A Few Thoughts on "Wall Wisher"

After looking at the blog post by Dawn about Wall Wisher I thought of several ideas for this tool. In reviewing this tool I saw that students can use audio files, video, or photos. Currently, I use a tool called comic life http://plasq.com/products/comiclife/mac 
as a way for students to create time lines, posters, storyboards, or even use as an extension activity for a concert or a field trip. Using this program, students can upload photos and then add speech bubbles with information that they learned, or reflective thoughts that they have about the activity. Students love using comic life and I have often though, wouldn't it be great to make comic life, interactive and more web 2.0 like.

Wall Wisher does just that. This would be a fantastic tool for students to create comments on each other's work, create interactive time lines on composers (or any person, era, etc.), and also evaluations on performances. This would be a fun, interactive, collaborative tool for the students to compile their thoughts on any topic, video, photo, or sound clip. 

Introductions

First of all, I would like to introduce myself, so that you can be familiar with what my music program is about. I am a 3rd year teacher at Lisbon Elementary School in Woodbine, MD. I am the general/vocal music teacher and I teacher 500 students with an additional 90 students in chorus and 11 students in an auditioned handbell ensemble. As an elementary music teacher, I believe that it is my job to make sure that students have an appreciation and understanding for music. They should understand that they may not like everything that they hear in music, but they should be able to describe it thoughtfully, using musical terminology, and also be able to respect it and appreciate it as an art form.

Students in my room play instruments on a very regular basis and also begin reading music notation in Kindergarten. I encourage creativity and expression in my room, but I also expect students to perform and play with proper technique, to be able to analyze music, self and peer evaluate, and also create and compose. Many of these peer review and evaluation processes are done with the use of instructional technology. As a related arts teacher, it is my goal to enhance student learning with technology and also teach life skills, discipline, respect, self-expression, and self-confidence while teaching across the cussiculum.