Final Reflection #1

On By maevepoulinIn EDCI 306BLeave a comment

Since my midterm, I believe that I have grown a lot as a singer/ukulele player. I have continued to play 20 minutes of ukulele, 5 days a week and have been attending weekly 45 minute vocal lessons. My final musical growth goal was to write my own song but I still have been learning new techniques on my ukulele. For example, right now I am learning how to play “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beetles which includes a lot of finger picking. I have been watching an online tutorial by “The Ukulele Teacher” and have slowly been getting better at finger picking. Also, I have been spending a lot of time exploring different ukulele songs on https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/ when I need a break from song writing.

Writing this song took me a lot longer than expected, but I feel like I learned a lot about myself in the process.  Last year, I wrote a song for my EDCI 306A class and I read a few articles on song writing to help me with the process. I learned that you should start by finding the chord progressions for the song and then write poems to find the lyrics.  So, I started by playing different combinations of chords to see which ones I liked best.  While I strummed, I would just sing “la” in tune to get a basic understanding of what a melody would sound like behind the chords. My favourite combination of chords was F, Dm, Bb and C.

After I knew which chords I wanted to use the hardest part came next- writing the chorus and 2 verses. I started with a mind map to figure out what I wanted my song to be about. Next, I started writing poems and spent a lot of time looking up what certain words rhymed with.  I found that the chorus was very easy for me to write but the verses were more difficult.  I soon realized that writing a song is like writing a story and you have to make sure that story makes sense.  Due to this, I ended up changing my chorus because it did not flow well with my verses and the storyline did not make sense.  For my strumming pattern, I decided to do DUDUDD because it is a strumming pattern that I am most comfortable with and I found it flowed best with my song. Most of the song is sung in my mix/head voice so I would write my next song to fall more in my chest voice range.

Ukulele Videos

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For this class, I learned a few songs from “Ukulele in the Classroom: Book 1” by James Hill & J. Chalmers Doane.

1. Lavender’s Blue- Strumming & Singing: https://youtu.be/DtuF-x_8n14 

2. Lavender’s Blue- Ukulele 1: https://youtu.be/tsceSa-KrsM

3. Lavender’s Blue- Ukulele 2: https://youtu.be/i7V8NKosgCU

4. Oh! Susanna- Strumming & Singing: https://youtu.be/5jD452gDiWA

5. Oh! Susanna- Ukulele 2: https://youtu.be/wq77qriqDrk

6. Oh! Susanna- Ukulele 1: https://youtu.be/gmHjwA8gcqs

Midterm Reflection #2

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For my midterm, I decided to play “I’m Yours” by Jason Maraz and “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith.

I believe that one of the biggest things I have to work on with my ukulele playing is learning multiple strumming patterns. I am a self-taught ukulele player. This is something that I am very proud of but it also means that I have developed a lot of bad playing habits since nobody was there to help me fix them. One of these bad habits is that I always resort to the same strumming pattern. No matter what song I play, I always use the strumming pattern DUDUUDU. Both of the songs that I chose to do for my midterm have very different strumming patterns. For example, the strumming pattern for “I’m Yours” is DXUUX (X=chuking) and the strumming pattern for “Stay With Me” is DDU DDU.

Even with all of the practice that I have been doing, I still found it difficult to perfect these new strumming patterns. I am able to do them without singing, but as soon as I start singing I always resort to my old strumming pattern. I hope that with more practice I will be able to fix this bad habit. As well, I found it difficult to chuk while keeping my ukulele in the correct position. I often found that half-way through “I’m Yours” my ukulele would have slipped down to my lap.

I also have been trying new strumming patterns to use with other songs on ukutabs.com. Moving forward, I want to learn even more strumming patterns and to be able to chuk with more confidence. I am able to chuk now after having to do it for “I’m Yours”, but I would like it to sound clearer.  

Midterm Reflection #1

On By maevepoulinIn EDCI 306BLeave a comment

I started playing the ukulele 3 years ago and my obsession with this little instrument only grew from there. I used to practice every day up until September of this year. I still loved playing my ukulele, but with new school and work schedules, I found it very difficult to make time to practice. This is why I am so thankful for this course because I have been able to make time for my ukulele again! Since the middle of January when I create my “Final Growth” assignment schedule, I have been sticking to the practice days I have outlined on my schedule. It has not always been easy to make time to practice but I am thankful that I have because I have already started to see growth.

Before taking EDCI 306B, I had no idea that I was holding my ukulele wrong. Because of this, I was never able to stand up and play because I was not supporting the base of my ukulele correctly. When I began to practice properly holding my ukulele, I quickly found out that it would be difficult to change my old ukulele handling habits. Even after the midterm, I am still struggling to keep my left thumb down on the finger board, as you will see in both of my midterm evidence of growth videos. Before, I would always play with my thumb resting halfway up the board so my thumb will start to creep back into that position as I am playing. Moving forward, I will have to continue to practice keeping my thumb down and supporting the base of my ukulele. My goal is to be able to easily play the ukulele while standing up and to keep my left thumb in the correct position.

AR & VR

On By maevepoulinIn augmented reality, EDCI 336, edtech, virtual realityLeave a comment

AR or augmented reality is “the blending of interactive digital elements- like dazzling visual overlays, buzzy haptic feedback, or other sensory projections- into our real-world environments” (from
https://computer.howstuffworks.com/augmented-reality.htm). An example of AR is the popular game “Pokemon Go”.

You can download apps such as HP Reveal onto your phone to create interactive digital elements. All you need to do is take a photo of what you want to be your background and chose which digital element you want to project onto your background. The next time your camera detects that background it will project the visual on your screen. With the HP studio you can edit those elements to create links to videos and websites.

An example of using AR for educational purposes

VR or virtual reality can also be used for educational purposes! For example, you can buy these cardboard VR glasses for $15.00 to use with your phone. All you need to do is download the Insignia VR app and students are able to take virtual tours of different cities and environments.

The University of Victoria has it’s own VR Room called Oculus Rift that can be booked at https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/dsc/vr/

For health reasons it is recommended that students under 13 do not use VR and students over 13 only use it for 30 minutes maximum.

QR Codes

On By maevepoulinIn EDCI 336, edtech, QR codesLeave a comment

QR or “Quick Response” codes are readable bar code that can store alphanumeric data. Usually companies would use these codes for easy access to their website or contact information but QR codes can also be beneficial for educational purposes!

(Image retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code)

My Professor for my EDCI 336 class outlined these examples of QR Codes for Educational Purposes:

  • Bulletin Boards
    • parents can look up more information about their child’s work or the project
  • Professional Development Connections
  • Worksheets
    • Links to tutorials for just-in-time help
    • Links to audio or video files (have a book read to you, watch an experiment, etc.
    • Links to answer keys

To create a QR code visit https://www.qrstuff.com/, enter your information and then download the image to use!

Manifesting Your Dream Life

On By maevepoulinIn EDCI 336, open inquiryLeave a comment

Before Roger Bannister ran a mile in under 4 minutes in 1954, nobody thought that it was possible. After he accomplished this, people all around the world began to break the 4-minute mile because they believed that it was possible.

One of Dr. Dweck’s central themes in her book Mindset is “the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life”. So if you life your life believing that you are always going to have the same boring job and live in the same boring apartment because you are incapable of success, that is a fixed mindset that will impact every decision you have in your life.

Day dreaming is actually helpful because it allows you to envision or manifest the life that you want. Before I knew about manifestation, I never thought that day dreaming could actually be a good use of my time! Manifesting your dreams allows your subconscious brain to kick into gear & begin to impact every decision you make to get you closer to that dream. Although a large component of manifesting is envisioning, it does require YOU to take action to achieve that life. Knowing what actions to take though become more clear the more you view how you want your life to be.

So start manifesting, start day dreaming, start becoming what you believe!

For more information on manifestation I highly recommend these podcasts & articles…

Distributed Learning

On By maevepoulinIn distributed learning, EDCI 336, edtech, video conferencingLeave a comment

What is it?

From whatis.techtarget.com, distributed learning is a multi-media method of instructional learning that allows students to learn outside of the classroom. There are many ways to incorporate distributed learning into your classroom to best benefit your students. The most common are video conferencing, web-based video/audio instruction and online assignments.

My Experience

I have not had too much experience with distributed learning in the past, but luckily that is because I have not needed to. If I ever missed a day at school I would just get notes from one of my peers or ask the teacher for the homework questions. Unfortunately not many students are as lucky as I was in my schooling experience, but there are many forms of distributed learning accessible today for them to use.

Retrieved from
https://unsplash.com/photos/PHIgYUGQPvU

Why is Distributed Learning Important?

Distributed Learning provides students with a lot more opportunities in life to find a learning plan that works best for them. Not all students work best in a classroom or are unable to be at a school for 7 hours a day/5 days a week. Distributed learning works well for students with anxiety or other health problems, or for students with hectic schedules. It also can be beneficial for schools in remote/rural areas that struggle to keep enrollment up because they can teach students from anywhere. Providing students with distributed learning opportunities gives them the best chance of succeeding in school because it allows their education to follow them instead of holding them back.

What is the Role of Modality & Presence in K-12 Learning?

I think that modality & presence is very important during the early years of a child’s education. Behaviour techniques and important life skills such as empathy and social skills can not be taught over a computer. However, in high school distributed learning can be an asset to a student’s education since teenagers have already gained an understanding of how the school system works and have developed good work ethic.

How Can a Teacher Practice Distributed Learning in Their Classroom?

Start by reflecting on how you currently
communicate resources for students who are absent. Are you just relying on students to obtain the resources by themselves by asking their peers or approaching you? Instead, try an online calendar or blog for students to review before/after class. This can also help students with anxiety who need to prepare for the day when they do go to school.

Graphic Design in Schools

On By maevepoulinIn EDCI 336, tech inquiryLeave a comment

By now, if you have been following our posts, you will be an expert in graphic design (or at least very close)! As educators, we must ask the question- how can we use graphic design in the classroom?

Broadly, graphic design can be used to teach students how to visually express themselves so that others can understand their ideas. Graphic design can be found anywhere in the classroom- from posters to power-point presentations to info-graphics. It also can be used to set up our students for the future by helping them create resumes and cover letters for employers. If students are able to present themselves in a visually appealing manner, they are more likely to get jobs in the future. If an employer is deciding between giving an interview to someone with a poorly designed/unorganized resume or someone who is demonstrating organizational and design skills, who do you think they would give it to?

Graphic design can also be used by teachers to create concept maps and info-graphics to help enhance student learning. Teachers can also use it to create flyers for school events to send home to parents/guardians. Parents/guardians receive so many flyers from schools that they rarely read all of them. If you want your idea/event to stand out above others you need to design a flyer that does that.

Week #11

On By maevepoulinIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This past week I started reading Dr. Carol S. Dweck’s book “Mindset: the new psychology of success” and it really opened my mind to the benefits of teaching/learning the growth mindset. The chapters I have read so far have been very interesting and Dr. Dweck writes as if she is having a conversation with you, so her writing is easy to read.

Dr. Dweck believes that you can have two mindsets in life- fixed and growth. A fixed mindset means you define yourself as one thing and believe that you are unable to change. For example, if you have a fixed mindset and you don’t get the job that you applied for, you would believe that you are incapable of ever getting a job in that field and that you should just give up now. In contrast, someone with a growth mindset would see that failure as an opportunity to improve and grow as an individual.

Retrieved from
https://medium.com/leadership-motivation-and-impact/fixed-v-growth-mindset-902e7d0081b3

In chapter 1 Dr. Dweck recalls one of her old teachers who used to categorize/treat her students differently based on their IQ test scores. I found this horrifying to read and I really empathized with her students. This is a perfect example of teaching a fixed mindset because it teaches students that they can only be one thing and are incapable of change.

I highly recommend this book to any future/current educator because it really opens your mind to how important it is to teach kids to lead life with a growth mindset. Still confused about growth/fixed mindsets? Try this video.