Blog Cast #2: "Weeks Two and Three in Review"

Watch our second classroom blog-cast highlighting student accomplishments from weeks two and three. The student-hosted video features:

• A review of Scavenger Hunt day
• Continued development and application of a working music vocabulary
• Original compositions that illustrate students' understanding of notation, performance in a polyrhythmic setting, and musical form
• Students making connections between music and movement
• Students exploring the connection between music, architecture and design as they identify form and repetition throughout the RMS building and campus.

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How To Add Your Comments to Our Blog Posts

Comments can be added to every blog post. Look for the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Watch the video below for directions.

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Music Students ARE "IB Learners"

IB Learner Profile
"The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world."
(From the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Arts Guide)

IB learners strive to be: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk-Takers, Balanced, Reflective.

Today's Roadrunner Challenge was for students to explain how the IB learner profile characteristics listed above relate to their work in music class and throughout the school community. Below are a few of their responses.
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"We are risk-takers for [performing] and talking in front of the class. We are not scared to do anything! We are knowledgeable from learning things from other teachers.We are not afraid to make a mistake or give a wrong answer. We are inquirers because we always ask questions when we don't know something. We are great IB students!" - Alexia, grade 6

"The IB characteristics relate to everything. You always need to communicate with your neighbors to get somewhere. Also, it helps to be open-minded and caring because everyone has the right to their opinion. In school you have to be a thinker and an inquirer to be able to fully understand a lesson. The IB characteristics are a part of everyday lives." - James, grade 8

"We are IB students because we are thinkers who try hard to excel. We are risk-takers who are not afraid to try new or hard things." - Jayla, grade 8

"I am a good communicator in class. I need to be more of a thinker. I also need to ask more questions." - Elizabeth, grade 6

"I need to care more so my work can be neater and 'straight.' I need to be reflective so I can learn from my mistakes. I need to be more knowledgeable so I can pass my classes." - Branden, grade 6

"I'm a risk-taker because I tried out for cheerleading but I was a little scared. I'm caring because I care for others and myself. I don't always think of myself. I don't always want things my way or want to be in the spotlight." - Jaelae, grade 6

"You have to be open-minded to everyone and everything. I think all of the time in all of my classes. I care for the homeless, the sick, and animals. We take risks when we make new patterns [in music class]. I'm balanced with all of my classes." - Gwendolyn, grade 8

"I'm a risk-taker. I try new things everyday. To get things done on time and not fight, you have to be caring and communicate." - Ashley, grade 8

"We have to communicate with each other. We must have an open mind to learn and teach each other." - Crystal, grade 8

Week One In Review - Our First Classroom Blog-Cast and Drum Jam

Watch our first classroom blog-cast highlighting student accomplishments from week one. The video features student-led demonstrations and behind-the-scenes footage of students working together in their new Learning Groups. You will also see comments from parents that were posted on our August 8th Voicethread. You can see (and hear) all of the Voicethread comment, and add your own, on our Music & Media Network.

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Watch the video of our first Classroom Drum Jam! This was filmed on day four of the new school year, August 11th, 2011.

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"Road Runner Challenge" - Promoting Critical, Divergent Thinking and Curricular Connections

Students begin each class period with a 5-minute activity connected to the daily lesson and MCS curriculum. Wednesday's "Road Runner Challenge" produced some creative results and ignited healthy discourse on repeating patterns in music, architecture, and nature.

Gwendolyn, grade 8

Today's new vocabulary term was ostinato (a repeating musical pattern). To introduce the concept, students were asked to illustrate simple repeating patterns using their choice of symbols, designs, or characters. Next, students were asked to "identify one thing they have observed or heard that included repeating patterns." Students listened to Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" (softly playing in the background) as we completed the challenge. Many students identified the repeating guitar phrase, drum pattern, and Adele's melodic vocal lines, particularly in the song's refrain, "we could've had it all." Other students identified the Kente cloth pattern on the drum shells in our classroom, the pattern in the carpet, on a purse, and in bulletin board paper. Below are a few images created by the students during today's Road Runner challenge.

Kamara, grade 8 

Marcus, grade 8

Mikayla, grade 6

Daila, grade 6

2011-2012 School Year: Day One . Vociethread Homework Assignment

Monday was a good day! Music students are learning classroom rules and procedures, and discovering what lies ahead for them this year in choir and general music. Our goal is to post a new blog entry by Friday, August 12th, with audio and images of students summarizing their first week in class, and demonstrating some reading and performance skills.

Homework for Monday night, August 8: Click here to view/download tonight's homework assignment.
1. Create a Voicethread account (Visit our Music & Media Network at goo.gl/RRKRI and click on the Voicethread button below the Welcome Video).
2. Leave a comment - text, audio, or video - discussing your expectations for music class this year.


5 BONUS POINTS awarded if a parent leaves a comment + 5 MORE BONUS POINTS  awarded to students who turn in the homework sheet with their parent's signature!


Here is the Voicethread from Monday night.

Click here to view a larger version of the Voicethread.

GLOBAL AMBASSADORS UPDATE: Students at SAV School in Nepal Receive Book Published by RMS Students

Click to enlarge

Students in Mr. Greene's music classes created a book for their friends at the SAV School in Nepal, contributing original poetry, art, and writings about their lives, their school, and their city. The book, which was published through Apple, also included poetry, writings, and pictures from the SAV school students. The book was shipped to the SAV School in Nepal as a gift and is now part of their school library collection.

The picture above was emailed to us from SAV School teacher Mr. Govinda Prasad Panthy. Click on the picture to see it enlarged. Below is a video version of the book we published and sent to Nepal. Collaborations between our schools will continue in the 2011-2012 school year.

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Missouri Music Educators Conference Sessions - Friday, January 28th, 2011

Thank you for attending today's session on Practical Technology. Below you will find the links to the sites I mentioned in this afternoon's presentation. Please contact me if you have questions.

Don't forget to let me know if you are interested in collaborating with my students at Ridgeway Middle School in Memphis, TN It doesn't have to be anything more complicated than a simple "cultural exchange" activity using our blog, Voicethread, Skype, Glogster, or any other application you prefer. It can be as big or small as you like.

Thanks again!

Ken Greene

Music & Media Program presentation: http://web.me.com/knrgreene/MusicMediaPresentation/Presentation_Home.html

Ridgeway Middle School Music & Media Network: http://web.me.com/knrgreene/RMSMusicMediaNetwork/Welcome.html

Voicethread: http://voicethread.com/

Glogster: http://www.glogster.com/

ePals: http://www.epals.com/

Classroom 2.0: http://www.classroom20.com/
My Profile Page on Classroom 2.0: http://www.classroom20.com/profile/KenGreene

RMS GUITAR SQUAD Debuts at MCS ArtsFest - Dr. Cash Enjoys Performance!

May 22, 2010 - Members of the RMS Guitar Squad and Choir performed at the inaugural Memphis City Schools ARTSFEST. Our school was one of only fifteen in the entire district invited
 to perform at the event!
The performance began with an original 12-bar blues jam in E major. Isiah Rankin sang the Bob Marley classic "Three Little Birds", and Octavia Coley (pictured above) sang an original 12-bar blues she wrote earlier that week. Isiah was joined by Olivia Kennedy for the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling."Dr. Kriner Cash (MCS Superintendent, wearing yellow shirt in photo on right) and Dr. Linda Kennard (Curriculum & Instruction Executive Director) clapped and sang along throughout our performance. Dr. Cash even posed for photos with the ensemble after the performance.

Click Here to watch the videos on the "Guitar" page of our Music & Media Network.

Music Class in the News

On Wednesday, May 18th, reporters from the Memphis Daily News and the Memphis Flyer visited our classroom to learn how we integrate technology into our music program. Our visitors were treated to a live video "jam session" between our class and our violin-playing friends in Fairfax, VA, followed by a demonstration of the various Promethean ActivBoard applications - notation, composer lessons with audio and video elements, interactive review games, and songwriting software.

(Photo: Lance Murphey, Memphis Daily News)

Memphis Daily News writer Richard J. Alley begins his article with the following:

"The walls of a cinderblock city school classroom in East Memphis are hung with posters of John Coltrane, King Oliver, Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Billie Holiday and a 78-inch interactive whiteboard called an ActivBoard.
In a medium whose foundation is built on the bar chords of the blues and sound of the sax, technology has been introduced to engage children and introduce them to those a world away in Ken Greene’s music class."

Click here to read the entire Memphis Daily News article.
(download .pdf version)

Halley Johnson of the Memphis Flyer says:

"Six students sit facing a large projector screen in Ridgeway Middle School's music room with djembes, or African drums, at their feet. Teacher Ken Greene fiddles with the controls of the computer that sits at his desk, and a classroom in Fairfax, Virginia, materializes on the screen. These students are wielding violins, and their teacher gives the Ridgeway students a thumbs up. Greene leans forward and asks, "Do you mind if we jam with you?'"
Click here to read the entire Memphis Flyer article.
(download .pdf version)

RMS Global Project Video Presentation Posted

Sixth grade students Avery, Chandler, and Lilit filmed and co-produced our Ridgeway/Memphis presentation for our "colleagues" in France, Brazil, and India. The video is part of a global project that has connected our students here at Ridgeway Middle with students in the above-mentioned countries. We have already watched the presentation from our friends in France and added our comments on their Voicethread. We are anxiously awaiting presentations from our friends in Brazil and India.

Watch our presentation video below!

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RMS General Music FILM FESTIVAL featuring the music of Samuel Barber

Seventh grade General Music students have developed films inspired by Samuel Barber’s
 Adagio for Strings. The films were created by the third and seventh period classes using the “arch form”
 of Barber’s Adagio for Strings as their dramatic template.



Students were instructed to create stories that develop tension throughout the ascension of the arch 
form (a long crescendo), reach their dramatic peaks when the music climaxes, then resolve the stories 
as the music winds down. The results were very creative and quite impressive!



WATCH BOTH FILM BELOW, then VOTE for your favorite by clicking on the VOTE NOW! link at the bottom of the page. The winning film will be announced on Friday, April 9th.

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VOTE NOW!

Our First LIVE VIDEO CHAT with Our Partners in FRANCE is a Success!

On Friday, March 19th, Mr. Greene's eighth-grade general music class met their French Global Collaboration partners face-to-face through a live video conference session using Google Video Chat. We encountered a minor technology issue (audio issue) at the start of the session that was quickly addressed. Neither six-hour time difference nor ocean between would keep us from connecting! Minutes into the start of our fourth period class we were able to see and hear each other clearly.

Students on both sides of the Atlantic were delighted to finally speak with and see each other after several weeks of emailing and posting voicethread comments on our project web site. The live exchange was guided primarily by the students' spontaneity and enthusiasm. We held a group discussion on personal interests, got to know a little more about our respective partners, sang a song together (The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love"), and opened the door to a world of exciting possibilities regarding cultural exchanges and educational opportunities.

Video of the event will be posted later today.

RMS GUITAR SQUAD: Off To A Rockin' Start!

The RMS Guitar Squad may only be a couple of weeks old, but the students are playing as if they have been participating in the program for months! The video below - filmed last Friday, February 5th - shows just how well these young guitarists are performing. The 12-bar blues in 'A' demonstrates the students' ability to perform a simple song (Nat'l Standard 2) in a group while reading from a standard 12-bar blues diagram (Nat'l Standard 5) and maintaining a steady beat.


We will also discuss the history of the blues (Nat'l Standard 9), the characteristic use of elements such as repetition, and the common structure of 12-bar blues lyrics (Nat'l Standard 8).

The video has also been posted on the Little Kids Rock web site . LKR is the organization that provided us with the guitars. Thank you, Little Kids Rock!

6th Grade General Music Completes "Scary Movies" Integrated Unit

6th grade students from Mr. Greene's 3rd period general music class completed their 'Scary Movies' project last month. The projects are the culminating works from an integrated unit involving language arts and communication skills, technology, visual arts, and music composition and performance. Watch the three films below, then read the unit overview at the bottom of this post.

TALENT SHOW TERROR

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I'M BACK!

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HALLOWEEN NIGHT

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Scary Movies UNIT OVERVIEW
Working in small groups, students will create short scary films following a specific sequence of activities:

1. Write a short story with a scary theme
2. Record (read) the stories with a digital audio recorder creating a wav file that will be used as a narration
 track in the finished product - read stories with expression appropriate for the theme
3. Compose and record an original musical score for the film using keyboards, drums, percussion, and
 non-traditional sound sources - experiment with specific musical elements: ostinato, form, dissonance, tonality,
 polyrhythm, dynamics, texture
4. Film the movie in the classroom experimenting with lighting and perspective - considering editing
 possibilities throughout the filming process
5. Photograph images for use in the film - characters, scenes, etc.
6. Edit the film on the computer using video editing software - add all components: narration, music, and footage

EXTENSION: Create a movie poster to promote the film (connection to visual arts) - Students will analyze vintage horror movie posters (e.g. Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein) and develop ideas for their own film posters.

Students will make creative decisions regarding film style, musical score, and the overall look and feel of the film (visual and audio effects); Students will work cooperatively with each other and have opportunities to contribute their personal strengths - writing, speaking, designing, acting, filming, working with computers/software.

Dr. Hamer visits during second LIVE classroom exchange

Eighth grade general music students participated in their second live classroom exchange with Ms. Lubinski's string students in Fairfax, Virginia. The event took place on Thursday, November 12th, the same day as the MCS Student Exhibitions. During our live Google video chat, we were visited by Deputy Superintendent Dr. Irving Hamer, our principal Ms. Henry, and assistant principal Mr. Ryan. The video below features highlight from the event.

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A third live exchange with the Virginia students has been tentatively scheduled for January 28th. Our global connections continue to grow with several online exchanges scheduled with classrooms in Mexico, Belgium, France, Nepal, and other countries. More information on our global connections will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

RMS General Music Class Holds First Live Web Chat with VA Students

On Tuesday, November 10th, 2009, RMS 8th grade General Music students participated in their first live classroom exchange via Google Video Chat. The exchange was between our students here in Memphis and elementary string students in Fairfax, Virginia.

I met string teacher Maggie Lubinski at MENC's Music Education Week in Washington DC last June and invited her to participate in a live classroom exchange using an online application such as Skype or Google Video Chat. We tested the Google video chat technology in October - without students in our classrooms - to make sure we could see and hear each other clearly. The connection was better than expected, so we went ahead with our plans for a November classroom exchange.

The video below highlight the November 10th exchange. A second exchange with Ms. Lubinski's studnets took place on Thursday, November 12th, and will be featured in our next blog post.

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First RMS Expressions Retreat at Safari is a Success!

On Sunday, November 1st, RMS general music students participated in the first "Expressions Retreat" at Safari on South Main Street, Downtown Memphis. The event was created to give music students an opportunity to perform in the community and showcase their creativity through original poetry, songs, world drumming, visual art, and multimedia presentations. Parents and RMS administrators who attended the event were treated to an afternoon of entertainment, food, and fun. Our "Retreat" was featured in the Local News section of the Commercial Appeal on Monday, November 2nd.

The second Expressions Retreat is planned for May, 2010, coinciding with Memphis in May festivities. The second event will include music students from the second semester as well as students who participated in the first event on November 1st. The plan is to make the retreat a regular event at the end of each semester.

Watch the video clips of our Expressions Retreat poets below.

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RMS General Music Students Connect with Students in Nepal, South Dakota, and other parts of the World

RMS general music students have been using web sites and online applications Voicethread and Classroom 2.0 to connect with students around the globe, participating in meaningful conversation and engaging activities. Our most recent connections include cultural exchanges with students in Nepal and South Dakota.

The students we have met in Nepal live and attend school in the rural area of Bhaktapur. They do not have computers in their school or in their homes. In fact, they often depend on the generosity of volunteers and donors for basic school supplies. We have seen each other through images and video posted online. We have also exchanged poetry and autobiographical writings through email and postings on Classroom 2.0, a Facebook-like site for educators who utilize technology in education. We have become friends and will continue to collaborate and learn from each other. You can see our friends from the SAV school in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on teacher Govinda Prasad Panthy's Classroom 2.0 page.

Another ongoing collaboration is with students at Wolf Creek School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. We have used Voicethread to exchange video and audio content with each other. We are currently discussing the traditional Lakota Hoop Dance. Our latest Voicethread post features RMS students asking specific questions about the dance, its history, and cultural significance. Visit teacher Jeannine Metzger's Classroom 2.0 page to learn more. You can see and hear the Pine Ridge Voicethread exchange below. Click the play button to begin the presentation.



For more information on voicethread, visit our Voicethread Forum on our Music & Media Network.

RMS Students Make All Southwest Junior Honor Choir!

Eighth grade students Alex Claxton (alto) and Isiah Rankin (bass) sang their way into the All Southwest Junior Honor Choir at the November 7th auditions. Both students received high scores from the judges and will represent Ridgeway Middle School at the All Southwest Honor Choir Concert on Saturday, November 14th. The concert begins at 2:00 PM and will be held at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. CONGRATULATIONS!

This year marks our strongest showing at the All SW auditions with 16 students participating. Several students received very high marks from the judges and just missed the cut by only a few points. I would like the choir students to know that I am very proud of them for working hard over the past several weeks, showing up on Saturday and doing their best. Thanks to all parents for their support with rehearsals and getting their children to Saturday's auditions.

Hope to see everybody at the RMS Holiday Concert on Tuesday evening, December 10th, at 6:00 PM.