Jim Ayres
Netzaberg, Germany
Grand March sheet music
Canon in C sheet music
Online Learning - A Flipped Classroom
Instructional Video
This instructional video was created as an introduction to my online flipped classroom website. Each student will be able to access this site 24/7 at home or at school. Students will be able to learn the soprano recorder at their own pace. This video explains how to hold and make a good sound on a recorder. Students also learn how to play the notes B, A and G. Click HERE or on the image to watch this video.
Student Interview
This video was created for my online flipped classroom website. Jordan is a fifth grade student that my fourth grade students all know. In this interview she explains what they should expect in their upcoming online Recorder Karate Unit. She speaks of how students can perform songs in class or submit them to Mr. Ayres via voicemail. Mr. Ayres then returns a voicemail answer back explaining the pros and cons of their performance and if they passed the song and earned a karate belt. Click HERE or on the image to listen to Jordan's interview.
Please feel free and send me your own voicemail audition message by clicking HERE. While you are on my school website, explore and take a look around.
The Grand March
This is one of the songs my Recorder Karate students performed at their spring concert. It was created with Sibelius software. This screen capture movie was on our website so students could practice at home 24/7. When they performed in concert I added an orchestral accompaniment. See this movie by clicking HERE or on the image.
Canon in C
This score was created with Sibelius software. This video is projected to the whiteboard in the front of the room. Students play along with colored coded boomwhackers or colored coded bells. Sibelius software allows me to mute parts, change tempos, or change keys with a click of the mouse. Sheet music can be printed out and used for concerts This movie was added to my website for practice outside of music class. Click HERE or on the image to watch this movie.
Carol of the Bells
This 1916 arrangement of "Carol of the Bells" was located on a public domain site and the MIDI was imported into Sibelius. I rearranged it for three xylophones and a glockenspiel. A screen shot movie was posted to the Internet for the quartet members to practice on their own. Click HERE to see this movie. While in Sibelius software you can mute parts, which was great for quartet practice. For example, if one of the four members was absent, the computer could play the missing part. Then all four parts can be heard by the other three musicians present. From Sibelius, I could print out sheet music for each student. All four parts are on this page as a downloadable PDF. Click HERE or on the image to watch the movie of their performance.
This showcase illustrates projects and lessons that were completed to incorporate technology in my classroom and in my life. Each project had a very distinct purpose and goal. The projects below challenged me to solve problems, research, create lessons, and design websites. I have divided these artifacts into three sections: Online Learning, Cognitive Tools for Learning, and Collaborative Group Projects. All images are linked to videos or other documentation.
A Technology Showcase
Collaborative Group Projects in Ireland
Integration of Technology
I participated with several collaborative groups to put on an educational technology conference for educators from all over Ireland and the world. Our group presentation was on ways to use Google Docs and Forms to enhance instruction within the classroom. By using Google Documents for journaling within the classroom, teachers are able to take home journals without lugging 30 spiral bound notebooks home. Teachers can comment quickly and easily and have the ability to share it with students' parents for conference time. Using Google Forms for exit surveys allows teachers quick and informative feedback on how the lesson went for the day. This session went very well, and we learned there are a lot of teachers looking for quicker and easier ways to do "old school" tasks.
For resources and information in regards to this topic, please click on the image or click HERE.
Research and Technology
There are many examples of misinformation and misunderstandings. We, as teachers, do our best to take what our students know or think they know and create actual knowledge that is based in fact on research. Anything can throw a student off such as video games, movies or that friend that talks too much about anything and everything. For our Understanding Understanding project my group chose to look at how ocean waves are produced. Many people think ocean waves are produced in some part by the moon. This is a misunderstanding that is rooted in students understanding of tidal waves and the moon. We interviewed several local Irish folks and several of our peers to see what their understanding was. Check out our finding and interviews at our Weebly Site.To view our group's research and to learn more about the project, please click on the image or click HERE.
Three Cognitive Tools for Learning
My trombone and I have been together for over fifty years. I pretended my trombone was a person. We are friends. What would my trombone tell me if he had the ablilty to sing an original song? Listen to this performance by clicking on the image or clicking HERE.
Modeling
This test model movie shows how students can manipulate Audacity, a free software program, and create many different sounds. Elementary students learn many useful techniques as they play and explore. This knowledge will be useful later in more sophisticated software programs. Learn more about this by clicking on the image or clicking HERE.
Play
This is an example of a pen beating perfomance in my music class. I asked the students to create a pen beating rhythmic pattern to share with their classmates. There are no wrong answers. This student did more than what I asked. She created a whole song with lyrics and a melody. This is an example of "playing" music. Students learn a lot just by taking the time to play. Learn more about this by clicking on the image or clicking HERE.
Soprano Xylophone
Carol of Bells
Quartet Parts
Glockenspiel
Alto
Xylophone
Bass
Xylophone