Today we played with Storify in class. This is what I created.
I have watched video after video and read as much as I could possibly read about how to successfully play a bar chord. The finger placement looks kind of like the picture below, which is my attempt to play an F chord. When you play bar chords, you use your index finger to push down all six strings on a fret, and use your other three fingers to create different sounds. Apparently my fingers don't really care about all of this effort in the slightest. No matter where I place my finger there is ALWAYS one string that is muted because I cannot get that part of my finger to press down any further. I even consulted a friend of mine who has been playing the guitar for over ten years. My consultation resulted in both of us laughing uncontrollably because neither of us could figure out how to address the problem. Our only solution was to keep practicing. To strengthen the fingers and build callus there as well as on the tips of my finger. So that's what I'm going to do. Onwards and upwards, as they say. I may have conveniently forgotten than learning guitar means building calluses on my fingertips. The truth of the matter is that when you first learn to play guitar, it can hurt. It's not surprising. Pressing the strings down in the right place and with the right amount of strength is a new project for my fingertips, and it affects how I have to approach the process. I cannot expect to ignore my guitar for a few days and then come back to it for a couple hours, expecting to make progress. First of all, it hurts too much. Second of all, consistency is key. I have found that I pick up the guitar 2-3 times daily for fifteen-twenty minutes each time. I have seen some progress in the song I am currently trying to learn, as well as improved dexterity, and I already notice the calluses being formed on my fingers. I know I have a long way to go, but I am learning so much more with short, consistent practicing than back when I only picked up the guitar a couple times a week (and never actually learned anything). While I do know from experience that the pain goes away as the calluses build, I thought I'd do some quick research on what people say about it. Two things I learned from these websites that I had not known before: (1) There is such a thing as pressing too hard on the strings. It can hurt your fingers and dampen the sound, so I am hoping to begin to pay more attention to how much pressure is needed versus how much I am giving it. (2) The pain of calluses can be eased by rubbing alcohol. Apparently it helps keep moisture from softening your fingertips. I don't know if I'm going to go run out and buy rubbing alcohol to dip my fingers in, but it's still an interesting technique that I've discovered people do. The song I am currently working to learn is "Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls. I first heard this song at the San Diego Women's Chorus' Winter Concert last December. It was the last song they sang of the evening, and I fell in love with it. Listening to that group of women sing such a powerful song was one of the reasons that I realized I needed to join a choir again, and am now a member of the San Diego Women's Chorus.
The New York City Guitar School has their very own YouTube channel, through which I have been able to learn some of the chord progressions for the song. I have much more work to do this week, though, and next week I plan to introduce one or two more songs that I can practice, since I tend to get impatient with myself and want to be able to jump around as I progress. My other goal is to figure out how to play an F chord. I have tried for so long--to no avail. This week I hope to do some research on technique so that I may be able to make progress on bar chords, because they are currently not my friends, but some of my absolute favorite songs require F chords. It's very sad, but only until I get it down. At this point, all I ask of you, dear readers, is to make song requests! Next week I hope to have a poll for everyone to vote on to help me decide which songs I want to learn and focus my attention on, but for now, I would love your input! What does the class want to hear? I look forward to your suggestions in the comments. As we delve deeper into the world of digital learning, we have been asked to supplement our learning by reading a choice book that addresses the ways in which we engage students in our world today. I have chosen to read Who Owns the Learning? by Alan November. Now, I have only just started reading this book. My goal is to read and reflect on one or two chapters each week. The good news is that there is only six chapters, but there is a lot of amazing content. In Who Owns the Learning?, November seeks to provide a new model for classrooms that teach students to "learn how to learn," rather than simply absorbing content that we give them. He builds this model, which he calls the Digital Learning Farm, from an idea put forth by Dan Pink in his book Drive, in which he claims people are motivated when they have "autonomy, mastery, and purpose." November’s goal, then, is to share ways in which we may be able to empower students to be motivated in the same ways. Principals, teachers, students, and even parents contribute to this process, discovering, modeling, and supporting learning at every turn. Maybe this is the English teacher talking, but as much as I am excited to explore autonomy and collaboration and true purpose inside a classroom, I found his metaphorical “farm” lacking. What about autonomy and collaboration connect to the farm lifestyle? As far as my understanding goes, a farm is a specific, owned plot of land where people engage in hard labor, often in isolation. I do not see the connection between that and a collaborative, discovery-based, purposeful learning process. November fails to make an explicit connection, leaving me feeling as if the goals and ideas are there without a cohesive model that can be passed on. A couple quotations I would like to share that are important ideas from the chapter: “Simply adding technology--the ten-thousand dollar pencil--to the current highly prescribed school culture won’t help very much.” (14) “Teaching in the Digital Learning Farm model doesn’t require a strong command of specific technical tools and skills; instead, it leverages educators’ ability to tap the underestimated value of student contribution.” (18) “Once students realize that they are valued for their contributions to the learning community, it is not unusual for them to add examples to class notes, or to add a link to a tutorial, or to have extended conversations outside of class about subject content.” (23-24) I am a firm believer that we are all learners, and that if we teach students how to work together, how to share information, and how to learn, then we will be giving students opportunities and purpose that will have far greater meaning for them as they grow. It’s not about adding in technology to our classrooms; it’s about giving students access to the kind of tools and methods of discovery that are relevant to them and will create motivated, innovative thinkers. What are some ways that you think you could give your students more autonomy and purpose in your classroom? If you've never heard of a 20% Project, it is most definitely your lucky day. A concept that has been made popular by Google, the idea is that 20% of the work week (one full work day each week) is spent learning and developing something that you are passionate about and not necessarily in your job description. The amazing part of this is how it has infiltrated education. Though I cannot speak for my own students (because I am still a student teacher), there are some amazing 20% Projects and the aptly-renamed “Genius Hour” projects happening all over the country. Check out this article from Edutopia if you’re interested in why it can be a great addition to the classroom, and check out geniushour.com for more information on the concept and how to do it. Until I get a chance to utilize it in my own classroom, though, I’m being given the opportunity to explore my own passions within my Learning and Technology class at USD. Our 20% Project asks us to use technology to learn something that we are passionate about. I have discovered in the past week that there are So. Many. Things. I want to learn. A small list of ideas that I’ve come up with is as follows:
Of these, I am most attracted to typography, clothes-making, and the guitar. I have always had this weird fascination with how we can use fonts and words digitally, and I think it would be cool to learn more about it. I also informed my roommates about a month ago that I was going to make myself a Daenarys Targaryan (Game of Thrones, anyone?) cosplay for myself, so this seems like a good opportunity to do that. In the end, I think I’m going to dive into guitar again. It’s the project that will not affect me financially in any way, and I have been trying to push myself to learn more than the one song I know for almost a year. I think there is a lot to be gained from working towards being a better instrumentalist. I have been part of choirs for many, many years, and I have always wanted to expand my musicality to include the ability to play an instrument. On a side note, though, I still want to work a bit more with graphic design and typography, but I don’t know the best or most affordable way to do that. If anyone knows an affordable and/or free alternative to Photoshop, I would be grateful for any resources! If anyone else is planning to learn an instrument, let’s chat! I would love to share trials, successes, and resources. I would also welcome any tips to keep in mind. |
AuthorMy name is Alyssa Black and I am an M.Ed/Single-subject credential student at University of San Diego. I am a part-time student teacher in an 8th-grade English class at Rancho Del Rey Middle School in Chula Vista, CA. Archives
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