Final Blog Post!

Hey everyone, so, if you couldn't tell from the title, this is my final blog post! The reason it is my final post is because my blogging class (run by Jen) is ending because our school just got out! So it's been fun writing to you guys and I hope you enjoy this last post.

For our final, we have to invent a class (like Jen did) that involves technology, reading, writing and just basic overall skills in any of the school course categories. With this class we have to explain how it would be run, what tools are needed, if it would be popular by the students and what are students would learn from the class. So this is what I'll be writing about.


So as many of you Linworth friends of mine may know, Linworth is a very artistic place. Although, we don't have our own individual music program, there are many kids that are very interested in music and learning about music. So, my class would be a Music History and Composition Class. This class would teach the history and sounds of all types of music that has developed over the centuries. Then after learning the history and the sounds of the specific type of music they would then have to write or compose a musical piece of their own that would fit with the concept of that music's era and style.

We would meet once a week in the classroom. (Times would be determined based on students schedules.) At the classroom, we would establish what style of music they would research for that week as well as some of the basic history of that type of music. Then they would receive an assignment to find and site a source on the web that they found, that talked about the history of the certain style of music that we would be studying. Then, they would summarize what they learned in a paragraph or two. In additional to the site on the web, the students would also be given the book, Haydn String Quartets, written by Rosemary Hughes. This book talks about Haydn and his string quartets and how he changed the way music was seen back in the eighteenth century. Also this book talks about the ingenious ways Haydn wrote his music and the tricks he used that helped him become so successful. This would be vital to a student's general understanding of how to write and compose a quality, understandable piece of music.

The next step of the assignment would be for them to find a piece of music from that era and style that speaks to them or that they feel has a special meaning to them. Then to tell again in a writing summarized form, what that particular piece of music meant to them. The last part of the assignment for the students would be, to write a piece of music (no shorter than 30 seconds with no limit on how long it could be) that would fit the instrumentation of that time period, the style of music from that time period and the correct use of notation from that era. And this is where the technology aspect of the class kicks in. Each student of the class would receive a music notation (composition) program that will help the student write out their desired piece of music. What I would suggest to the students is the Sibelius Student Music Notation Program. I believe it would best fit the class and probably best fit the students music composition ability. It is also a great learning tool and stepping stone to a more advanced notation program. Also for each summary that I would have the kids write (as I mentioned earlier) I would have them write it through a blog program, such as this blogger.com, that Jen introduced me to. I believe this would be probably the best place for an online classroom/in school classroom environment to be held. All of the summaries would be due each week, once a week and that would be as well with the compositions. Then we would meet back at the classroom and discuss some of the things the students learned about (music wise) over the last week.

All in all, what I would want for my students to gain out of this class and experience, would be overall to have more respect for all types of music. Also, many kids at Linworth such as Aaron improv all day on their guitars and such, and many of these songs that they improv are actually quite excellent. If I could just give these students the tools and the steps to actually WRITE the music they play everyday, I as well as many of my students, I'm sure, would feel very happy and accomplished of what they've achieved.

So, after this whole blog class experience, thanks Jen for sticking in there with the blog class, I know it must be really hard, but I appreciate what you've done. So, thanks!
And to all of my readers, well thanks for reading.
And finally to everyone, HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!!!

--KP