Module 6: WebQuest, Google Sites, and Copyright

MODULE 6: WebQuest, Google Sites, and Copyright

At the beginning of the year I created my band a Google Sites page to try and keep as many parents and students informed of all of the upcoming events and happenings for the entire year. I was very glad to get the chance this week to work a little closer with Google Sites and learn how to navigate around a little better. Google Sites is a really great way to keep information available for any class or program. Since our school uses Chromebooks and all of the students have a school email address, my thinking was that it would be a little easier for students to be able to see this information than putting it on another website. I have attached a link to our schools site:

CMS Band

Another great resource that I enjoyed learning about this week was a WebQuest. I believe that this type of activity will come in handy especially at the beginning of the year with my sixth grade band students. This will give us an opportunity to guide them along the path of learning about all of the different instruments, as well as give them the opportunity to use the Internet to do research on their own time. I could see the students being much more invested in the opportunity to learn an instrument, and in the opportunity to help decide what instrument they would like to learn by having this available. So many students want the opportunity to use technology on a daily basis anyway, this will just encourage them to do something productive with that time.

Some other things that I really picked up from the readings, have really helped shape some of my ideas about the use of technology and other tactics in the music classroom.  Bauer stated, "Students in any music class or ensemble have varied backgrounds, learning needs, and interests" (2014. p. 159).  I have always known that this is true, but sometimes it helps to read it and really comprehend what is being said.  There are so many ways to teach one lesson, or get one point across in any classroom, especially in music.  I have to make sure that I am including as many different ways as possible to reach as many students as I can.  It was also very good to be able to polish up on some of the copyright laws as those effect us in some way each day.  I knew about International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) when I was in college and used it a couple of times.  After watching some of the videos on copyright I now see why that website is possible.  The Creative Commons website has been, and will be a huge help on my WebQuest and future endeavors at my school.   

Bauer, W.I. (2014). Music learning today; Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York: Oxford University Press.