“I would say if your students end up with an appreciation, or even better, a love for music, then you have done your job right!” – @musically8

The #MusEdChat held on July 5th 2010 discussed what the participants thought defined a successful music teacher in today’s society. @Zweibz7 broke the chat up into how different groups of people view a successful program.

Successful Music Teacher as Defined By Parents

First music educators discussed what parents are looking for in a successful music teacher. Many stated that unfortunately, parents often look for only good concerts, or awards and trophies from festivals. Some stated, though that music teachers are often evaluated by the happiness of the students involved in the program. @KFreesen stated though, “Parents seem to want to have a teacher who is fun. The ones I’ve dealt with haven’t put performance quality as priority.” Most teachers felt that good ensembles are a sign of a good program, but they were sure to relay that it is only one aspect of the entire program. The participants stressed how vital parents are to a music program. Getting their support helps to keep the students active in music, and serves as great advocacy for the music program in general.

Successful Music Teacher as Defined By Administrators

#MusEdChat participants then started to discuss what a successful music program looks like to administrators. Many of the tweets stated that administrators are mostly concerned about having happy parents, happy students in the program, and getting good press from the program. Administrators also like to see a lot of students in the music program. Many places begin to cut music teacher positions if enough students are not enrolled in the program. #MusEdChat participants discussed how to advocate to administration in a previous chat – be sure to check it out!

Successful Music Teacher as Defined By Students

Chat participants had many ideas of what their students think make a successful music teacher. @justine_robin stated that if students aren’t bored in class, they will see their teacher as successful. Students also want somebody who can relate to them and teach to them on their level. Many educators said that students are looking for teachers who truly care about them. This can be relayed in multiple facets, including sticking around when the school day ends, and talking to students on a personal level – getting to know who they are outside of the classroom.

Successful Music Teacher as Defined By Music Teachers

To end the #MusEdChat, the participants decided to make a list of what they thought made a successful music teacher. Here are some of the ideas that were tossed out:

• Always doing everything with students as the center.
• Knowledgeable of music
• Encouraging/supportive of a student’s creativity and supportive of them as a person.
• Eager to keep learning
• Learning how to do your craft better so you can show them how to do it better.
• Meeting students at their level, then bringing them up through your teaching.
• Minimizing distractions to learning by taking care of administrative items ahead of time.
• Willingness to work with EVERY student.
• Inspiring a need for musical expression.
• Has and instills a love for music in all its forms.
• Has flexibility to handle multiple ability levels.
• Learning the needs of the community you teach in and meeting them where they are.
• Have high expectations of everyone, especially yourself.
• Have a passion for what you do – why live any other way?

Previously, music educators shared what many years of experience has taught them including many tips and tricks. If you’re looking for advice, find it here!

Related posts:

1. #MusEdChat Recap – Advocacy to Administration (5/10/2010) “If your program is significant and relevant to students, families,...
2. #MusEdChat Recap – Alignment of K-12 Programs (4/12/2010) Participants of the #MusEdChat held on April 12, 2010 discussed...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Collaboration (3/15/2010) The #MusEdChat on 3-15-2010 discussed the topic “ How have...

One of the biggest obstacles I have heard for people interested in participating in #MusEdChat that participating requires a basic knowledge of Twitter. In order to combat that issue, I’m going to use this post to walk you through how to get set up to participate in #MusEdChat quickly and easily. Enjoy!

Step 1: Get on Twitter

MYTH: Twitter is NOT a service to let you tell your friends what you’re eating for breakfast!

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way… here are the easy steps to setting up a Twitter account so you can participate in #MusEdChat:

1. Go to the Twitter Homepage (http://twitter.com)
2. Click “Sign Up”
3. Enter the requested information-see below for tips on filling this out!
4. Click “Create My Account.” You may be requested to enter some “Captcha” information for anti-SPAM purposes
5. Check your email for the address you entered, and click the confirmation link in the email you receive
6. You’re all set up! Once you’re logged in, go to Settings -> Profile and upload an avatar. While you’re here, you should also fill out your bio.

Tips for your profile information:

• Username: This should be something that can be tied to you (consider including part of your name), and professional in nature. Also, try to keep it short in length – remember, you only get 140 Characters in Twitter, and people talking to or about you will need to include your username as part of their 140 characters!
• Password: Make it safe!
• Email: Use a professional address, similar to one you would use on college applications and resumes.
• Avatar: Your avatar should reflect who you are! It should actually be YOU (your face, that is) and should reflect your personality
• Bio: This is your 160-character “elevator pitch” to potential followers. Tell people who you are, what you talk about, and what you’re interested in.
• Location/Web: Fill them out if you can/want. If you have a website, use it! If not, you can always point to your LinkedIn profile. I would advise against linking to your Facebook profile, unless you don’t mind potential employers seeing your Facebook!

Great. You’re on Twitter! Now what?

Step 2: Learn the Important Concepts

Some important concepts/terms to know about Twitter that will help you navigate the site:

• Tweet: This is a Twitter update. You can send a Tweet by posting in the “What’s Happening?” box on your Twitter homepage, by text message (if you set up Mobile in your settings), or from an external application.
• Follow: Unlike Facebook, following on Twitter does not have to be confirmed by the person being followed. You can follow anyone with a Twitter account, without needing their approval. Tweets from anyone you follow will be displayed in chronological order on your homepage, with the most recent tweets appearing at the top.
• Mention: When you want to refer specifically to or about a Twitter user, you can include a mention in your tweet. To do this, simply put the @ sign before their username. For example:

Happy Birthday to @pisanojm!

You can view all mentions about you by clicking the “@ Username” link in the sidebar of your homepage.

• Reply: This is a specific type of mention in which you are replying to an individual tweet by someone else. You can do this by hovering over the tweet you want to reply to, and clicking the “Reply” link. This will automatically put a Mention of the user into your tweet box, and allow you to type your response. Replies are different from Mentions because when you view a Reply, you have the option to see what tweet it was in response to.
• Retweet: If someone posts a tweet you feel is worth sharing with your followers, you can Retweet it! To do this, hover over the tweet, and click the “Retweet” button. This will display that tweet in the timeline of all your followers, even if they don’t follow the original author of the tweet. You may also see tweets containing “RT @Zweibz7: ” – this is a way that users Retweet a comment while retaining the ability to add their own commentary (usually before the RT label, or after the entire RT’ed text).
• Profile: Your profile is located at http://twitter.com/yourusername. Your profile will only show tweets by you, and RT’s that you have published (through the RT link, with no commentary).
• Direct Messages: These are private one-way messages from one user to another. Nobody else can see these messages. In order to DM someone, they must be following you, although you don’t necessarily have to be following them. You can see your DM’s by clicking the “Direct Messages” link.
• Favorite: If you mark a tweet as a Favorite (hover over the Tweet and click on the star), it will be stored under the “Favorites” tab on the Twitter link. This can be great for Tweets containing links to articles you want to read eventually, or particularly inspiring tweets you want fast access to.
• Hashtag: A hashtag begins with a # sign, and helps categorize a Tweet for searching purposes. For example, many people post content on the #MusEdChat hashtag over the course of the week (including me posting topic poll information, recap links, etc.) – this allows all the users to search for one common phrase (“#MusEdChat”) and gather the information. To include a hashtag in your tweet, simply place the # sign before the tag.

Step 3: Start Following!

The next step to being ready for #MusEdChat is to follow some Music Educators! Dr. Joseph Pisano (@pisanojm on Twitter) has made this process extremely easy by creating a list of Recommended Music Educators to Follow on Twitter. You can automatically view and follow all the great members on this list (53 of them!) by checking out the list’s page on TweepML or by clicking this button:

That was easy, wasn’t it?!

Step 4: Get Ready to Chat

Once you’re set up with an account, understand the lingo, and have begun to build your Twitter network, it’s time to get ready for the chat. The first thing to do is to start searching for the #MusEdChat hashtag ALL the time (not just at 8pm on Mondays!). Enter #MusEdChat in the search bar on the right of your Twitter page, and click the “Save this Search” link to keep a quick link in your sidebar. As you browse, be sure to check the #MusEdChat feed for great links/discussion, and for important updates on the chat!

Each week, I post a poll using TwtPoll where anyone can vote on what topic they would like to discuss in this week’s chat. You can always find the most updated poll by visiting http://musicedmajor.net/musedchat/poll (bookmark this!). Be sure to vote each week for what YOU want to discuss.

So, you’ve got your account and network set up, you’re following #MusEdChat and voting in polls… it’s 7pm on a Monday night, and it’s time to get ready for the chat! How in the world will you keep track of all this information? There are a few services you can use to keep track of the flow of information during the chat, but I will recommend TweetGrid. @pisanojm has also made this process extremely user friendly by creating a TweetGrid template for #MusEdChat. When you open this template, all you need to do is enter your username and password for Twitter underneath the “Tweet” area and enter your username in the rightmost column, and you’re set! The following columns have already been set up for you (you can always modify them to suit your own needs):

1. pisanojm – one of our moderators, this column allows you to see what Dr. Pisano is posting
2. Zweibz7 (that’s me!) – I’m a moderator for the chat, see what I’m saying in this column
3. #MusEdChat – follow this one during the chat to see what everyone is saying!
4. yourname – replace this with your username to keep track of your mentions during the chat

Step 5: Chat Time!

You’re all set, it’s 8pm, and it’s time to chat! Here’s what you can/should do:

• Follow the moderator columns to see what the topic is, and some specific questions for discussion. Post your answers in the “Tweet” area at the top and click “Tweet!” to share your thoughts
• Follow the tweets streaming into the #MusEdChat column, and if you see something you have an opinion on, hover over the tweet and click the “Reply” arrow to respond to that user’s comment
• Follow your mentions column to see who is responding to you
• If you see something worth sharing with everyone else, retweet it!

It’s that simple!

Step 6: After the Chat

After the chat is over (or if you missed the chat), I post a transcript of the chat on the #MusEdChat homepage. Stay tuned in to the #MusEdChat search on Twitter for the link. Also, the wonderful Andrew Ritenour (@andrewritenour) posts prose-based recaps of the chats here at MusicEdMajor.net. If you want to stay updated on these posts and more, consider subscribing to our feed!

I hope this tutorial was helpful in getting you set up on #MusEdChat! If you have other questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in comments to this post, and I’ll be sure to address them. Happy chatting!

Related posts:

1. #MusEdChat Update It has been almost three months since we started #MusEdChat,...
2. Announcing #MusEdChat! First off, I know it’s been a while since there’s...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Classroom Management (4/5/2010) The #MusEdChat held on April 5th, 2010 began with the...

“Quite a few people spend the summer playing or performing for joy instead of work! I love that.” – @girlfromPBO

The #MusEdChat held on June 28th, 2010 discussed ways teachers spent their time during the summer. This spanned from professional development to rest and relaxation.

What Teachers Actually Do During the Summer

The chat  began by discussing activities that they actually participate in over the summer. While many stated the importance of taking some time for yourself, they also suggested some great ideas to become better music teachers. A few of the participants said that they were using the summer months to become more literate in Web 2.0 Technology as it pertains to music education. Some teachers use the summer to catch up on some administrative duties of the job, like file music, organize things, and @shawdave will be adding his entire music library holdings to Google Docs. Other teachers are spending the summer brushing up on instruments. Performing is also an activity that teachers spend time with during the summer, generally through community groups. Advocacy is also an important aspect to summer that some teachers take advantage of, including getting principals and administrators behind their programs. @jimfrankel said that when he was teaching, he made a list of 5 things he would improve on for the next year. Since summer is a generally busy time for band directors, it offers a great opportunity for both undergraduate music education students, and teachers who don’t teach band to gain some experience in that area.

In an Ideal World…

Music educators began discussing what they would like to do over the summer. Many said that the summer should be spent doing whatever prepares them for the upcoming year. @jimfrankel suggested that teachers learn to compose, or brush-up on their composition skills. Along with this, some participants cited the importance of knowing how to improvise. Others would love to tour or staff with DCI bands. @LindsayMorelli said, “I think teachers should form summer performance ensembles. Great way to keep playing/singing, as well as talk about music!”

#MusEdChat Books

At one point during the chat, participants recommended a multitude of great books to each other. Some also tossed around the idea of collaborating with each other in a #MusEdChat Book chat. Since summer seems to be a time of professional development and relaxation, reading seemed to be a way to conquer both. @Zweibz7 compiled all of these books into a easily-navigable #MusEdChat Book List.

Connect With #MusEdChat!

Be sure to join us tonight at 8 PM EDT/12AM GMT for the next #MusEdChat. The topic will be, “What are ways we can teach across the curriculum in the music classroom?” Also, check out MusicPLN.Org, the new community for music educators which launches to the public today! This is a great way to connect with many of the #MusEdChat participants, and carry our Monday-night chats into full fledged discussions and learning opportunities! Check out MusicEdMajor.Net’s post,”Music Education Professional Learning Network Opens to Public.”

Related posts:

1. #MusEdChat Recap – Internet PD (6-7-10) “[Online professional development] is professional development for us, by us,...
2. #MusEdChat Recap – Relevance (3/29/2010) The #MusEdChat on 3/29/2010 focused on making music relevant. The...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Collaboration (3/15/2010) The #MusEdChat on 3-15-2010 discussed the topic “ How have...

“Blogging helps student musicians learn to think critically about their work and evaluate their performance.” – @LindsayMorelli

The #MusEdChat on June 21st, 2010 discussed how music educators use or could use blogs, podcasts and wikis in the music classroom. The topic for the evening was suggested by @katiesw1.

Blogs

Many of the participants saw the benefit of using blogs in the classroom. Some teachers use blogs instead of writing projects for their students in general music. This allows them to put their writing in an environment where their peers can comment on it. @thomasjwest uses blogs to offer challenges in order to keep his students practicing their instruments over the summer. In addition to practical uses of blogs in the classroom, music educators also discussed multiple benefits to having students participate in blogs. @palmerjosh thought that one of the benefits is getting students used to using technology. @Zweibz7 said,”One benefit to having students write blog posts is that parents can subscribe via email and be automatically kept informed!” This also has benefits for the teacher. When students blog an assignment, it is instantly archived so that the teacher can store it and use these archives to grade the projects. @jimfrankel also stated that when students realize their work is being read, they put more effort into their assignment. Music educators had mixed feelings about whether blog assignments should be done in class or as homework. Some felt that students should be given class time to complete such assignments, especially if they did not have a computer or internet connection at home. Along the same lines, some teachers felt that students already have too much homework. On the other hand, some of the participants thought that music class should be more about making music, and the blogs should be used as more of a reflection tool.

The #MusEdChat participants then began discussing how you can incorporate blogs into performing ensembles. Most felt that blogs were most effectively used as reflection tools for rehearsals. Students can get on the blog and discuss with each other how they felt rehearsal went, what they need to work on, etc. Students can do the same with performance critique using blogs. It could also be used to log rehearsal notes if students have to miss rehearsal.

Podcasts

Many of the participants have experience using podcasts with their students. @shawdave stated,” Yes to podcasting here. Announcements, recordings, will expand to student-produced interviews this year.” He also suggested having his students record assignments on their iPods, and then he would subscribe to their feeds. The idea was thrown out by @LindsayMorelli to podcast rehearsals for students who miss, or to use as general review. Teachers also cited the importance of developing followers of podcasts.

Wikis

Many teachers use and have ideas involving wikis. @CaseyMcCann said,” My goal is to create a comprehensive wiki that my teachers can use as a resource for different technical and curricular needs. It was also suggested to have a student-driven wiki where they are teaching each other various songs and aspects of music. Others stated that wikis help students to review information and draw connections between multiple topics. They also serve as a great way for students to communicate about what they are learning in general. Many of the participants were torn between wikis and Google Docs, as they both offer essentially the same collaborative nature for students. @musiccargirl14 suggested only using wikis for higher grade levels. When choosing between using a blog or a wiki, @gleneaglemusic said,” They’re different spaces: a blog is more of a publisher. Wiki is a collaborative tool (as well as presentation)

Related posts:

1. #MusEdChat Transcript-Blogs, Podcasts, Wikis (6/21/10) Below, please find the transcript from this week’s #MusEdChat. The...
2. #MusEdChat Recap – Classroom Management (4/5/2010) The #MusEdChat held on April 5th, 2010 began with the...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Technology (5/3/2010) “Technology is everywhere – kids will have their iPods in...

“Beginning of career= “I teach MUSIC”. After Experience: “I teach STUDENTS (music)”. Important distinction.” – @berkshirecat

This past Monday music teachers, professors, and students all gathered to participate in #MusEdChat. The topic they discussed was “What have you learned in your teaching experiences that you DIDN’T learn in school?” Undergrads benefited greatly from learning from the experiences of knowledgeable teachers.

Experience Breeds Wisdom

Many teachers in Monday’s chat shared alot of lessons that they learned from teaching. Quite a few of them expressed the fact that college didn’t prepare them for what they encountered in teaching. Rather they learned by teaching. In addition, educators felt that the theories you learn in college are just theories – it is our job to put them into context.  @Doremigirl suggested getting to know your students outside of class. This helps you to know them as a person better, and therefore you can teach them better. Many of the educators in this chat also cited the benefits of learning from other teachers. @musictechie suggested,”Part of teaching is building relationships and giving up your ego to talented students, ALLOWING them to soar.” Many teachers even stated that they have become better musicians as a result of teaching, improving on things such as aural skills and composition. Others discovered confidence when they started teaching. Many teachers said that they discovered that they could be themselves in front of the students. Some stated that they found confidence in learning what they weren’t taught in college. @richardmccreedy stated, ” I teach with three major areas of music – listening, composing, performing – all equal and inseparable.” @berkshirecat said that he learned to arrange music to the strengths of his ensembles. Almost every participant agreed that they learned to be flexible when it comes to teaching music.

The Importance of an Education Degree

The educators on #MusEdChat also discussed whether it was important to have a music education degree to teach music. @thomasjwest pointed out that in Pennsylvania public schools it is required to have a degree in education in order to teach. Others stated that many private schools do not require a degree in music education in order to teach. Many great arguments were brought up on both sides. @thomasjwest stated,”An education degree teaches you the mechanics of teaching. You can figure it out yourself along the way, though.” On the other hand, @CaseyMcCann argued,” A lot of private-lesson teachers have no degree, and it shows. They don’t understand sequencing, pacing.”

Participate in #MusEdChat

Now that most schools are out for the summer, it is the perfect time to participate in #MusEdChat. Join us on Monday, June 21st for the next chat!

Related posts:

1. #MusEdChat Recap – Rhythm (5-17-2010) “Rhythm & pulse are the frame that the painting is...
2. #MusEdChat Recap – Classroom Management (4/5/2010) The #MusEdChat held on April 5th, 2010 began with the...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Repertoire (4/26/10) “Repertoire is what your ensemble is going to learn musically,...

“[Online professional development] is professional development for us, by us, talking language we all understand.” – @shawdave

The #MusEdChat held on June 7th, 2010 discussed the possibilities of Professional Development via the internet. The chat participants began by discussing some common forms of professional development they are used to.

Professional Development – What It Is

One of the most common types of professional development that teachers are used to is conferences. Most teachers have experience attending these conferences. Generally there are a variety of different sessions to attend talking about issues relevant to whatever the teacher’s specialty is. @Zweibz7 then asked the participants how we could use the internet to take advantage of these opportunities. One way of doing this involves using Twitter. Participants can tweet during conferences to a particular blog. These tweets will appear on the specified blog or website, so that even people who do not attend the conferences can benefit from them. Also, participants pointed out that with traditional conferences it is rude to turn to your neighbor and start a discussion, even if it is relevant to the subject material. The internet provides an opportunity to have the conference continue, even after it is finished. In addition to conferences, educators seem to be quite familiar with lecturing. Quite a few participants seemed to be unhappy with their schools’ ideas of professional development consisting of information that isn’t relevant to their subject areas. Ideas to improve current professional development included more Wifi at conferences, relevant content, and the use of more online tools.

Professional Development – What it Could Be

Participants also discussed both what they want to see from professional development, and what they are already participating in but cannot get credit for it. Some of the educators mentioned Webinars, which are frequently offered by @SoundTree to help educate teachers after the school day is over. Many other venues offer professional development online including Twitter chats (such as both #MusEdChat and #EdChat). A big issue with professional development online is trying to convince administrators. Many of the educators shared that their administrators don’t know about online professional development and therefore dismiss it, or they seem afraid of anything technology and will not try it. The idea of virtual presenters was also suggested. For example, instead of hiring a speaker to come in for a session, have an expert Skype in for a session.

How to Convince Administrators

Many of the #MusEdChat shared ideas to convince administrators of the benefits of online professional development. One example is to show your administrator the transcripts of the Twitter chats you participate in (and possibly highlighting your contributions.) This is one concrete way you can show the process and benefits of one of these events. Others suggested to get them in on it gradually, showing them frequently what you get out of it. Most participants felt that if you have your administrator on board, you will see more subject-relevant information, and technologically-savvy presentations.

Join in the Next #MusEdChat!

The next #MusEdChat will happen on June 14th. The topic for this chat will be, “What have you learned in your teaching experience that you didn’t learn in school?” If you are unfamiliar with #MusEdChat, be sure to check out the #MusEdChat homepage to lean how to participate!

Related posts:

1. #MusEdChat Recap – Advocacy to Administration (5/10/2010) “If your program is significant and relevant to students, families,...
2. #MusEdChat Recap – Summer Preparation (6-28-10) “Quite a few people spend the summer playing or performing...
3. #MusEdChat Recap- Blogs/Podcasts/Wikis (6-21-10) “Blogging helps student musicians learn to think critically about their...

“We find that small group opportunities strengthen our large ensembles tenfold. So worth the time.” – @theresawhite

The #MusEdChat held on May 24th, 2010 discussed the importance of chamber ensembles in the music curriculum. The chat was broken into two different parts: “What is the importance of adding chamber groups to the curriculum?”, and “How can we facilitate these opportunities for our students?”

Benefits of Chamber Groups

Educators with experience using chamber ensembles had nothing but praise for the idea of incorporating them into the music curriculum. One of the benefits is that chamber groups give students a sense of personal responsibility and opportunities for leadership. Chat participants pointed out that students cannot “hide” in chamber groups. Rather, they feel the need to practice because they are more exposed. With teachers simply giving advice, students seem to take ownership of their ensembles to get them performance-ready. In addition, this teaches students how to listen across the ensemble for things to improve. Many educators stated that having students participate in small ensembles improves the product of their larger ensembles. @shawdave stated,”My students play better in band after working in trios and quartets.” In addition to this, chamber ensembles allow students to experience more and different repertoire. It was also stated that chamber groups will serve as yet another venue to hook students into music. Community involvement is another plus to these groups. Smaller ensembles not only allow students to have more opportunities to play in public, but strengthens the community-music department bond. This bond is invaluable when it comes to advocacy for your music department.

Possible Problems

The #MusEdChat teachers the discussed possible challenges to incorporating chamber ensembles into repertoire. It seemed as though teachers who have experience incorporating chamber groups didn’t see money as a big problem. Rather, time and space seemed to be the biggest challenges. Some directors do not think they have the time to incorporate more ensembles to their already-busy schedules. Others simply do not have the rooms to allow multiple chamber groups to rehearse at the same time, should chamber ensembles take place during an ensemble period.

Incorporating Chamber Ensembles

The chat participants then began talking about different ways to start incorporating small ensembles into their curriculum. A popular opinion was to use one rehearsal a week from the larger ensemble to rehearse chamber ensembles. Many of the educators on the chat also discussed possible performance opportunities for small ensembles. In addition to performing in the community, some had a chamber ensembles concert, highlighting the benefits of this type of program. Others had their chamber ensembles play at larger ensembles’ concerts during the changing of groups on stage. @thomasjwest suggested having a Friday night Cafe. Not only would this show off the chamber groups, but could double as a fundraiser for the program.

Tweet With Us!

Don’t miss the next #MusEdChat on June 14th at 8:00 PM EDT! Feel free to vote on what you want to discuss in the next chat by visiting the #MusEdChat Poll!

Related posts:

1. #MusEdChat Transcript-Chamber Music (5/24/10) Below, please find the transcript from this week’s #MusEdChat. The...
2. #MusEdChat Recap – Relevance (3/29/2010) The #MusEdChat on 3/29/2010 focused on making music relevant. The...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Alignment of K-12 Programs (4/12/2010) Participants of the #MusEdChat held on April 12, 2010 discussed...

“Rhythm & pulse are the frame that the painting is drawn on – nothing else matters without it.” – @thomasjwest

The #MusEdChat on May 17th, 2010 was moderated by @MusicEdTech. The topic for the evening was: What methods do you use to introduce and improve rhythm reading and writing in your classroom setting? Many great methods and tips were passed along during this chat.

What Is Rhythm?

Rhythm was defined by educators in many different ways. Here are a few that were shared:

“RHYTHM is duration of sound. It’s more than just playing or clapping subdivisions of beats” – @MusicEdTech

“Rhythm is small beats (8th’s for example), big beats (quarters for example) and melodic rhythm on top.” – @rizzrazz

“Rhythm is the combination of long and short sounds.” – @clb1015

“Rhythm to me is the organization of sound and silence and the duration of both is a part of said organization” – @justine_robin

Teaching With Syllables

Alot of good methods were offered by multiple music educators. Some teachers felt that flash cards were a great way to instill common patterns in younger students. Others use words with a certain number of syllables to teach different rhythms. Animals (dog for quarter notes, pup-py for eighth notes), states (Maine for quarter notes, U-tah for eighth notes, Miss-iss-ipp-i for sixteenth notes), and food were all great ways to teach different rhythms to younger students. The participants also discussed multiple syllables for older students to help in learning rhythms. Many educators follow the “one- ee- and- ah” method for counting (One for quarter note, One- and for eighth notes, One – ee- and- ah for sixteenth notes). @mrsbrownmusic suggested using the ta ti-ti method ( ta for quarter notes, ti-ti for eighth notes). The participants seemed to agree that the specific syllables used to teach rhythm doesn’t matter, as long as you are consistent with one of them. Educators also discussed the important of rote learning with younger students. While rote memorization isn’t necessarily the best method of teaching many things, it is important to instill basic rhythms and processes of learning in students while they are younger, and rote is the best way to do this. As stated by @joshlabell,”With rote learning the kids get the sound in their heads first then you can build upon it. I use it in my classroom and private lessons.”

Other Ways to Teach Rhythm

Chat participants discussed many other ways to teach rhythm, many of them including technology. @selfmike suggested putting passages into Finale, taking a screen shot of it, and then incorporating it into a PowerPoint. @justine_robin then suggested teaching rhythm using notation software so that the teacher could change the rhythm on the screen real-time. @thomasjwest also suggested using the resources offered by Smart Music to facilitate some rhythm lessons.  Many of the educators in the chat suggested using warm-ups to teach rhythms. Just as warm-ups can be used to introduce new keys or time signatures, teachers can use them to teach rhythms. Some suggested playing scales in rhythms that may be a trouble spot in songs that students are performing. @shawdave said that he even makes up specific warm-ups to deal with whatever problem the students are having rhythmically. Teachers also stated that it is important for the students to be able to hear rhythms first in order to be introduced to them before they are able to play them.@MiamiFlute offered a rule of thumb for teaching rhythm: “SOUND before SIGHT before THEORY.”

Movement and Improvisation

Educators also discussed the importance of movement. Many #MusEdChat teachers felt that teaching students to feel the beat was perhaps the hardest part of teaching rhythm. So, teachers use movement to help students to do this. @MusicEdTech stated,” I find that kids don’t even know where the BEAT is so I start there. March in place and clap on a beat then move the beat around”.

Improvisation was another effective way of teaching rhythm that music teachers found valuable. Many suggested great ways to do this. Some felt the best way is to form a drum circle, and have students set up a groove while one student improvises. The idea of having students choose from a list to start out was added to this idea. Others suggested having students simply use one or two notes to improvise with only the rhythm.

Assessment Through Dictation

Teachers discussed ways to asses the understanding of rhythm in students. One of the biggest ways to do this is through rhythmic dictation. It seemed that the general thoughts of the participants were to use rhythmic dictation in moderation. @MusicEdTech also suggested that this is a good way for students to hear certain rhythms as well.

Hope to tweet with you at the next #MusEdChat!

Related posts:

1. #MusEdChat Recap – Advocacy to Administration (5/10/2010) “If your program is significant and relevant to students, families,...
2. #MusEdChat Recap – Technology (5/3/2010) “Technology is everywhere – kids will have their iPods in...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Classroom Management (4/5/2010) The #MusEdChat held on April 5th, 2010 began with the...

“If your program is significant and relevant to students, families, and community, that IS your advocacy.” – @teaching_music

The #MusEdChat held on May 10th, 2010 discussed ways to advocate to members of the administration and community. Many great ideas were proposed from experienced music educators.

What Administrators Want to See

#MusEdChat participants began the chat by discussing what they thought administrators would like to see from a healthy music program. They discussed different aspects like a large number of students involved in the music department, and a quality product from the ensembles the department offers. Multiple educators stated that administrators want to see evidence that students in the department are learning. In addition, participants felt that administrators like to see music departments that are active in the community.

Advocacy to Administration

Participants also tossed around ideas that will show the importance of music programs to administrators. Some suggested to involve administrators or other teachers in concerts if they have the ability to play an instrument. Also, @brandtschneider suggested that we as music educators need to stress growth through measuring and showing it, and ultimately using it as an anchor for advocacy. @thomasjwest suggested doing this by recording an ensemble regularly and comparing them over the course of a semester or the entire year. Tom also suggested having a district-wide concert (all band K-12, for example). This kind of concert not only shows the parents how far students can go if they stay in the program, but it also excites younger students to see the caliber of the more advanced students. The community can also serve a very important part in advocacy. If your department regularly plays for the community and the community is behind your department, they will also step up to save your program if the administration or school board try to cut it. Educators felt it was important to have students perform often in the community and in front of their peers. It is also important to have a good relationship with your administrators. This takes quite a few forms. Some educators suggested personally inviting them to your concerts. In addition, thank them in some way during your concert for their support, whether it be verbally, in the program, or both. It was also suggested to send thank-you notes to administrators when you and your students return from conferences and festivals.

Join the Chat!

We are always excited to have new educators (and college students) involved in the #MusEdChat. If you haven’t participated in any, we would love to chat with you. #MusEdChat happens every Monday at 8:00 PM EDT on Twitter. Learn how to participate here!

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2. #MusEdChat Recap – Chamber Ensembles (5-24-10) “We find that small group opportunities strengthen our large ensembles...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Technology (5/3/2010) “Technology is everywhere – kids will have their iPods in...

“Technology is everywhere – kids will have their iPods in their pockets anyway. Let’s get them using them in a positive way.” – @funmusicco

The topic of the #MusEdChat held on May 3rd, 2010 focused on reasons to incorporate Music Technology into music curriculum.

Music Tech: What is it and why should we use it?

We began by discussing what the term music technology means. Many good examples were given. Here are a couple of them:

“To me anything tech that can be used to consume or create music can be included” – @justine_robin

“Music Tech is any tool that enhances how we learn & process the music. More integral today.” – @rizzrazz

After the term was defined the chat participants began giving reasons why to include technology into the music classroom. The reasons spanned a couple of planes. Some believed that music technology should be incorporated to reach the students who are not enrolled in band, orchestra or chorus. As @MusicEdTech pointed out, “80% of students in a school DO NOT take Band Orch or Chorus.” Some other chat participants felt that technology should be incorporated into music curriculum because of the increasing influence of technology on everyday life. Because of this, students need to know how to use and apply it to whatever they are doing, including music. @katiesw1 pointed out that technology ,” helps to address different learning styles. You can present the same information in different ways.”

Integrating Technology

#MusEdChat participants shared great ways to both incorporate technology in the general music class, and develop a music technology class. Many educators warned not to try to make over your entire department all at once with technology. Instead, start with one piece of software, and expand from that. Multiple participants also cautioned against teaching technology for the sake of technology. Music educators should teach music using technology as an extremely important tool.

Ideas for setting up technology in the music classroom varied. @MusicEdTech suggested reformatting general music using MIDI keyboards and notation software, and teaching through composition. Many educators cited the convenience of YouTube as well. It can help to explain multiple aspects of the lesson including historical context and videos related to what they are learning. Most participants felt that recording was an important aspect as well. Educators suggested recording performances and rehearsals and having students assess themselves. Some even suggested using the recorded rehearsals and performances to show administrators the progress your students are making.

Be sure to join a fantastic group of music educators in the next #MusEdChat this Monday, June 7th at 8:00 PM EST!

Related posts:

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2. #MusEdChat Recap – Rhythm (5-17-2010) “Rhythm & pulse are the frame that the painting is...
3. #MusEdChat Recap – Collaboration (3/15/2010) The #MusEdChat on 3-15-2010 discussed the topic “ How have...