Grade 6 (Lesson 3a/Q3/2015/2016) :Making an iPhoto Montage

Goals:
To learn how to selectively use digital media to enhance their way for representing understanding. Digital photography has been a standard tool for users for years. In the classroom, there are countless ways to use this technology. iPhoto represents Apple's highly integrated digital photography application that exploits the Mac OS platform to its fullest.

Assignment
In this assignment, you will construct a small multimedia object called a "montage" that demonstrates qualities of digital media in order to convey an educational message about a topic you choose. You must embed the montage in an web page and describe it within that page.

Main components of the montage video:

• Visual "track" which, using iPhoto, is an image sequence arranged and presented in an interesting and intentional way.
• Sound track of some kind that enhances or complements the experience of the visual track

Some ideas for the montage are:

• Philosophical "statement" about the people, places, and things that influence schools and/or learning
• Reflection on an educational issue or event
• Exploration of a particular topic that can be examined in a new way using digital media
• Tribute to an educator or other person who has influenced you and your development
• Documentary of a vacation or historical place

Here are two examples:

http://pcraig.iweb.bsu.edu/dream/democracy.html 

http://sartonproj.iweb.bsu.edu/movie1.html

Specific Requirements:

• At least 60 seconds of total playing time; no more than 3 minutes
• The visual track plays a minimum of 15 images, maximum of 30 images
• At least one sound track which relates to the visual track in some way (support this in your description and include the appropriate copyright information)
• Use RapidWeaver software to create an iPhoto  (We will do this in class, but come with the paragraph below written)
• The page must include:

- Description of the purpose of the montage in three or four sentences
- Acknowledgements of copyrights or artists (music, images, etc.) (FULL bibliography for items not of your own creation)
- The iPhoto montage itself - exported as a Quicktime movie (.mov file)
- A professional look relevant to the montage embedded within it.
- See specifics on "how to" below

Come to class with the montage finished and exported, the paragraph described above written, and the music bibliographic information collected. We will make the page for this assignment together in class on Wednesday.

How to Make and Share a Montage with iPhoto
The details of this process will be discussed in class, so pay attention and take notes regarding the details.

Gather the images in iPhoto. You may choose to take your own pictures or bring in images from the web. You MUST acknowledge your sources by listing them on the iPhoto artifact page that you make, so be sure to copy the URL into the information section of the photo in iPhoto.

Gather the music in iTunes. You may want to do this before or after the image gathering, it depends on how the "message" unfolds for you. You can import music tracks from your own CDs or you may purchase music online. DON'T STEAL MUSIC! Get free music here. 

You'll need to acknowledge ALL music appropriately by including the following information on the iPhoto artifact page:

• Song title
• Album (if relevant)
• Artist (who is performing the piece)
• Composer (who wrote the piece--lyrics and music--if known)
• Publisher of the audio recording (typically, the music label)
• Year of recording

Create a slide show in iPhoto. Title the slideshow something relevant. Arrange the images in a meaningful way.

Configure the slideshow and attach the music track. Move pictures around by dragging; make the photos' progress match the music as much as possible.Test how it plays and decide if you like it.

Export the project as a Quicktime (.mov) file to your desktop before class.

Grade 6 (Lesson 2/Q3/2015/2016) : Vodcast vs Podcast

Difference Between Podcasts & Vodcasts?

A “Vodcast” is a “Video-Podcast”. As the name implies, vodcasts are video-based, where podcasts are audio only. There are some people that feel that vodcasts should be RSS driven, much as podcasts are. I feel that services such as YouTube or Ustream work just fine.

How To Produce Vodcasts

All that is required to produce vodcasts are video files. Therefore, the creation of vodcasts is as simple as acquiring a camera and filming an episode. Ustream has a live streaming platform available for publishers. This platform can work web-based through the web-cam. They’ve also got a studio that allows for layers, templates, transitions and all that other stuff. There are other streaming solutions outside of Ustream as well. Livestream is a good example.

Grade 6 (Lesson 3b/Q3/2015/2016) : Vodcast

Goals:
To learn how to selectively use digital media to enhance instruction and to provide ways for representing understanding by combining digital photography with sound and interactive links. Garage Band is a standard tool for users to create this kind of outreach. In the classroom, there are countless ways to use this technology. Garage Band represents Apple maximizes the use of digital media to create productive and interesting learning environments that exploit the Mac OS platform to its fullest.

Assignment:
In this assignment, you will construct a small multimedia object called a "vodcast." Vodcasts contain both digital photography or movies and sound, usually spoken narration. This vodcast will convey some form or a message to your audience about a topic you choose. The final product should be submitted on your folder in Google Drive. On this page you will describe the process of creating the item, the intended audience and the intended learning/outcome from watching the vodcast and you will write a second paragraph.

Main components of the vodcast:
Visual "track" which is an image sequence arranged and presented in an interesting and intentional way. Sound track of voice over that enhances or compliments the experience of the visual track. One link to an external source for audience enrichment

What to do:

• Take your iPhoto Montage and import it into GarageBand. 
• Remove the current sound track. 
• Add a specific, edited part of a song to the sound track. (be sure to collect the bibliographic information for this song)
• Add a voice over at the beginning of the new project to describe the purpose of the project and to give the listener an overall view of what to expect.
• Lower the volume of the song, but make it hearable under the voiceover

Export the project as either Web or Web Streaming and post the movie on  your folder in Google Drive.


Use the Instructions below to create your Garage Band Project
Open GarageBand. If you do not get the below window, go to “File” and then click “New”. Once the window is up, scroll down and click Movie. Next, click “Choose”.

Once your project is open, click on Finder in the Dock. Navigate to your movie. Then drag and drop the movie into the editing space in GarageBand.

Click on the Orange bar underneath the Movie track. This bar represents the audio that is embedded in your movie. Since we are creating new audio, delete this bar by going to “Edit” at the top of the screen and clicking on “Delete”.

Next, you will need to add a new Track to record your audio. Click “Track” at the top of the screen. Then click “New Track…” When a window pops up asking what type of tack you want, select “Real Instrument” (the one in the middle”) and click “Create”.

When you are ready to record, click the button with a red circle in it (  ) and begin speaking. When you are finished, GarageBand will create a purple bar that represents your recording. Move it to the point in your track where you want it.

Click the  button in the bottom right corner of the GarageBand window. Then click “Audio” at the top. You can then click on iTunes and search for the song you want.

Once you have found the song you want, click and drag it into the editing area. GarageBand will create a new track with an orange bar to represent your song.

If you need to clip your song, you must first make sure to click on the track containing your song. Then, drag the playhead (the triangle with the red line coming down from it that extends down the entire editing area) to the point in your song where you want to clip the song. Next, press command+T on your keyboard. The clip will be split into two pieces. Click in the blank space above or below the clip, then click on the section you want to delete. Finally, press the delete key on your keyboard.

Drag the clip all the way to the left of the editing area so that the audio will begin at the same time as the video.

Go to the beginning of your movie. On the track that contains your song, click the down arrow () in the list of options.

This will allow you to edit the track volume. What you want to do is keep the volume of the song low or off while your voiceover is running and then have it gently fade in to its normal level. To do this, first create a new point on the volume like by clicking where you want the fade in to END.

The next point you will create will be where the fade in BEGINS. To create this point, click and hold on the line where you want the point to be and drag the point down to decrease the volume. You want it to be about -14 to -18 decibels. You will notice that this causes the volume line to form a V. What you want is for the line to be level, then go up, then level off again. To level it at the beginning, click on the volume line at the beginning and pull down until this point is the same decibels as the beginning of the fade in.

Once you are ready to export your movie, go to the top of the screen and click “Share” then click “Export Movie to Disk…”

In the Video Settings dropdown menu, select “Web”.

Save the movie into yourGoogle Drive” folder with a web appropriate name (using only numbers, letters, and underscores).

Import the movie file into the web page like we did with the iPhoto montage.

Continue composing the rest of the web page to include the written information discussed above. Make the page look professional and relevant to the message in your montage.

Publish your Garage Band Vodcast page through RapidWeaver.

Grade 5 (Lesson 3/Q3/2015/2016) : Music Technology 1 (Sound Systems)

What does a sound system do?  Where do you see sound systems?

The basic function of a sound system is to reinforce the sound.

Mixing Boards

At the heart of every sound system is a mixer.  A mixer “mixes” the sound!  You can call it the control center of the sound system.

• The mixer receives signals from microphones, instruments, etc
• The signal is processed for level and tone which can then go to the outputs (speakers).

Three functions of a mixer

• Changes the sound
• Combines the sounds
• Mixes the sounds

Click the link below to play with an online mixer

http://myweb.liu.edu/jmeschi/mus1music/texture/hipPreLoad.swf

Now try this online mixer - Beatbox DJ Mixer – Online Mixer

http://www.blobprod.com/mixers/beatbox/beatboxmain.asp

Powered vs. Unpowered

All mixers fall under two categories: POWERED OR UNPOWERED

Powered Mixers

• Have an amplifier built in
• Less cords and cables compared to unpowered systems
• Hard to upgrade without replacing entire unit

Unpowered Mixers

• Does not have an amplifier built in
• Amp and Mixer are two separate units

What to do about all those Knobs!!

Looking at a mixer for the first time can be very overwhelming.  Don’t worry this will be painless!!!  

All you need to know is one channel strip.  Once you have that concept down you can figure out any size mixer!

Vocabulary:

• Mixer
• Powered Mixer
• Unpowered Mixer
• Channel Strip
• Gain
• Pan
• EQ
• Monitors
• Mains
• Signal Flo
• Time Based Effects
• Gain Based Effects
• Compression
• Reverb
• Wireless
• 5.1 Surround Sound
• Stereo

Grade 5 (Lesson 2/Q3/2015/2016) : Instrument, Composer and Performer Research

Students will create a powerpoint, poster, or booklet about the following:

1)    the instrument that they play

2)     a favorite composer

3)     a favorite performer   

Due February 8th, 2016

Please answer the following questions for your instrument

• where  and when did your instrument originate?
• what was your instrument originally made out of?   
• what family of instruments does it belong to?   
• What other instruments are included in this family of the orchestra?  
• what type of music is played on your instrument? 
•  which important composers have written music for your instrument?

Please answer the following questions about a composer or performer.  

• When were they born, are they still living?  
• Where do they live?  
• What style of music did they write or perform?  
• What do you like about this style of music?   
• Why did you choose this artist/composer?   
• What instruments do they play?   
• What type of training did they have?   
• What is your favorite song, and why?

Grade 7 (Term 3/L1/2015/2016): Drums & Drumming

Assignment 1

1.     Complete a profile of any famous rock band from either the past or the present. The only restriction on your choice is that it must be a band with a drummer. Include the following:

• Members of the band
• When they started
• Changes to the band
• Hit songs, tours, albums
•  Instruments used
• Style of rock played  

2.     This question will be devoted to the drummer of the band you have researched. You should include the following:

• Drummer’s name
• Drummer’s history
• Brand of kit used
• A list of the gear your drummer uses on their kit.
• At least 1 diagram of your drummer’s kit.

Assignment 2

1.  Collect as many different pictures of different drum kits as you can find. You must show the development of the kit from its beginnings in the 1920’s to the present day. You should aim to have at least one kit per decade.

2.  Give brief details of the following famous drummers. Include things like:

• Which brand of drums they play
• Which band/s they have played with
• Some brief background.

Set your information out in a table, as shown below.

David Jones                Lionel Hampton          Dave Weckl

Buddy Rich                 Gene Krupa                Steve Gadd

Ringo Starr                  Lewis Nash                 Art Blakey

Phil Collins                 Lars Ulrich                  John Morrison           

Ringo Starr

Plays Ludwig Drums

Famous drummer for The Beatles during the 1960’s.

Born 7th, July 1940. Full name is Richard Starkey. He is an English drummer, singer, songwriter, and actor. He plays left-handed.

Assignment 3

Research the following types of drums from around the world. Provide a picture of each and state which country they come from, how they are played and how they are made. Present your information in a table as follows:

Drum	Picture	Country	Construction	Playing Techniques
Bodhran		Ireland	Wooden shell with rosewood cross braces. Covered with goatskin.	Played with a double-ended stick called a tipper.

Find out about each of the following drums:

• Doumbek
• Conga
• Timbales
• Bodhran
• Bongos
• Djembe
• Cuica
• Ashiko
• Talking Drum
• Tsuzumi