Jamie's+Web+2.0+Tools

=​Web 2.0 Tools=

__**GROOVESHARK**__

Grooveshark is a on-line music resource that has a collection of songs from many different styles including pop, jazz, classical, etc. Users simply search for the song they what to listen to by typing in the name of the song, artist, or album. This resource will be great for expanding your own library of jazz musical examples to share with students as well as giving them access to music for homework assignments (or listening just for fun).

[|Explore Grooveshark for yourself!]



=__ Collaborize Classroom __= ==== Collaborize Classroom allows teachers to post questions or topics and allows students to respond, sharing their thoughts and ideas. This fosters academic discussions done in a format similar to the on-line social medias students are so involved it. It is a free source and easy to use. Teachers simply register and sign-up for their classroom. Once they have created their page, you can add students to your site by sending them your URL to register. From there you can click start a discussion and post a question or idea. Students can then go on your site and respond to your post. ====

[|Create your own Collaborize Classroom!]

I can see this web 2.0 tool being very useful for band teacher who wants their students to explore the historical context of jazz and some great literary texts that comment on jazz music, but is pressed for time in band rehearsals. In my middle school and high school bands, written assignments to be done outside of class were unheard of. But with the changes in the field of music education, the increasing importance of developing students' literacy skills, and the desire to have a more integrated curriculum, an out of class assignment may enrich their musical and academic studies.

Here is a sample assignment a band director could do using Collaborize Classroom. First, create a collaborized classroom for your band and add your students. Then, for each section, create a discussion. Each section will be assigned a different jazz musician. Post a poem from the book //Jazz A-B-Z//by by Wynton Marsalis that focuses on that jazz musician. Have students read the poem, look up some background information on the musician, and listen to some of their music. Then students will post a response that comments on what they have learned from the poem, research, and listen.

Here is an example of this assignment I created.