Music Teacher Coffee Talk

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT Episode #80: 3 Favorite Winter Activities In this episode, Carrie and Tanya share their top 3 winter activities for the music room, and specifically how we are adapting them for a remote or socially distant environment. Main Theme: Top 3 Winter Activities for the Music Room Carrie's Top 3 Snowmen at Night/Once There was a Snowman I start by reading "Snowmen at Night" by Caralyn Buehner . We notice that the largest snowballs are on the bottom (low) and the smallest are at the top (high). This leads to playing the barred instruments and noticing that the largest bar is the lowest sound and the smallest bar is the highest sound. We also sing the song Once there was a Snowman while moving up and down: We tag on this ending to the song: Then we play the descending C scale on the tone bars or glockenspiel. In a remote environment, students can play the virtual xylophone  on the Musicplay website. Cup Game with Sleigh Ride I used this YouTube v...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT Episode #73: Building Relationships During Challenging Times In this episode, Tanya and Carrie discuss strategies and ideas for building relationships during the challenging circumstances of remote learning and/or socially distant learning.  Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Music Stand Up, Sit Down  by Music Plus Coffee Tanya's Getting to Know You: Music Class activity Tanya's AMP Team Thinglink Nine Little Jellybeans  by Willie Wood, Illustrated by Ron Wheeler Only One You/Nadie Como Tú  by Linda Krantz The Book of Mistakes  by Corinna Luyken Happy by Mies Van Hout First day of Music Worksheets by Music and Motivate The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson Other Things we Mention: Thoughts on Social Emotional Learning Coloring the Melody podcast with Darlene and Nora "If I Were a Racist" by Nate Holder Decolonise Music Ed Movie Therapy podcast

In this episode, Tanya and Carrie welcome Aileen Miracle and Katie Minneci from The Music Room podcast , and we discuss closure for the end of the school year during distance learning.  We all share ideas on how to wrap up instruction, celebrate and reflect on the year, and say goodbye to our students. Ideas we discussed: Have students share their favorite songs and activities from the year on a platform such as Nearpod, Peardeck, Flipgrid, or Google Forms Students can help create a memory book in Google Slides sharing favorite songs and activities from the year Create a Music Field day hyperdoc with choices for active music making activities Students can share and reflect on projects they are finishing Create a digital recital with Flipgrid where students can perform by singing, playing instruments, or dancing Attend virtual "clap out" ceremonies and goodbye celebrations for 5th or 6th graders who are leaving elementary school Create a digital end of the year escape room us...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT Episode #64: All About Puppets! In this episode, Carrie and Tanya talk about puppets in the music classroom and how we use them in online and distance learning.  Since we wanted you to see our fun friends as we talk about them, we made this episode a LIVE video recording on Facebook!  Check out the episode and meet some of our favorite puppet pals in the video below! Things we talk about: Mrs. Cookie's Designs (Liz Kutschke's Etsy Store) Folkmanis Puppets Coda Suggestions: Kahoot Quizes  (use in Challenge mode for distance learning) Mindhunter (on Netflix) Unorthodox (on Netflix) The Music Room podcast - Episode #51 "Practical and Heartfelt Encouragement for Home Learning "

In this episode, Tanya and Carrie give an update of their successes and challenges in this new world of online and distance learning.  We focus our conversation on our online content, favorite tech tools, communication strategies, and organization tips. Things we talk about: Pocket Full of Primary Carrie's Tic Tac Toe choice boards: 1st Grade example presenting rest 4th Grade example focusing on rhythmic practice and beatboxing Tech Tools we are using or are considering using: Google Classroom Flipgrid Pear Deck Loom Acapella app Seesaw Padlet How to "make a copy for each student" for assignments in Google Classroom Other things mentioned in this Episode: Tanya loves: Staying In with Emily and Kumail podcast Carrie loves: Wireless USB mouse Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

In this episode, Carrie and Tanya discuss ideas and tips for online and distance learning.  We share what worked well in our first week of online learning, and what we plan to focus on in the weeks to come.  We talk about finding balance between keeping an online presence and holding students accountable, but always keeping the focus on meaningful and active music making.  We also share some of our favorite tech tools that we have had success with. Things that worked well in Week 1 Carrie: Creating a thematic unit (ie STOMP-inspired unit) in Google Classroom using tools such as YouTube links for listening, Google Forms for responding, and Google Slides for composing. Using Flipgrid for video responses to encourage participation and active music making. Tanya: Creating sing-a-long and read aloud videos with Loom so students feel connected to you. Using puppets and props in videos to keep students engaged. What we are planning for the weeks to come: ...

Like many of you, Tanya and Carrie have entered the world of online and distance learning due to COVID-19.  In this episode, we will share some resources and ideas we've gathered so far.  Remember to wash your hands, and don't be racist!  (credit to @littleupbeatclass on Instagram: Self-Care Songs #13) Online Resources: Isle of Tune (requires Flash) BeepBox Incredibox Kahoot and Quizziz Musician of the Month Online Subscription Resources: Sighteading Factory SmartMusic BrainPOP SoundTrap MusicPlay Helpful Blogs and Groups: Midnight Music Mrs. Miracle's Music Room Organized Chaos Facebook group: E-Learning in Music Education Online Learning "Work Smarter Not Harder" Teacher Tips: Consider turning off comments on online platforms (ie Google Classroom) or teach students how to comment appropriately. Watch and vet videos all the way through before posting!  Look into SafeShare  to eliminate ads and other YouTube video conc...