The Final Curtain

Hello everyone!

I am so happy to say that after many hours of editing and attempting to upload, my Genius Hour project is complete! This project has taught me a lot about music, and a lot of things about myself. So here's one last reflection to wrap it all up!

I decided to do my TEDtalk video as just that; me talking to a camera. If you haven't guessed by now, Drama is my second teachable (I have enough credits for an AQ course and will hopefully be taking it right after graduation!). I really do enjoy talking, plain and simple. During my undergrad, I took a public speaking course that helped me to be more confident in my speaking, and in being able to get my thoughts together. I though that I would talk straight to the camera, as that is what I am most comfortable doing. I enjoyed this part of the presentation immensely, and I think it turned out pretty well!

Another thing that I loved using for this project was Google Forms. I have uploaded all of my survey research onto the Learning Object page, so go ahead and check it out (and fill out the survey if you'd like to!) The responses that I received from my music colleagues were great, and very helpful. I loved being able to relate to their posts, and will definitely use their posts as a basis for when I start teaching music in the (near?) future. 

As for the movie trailer, I kind of went a little overboard on the slides. I have been to Europe twice in my life, and have taken many amazing pictures that have pertained to my degree, and to my love of music. I am so fortunate that I have been able to experience a little bit of musical culture overseas, as I feel that it helps me to build on my knowledge of what I've learned on the "other side" of the pond. 

All in all, this project has been great...fulfilling, even. As I mentioned towards the end of my TEDtalk, I lost my passion for music a few years ago, and am just finding it again, now. This project has really helped me to discover who I am in relation to music, and has helped me envision where I want to be within the next 5 or 10 years (both in music and otherwise). This has been a changing experience, and I am so glad that I chose to start my path as an educator at Brock.

Thanks for keeping up with my crazy blog posts!

(Now go listen to some music!)

When your music friends don't answer...

Hello fellow bloggers!

Just wanted to give a quick update before my last *official* reflection blog post. This Genius Hour stuff is hard work! I've enjoyed every bit of it, and am just finishing my research now! It's definitely crunch time for this project, but I am so excited to share my final product with you!

I am done my movie trailer...I just need to upload it to the site. It should be up by tonight! (Fingers crossed that my computer doesn't crash while I upload it...) I am very proud of it! I'm not the most artistic person, even though I am in music, but I think I have a pretty good handle on the movie maker that I used. The trailer is super corny, and includes a lot of pictures of me, but hey, I had to get my point across somehow.

I'm still waiting on some survey results, so those will be posted in my final blog for the project. I've annoyed a bunch of my music friends and colleagues to fill the survey out, because more information is better! Unfortunately, some of my friends don't take school as seriously as I do, so I've needed to filter some of the answers AND ask more people to fill it out. The answers have been interesting to read...I just wish I had more of them. I'll give them another 24 hours or so...

I'm so excited to share this project!

Until the next blog post...

Happy Blogging and Teching!

The research continues...

Hello again everyone!

Well, I can say I had a very fun weekend! As I mentioned in my last blog post, I had a performance on Friday night! Long story short, I dressed in traditional Sicilian wear, and sang my heart out to Italian and Sicilian songs. And I have to say...this is the most fun I've had singing/doing anything musical in a long time.

While I enjoyed my undergrad immensely, I almost felt like something was missing. I was in a choir all of my four years, I participated in some shows, and I volunteered as much as I could just to be a part of music! But, I never really felt happy or fulfilled. I started my degree with the intention to one day be a famous singer! (I was 18...what did you expect!?) As I continued through my four years, I found that I considered singing a chore, and didn't really give it my all. I finished my degree, came home...and that brings us to now.

A few months after my return from Queen's, I joined a Sicilian Folksong group. And you know what? I love it. I get to be with people who share in my culture, and who love the songs just as much as I do! For the first time in a long time, I'm singing for me, and I'm loving every minute of it! I took note of that as I stood on that stage last Friday night, in front of a crowd of over 500 people. I was singing for me, and not because I absolutely had to. I found the joy that I had been missing towards the end of my undergraduate career.

So...what were the benefits of my performance? First, it got my blood racing. I'm not one to get stage fright, and instead, being in front of a crowd gives me a huge rush. I was confident that night, again, something I haven't been with my singing for a long time. Second, it boosted my mood. I'm not saying that I was grumpy before the performance, but it raised my spirits and energized me. (By the end of the night, my face hurt and I STILL couldn't stop smiling). And third, it made other people smile! I was in a room full of people who either travelled from Italy, or whose parents had, to find a better life here in Canada. I was singing songs of their youth; songs that engaged them and brought back wonderful memories. (I loved being a part of something as special as that!)

All in all. It was a wonderful experience for me, for the other members in the group, and for all who attended the event. I really do believe that music can bring people together and create a positive experience. Being a part of that group really solidified how much I love music, and how badly I want to teach people how wonderful music is!

As for the next few days...I will be sending out a quick music survey to some of my former music colleagues, and extracting data from that. Additionally, I will be consulting resources (articles, books, studies) to determine what the benefits of playing an instrument can be. All of this should be wrapped up within the next two weeks or so, so I know that there will be a lot of work ahead of me!

Can't wait to let you know how this all progresses!

Until next time...Happy Blogging and Tech-ing!

Personal Collection (2016).
Me and my sister in traditional Sicilian wear!

I'm a Genius now

Hello fellow bloggers!

Sorry that it's taken me so long to write another blog post, but I have been super busy with teaching, tech-ing and more teaching! I'm a little behind, so there will be 2 blog posts this week about my experiences in becoming a genius.

So...Genius Hour.

It's tough being smart! In all seriousness though, looking up information for a project that you're passionate about is very challenging (but also very rewarding!).

So far for my research, I have devised a quick survey that I will hand out to some of my old school of music colleagues, and see how they feel about music (or see how music makes them feel...). I'm hoping to pool all of my data from this to create a general breakdown. If I'm feeling very creative, I might even collect key words and create a collage that highlights them! (Then again, we'll see how I feel after reading week....but my portfolio will still include some sort of creative way to express my message!)

Another thing that I am planning on doing this weekend is playing the piano and singing! (I actually have an upcoming performance for something tomorrow night, so I will be sure to take note of how I feel after it!) I'm also planning of looking at past recordings of me as I sing, and will make note of how I look versus how I felt while performing.

Until next post... here's a cheesy video of me singing on a hill in Austria. (The Sound of Music is my favourite movie, and I can definitely tell you that this was one of the most incredible singing experiences I have ever had in my life!)

https://youtu.be/e85z4fjTwAo

Genius Hour!

So...Genius Hour.

That time where everyone gets to be a GENIUS about something that they LOVE! For me, the thing I love is music. Where do I even begin? I have always been involved in music in one way or another. I started singing when I was three, started taking piano lessons at the age of five, and the rest is history. I recently completed my Bachelor of Music degree from Queen's University (CHA GHEILL!), and am now currently pursuing a career in teaching! (Both music and drama).

So...Genius Hour.

After spending many years studying music, and pretty much living at breathing it, I feel like I'm finally in a place where I can reflect on my past experiences, and draw information from them. My Genius Hour Question is "What are the benefits of playing a musical instrument?". I want to know!!! Why do people play music, or sing? Is it stress relief? Is it because their parents forced them to? Is it because they want to, and are passionate about it? And how does it benefit them? Mentally? Physically? Emotionally? Is it all of these questions? WHAT'S THE DEAL!?

For my project, I'm going to interview some of my old music colleagues, and see WHY they play and WHAT they get from playing instruments. I'm going to research WHAT benefits other people have documented on the playing of music. I'm also going to document my own feelings and experiences while I sing or play the piano. (In all honestly, it'll actually get me to practice. I've kind of been slacking off since graduation...)

So that's it! For now. I know I've got a ton of research ahead of me, but I'm looking forward to it. Like I mentioned before, music has always played such a prominent role in my life, that it only seems natural to research WHY.

Copyright...what is it?

A definition of copyright, or copyrighting is a right given by the person of origin to publish, copy, reproduce, or use their work. Though I may have understood this definition before writing this blog, I had no idea just what copyrighting entailed.

After looking up some images on Flikr and Google, I figured it would be easy enough to find and use certain ones I was looking for. Right? Wrong. Most of the images I wanted to use for this specific blog about copyright were indeed copyrighted, and I was not able to use them. 

New Plan: I used a filter on Google to help me find certain images of computers and technology that are public domain. I really was not expecting half of the images to disappear (Ok, maybe I was, but all of the "good" images I wanted to use, magically vanished. Go figure.) However, through the filter I was able to pick out images that could be changed or modified, based on the copyright rules given by the originator. (In the end, it all worked out!)

Copyrighting, and following copyright rules are extremely important! I know that I wouldn't like someone to use my own ideas and pass them off as their own without telling me! I'm all for sharing, but I'm also a fan of adhering to rules (and, well, the law).

There are so many different copyright laws, some of which include the Creative Commons ones (Attribution, Share-Alike, Non-Commercial, and No-Derivitive Works). Fortunately for educators alike, Creative Commons has helped them to collect and use multimedia (images, videos, URLS, etc.) in numerous different ways, and as teaching aids.

As a teacher, I would explain to my students "The Internet is your Oyster!....as long as you properly cite and give credit where credit is due." A long message to live by, I know, but it important for me to teach my students to give the originators credit. Not only will this help my students to take pride in their own work ("I don't want anyone to take my own thoughts"), but it would also encourage them to take the time to research, and even care about copyrighting rules. 

I want my students to learn that the value of hard work from the "unknown people of the Internet" does not go unnoticed or is under appreciated, and that their own work should be made with the same amount of effort and care.

Put, Phillipe. (2011, July 4). dora dora 2 [Online Image].
Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/34547181@N00/6023268510/in/photolist-abfPT5-8Vy1nk-fvT5PN-5b495D-3oxYh-bqVQtj-6WtbrL-e2QMHQ-8vBVTe-8vEXjo-bFrCvg-4m5ojv-8vEXd9-9iEkhF-8vBWaH-euR54b-6Wp8Nk-8vEXtU-8vEXmG-6Wtc4J-28rtGN-pyrM81-8GmvbX-6naKtj-6WpcBi-68mS5h-CH3be-6wnx18-8vEXbY-5bwe6M-8vEXpw-8vBVYn-sjCDK-jzmHbi-62Y6XP-7LRPcs-8vBVWt-5mP2XB-7QhLB-hcbzps-62Yv2h-99XWwh-5p2g39-e3ZzK-7DAUZj-8uVTTM-8vEXvJ-8JuV4H-5k2wrs-7Cj5Uu/

Tduk. (2007, October 12). Commodore Pet model 4016 [Online Image].
Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pet4016.png

Welcome to my Blog!

Hello and welcome to my blog! I'm very excited to be able to start blogging about teaching and technology, which are two subjects that are very dear to my heart. I can't wait to be able to merge the two, and learn how to incorporate both together. I will admit, I am new to blogging, but I hope to be able to find new ways to solve problems, make lesson plans, and coherently write about teaching and technology over the course of the next six weeks, and throughout the rest of my career.

And so, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQLCZOG202k