BP9_RILS Links

Check out the comments I left on Kimber Moler's blog page (Kimber's Expedition in Education). Kimber's project is an awesome example of collaboration and communication in action. Here's the link if you missed the first one.

I also left comments on Jessica Wunder's blog (Learning Through Doing: New Approaches to Education).

Jessica is planning on utilizing virtual  manipulatives in her math lab, which I believe is a great way to engage any student. Although she wasn't able to try this with actual students, her coworkers were gracious enough to be her guinea pigs. Here's the link to Jessica's blog if you missed the first one. 

Both Kimber's and Jessica's RILS projects are prime examples of how technology, combined with creativity, and communication, can be great motivators for learning. 

BP9_Final Project

Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario

David Middlebrook

Brief Overview: A RILS will be carried out with a small group of students in an after-school setting. Since the project will be implemented during the first week of instruction for the new school year, I will have to utilize returning students for the project. The students will collaborate in groups of two and utilize a web 2.0 tool to create music from readily available music tracks, beats, and loops. The project will be very hands-on, teacher facilitated, and learner-centered. Once students have been given the basic rules for the project, they are free to explore, collaborate, and design some new music in any style available through the tool. Once the music is created, the teams will create a tutorial for other classes on how they used the tool to create music.

•    Target Audience-

•                Two to four high school band students grades 9-12

•                After-school setting (eventually in the regular school setting)

•                2 to 3 hours

•    Materials–

•                Computer with broadband Internet access

•                Speakers or headphones

•                M Audio interface and microphone

•                Musical instruments if needed

•                Aviary account

•                Screencast-o-matic account

•    Objectives– At the end of this scenario the learner will be able to:

•                Evaluate two different web 2.0 creation music tools (Aviary Myna and     Roc)

•                Differentiate the capabilities between the tools and determine which they  
              will use to create their music.     

•                Create music paying attention to form, style, and musicality.

•                Demonstrate how they implemented the tool by creating a screen capture video utilizing            
             Screencast-o-matic.

•    Procedure–

1.     Students will be introduced to the web 2.0 tools Aviary Myna, Roc, and Screencast-o-matic.

2.     Allow the students to watch any of the tutorials listed here. 

3.     In their groups, students will assign roles as needed in order to build their music creations. These roles could consist of: Creative artist, Media producer, Mix engineer, and Documentarian.

4.     At this point, students should be given time to experiment with styles and sounds to come up with one that works for them.

5.     The producer and artist collaborate on ideas to help the engineer with dropping the correct beats, as well as the supporting instruments that are supplied by the tool.

6.     Once the music is created, give them an opportunity to record any available instruments into their creation to add more effect.

7.     Have the groups demonstrate their project to the other groups and explain their process in creating it.

8.     Have each group self-evaluate their project:

o   What did you like/dislike about the project?

o   How could you improve upon what you did?

o   How could you explain the steps in doing this project?

9. Have each group create a screen capture using Screencast-o-matic.com describing the steps necessary to create their project that could be utilized in another class.

•    Web 2.0 Tool– Aviary Myna and Roc are web 2.0 music creation tools that are very different in nature. Myna is a music creator that gives the client 10 music tracks where they can record in, or utilize the available music loops and sounds to design their own music with. Roc is a much different program that doesn’t show tracks with sound wave visuals, but has tracks with a series of on/off buttons in order to tell the sound when to play or be silent. This one is good for creating a looped beat. Screencast-o-matic is an online screen capture tool.

•    Social Participation/Social Learning– The learners during this RILS will have plenty of opportunity to work with their peers in a collaborative environment. Each person in the teams will be responsible for a different segment of the project and the team will make decisions as a team on how to implement the project as a whole.

•    Making Connections– This scenario will help the learner connect on multiple levels.

   v Students will use previous knowledge about music form, styles, and theory to create.

   v Students will pick a style of music that is familiar to them.

   v Students will share their creation with their classmates, other teachers, administrators, and parents.

•    Create/Produce – The end product will be either an mp3 transferred to their player, or a CD to take home, and a video tutorial to share with other classes.

•    Assessment – *See the following rubric.

•    Reflection – Students will document their ideas about their project using the following questions as prompts.            

v Did you like/dislike your project?

v What would you have changed if you disliked it?

v What advice could you give other students if they are to use the tool?

The teacher will document or videotape a narration regarding the use of the tool, the process used to utilize it, the usefulness of it, and the possible outcome.

*RILS Assessment Rubric

	25 points	20 points	15 points	10 points
Music Creation through loops and sound clips	Learner created a complete song following conventional song form and converted to mp3 or wav form.	Learner created a complete song following conventional song form but did not convert to mp3 or wav form.	Learner created a song but did not follow conventional song form, nor converted it to mp3 or wav form.	Learner did not create a song.
Form and style	Learner made critical decisions about the style and form of the song in a collaborative effort.	Learner made decisions about the style and form of the song with some collaboration.	Learner made decisions about style but no collaboration was present.	No decisions were made about form and style and no critical thinking was present.
Reflection	Learner participated in the reflection and gave insight into a deeper understanding of the topic	Learner participated in the reflection and showed a basic understanding of the topic.	Learner participated in the reflection but gave basic comments like “It was good” or “I didn’t like it”	Learner did not participate in the reflection.
Tutorial	Learner created a screen capture tutorial and described in detail the steps in creating the music.	Learner created a screen capture tutorial and described the steps with some detail.	Learner created a screen capture tutorial with very few helpful details.	Learner did not attempt to created a screen capture tutorial.

·      Reflections and Recommendations                   

           

            The RILS project was a great introduction into introducing web 2.0 tools to my students. The students involved in the process were asked to meet after school, since this was the first week of the instructional year. My plan called for one to two hours of time to complete the project. When I actually implement this with a larger group I will consider increasing the time needed to complete the tasks.

            Students involved in using Aviary Myna, Roc, and Screencast-o-matic, were completely excited about playing with the new tool. They were engaged in the process, and were quickly able to navigate the tool and create a product. It took longer than expected to complete parts of the project due to some technical difficulties but the students were still able to complete their assignment.

BP9_RILS Publication from David Middlebrook on Vimeo.

PE5_Myna, Roc, and Screencast-o-matic

In order to demonstrate the ability of the Aviary tools, Myna and Roc, I created a music track purely based on free sounds that were already available in the web 2.0 tool. First, I created a rock beat in Roc. I first opened the Myna tool, selected the beats tab, and was directed to Roc automatically. When in the Roc I selected a rock style beat and was given a template with rock beat sounds complete with kick drum, snare, toms, and cymbals. Beats are created by selecting fractions of a beat over a period of two measures, or eight beats. If your not sure what that means, all the musicians out there do. Once I created the beat I liked, it was a simple process to save and import into the Myna tool.
Myna was able to import the drum track without any issues. I found an interesting sounding track within Myna to add to the drum track and imported it into the session. Myna has a few editing tools, like fades, trimming, and track muting, that I used to make the song sound like a seamless unit.
Over the course of the project, I used Screencast-o-matic.com to document some of the steps. The video below quickly shows some of the screens and processes for creating music quickly for use in video projects. I didn't use the recording feature of Myna, which is limited in feature, but has the capability of recording short segments of voice and instrument.
The Aviary tools are fairy simple to use, are cost free, and has music that can be used royalty free. The features for Myna and Roc are fairly limited compared to software versions like Pro Tools, Logic Pro, or Nuendo, but you can't beat free.


PE5_RILS from David Middlebrook on Vimeo.

PE4_Myna, Roc, and Screencast-o-matic

I have chosen to incorporate two web 2.0 tools into my Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario (RILS) project. I will incorporate the Aviary tools Myna and Roc, as well as the Screencast-o-matic screen capture tool that were posted in my BP2 and BP7 blogs.

Aviary has two different sections that I think would be a great beginning lesson for introducing students into audio editing and creation. First, Myna offers the students the ability to utilize hundreds of music loops, sound segments, and beats. The software also allows the students the ability to record their voice, instruments, or other sounds to add to their project. This could be great tool for creating a podcast.

The second function of the music tool is called Roc and it functions as a drum loop creator. The user can build a loop by simply selecting each sound they want to play at each beat or fraction of a beat. This is also an effective cross-curricular math tool to teach fractions. The session in Roc can be seamlessly incorporated into the Myna session to be used as the drum loop.

Finally, I have decided to incorporate Screencast-o-matic.com into the equation by having the students document their experience creating music through a tutorial screen capture video. Peer teaching can be important for students in the learning process, and what a unique way of doing it through technology.

BP7_OMM

Check out my one minute video describing the web 2.0 tool Screencast-o-Matic. This is a free online screen capture device that anyone can use to create tutorials, lessons, class projects, or business presentations.



Screencast-o-matic one minute description from David Middlebrook on Vimeo.

BP6_Link to Mr. Smith's Education Station

Follow this link to view my comments on Jason Smith's blog.

BP5_Link to Designing My Educational Future

Follow this link to see my comments on Stephanie Waldner's blog.

BP4_Screencast-O-Matic

When looking for another web 2.0 tool to try out I wasn’t sure what to look for at first. I have most of the tools I need on my MacBook Pro. The problem is that my school district is primarily a PC based district and most of the Mac computers have been removed from campuses. So I began a search for tools to replace the ones that I use on my Mac while I am at work on a PC platform.

One tool that I may not have access to from school is a screen capture tool. On my Mac I use ScreenFlow, which allows the user to record video of the computer desktop to be used for multiple purposes. Teachers use the software for creating tutorial videos. Students can use them for projects in demonstrating understanding of a subject. Business people can use the tool for creating sales pitches or product demonstration.

The web 2.0 tool that I decided to try out was www.Screencast-O-Matic.com. 

There is a free version of the tool that allows the user up to 15 minutes of record time, free hosting, upload capability, recording from webcam, and exporting to different file formats. The pro version has a few more bells and whistles like advanced editing controls and offline accessibility, and only cost $12 per year to use. 

I ran a trial video of the tool and found that it did the job effectively and was very easy to work. I found that this tool could easily substitute for the ScreenFlow software on my Mac while I am at work.

PE3_iMovie

I finished watching the iMovie tutorials on lynda.com. I have to say that iMovie has just about anything you need to create a good looking video, even for someone that has never worked with an editor before. It is very easy to navigate and has drop and drag settings that is very quick and helpful. This software will come in handy as I continue the EMDT program at Full Sail, especially when I get into the CBR project with my students.

Here is the certificate of completion of the iMovie tutorials from lynda.com. There was so much content in the tutorials that I'm sure I'll have to come back to when I get stuck. Even so, I have a much better handle on the software now.

PE2_iMovie

After watching a few more of the videos I thought I would try out some of the new tools available in iMovie. I have created a movie trailer of video clips used in our EMDT program at Full Sail. Some of the clips needed color adjustments, so I used some of the tools I learned about in the lynda.com tutorials to edit and clean up some of the videos. The video isn't perfect, but it was a fun trial project and has given me ideas on how I can use this in my classroom. 

PE1_iMovie

Prior to using Apple's iMovie I had spent some time working with another video editor called Sony Vegas. Since it had been a while since I used the Vegas software I had become out of touch with video editing in general. While working in iMovie it became apparent that this is a different type of editor. I was able to manipulate the software without having to watch hour upon hour of tutorials. I thought that I was getting a handle on the software until...............wait...............I watched the tutorials on lynda.com. This software, although intuitive enough for the beginner, has plenty of editing power that even the most advanced video guru can have fun with it.

The first few video tutorials by Garrick Chow were common types of functions for any video software. (how to import media) Next, the tutorials got into the nuts and bolts of how to organize, rate, and tag video clips for quick recall when building movies. What really grabbed my attention was the tutorials on editing and fine tuning your video. I have included a screenshot of the slip editing function. which is an example of the fine tuning editing functions that can make the editing process more efficient and effective. I look forward to finishing the tutorials to find out more of the creativity functions of iMovie.

Slip editing function

BP2_Aviary

While searching for web 2.0 tools to utilize in my band classroom I cam across several audio editing and creation tools that would be fun for students in the elementary level, but may not have the same appeal for the high school level where I teach. I did, however, come across a site that would work well for creating loops and possibly podcasts. The site is called Aviary and it not only has audio tools but also has image editing and creation, screen capture, logo creation, and illustrations.

Myna

The audio editor is called Myna and can be a versatile tool for students to try their hand at combining sounds and loops to create music for a podcast, picture story project, or video project. 

The Myna tool is fairly simple to navigate and allows you access to multiple freeware loops that you could use to create music beds for yours and your students projects.

The Aviary website has tutorials on how to utilize each tool and gives you basic steps on how to drag and drop loops into the editor screen on Myna. In just a few short steps you are able to drop a loop, add an effect, trim up an audio file, add your recorded voice, and save the file as an mp3. I had some trouble with recording live voice into Myna from my laptop. It may work better if your Internet source is direct versus wireless. I will keep experimenting and post here if I come up with a solution.

Roc

Another tool within the Aviary site is a music creator called Roc. This tool is a music creator page very similar to Ambleton Live that gives you access to 10 tracks in which you can create beats and grooves that can be saved to Aviary and downloaded as wav or mp3 files. These files are also free to use because they are your creations, you just utilize the sounds that Roc gives you access to. There are tutorials on how to use this tool and many other tool on the site.

Well, that’s it. Aviary has tools that can be utilized in multiple teaching, learning, and personal scenarios. If you are unable to purchase audio software for education purposes, web 2.0 tools are a good alternative that can bear great benefits. 

BP3_iGoogleScreenShots

Here are screenshots for my newly designed iGoogle tabs for my EMDT master's program. I like the functionality that iGoogle offers for keeping important links and content in the forefront of your browser's viewing area. This will make keeping track of important dates, blog posts, email, and content a bit more organized.

Home Tab

                                                             

FSO/CBR Tab

ETC Tab

BP1_Welcome to my blog

Welcome!

This is my first blog site, ever! Can you say "newby". (picture compliments of my wife) That's not saying much since I set up my Twitter and Facebook in the last twelve months. Hmmm............ don't judge me.

Anyway, I hope that the avenue of blogging will help me break the barrier of being part of an online community. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind expressing myself, I just haven't seen the value in the process until our masters coursework at Full Sail.

That being said, I'm looking forward to reading others blogs and hopefully hearing from a few of you as this new adventure for me begins.