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Blog #4 – FPPL and Teaching Reflection

November 29, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

In my Music Education class, I along with three others had to create a lesson plan that incorporated Music and one of either Language Arts, Science, or Math. My group and I chose to do our Music lesson integrated with a Language Arts lesson. We also incorporated the First Peoples Principle of Learning into our lesson.

Going into teaching, I felt a little nervous, but mainly excited. I was excited about the activities we chose for our lesson and was eager to share them with my classmates. As a group, we taught the first 15 minutes of our lesson and divided this up into four equal parts so that we all had a chance to teach a part. I think overall this went smoothly and that we all had time to practice our teaching skills. Our first activity involved the use of alliteration in the song “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”, in which we gave each student a wooden stick to hit the ground or their desk with everytime the heard the “T’ sound. In this activity, you could see the students focus and accuracy, which as a teacher made me feel as though this activity was a success. Our next activity was the one that I co-teached with one of my group members. She started off the lesson, and I finished it. Together we did a good job of explaining the activity briefly, but concisely. Our peers were engaged with this lesson and seemed to be having a lot of fun with it. As the teacher, this was great to see and made me feel like our lesson was well planned out and engaging. We received a lot of great feedback at the end of our lesson, which made me feel more confident in both my lesson planning and teaching skills. Two things that we could work on for next time were, handing out the wooden rhythm sticks after the instructions are fully done otherwise some students play with them distracting others from the teachers instructions and clarifying what “T’ sound we were looking for (te as in teddy vs tuh as pronounced in the). Other than these two suggestions, I feel that our lesson ran smoothly and I am happy with our outcome. I personally felt like I accomplished the professional development goals we created for our lesson and that our lesson was a success! I also gained some valuable tips that would be helpful for me the next time I teach this lesson.

Within our lesson plan, we included the First Peoples Principle of Learning. Before this year I did not have a lot of knowledge or understanding of the FPPL, but with some discussions about it in class and some resources provided by my teacher, I gained a much deeper understanding on the FPPL and how to incorporate them into the classroom. For our lesson plan, we chose two principles that we believed best fit our lesson. Those were “Aboriginal spirituality is not about religious dogma, but rather is about establishing healthy relationships with all things, including one’s relatives, one’s nation, and the natural environment” (Stonechild, in Rebeiz & Cooke, 2017, p. 20) and In the past, “teaching was not didactic, but accomplished through storytelling, ceremony, experiential learning, reflection, and modeling” (Simpson, 2011, p. 137). We thought that these two were the most fitting for our lesson plan. I found I could incorporate these FPPL into our lesson plan and I felt that it was important to add these in. With a few good resources and a class discussion on these FPPL, I found I gained a much better understanding of the First Peoples Principles of Learning.

Overall, my first experience teaching a music lesson and incorporating the First Peoples Principle Learning went very well. I felt confident in my teaching and proud of the lesson plan we created. It was well received by our peers and everyone seemed to be engaged in the lesson. I am glad we had this opportunity.

Week 10 – Reflection!

November 28, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

I have now finished my term in my technology class where one of my main projects was to do an inquiry on something relating to technology that you wish to learn more about. I chose to do Excel for my tech inquiry. I chose this because Excel was something I have never known much about, but I know how useful it can be for a variety of different functions. I knew that Excel was not learned overnight and that it takes time to fully understand how it works and to learn how to use its various functions. This is why I thought it would be the perfect thing to do for my inquiry as I had 11 weeks to learn it.

My journey learning Excel has been very educational. It was definitely frustrating at times, as some days I felt like I would never be able to figure out how it works, but once you do understand a function it becomes clear and easy. I have learned a lot of unique features that Excel offers, such as how to enter, sort and filter data, how the formulas work, how to insert tables, how to use charts, and more! I feel much more confident in my ability to use Excel since learning more about it, however, there I still have more to learn. The order I learned each of these functions in was beneficial for me and they built off of each other. This allowed me to gain a better understanding of each function since I knew the other functions you had to use. Within these 11 weeks learning about Excel, I have gained confidence and experience using this program.

One of the highlights of learning Excel for me was the basic tasks and learning how the formulas work when creating a budget spreadsheet. Learning the ins and outs of these formulas allowed me to create an accurate budget spreadsheet easily. This is something that I will use a lot when using Excel because it saves you a lot of time and manual inputting. I think that the formulas (SUM, AVERAGE, etc.) are one of the most used functions by those using Excel, so I wanted to spend a lot of time learning these. I now feel confident in my skills and feel that I can accurately use these formulas.

Overall, I am happy that I chose to learn Excel for my tech inquiry, as it challenged me to learn something that I had absolutely zero knowledge on and something that would be of value to me in my years to come. It was definitely not easy to learn since there is so much involved with an Excel spreadsheet and many different functions, however, there are a ton of great resources available online (linked in each of my blog posts) that were a huge help for me in my learning. I am grateful that I had the opportunity in my technology class to learn Excel because it is a skill I can take away with me and it also allowed me to do a lot of research and writing on the topic. I recommend anyone looking for an extra project who does not already know Excel to learn how to use it. You will be surprised how helpful it can be in your everyday life.

Thanks for reading my journey with using Excel 🙂

Blog #3 – Shift in Musical and Professional Identity

November 25, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

I have now completed all of my goals for my musical and pedagogy growth plans. This has really shifted both my musical and professional identities and my confidence in both my ability and knowledge. Going into this course I had almost no musical knowledge and was nervous, now through these growth plans, I feel much more confident in both my musical and professional abilities. Since my midterm, I believe that my ukulele skills have improved significantly and I have gained quite a passion for playing. I have also obtained 5 more valuable resources that I can use when teaching students.

My musical identity has greatly shifted since the beginning of this course. I now know how to tune a ukulele, how to play 8 different chords – G, C, Am, F, A, Gm, Dm, and G7, and how to play 4 songs – I’m Yours by Jason Mraz, Riptide by Vance Joy, Sunday Morning by Maroon 5, and Yellow by Coldplay. The last 4 chords I learned really challenged me and allowed me to gain a more depth understanding of how to play the ukulele. I still struggled with moving my fingers quickly between chords, but I believe that I did improve at this and with a little more practice I will be able to move my fingers quickly to the different chords. The two new songs I learned for this half of my musical growth were both much more difficult songs, however, I thought the challenge allowed me to get better at my ukulele skills. I now feel confident in my ability to play the ukulele and I am excited to keep learning more to further my skills. My next goal is to get a capo and play around with that.

My professional identity has also greatly shifted from the testing of the apps I have done. Since my midterm, I have thoroughly tested and reviewed 5 more apps. By reviewing these apps I have gained many resources that will help me when teaching music to my future students. It has also allowed me to become more comfortable with using a variety of different apps and has improved my technology literacy. I have also further developed my skills in note reading, and rhythm from spending time using each app. I feel much more confident in my ability to teach music to students and I have gained many helpful resources that will be of use to me and my students.

Overall, creating both my music and pedagogy growth plans has allowed me to gain more experience both musically and professionally and I have gained many helpful resources from doing this. Since my midterm, I feel even more confident in my musical and professional identities. I am grateful I had the opportunity this term to work on my musical ability and knowledge because I now feel more confident in teaching elementary students about music and its importance in everyday life. I am excited to keep learning and expanding my skills!

Protected: Musical Growth – Final

November 25, 2018elissahalliday

Musical Pedagogy – Final

November 25, 2018November 25, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

Since my midterm, I have reviewed 5 more music apps. I have now in total reviewed 10 music apps, which has allowed me to find ones that would be helpful when teaching music. I gave a list of pros and cons, a summary and an overall rating for each app. From these 5 apps, my favourite one was Rhythm Cat. I liked how it taught the user about rhythm in a fun and engaging way and that you would level up when you were accurate enough. From all the apps I have reviewed my favourite one and the one I would be most likely to use is Notes Teacher. This app is a very useful tool to help you learn the notes in a fun challenging way. Below are my 5 music app reviews.

App #6: Notes Trainer

Pros:

Free
Many exercises to choose from which allows you to work on a specific thing that you’ve been struggling with (ex. notes on lines or notes between lines)
Allows you to learn note positions and the sound of them

Cons:

The more detailed version costs money – this one only has 9 exercises to chose from
Only is good for learning notes and gets repetitive

Summary:

This app is a great tool for practicing basic note training. You can choose if you want to learn the notes that are between the lines or the ones on the lines, which I think is great because some people struggle with one in particular. It gives you a few measures and you chose which note you think it is and if you are correct it plays the sound of the note. This allows you to not only learn the location of the note but also what each note sounds like. When you finish it tells you how you did ex.32/34, which is good for showing your progress as you go along. I would recommend this app for a basic note-reading unit, as it is easy to use and informational. The problem with this app, however, is that there are only 9 exercises to chose from so once you have done them all it gets very repetitive. If you want to access more exercises you have to pay. Overall I am impressed with this app and I personally would use it as a visual for students who are struggling with note reading. It is a fun way to learn the location of the notes. I would rate it a 7.5/10.

App#7: Musical Me

Pros:

Fun and easy to use
Free with no ads
Teaches you about rhythm, notes, and pitch in a fun and playful way
5 different activities to chose from
You can move up in levels

Cons:

Basic game
Does not teach a lot of educational information – really simple
Only fun for primary aged students

Summary:

After playing around with this app and its various different activities I have determined that this is a fun app for kids who like to play around with rhythm, notes, and pitch, but not a great app for educational purposes. It has a good variety as it has 5 different activities to chose from (memory, rhythm, dance, instruments, and notes), however, these activities get quite repetitive after a while until you move up in a level. The app is very playful and colorful, which makes it fun to use and it allows you to use your creativity to create your own songs. The songs that are used in the app are all popular songs that most children have heard of. These features make it very fun for kids in the primary grades, but older kids may find it too simple and childish. I would highly recommend this app to parents etc. who want to find a fun app to let their children play around with some basic music skills, but I would not recommend this app to educators. Its simplicity does not allow for an adequate amount of musical knowledge. If you want a fun app then this app is great, however, if you want an app to teach your students about music there are many better options. Overall I would rate this app a 7/10.

App #8: Rhythm Cat

Pros:

Teaches you about rhythm
As you complete a level successfully you move onto the next one and unlock harder ones – if you do not pass you have to try again
Free and easy to use
Detailed instructions to explain how to use it
Shows you how well you do by the color of the note (green = perfect, yellow = okay, no color = missed it)

Cons:

Need to play in a quiet area because you need to be able to hear well
Could seem too easy for those who already know rhythm and there is no way to start at a harder level (you have to unlock it)
More advanced variations cost money

Summary:

Rhythm Cat is an app that allows its users to practice their rhythm skills in a fun and easy way. You are given a few measures and you have to press a green button when you think the note is. As you advance, you are given a variety of notes (such as half notes, whole notes, etc.), which further allows students to deepen their understanding on the beats of the different notes and rhythm. The app gives you detailed instructions, which is helpful for those playing it. You start off at a basic level but as you complete levels you advance to harder and harder ones. It also shows you how well you did on each note by the color shown (green = perfect, yellow = okay, no color = missed it). I think that this is a great app to teach children and students about rhythm. It makes learning fun and keeps you engaged and wanting to learn more. I would definitely recommend this app to teachers who want a good way to practice rhythm with their students. I would personally use it as a resource during my rhythm unit when teaching music to elementary students. Overall I rate this app a 9.5/10.

App #9: Music Sparkles

Pros :

You can choose from bongos, drums, and a xylophone (free)
Within each instrument, you can play a music loop of your choice – guitar, drums, banjo, and piano
There is a vocal note section where you are shown the note range of do re mi fa sol la te do

Cons:

All the other instruments you have to pay for (11 more)
The only aspect of the app is playing the instruments (no teaching about the instruments)
The vocal note part allows you to hear the note but doesn’t allow you to learn the notes or practice note reading
Simple which could get repetitive for students

Summary:

Music Sparkles is a well-designed app with some fun features. It allows you to play certain instruments (3 free ones available) with or without a background music loop. This gives users the opportunity to express their creativity and musical abilities, which I think is a great aspect to the app. If you want to go beyond the three instruments, which are given to you for free, you have to pay for the other ones. This limits what users can do on the app if they do not want to pay. I like how you have the ability to play the instruments, however, I think it would be beneficial if it had an aspect of teaching in it so you would learn about the instrument you are playing / the notes. Another cool feature to this app is the vocal note section, which shows you the do re mi fa sol la te do and their position on the measure. This is a neat feature, but I think users would gain more from it if it also taught you about the notes and allowed you to practice note reading/ naming. All in all, this app is fun and allows you to use your musical creativity, however, it is simple and after a few uses would seem repetitive. I think this is a good app for parents to show their kids who are interested in music. I would not recommend it for teachers as there is no real educational aspect to the app and students would just be randomly hitting buttons. I personally would not use this app in my classroom. Overall I would rate Music Sparkles a 6/10.

App #10: Piano Dust Buster

Pros:

Starts off at an easy level so you understand how it works
Allows you to practice hearing piano notes and the rhythm of songs
There are different well known and fun songs for the different levels – have to play to go up and unlock the harder songs
The more you play the more versions you can unlock, which keeps you engaged and wanting to learn
When you click the note it will show a color to show you how well you were on the beat (green = perfect, yellow = good, no color = missed or too early)

Cons:

Need to create an account to use the app
You need to complete the earlier levels to do a harder one even if you are more advanced
Only focuses on rhythm and timing
Pretty basic with not much variation until levels are unlocked

Summary:

Piano Dust Buster is a fun app with a unique way of engaging students in learning piano notes and when to play those notes in a song. It uses little germs and when the germs get to the line you have to click the correct note, if you click it in time then the granny will swat them away. This is a unique illustration that engages its users. You start off playing the Jukebox level with the first song available being Mary had a Little Lamb. After you successfully complete this song you unlock harder songs and level up. Starting off with an easy level makes sure that the users know how to play the game and aren’t going beyond their skill level, however, for more advanced players this would be frustrating as you cannot move up until these levels are completed. I like how it indicates how well your timing was by showing a color on the line, green for perfect, yellow for good, and no color for a missed note or if you clicked it too early. This allows students to see their progress and want to improve. The app uses well-known songs for its levels, which makes it even more fun for all ages. Songs ranging from “When the Saints” to “Dancing Queen” to “Call Me Maybe” engages its users and appeals to a wide range of ages. I think this is a fun app for children wanting to learn the main piano notes and practice their timing. I would recommend it to students to help them improve those things at home, but I personally would not use it in my classroom, as I believe it does not touch on much else other than the timing/ rhythm aspect of playing the piano. Overall I would rate this app a 7/10.

Week 9 – Pros and Cons of Excel

November 21, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

Learning how to use Microsoft over these past 8 weeks, has shown me a lot about the program and how it works. I made my own list of Pros and Cons of Excel using Excels pros and cons template. I added in things that I found were the biggest pros and the biggest cons for me. I ranked them in importance out of 5 (1 being the lowest (not very important) and 5 being the highest (very important)). Below you can see the list I created. In my list, the Pros won! I do think that the Pros of using Excel definitely outweighs the Cons of using it.

Screen Shot 2018-11-20 at 8.56.20 PM.png

Thanks for reading!

Week 9 – Intermittent Fasting

November 21, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

Intermittent Fasting is not considered a diet, but a pattern of eating, where you eat your meals within a specific time period and then fast the rest of the time of that day(for example, eating for 8 hours a day and fasting the other 16). Another version that is not as popular but still considered intermittent fasting is eating your normal calorie intake for 5 days and then for the other 2 limiting your calorie intake to around 600 calories (depending on how many calories you consume on a normal day). This style of eating does not change what you eat it just changes when you eat. Some people say it is the best and most simple way to keep good weight on and lose the bad weight. Here is an example of an eating schedule for someone following this eating style.

* 16 hour fast followed by an 8 hour eating period

So what are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

A good way to get lean without going on a diet or cutting down calorie intake
Keeps muscle mass on (unlike some diets where you lose both muscle and fat)
Helps you lose fat
Easier than some diets since you don necessarily cut out foods

What are the disadvantages?

Can be not very sustainable (hard for some people to be restricted to an eating period due to their schedule)
You don’t know how your body will respond – for some it can lead to more health issues (people with type 2 diabetes etc.)
Could lead to binge eating during the time you are allowed to eat
Can have a negative effect on your sleep

There is a lot of evidence showing that intermittent fasting can be a healthy lifestyle and that it is effective in weight loss, however, some nutritionists suggest that the best approach is to find an eating schedule that works for them and is sustainable. This eating style is not recommended for those suffering from advanced diabetes, people who have a history with eating disorders, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is important to talk to your doctor before fasting as it can affect your health if you suffer from certain health issues.

All in all, I believe that intermittent fasting is one of the healthier ways to lose weight and to live a healthy lifestyle. I like how it is referred to as a pattern of eating instead of a diet because it makes it seem less intimidating. Of all the diets I have researched, this one is definitely one of the ones that I would consider if I were to change my eating pattern. That being said I personally would not want to be restricted to a certain time period where I can eat and I think it would be hard to maintain with my school schedule.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for next weeks blog post 🙂

References:

https://jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156

Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

November 20, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

Virtual Reality is an interactive experience that is computer-generated and it takes place in a simulated environment that is either similar to the real world or more of a fantasy. Its purpose is to immerse you in a fully virtual world. These experiences usually include both auditory and visual feedback, but can also incorporate other sensory feedback. The most common technology that is used to experience this reality is a headset. When you put on these headsets you are able to look around and move around in this virtual world. They generate realistic sounds, images, and other sensations that make the user feel as if you are in this virtual or imaginary world. The first headset was created in 2010 and it has evolved since then. Some more expensive headsets need to be connected to a computer so they can run apps and games, and some other less expensive ones use a cellphone clicked in the front of the headset. You can go to an app store specifically for virtual reality apps to download different ones, for example, a rollercoaster one which makes the user feel as if they are really on a rollercoaster. I have had the opportunity to try these headsets and I did the rollercoaster one. The realisticness of it amazed me. I truly felt as if I was on a rollercoaster; I felt the drop of my stomach when I went down a big hill.

There is also Augmented Reality, which is different from Virtual Reality as it uses the real world and adds to it (it adds digital elements to a real-life view usually using a smartphone). For example, you could be looking at your house, but include other characters to it. A popular example of Augmented Reality is the lenses available on Snapchat, which adds characters or an image into your picture. Another popular example is Pokemon GO, which shows you what is in front of you but adds in Pokemon GO characters.

pokemon-augmented-reality-ss-1920-800x450 — Augmented Reality showed in Pokemon Go (top) and Snapchat Lenses (bottom)

Augmented Reality showed in Pokemon Go (top) and Snapchat Lenses (bottom)

Both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality have become more and more popular and used in the last several years. The main difference between the two is that Virtual Reality does not use any aspect of real life (it is a completely virtual world), where Augmented Reality uses the real world and just adds digital elements to it. I would recommend trying out Virtual Reality if you ever have the opportunity as it really is a unique experience unlike anything else.

Here is a helpful website explaining more about Virtual Reality:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/10/virtual-reality-guide-headsets-apps-games-vr

Week 8 – Keto Diet

November 15, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

The Ketogenic (Keto) Diet is a diet that consists of foods that are low-carb and high fat. It involves reducing your carbohydrate intake quite significantly and replaces it with fat. Since you are reducing your carbohydrate intake it puts your body in a metabolic state, which is called ketosis. Ketosis makes your body become very efficient in its ability to burn fat for energy. A lot of research shows that this is a good diet to lose weight, because the high fat intake really fills you up, which reduces your calorie intake and in result can help you to lose weight. However, since it is still a newer diet there is still more research that needs to be done. Some people believe it is a good diet to go on for many health benefits, and others believe it is not.

So what are some of the benefits of a Keto Diet?

Can help for weight loss
Can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
May help clear skin

What are some of the disadvantages?

Reducing carb intake reduces your intake of essential vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, and fiber etc.
“Keto Flu” which can include symptoms such as low energy levels, increased hunger, sleep problems, nausea and more

Here is a sample meal plan if you were on a Keto Diet:

Breakfast: Bacon, eggs, and tomatoes
Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil and feta cheese
Dinner: Salmon with asparagus cooked in butter
Breakfast: Fried eggs with bacon and mushroom
Lunch: Burger with salsa, cheese, and guacamole
Dinner: Steak and eggs with a side salad

Nutritionists and studies show that the Keto Diet can be beneficial and cause weight loss when used short-term. Most do not recommend to do it long term as carbohydrates are essential for us for energy and certain important vitamins and minerals. There is also not much information about its long-term effects yet. Like most diets, it also depends on your body type and lifestyle for if this diet would work for you. The diet that nutritionists seem to recommend the most for a healthy lifestyle is one that is balanced, unprocessed, rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains, lean meats, nuts, seeds, olive oil and lots of water.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next weeks post about intermittent fasting 🙂

References:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101#other-benefits

https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-eating/a27024/the-ketogenic-high-fat-diet-is-it-safe-and-does-it-work/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089

Week 8 – Pros and Cons Function

November 15, 2018elissahallidayLeave a comment

Excel has many templates you can choose from for various different activities such as a to-do list, an inventory tracker, a weekly timesheet and much more. After looking through all these templates one in particular really stood out for me, the pros vs. cons template. I like this one because it is useful when deciding between two things, which is a common occurrence in my daily life.

The pros and cons template is different than just making one by hand because you can rate the value/ importance of each item. At the end when you have inputted all your data excel will calculate the values of each one and tell you which one (pros or cons) wins! This function helps you to make a decision but it also provides a place where you can put your thoughts down. It helps you to compare and analyze the data in your list. Here is what the template looks like when you first click on it.

Screen Shot 2018-11-15 at 12.34.15 PM.png

To use this template you enter items into the item section and enter values under the importance section (scale of 0-10). You enter the value of importance to indicate the weight of each of those items. 10 is the highest importance and 0 is the lowest. Excel calculates the total value of all the items under the pro section and the con section to show you, which one is more important to you. The rating scale is basic but very helpful. You can categorize the items alphabetically to help you organize your list or just put them in whatever order is most helpful for you. I made my own pros and cons list using this template and I found it super helpful and easy to use. I especially like how they calculate the values up to show you which one wins. This made it easy for me to realize which one is more important to me. Here is the beginning of the list I made. Screen Shot 2018-11-15 at 12.11.08 PM.png

Overall, I would highly recommend this Excel template to anyone who likes to make pro and con lists. It is an easy way to observe and value your items.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next weeks post!

References:

https://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/pros-and-cons-list.html