ElEd Practicum Experience

Using Garage Band Recording Technology

Leah White

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Utah Language Arts Core Standard 2, Objective 1, Indicator a. Print carries a message and what is the message of "Our First Grade Song" and Standard 1, Objective 1, Indicator a. Language can be learned through listening and being entertained.

TPACK -Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge. What I used was Garage Band Digital Technology to record the children singing. It was important for the children to learn to listen to themselves recorded upon the computer over the speakers in the classroom overhead. This technology completed the experience and the pedagogical tool from this technology meets the the indicator for a way to learn language by listening and being entertained. Although this wasn't a look it me and how cool I am I am being recorded! We are singing! We can hear ourselves! It was more so understanding and reflecting on the experience we had while preparing for the recording and reflective listening of the music to know what our message is. The content knowledge was that what we wrote carries a message in our case carried a message which connected with the first graders personal background knowledge and experience and allowing each first grade as a group to feel like literally their voice matters and that is why they were being recorded and that their voice is so important, that their thoughts and ideas need to be heard and that is why we listened to them over the speakers. Each child was able to take part in the technology experience by having their voice recorded. They mattered and and so did their message. Without this recording device I believe that this experience would have been incomplete but with being able to use this recording device only solidified the importance of what they were learning.

The events that went well. The technology worked in the classroom. Not only did it motivate the children to sing their best it was a way to reinforce that their message that they wrote was important enough to record and reflect upon. The recording was so clear that I was initially nervous that we might have to record again to make a good copy, but the recording was fantastic and picked up all the children's voices. This first grade class would be able to pick out their own voice. And when my mentor teacher burns it on a CD they will have it for ready use all the time with their voices clearly singing their first grade message.

What I would improve upon would be realizing that I needed the mic for the computer so that we could hear our song over the overhead speakers. But that was fine that I didn't think about that. That was easy to change for next time which I did a couple days later. And my mentor teacher was able to make it happen when I needed it.

"Our First Grade Song" was typed up and placed into the "Favorite Folders" for each child. They wrote and learned the song, polishing the song for recording on "Garage Band," and finally being able to listen to their project over the speaker system.

The children were so eager to record the message they created and they were even more eager to listen to how well they did. They had felt like they were a part of a magical experience!