Exploring Music Careers with Padlet
Another assignment from this course that I really enjoyed was when we designed a Bell Ringer to a new unit for a class. My 5th graders were going to be starting a new unit on careers in music, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to find a way to incorporate the use of technology into my 5th grade classes!
Planning, Preparing, Purpose
One of my schools is entirely 1:1, and my students at that building are extremely comfortable with technology. I knew that if I introduced a new technology tool to these students, they would be able to use it very quickly, and that they would get a lot out of the activity. At one of my other buildings, they are not comfortable with technology use, and we would have spent a lot of time getting all of the students on, and a lot of time completing the assignment. During my planning, these considerations were incredibly important. If I were a classroom teacher who spent all of my time with these students, or even if I were the sole music teacher in the building who saw them once or twice a week, I would be able to get those students up to the same ability level as my other students. Unfortunately, this is just not the situation I am in currently.
The goal behind this intro was simply to get students engaged with the idea that a career in music does not mean you have to be a really good singer or performer. There are so many careers that deal with music or musicians without actually having to perform or listen to music. It’s important for older students to know this, especially in our district, as they go out to junior high and begin thinking about what they want to do when they’re older. It’s important for them to know that even if they can’t play an instrument or sing well, but still love music, that they can still be a part of it later in life.
Most of this unit is about giving students hope, and to open their minds to a world of possibilities in the real world. I love teaching this unit! I really wish I had the chance to teach it this year, but I can look forward to preparing a stronger unit for my students next year instead.
The Bell-Ringer/Assignment
Below you will find a link to the padlet I will be using with my students. Well, almost. The format and the instructions will be identical, however, I will be setting it up with my school district email and profile. In the spirit of keeping things separate and protecting future student privacy, I am sharing my template/assignment one so the general public will not have access to when my students inevitably work on this project. Enjoy!