Making music together
I love music. I love playing music too and I have been in a few bands over the years as either a drummer or singer/guitarist. I have even dabbled in writing my own songs. So earlier today, when I came across inbflat (a collaborative music/spoken word project), I was not only impressed at how simple an idea it was but inspired at the potential it could have for classroom use.
What to do
- Teach my class a pentatonic scale C D E G A C
- Give the children xylophones with only these notes so they can experiment on musical arrangements
- Video these performances for review and discussion
- Provide further instruments such as a keyboard marked with the scale for the children to explore arrangements further
- Children record these on PC and on video
- Upload separate performances onto a blog post for the grand performance
This is only an idea brewing but one which I intend to explore with my new class of Y3/4’s sometime this coming school year providing them a wonderfully creative musical experience.
Darren Solomon is the musician behind inbflat. You can find out more here.
edit
Earlier today @mrslwalker posted a link to the following video. It shows Bobby McFerrin demonstrating the power of the Pentatonic scale. Amazing stuff.
I have been reading all about 
KOL, 
Dawn Willman, 
I’m not a skeptical sort. I’m up for most things in life and as an educator I believe in the same guideline, otherwise I’d be still doing everything on my blackboard. That’s not to say it isn’t useful but with the technology we have today and some literally at our fingertips i.e. samrt table we would be foolish not to embrace it.
EBD35 11:53 am on May 10, 2009 Permalink |
Hi ya. I teach in an EBD primary special school (5boys/2girls) and used Myst III for pre ofsted and ofsted lessons and my class LOVED it.
I look forward to following your adventures over the following week(s)
K Haig 11:56 am on May 10, 2009 Permalink |
“Unfortunately I now have to play the game on my own so I can prepare activities to be used throughout the next few weeks as we delve deeper into it, but I can safely say that I will enjoy every moment of it.”
This sounds such a hardship! Really interesting reading your thoughts, just found your blog through twitter and it is interesting reading- thanks!
kvnmclaughlin 12:13 pm on May 10, 2009 Permalink |
@EBD35 If you have any ideas and activities that you would like to share I’d be more than grateful.
@K Haig Definitely a hardship
I just find it difficult not to keep playing it and seeing it through to the end. I want to keep some sense of wonder as I use the game with my class.
Dawn Willman 1:53 am on May 24, 2009 Permalink |
I used to teach 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. I am currently a stay at home mom with my 3 and 6 year old. I will be tutoring students in writing this summer. I am just now through internet research hearing about the use of the Myst game for writing lessons. Has anyone published anything that has lessons already prepared with writing concepts and the use of this game? Are there any good websites out there to go to that have writing lessons for this game?
KOL 12:27 pm on June 24, 2009 Permalink |
It’s a shame that, as literature, Myst V is easily the weakest of the series. On the other hand it’s also among the easiest game-wise, so I can definitely see it as a good subject to examine in a classroom.