This actually was a very difficult assignment. Not because I couldn't think of anything but because I am having trouble narrowing down my choices to share. When I was first given the opportunity to use the internet in my classroom I was overjoyed. I knew of so many wonderful music websites that my students and I could explore to discover the world of music. Three years ago when I was so fortunate to be given a SmartBoard (you will hear me talk about this alot) I again was excited at the prospects. Without having a computer lab to use with every class I knew that I could buy one music program, put it on my SmartBoard and we could do the activities as a class. Not quite the same as doing it by yourself but we could gain from the experience. Almost every major city symphony orchestra has a website loaded with stories, games, and other learning features. Each site also has a place where students can write their own music or mix their own sounds together. Some of my favorites that are always reliable would be the following:
http://www.dsokids.com/
http://www.playmusic.org/
http://www.sfskids.org/
One of my very special studies involves the Music of the Holocaust. Our 8th grade class does a study of the holocaust in their Literature class. They read some books on the topic (Elie Wiesel is one of the books) and visit the Holocaust Museum in Dallas. Last year they had Michael Jacobs, a survivor, come to their class to speak with them and share his memories. For some reason I became interested in the arts and their relation the the holocaust. After my own inspired research, I found a fabulous website produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology.
http://fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/arts/music.htm
I decided then to start a partner study of music of the Holocaust to coincide with their literature work. My students will do a webquest of sorts to help them explore the website. They read about the various ways in which music impacted those of the holocaust. One of their questions is to consider how they would respond to the holocaust using the arts as a medium. If it would be music, art, literature, drama and why they would chose that medium.
After my experience with this class I think that I will take this a step further and have them create a media infused project to develope their ideas! And so the creativity pushes forward....
In another class, we study spirituals and slave songs during the course of the year. To further explore this topic my students and I explore another website from the state of Maryland.
http://pathways.thinkport.org/secrets/music1.cfm
Along with information about the undergound railroad, there is information about the signs and symbols that may have helped lead the slaves to their freedom in the north. My students will learn and sing the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" listening to the song, reading about the meanings of the words of the song and it's history. The website also has a wonderful interactive feature where students can go and design their own quilt and print it. Our 5th grade Social Studies teacher used this feature last year. This can be done not only on individual computers but also together as a class on the SmartBoard.
All of these websites and activities provide students with many opportunities to explore creative ideas and go a step in a different direction.
If you haven't noticed I am completely enthralled with our SmartBoards and I am always on the lookout for ways to use it. I think it is a marvelous interactive tool and am grateful to have the use of this in my classroom.
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