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Are you afraid of technology? Does the thought of implementing "new technology" frustrate you? This session will give examples of assessments in art, music, dance and theatre using Quicktime and Google Docs. You will learn how to operate aspects of the above programs, in order to assist in the creation of your own assessments. All of this will be done at a reasonable pace, with lots of moral support. Materials needed: laptop with Quicktime, and please create a Google account before the session.

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Individual Assessments in an Ensemble

Workshop Description:

Participants will learn how to use technology to help with individual assessments, sharing, and keeping track of them over an extended period of time. The workshop will focus on using Quicktime, networked shared folders, and Bento to categorize files and assessment information. If time permits, participants may also explore web based recording and sharing including SoundCloud (which would require a free registration to use).

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Writing what we do:

A guide to Standards Based curriculum mapping & Unit design

Workshop Description:

Essential what? Enduring Understandings? Why is it important to write down what I do in my classroom? Many districts across the state are focused on curriculum mapping and Unit design using a variety of systems for tracking and organizing curriculum, units, and assessments. This session will focus on developing skills in navigating the Understanding by Design model of unit and curriculum design. Participants will learn how to organize their curriculum, develop essential questions and enduring understandings, and determine assessment types based on what they are already teaching in their arts classrooms. Examples and resources will be provided.

OMG! Standards Based What?

Workshop Description:

OMG! I can't think of any words worse then "Standards" and "Assessments", is there really a way to really communicate standards or assessments to our students in the High School that is clear and that we all can get excited about? Or better yet, is there a way that the students can actually help us create assessments in the High School Music classroom without spending a lot of classroom rehearsal time? This session will be co-taught with a high school student, and we will delve into some of these questions, and assessment tools will be shared with participants to adapt or to use as a springboard for their own classrooms. Specifically we will look at unpacking the MLR standard for Composing/Arranging in the music classroom. Participants will also be given the opportunity to work hands on with how to communicate standards based assessments on their own.

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Teaching music through story: The Fantasia project

Workshop Description:

This session will give an overview of a standards based unit and associated project with engaging students in an ensemble through exploring connections between music and story. The presentation will describe a project with students at Bonny Eagle High School exploring a band arrangement of Fantasia 2000 , and a project related to the piece where students developed active listening skills by developing a story based on an existing instrumental composition. This session will be structured to allow participants to develop ways to engage students in ensembles to engage in listening activities, and to be active participants in interpreting the music. Participants will also be given lesson plans and resources for the project that is presented.

Student’s Choice: Engaging Students in Task Design Make the concert THEIRS

This session will be co-presented by Jan Gill (RSU 73) and her son Jake Sturtevant (MSAD6). Both will present examples of strategies that allow students to choose, arrange, and perform songs. From a 3rd grade class choosing a name for their band and songs to perform on guitar, bass, keys, drums and vocals to a High School Band of 60 students transcribing and arranging Uptown Funk, this session will present strategies for how to negotiate and empower student choice to promote positive interdependence, in a variety of ensembles and general music settings.

Through arranging and performance, students are allowed to be engaged in self designed authentic tasks, as well as self monitoring. They share an experience in cooperative learning which are the essential building blocks of the learning process.

Students should have a say in the music that they perform, and the act of choosing, arranging, and performing allows for the students creative growth and it ultimately drives motivation in performances. The session will also allow for participants to share examples of how they have engaged student’s choice in their classes and ensembles.