many students eager to perform for others. BAM! It is a sign that the cultural and artistic heartbeat of the school is going strong. So, while it was a long, cold, windy day, I am glad that so many people were able to add to the cultural life of our school.
What Did He Say?
28-Aug-09 16:48
In music technology class we are starting the year by exploring sound production, sound waves, frequency, etc. The first project is one I began last year, but love it so much that I had to bring it back. The purpose of the project is to give students a chance to experiment with the Garageband computer program and to have students demonstrate that they can split, move, and connect tracks. In order to accomplish this, the students complete the project "What Did He Say?" in which they manipulate a recording of me talking about my past teaching experiences, education, and current classroom rules. The recording is rather boring, but the students get to change it anyway they want to make it more "interesting."
I really enjoy watching the students work on this project because I rarely see students work so diligently. It gives the students a chance to learn without knowing it and allows for some very creative ideas to take shape. BAM! They look as if they are deeply engaged in the assignment; nothing else matters at that moment. It's a great feeling to be able to create a project that accomplishes my teaching objectives and also engages the students creative minds at the same time!
The project is due next week. I'm looking forward to the final results. Who knows what I'll say?
Update: Check out a few examples on my YouTube page.
I really enjoy watching the students work on this project because I rarely see students work so diligently. It gives the students a chance to learn without knowing it and allows for some very creative ideas to take shape. BAM! They look as if they are deeply engaged in the assignment; nothing else matters at that moment. It's a great feeling to be able to create a project that accomplishes my teaching objectives and also engages the students creative minds at the same time!
The project is due next week. I'm looking forward to the final results. Who knows what I'll say?
Update: Check out a few examples on my YouTube page.