This is not an emergency. This is just a test.
I'm trying to see if I followed all of the directions and settings correctly to post my blog directly to Facebook and Twitter. We shall see!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Who I Am
I'm hoping to get back into blogging again, and thought it would be a good idea to reintroduce myself to the blogging world.
My name is Jennifer Kolze, and I am a music teacher and musician.
I teach 3rd-8th Grade General and Vocal Music for a small school district in the western suburbs of Chicago. My students sing, play recorders, guitars, and percussion instruments, learn about music around the world, compose their own music, and explore their own musical interests and tastes. They are exposed to tools such as GarageBand, Audacity, NoteFlight, MuseScore, SmartMusic, and much more.
Music has always been an important part of my life. I have been singing as long as I can remember. I've been playing clarinet since I was 9 years old, and have added many other instruments to that list since then. I currently play in a community band and am hoping to get back into singing in a community choir. I love to surround myself with music, whether it's creating my own or just listening to music while I'm working around the house or in the garden.
I am currently a graduate student at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL. This is my final summer of residency (yay!). One of the classes I am taking is called Instructional Design (I'm actually in class RIGHT NOW!), and am hoping to share a lot of new tips, tricks, and tools that I learn in here and can use with my incredible students!
My name is Jennifer Kolze, and I am a music teacher and musician.
I teach 3rd-8th Grade General and Vocal Music for a small school district in the western suburbs of Chicago. My students sing, play recorders, guitars, and percussion instruments, learn about music around the world, compose their own music, and explore their own musical interests and tastes. They are exposed to tools such as GarageBand, Audacity, NoteFlight, MuseScore, SmartMusic, and much more.
Music has always been an important part of my life. I have been singing as long as I can remember. I've been playing clarinet since I was 9 years old, and have added many other instruments to that list since then. I currently play in a community band and am hoping to get back into singing in a community choir. I love to surround myself with music, whether it's creating my own or just listening to music while I'm working around the house or in the garden.
I am currently a graduate student at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL. This is my final summer of residency (yay!). One of the classes I am taking is called Instructional Design (I'm actually in class RIGHT NOW!), and am hoping to share a lot of new tips, tricks, and tools that I learn in here and can use with my incredible students!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Back Home
Every year, during the last week of January, a special thing occurs. All around the state, hundreds of music teachers take a day or two off of work and meet up in Peoria, IL for a special event...
called IMEA.
This year marks my fourth consecutive year attending the conference. It's always a fun time, because you're in a building full of people who UNDERSTAND YOU. They understand your passion for solfege and the excitement that comes when your 4th grade clarinet player finally crosses the break...and they know what that means. They understand the struggles you face of scheduling and trying to cram way too many lessons in the day because you want to see all of your students. They get it...because they live it. Now, don't get me wrong...I'm in an amazing district where music is greatly valued and appreciated...but it's still nice to be able to speak the language of music with others without having someone looking at you like you're from another planet.
It's also nice being able to reconnect with friends that you don't get to see face-to-face very often. We spend so much time texting, emailing, reading each other's blogs, writing on each other's facebook walls, responding to plurks or tweets that we almost feel like we know each other...but it's wonderful to actually TALK to the person across from the table and see what they actually look like in 3-D. Each year, I'm amazed at how many more people I have to "find" that I've reconnected with somehow/somewhere.
And then, of course, there are the sessons and the exhibit halls. Sessions talking about integration, teaching across the curriculum, sight-singing, inclusion for special needs children, using technology in the classroom, helping the middle school boy through the changing voice (a JOYOUS time for all middle school choir directors!), and everything else under the sun. The exhibits are full of shiny new instruments, music waiting to be played or sung, new books to help remind us of what we intrinsically know as educators and some things we have never thought of.
And every year I come home exhausted, yet excited and full of new ideas that I can hardly wait to show my kids. I come home with more catalogs than I know what to do with. And of course I come home with bags of "gourmet lollipops" for my kids to try to earn as a special reward. This year, I also came home with one of these: http://www.wengercorp.com/Teach/footNOTES.html. It's a rug...a very large rug. And I won it in a drawing that the Wenger peeps hold every year. My friend Steve almost always wins a stand...but I came home with a rug that I have to somehow get into my car so I can take it to school tomorrow morning and show my kids.
So tomorrow I return to life and school, hopefully with some new tips and tricks up my sleeve and a new energy and focus for the remainder of the school year. I'm also more energized to get back to work blogging and putting myself out there to connect with other music educators, as well as getting to work to build my website that I've been dreaming about and planning for who-knows-how-long. I want to do my part to contribute to my profession...there are some pretty big shoes out there to fill.
Life is good.
called IMEA.
This year marks my fourth consecutive year attending the conference. It's always a fun time, because you're in a building full of people who UNDERSTAND YOU. They understand your passion for solfege and the excitement that comes when your 4th grade clarinet player finally crosses the break...and they know what that means. They understand the struggles you face of scheduling and trying to cram way too many lessons in the day because you want to see all of your students. They get it...because they live it. Now, don't get me wrong...I'm in an amazing district where music is greatly valued and appreciated...but it's still nice to be able to speak the language of music with others without having someone looking at you like you're from another planet.
It's also nice being able to reconnect with friends that you don't get to see face-to-face very often. We spend so much time texting, emailing, reading each other's blogs, writing on each other's facebook walls, responding to plurks or tweets that we almost feel like we know each other...but it's wonderful to actually TALK to the person across from the table and see what they actually look like in 3-D. Each year, I'm amazed at how many more people I have to "find" that I've reconnected with somehow/somewhere.
And then, of course, there are the sessons and the exhibit halls. Sessions talking about integration, teaching across the curriculum, sight-singing, inclusion for special needs children, using technology in the classroom, helping the middle school boy through the changing voice (a JOYOUS time for all middle school choir directors!), and everything else under the sun. The exhibits are full of shiny new instruments, music waiting to be played or sung, new books to help remind us of what we intrinsically know as educators and some things we have never thought of.
And every year I come home exhausted, yet excited and full of new ideas that I can hardly wait to show my kids. I come home with more catalogs than I know what to do with. And of course I come home with bags of "gourmet lollipops" for my kids to try to earn as a special reward. This year, I also came home with one of these: http://www.wengercorp.com/Teach/footNOTES.html. It's a rug...a very large rug. And I won it in a drawing that the Wenger peeps hold every year. My friend Steve almost always wins a stand...but I came home with a rug that I have to somehow get into my car so I can take it to school tomorrow morning and show my kids.
So tomorrow I return to life and school, hopefully with some new tips and tricks up my sleeve and a new energy and focus for the remainder of the school year. I'm also more energized to get back to work blogging and putting myself out there to connect with other music educators, as well as getting to work to build my website that I've been dreaming about and planning for who-knows-how-long. I want to do my part to contribute to my profession...there are some pretty big shoes out there to fill.
Life is good.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Things I've Learned from Graduate School (as of July 18th)
These are in no particular order, and I'm sure that this list will change with each summer I am in this program, and even after I've had a chance to reflect on everything I have experienced this summer.
1. Sleep as much as you can, because there will be weeks in which you get little of it.
2. Work ahead of schedule as much as possible. There are times where you have little on your plate, and others where you feel as if there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. PLAN AHEAD!
3. Start the research paper on day one...don't procrastinate as I did!
4. Find a little bit of time every day for yourself. Even if you only get 30 minutes, take some time to be you. It is especially important on those days where you feel overwhelmed and swamped.
5. Eat healthy. Drink lots of water.
6. Listen to the advice of those who have gone before you and who have more experience. If I would have listened to Brenda, Carol, and Lornetta, I would have taken voice lessons instead of piano, and would have taken public transportation more.
7. Take public transportation! Yes, it's nice having a car on campus, but it's definitely more relaxing to sit on a train instead of in traffic! Plus, you can read on the train. You shouldn't read while driving on the expressway.
8. Lean on your friends/family/significant others. They always want to support and help you in any way that they can! Even if that means begging them to listen to you vent for 15 minutes, helping you clean our car, or entertaining your cats/kids/dog, it's the little things. Just be prepared to bake for them or return the favor!
9. Make friends! You will need that support group, not to mention that core group to bounce ideas off of each other. Who knows...maybe you'll even end up on the same train! You're all in this together, you know!
10. Take time to reflect on what you've learned and how you're going to apply this knowledge. It can be overwhelming if you wait until the program is over to look back...make notes, write a journal, use post-its, code...whatever system works for you!
As I said, I know this list will change, so I'll add to it once I finish school (in a week, wow!).
What other pieces of advice would you offer to someone in graduate school?
1. Sleep as much as you can, because there will be weeks in which you get little of it.
2. Work ahead of schedule as much as possible. There are times where you have little on your plate, and others where you feel as if there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. PLAN AHEAD!
3. Start the research paper on day one...don't procrastinate as I did!
4. Find a little bit of time every day for yourself. Even if you only get 30 minutes, take some time to be you. It is especially important on those days where you feel overwhelmed and swamped.
5. Eat healthy. Drink lots of water.
6. Listen to the advice of those who have gone before you and who have more experience. If I would have listened to Brenda, Carol, and Lornetta, I would have taken voice lessons instead of piano, and would have taken public transportation more.
7. Take public transportation! Yes, it's nice having a car on campus, but it's definitely more relaxing to sit on a train instead of in traffic! Plus, you can read on the train. You shouldn't read while driving on the expressway.
8. Lean on your friends/family/significant others. They always want to support and help you in any way that they can! Even if that means begging them to listen to you vent for 15 minutes, helping you clean our car, or entertaining your cats/kids/dog, it's the little things. Just be prepared to bake for them or return the favor!
9. Make friends! You will need that support group, not to mention that core group to bounce ideas off of each other. Who knows...maybe you'll even end up on the same train! You're all in this together, you know!
10. Take time to reflect on what you've learned and how you're going to apply this knowledge. It can be overwhelming if you wait until the program is over to look back...make notes, write a journal, use post-its, code...whatever system works for you!
As I said, I know this list will change, so I'll add to it once I finish school (in a week, wow!).
What other pieces of advice would you offer to someone in graduate school?
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
An Introduction
My name is Jennifer, aka Clarinet_Jen in various communities, and I have been a lover and learner of music my entire life. I have been singing longer than I can remember. I began playing clarinet at the age of 10, and continue to play today in a community band. After teaching 4th-8th Grade Band for 4 years, I have made the switch to classroom and vocal music. I now teach 3rd-8th Grade Music and Choir, and have been doing so for the past two years. I truly feel that this is where I need to be in my teaching career, and find myself feeling incredibly fulfilled with my current job.
In addition to teaching full time, I am currently enrolled in the Master's Program at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL. I am finishing my first summer of residency (second summer overall), and after this summer session is over, will only have 12 credits to go! I received my undergraduate degree in Music with an Instrumental concentration, and am getting my Masters of Music degree with a Vocal concentration.
So the purpose of this blog...well, besides being pressured by certain educators out there (you KNOW who you all are!), I wanted to write about issues that I'm facing as an educator and grad student, as well as thoughts that are out there and what I'm doing in my own classroom and classes. This blog space will change and grow as I continue to grow as an educator, student, musician, and lover of music!
Well, time to get back to writing my essay and paper!
~Jen
aka Clarinet_Jen
In addition to teaching full time, I am currently enrolled in the Master's Program at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL. I am finishing my first summer of residency (second summer overall), and after this summer session is over, will only have 12 credits to go! I received my undergraduate degree in Music with an Instrumental concentration, and am getting my Masters of Music degree with a Vocal concentration.
So the purpose of this blog...well, besides being pressured by certain educators out there (you KNOW who you all are!), I wanted to write about issues that I'm facing as an educator and grad student, as well as thoughts that are out there and what I'm doing in my own classroom and classes. This blog space will change and grow as I continue to grow as an educator, student, musician, and lover of music!
Well, time to get back to writing my essay and paper!
~Jen
aka Clarinet_Jen
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