bp12_2009103_Web 2.0 Tools_Google Calendar

Web 2.0 Tools - Google Calendar

An important element of any band or orchestra programs is individual practice. But how can a teacher be sure a student is practicing? There are the obvious cases when a teacher can hear that a student isn’t practicing, but what about those students who slip through the cracks? Many teachers, especially elementary and middle school teachers, develop a practice log for their students to fill out. Why not use a Web 2.0 tool to do the same thing?

Using Google Calendar, teachers can create practice records for their students to use. Each student and parent can create a calendar that they can then share with the teacher. Each day they can record how many minutes they practiced. There is a certain element of the honor code that goes into effect when dealing with practice records. Usually teachers can tell if “Will” actually practiced 45 minutes in one day. In any event, at the end of the month students can print out their calendar and have their parents sign signifying that they witnessed the practicing.

Another way to use Google Calendar would be between all the music teachers in the district. Planning concerts and events can be a nightmare, but with Google Calendar, everyone has access to the information. Directors can put in their concert dates or competition dates to make sure that there is no overlap between events. If all the directors get together for a meeting, they can deliberate on which day they would like. With Google Calendar there is only one calendar that has to be dealt with, which makes it a million times easier to make changes or corrections. Once the year has been solidified, you can share the calendar by posting it on the music department website or sending it to parents and students. Each director can also use Google Calendar to keep track of their individual events for their students.

References:

Google Calendar. (2009). Retrieved on October 14, 2009, from http://www.google.com/calendar