Gaming in the Classroom: Farmville

How can you engage your students when it comes to the subject of agriculture or environmental science? Use one of the top internet games to simulate how necessary the farmlands of America are to our environment.

Web 2.0 tools: Using Flickr in Science class

A 1 minute video message on the benefits of using Flickr in Science class.

Animal photos: User created

Flickr logo: User generated screenshot

Gaming in the Classroom: Gameclassroom.com

http://www.gameclassroom.com/

For this blog entry, I am researching the Web 2.0 tool, GameClassroom.com. “Game Classroom is a one-stop web destination for accessing high-quality educational games, and homework help for K-6 students” (GameClassroom.com)

I have taught music at the elementary school level for 10 years as of this post. Because my initial undergraduate major was electric engineering, I have always stressed the importance of learning core subjects to my students. There would be many times where I would integrate my music curriculum with the subject material being taught in the homerooms. So GameClassroom.com seemed like a resource I would like to research in order to share with the core subject teachers.

GameClassroom.com is not directly collaborative as many other Web 2.0 tools, such as Flickr, Blogger, Wikia, etc. It is, however, very INTERACTIVE. Students who go to GameClassroom.com are not passive participants in their learning. Because the content is based on educational games, GameClassroom.com students are active participants in their learning.

GameClassroom.com allows students to select from two main categories: Language Arts and Math (as of this posting there is not a section for Science. Each category is separate skills for each grade. And each skill has a specific topic. Suggested games in the GameClassroom.com can be found in each skill level. The games give instantaneous feedback to the student. Games for lower grades have excellent demonstrations and are designed for the beginner learner. Games for older students have visual instructions and are designed for the older learner. The game engines do not frustrate the learner, so he or she is able to focus on answering the questions by whatever means the games use. Interestingly enough, I found it rather insightful to practice my skills on games for all ages. I realized that my teaching skills would benefit from occasionally playing these games. I found it interesting to compare how I present content to how the games found on GameClassroom.com present content.

There is so much good content on GameClassroom.com (except for the lack of a science section) that this is a highly recommended Web 2.0 tool for all elementary school teachers.

References:

GameClassroom.com (2009) Retrieved December 13, 2009, from http://www.gameclassroom.com/

Images:

All images are user-generated screenshots from http://www.gameclassroom.com/

Web 2.0 Tools: "Thounds"...another great music collaboration tool!

http://thounds.com/

Web 2.0: IndabMusic.com (for music)

User created screenshot

http://www.indabamusic.com/

Indabamusic is a Web 2.0 tool that allows musicians to collaborate on music projects. A musician records his or her audio tracks. He or she then invites friends or even complete strangers to submit additional tracks that have been recorded to this composition.

As an teaching tool this would be a great asset. Students can safely create in the privacy of their home or a practice room before submitting their part of a whole composition. I say "safely" because composing is a very personal process and many times unwanted constructive criticism would hamper the flow of creativity. Most creative efforts are works in progress.

That being said, once a student submits their work. The other students would give helpful constructive criticism using a composition Rubric. Students would be able revamp their own parts a total of three times before the piece is “done”.

The networking aspect of Indabamusic would allow the student compositions to be shared with college-level composition majors, as well as professional composers and arrangers. Being able to get feedback from various viewpoints that extend into the working world would be a great asset to the students.

The main hindrance would be the acquisition of audio recording technology for the student. It’s not expensive, however, it would require an investment on the part of the parent or the student.

I would’ve loved to known about this tool months ago. A music student who is a senior in the advanced group, headed up by a different director, came to me to write an arrangement for her song. (The other director and I are friends, and we work with each other’s students, allowing each of us to use our strengths.). She recorded herself singing and sent me the file. I wrote the arrangement and delivered it to her. She said that there were some changes. And I went back… you see the process.

Indabamusic would’ve allowed her to record her track, have me write the arrangement to and line it up with her singing. And then we would’ve been able to collaborate with almost instantaneous feedback, versus burning CDs and such.

I’m looking forward to referring my composition students to music collaboration tools such as Web 2.0 tools such as Indabamusic.

Web 2.0 tool: TubeRadio.fm for Music Teachers (no more burning CDs)

My "commercial" for TubeRadio.fm for my additional line of work as a church choir director. This can also be used by school music directors.

Web 2.0 Tools: iSchoolBand - Social Networking for Band Directors, Band Students, and Band Parents

User created graphic from screenshot

My Web 2.0 tool for this posting is iSchoolBand found at http://www.ischoolband.com/.

“iSchoolBand.com helps students communicate, directors coordinate, and parents participate.” (iSchoolBand)

iSchoolBand 101 from iSchoolBand on Vimeo.

iSchoolBand is a social networking site specifically for Band Directors. It has a FaceBook/Ning.com feel to it.

Director’s point of view, I could use this to make an online library of downloadable sheet music for my bands and music classes. Any music I upload can be assigned to a specific class, band, or instrument groups. The phrase, “I forgot to bring my music home with me” would no longer be an excuse. Since I use only original arrangements of songs for my Senior High Music classes, no copyright laws would be broken. I can use it to communicate with parents and students about upcoming concerts, field trips, etc. I can broadcast to any number or groups of students that I need to. While I can set up as many different groups as I need to, iSchoolBand comes with the standard band sections preset for the user. And like FaceBook I can post a “what’s on my mind”. This comes in handy for sending out a broadcast, “Great Job at the last concert!”

Students: Students are able to post comments are each other’s walls and send communications to the director. This is handy for student’s who may have forgotten about a performance, who may need to carpool, or simply exchange ideas they have for making rehearsals better, or for thoughts on new songs. iSchoolBand has filtering software for comments. Directors can add custom words to comments in case students find another way of saying something inappropriate.

Parents: Parents can communicate to each other or director. This allows Booster organizations to have a common forum where communication is ongoing and not hindered by the unavailability of one person. Parents also are the only ones who can register their students, since the student pass codes are emailed to the parents.

iSchoolBand offers a free 1-year membership if you register before December 25, 2009. I, of course, registered. I like the feel of iSchoolBand. It’s still in the beta version but it feels really solid. I did email iSchoolBand with a question on setting up custom instrument groups. I received an immediate response and a workaround. The feature I wanted isn’t currently available, but they said that they would seriously consider adding it.

Since many students have some type of social networking account, iSchoolBand will feel right at home. While bands can setup a FaceBook Group page, iSchoolBand gives a more secure way of networking because the director/school administrator has the final say about what is posted and who can join.

iSchoolBand (2009). Retrieved on December 6, 2009, from http://twitter.com/iSchoolBand