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HOW TO: Get Started on #MusEdChat

07/26/10 By 1 Comment

The Web 2.0 world has been expanding rapidly over the past year or so, and if you haven’t jumped on board already, now is the time! In addition to the newly-launched MusicPLN, a fast and easy way to get involved in a Professional Learning Network that will get you immediate results is to participate in a #MusEdChat – a weekly twitter chat for, by, and about music educators!

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!
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Filed Under: #MusEdChat, Professional Development Tagged With: , , , , , ,

#MusEdChat Update

05/27/10 By 5 Comments

It has been almost three months since we started #MusEdChat, the weekly Twitter chat about Music Education, so I thought this would be a good time to update everyone on the progress of the chat, as well as sharing some information about our plans for the next few weeks and the rest of the summer.

The Chat So Far

We started the chat on March 1, 2010 with a great discussion on Assessment in the music classroom. Since then, the chat has continued to flourish. We have had a total of 13 chats so far, with topics ranging from advocacy to the use of web 2.0 technology in music. Our chat on the alignment of K-12 Music Programs on April 12th broke all the previously held records for attendance, with 43 users combining for a whopping 687 tweets!

We have also been expanding our group of #MusEdChat “moderators” as the chat has continued to grow. The chat started out with myself (@Zweibz7 on Twitter) and Dr. Joseph Pisano (@pisanojm) as moderators. As we’ve gained more popularity, Thomas J. West (@thomasjwest) and Barbara Freedman (@MusicEdTech) have joined us as guest moderators.

As popular as the chats have been, our time of 8pm Monday Nights hasn’t proved to be accessible for everyone. We know there are many people who aren’t able to make the chats on a given evening, so we have established a few options for reading about the chat later in the week. First, one of our co-moderators Dr. Pisano and I have been archiving each chat transcript on Google Docs so anyone can read the transcript after the fact. You can find links to the transcript of each chat on the #MusEdChat Homepage. If you would prefer to get a “big idea” recap of the chat rather than read each update,  we have a solutino for you, too! Our very own Andrew Ritenour (@andrewritenour) has done a great job putting together posts here at MusicEdMajor.net to recap the main points of each chat. Find links to his recaps on the individual chat transcript pages, or by viewing the recap archive.

Chat Updates

The response to #MusEdChat has been incredible, and it has been extremely exciting to see some of the participants publish posts on their own websites talking about the chat and encouraging others to participate. I have compiled a list of articles written about #MusEdChat, which you can access on the MusEdChat Homepage. If you have written a post about #MusEdChat that is not listed here, please contact us and we will gladly add it to the list.

A quick update regarding this coming week’s chat: due to the Memorial Day holiday in the US, we will NOT have a #MusEdChat this coming Monday, May 31. This is the first week since the chat began that we will not have a discussion, however we recognize that it is unrealistic to hold a chat on the evening of a holiday when many of our normal participants will be away from the computer and spending time with their family. The chat will resume on June 7th and continue throughout the summer, each Monday night at 8pm EDT/12am GMT.

Speaking of June 7th…

I am extremely excited to share with you that on June 7th, Dr. Pisano will be giving a Webinar (hosted by @SoundTree) on the topic of the growing importance of Personal Learning Networks (PLN’s) and Twitter to music educators. The webinar will discuss how Web 2.0 technologies are aiding in our development of PLN’s, and explain how #MusEdChat is a great example of that. This fantastic session will begin at 7pm EDT (11pm GMT), and last one hour, to be immediately followed by our regularly scheduled #MusEdChat! I hope that you will consider registering online for the webinar (you must register within 24 hours to reserve your spot) and joining us for this wonderful night of discussion and collaboration.

The development of #MusEdChat over the last few months has been an incredible experience to watch and participate in. Thank you so much to all participants for your support and interest in this discussion; it is my hope that each of you has gained at least one positive experience through these chats! As always, if you have any suggestions regarding the chat, don’t hesitate to contact us!

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Filed Under: #MusEdChat Tagged With: , , , ,

Guide to Networking: Part 1-Social Networking

12/14/09 By 4 Comments

As Music Education Majors, one way we can help prepare for the teaching world during our studies is by networking. Meeting the people who will eventually be our colleagues and administrators will help prepare us for the job search, increase our knowledge in the field, and leave us better-equipped to find the job we’re looking for. This 3-part series looks at three different ways we can use networking to our advantage.

Before diving into this very broad topic, think about these questions:

  • How many hours do you spend on the computer?
  • Of those hours, how many of them are on Facebook?
  • When you’re on the computer, how would you rank the ways in which you use it? (think: schoolwork, talking to friends, listening to music)

The term social networking is one that tends to scare a lot of people. In reality, many of us already engage in social networking on a daily basis! We just network with our firends and family, instead of professionals in our field. Regardless of how we go about it (this post will outline just a few of your many options), any means of meeting current music educators online can be considered social networking, and will help you create relationships that will help you as you prepare for your job search. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Weekly Twitter Question

09/21/09 By 2 Comments
Logo (c) Twitter

Logo (c) Twitter.com

I try not to claim to be an expert on things I’m not an expert about. This was the guiding principle in why I chose to start MusicEdMajor.net, instead of continuing to blog about actual teaching; I don’t know much about actual teaching, while I do know quite a bit about being a student! That doesn’t, however, mean there are not very significant topics for Music Education Majors to hear about, that still fall outside of my “expertise.” One such topic was one I recently wrote on, dealing with a small age difference between you and your students as a young High School teacher.

How, then, was I able to put out a post on this topic that seems to have been beneficial to read? Since starting my “online presence,” I have had the pleasure of formulating a PLN (personal learning network) of educators, from retired teachers to high school students striving to be teachers, and everything in between. One such place I have had the opportunity to really have great conversation with these people is on Twitter (read more about the microblogging platform and why I use it here). In this case, my Twitter network helped me answer the question, replying with their thoughts on the topic, and all I did was expound upon their answers.

So I think I’m going to continue this idea! There are so many topics that can be covered, that I may not be an “expert” on, but that there are probably tons of experts on in the Twittersphere. So, I am going to ask one question of my Twitter community each week, and post the answers I receive, highlighting any main themes that come to be! Hopefully, this should be an extremely helpful process for the readers, myself, and the Twitterers who are answering the questions!

So What’s Next?

I need questions! What are some things you would be interested in knowing from current or retired teachers? What would you like to hear their thoughts on? I have a few questions of my own, but I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment with a question you would like to see answered in this series, and I will be sure to bring it up!

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