3 ipad Apps for Teaching Math in the Classroom

A great article on ipad apps for Math teachers.

Synthesia – a FREE and fun app to help you learn to play piano

Synthesia is a free game that teaches you to play the piano using falling notes. With it, you can:

Learn to play songs using a musical keyboard connected to your computer.
Keep track of your progress in every song with per-song scoreboards.
Slow, fast-forward, and rewind songs while learning new parts.
Practice left and right hand parts together or separately.
Try out any MIDI file you can find more.

For Elementary educators this is a fun and useful way to introduce a form of graphic music notation to the classroom. If you would like to pay a little bit in support of the author you will be able to read the music in western notation as well.

Drum Stuff

If you are ever in need of some drum equipment or drum lessons while in the Toronto area you might want to try Drumland in Toronto.  They provide a large selection of drums and equipment along with private drum lessons for all ages.  Check it out at Drumland.

Why All Leaders Should Take Conducting Lessons

I came across this interesting list while learning more about conducting on the site developed by Michael Hyatt on leadership skills.  Give it a read. It made my heart sing!    The original article is found here. Give it a good read and see if you agree.

8 Things Leaders Can Learn from Symphony Conductors

Saturday night, Gail and I went to the Nashville Symphony with our daughter, Mary, and her husband, Chris. Mary had bought tickets for Gail’s birthday. It was a magnificent evening.

The orchestra was conducted by the renowned Hugh Wolff. He and the orchestra performed Beethovan’s Concerto No. 4 in G major for Piano and Orchestra. Horacio Guitiérrez played the piano. After the intermission, the orchestra performed Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Op. 45.

We are privileged to have seats on the second row. I was less than 20 feet from Hugh Wolff. I was fascinated just watching him lead the orchestra. Toward the end of the evening, it occurred to me that conducting and leading have a lot in common:

1. The conductor starts with a great score. Conductors have a plan. They start with a musical score and a clear idea of how it should sound. Only then do they attempt to recreate in real time their musical “vision.”
2. The conductor recruits the very best players. Great conductors attract great players. Mediocre conductors attract mediocre players. The very best players want to work for the very best conductors. Like attracts like.

READ MORE HERE

Question: How do these items relate to leadership? What else can we learn from conductors?

Please go here to read the original article and find out more about this site on Leadership.

Sharing Class Notes and Project Ideas Online with Catch

My students and I have found it very convenient and practical to create Google docs online with others and work as a team to build study resources. I have seen other online web 2.0 apps that do something similar but Catch has delivered that same sharing flexibility yet has a much better appearance.

Catch lets you keep your notes private or invite friends and fellow students and/or teachers to contribute.

In the classroom it is great for getting students to prepare study notes and prepare for a test.  Catch makes a wonderful review module.

And as a music teacher being able to include audio files is a wonderful and welcome addition.  Catch

Online Music Lessons – ZipLesson

Zip Lesson
Online music lessons have never been easier
ZipLesson provides teachers and students the ability to connect through live, real-time videoconferencing with zero hassle. Simply find a teacher, select a time, and reserve a lesson. It’s as simple as that.
Effortless scheduling

ZipLesson’s unique scheduling and payment system allows you to find a teacher whose schedule fits yours. All lesson times are displayed in your time zone, so even if your teacher is halfway around the world, you’ll know exactly when to meet.
How does it work?
Find a time on your teacher’s calendar that works for you. Once your teacher confirms she’s still available, you can pay for your lesson with a credit card or PayPal account. Then, when it’s time for your lesson, just click the Skype button associated with your lesson to call your teacher.
How much does ZipLesson cost?
Student accounts on ZipLesson are free. All you pay is your teacher’s lesson fee. It’s also free for teachers to sign up and start teaching. Teachers pay a small service charge for each lesson they teach.

Online Group Study – Share Flashcards, Notes, and more

StudyBlue is an online app that lets the your students and yourself work together as a team. Students can create and share StudyBlue notes and even create digital StudyBlue flashcards.

Another similar app is called OpenStudy. This one is very insteresting as it allows students to join other students they don’t know to work together is study groups. Students can search by subject and find other OpenStudy students online.

WONDERFUL Elementary Music Resources for FREE

Making Music Fun is a great set of free downloadable resources for Elementary music teachers. Worksheets, Classical composers, Listening, Lesson ideas, Resources, find a word, Youtubes, and printable theory and certificates. All for FREE. No strings. GREAT stuff!

Tools for Building Custom Resources, Games, and more

Tools for Educators is a Great collection of applications that can be used by educators to build custom resources for their classrooms. Game creators, images, and more.

Free tools for teaching: worksheets, worksheet templates, printables and on-line teaching materials makers with images
from Tools for Educators.com . Use these
free worksheets to print, game makers, and programs for teachers
to make and print teaching resources with pictures or classroom materials for kids. They are simple, but beautiful, versatile and powerful. I hope your students (and you) enjoy the resources.

Elementary Games for Education

Slime Kids is an interesting library and gaming site for Elementary students and their teachers. It is a great way for young readers to find their next epic read or just something quick and interesting. Check out Slime Kids