Alex Ruthmann’s Blog

The Young Professionals Focus Group (YPFG) of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) has just launched a new online social network - http://ismeypfg.ning.com/ where music educators from around the World can come together to share research, lessons, music, and educational strategies with each other.

This site was launched as part of a pilot project using the Ning social networking platform to bring together music educators in advance of the 2008 ISME World Conference this July in Bologna, Italy. Even if you can’t attend the conference in Italy, please stop by and join.

To start, we have a number of projects integrated into the website:

1. Research Mentoring - This group is for you to post questions and abstracts and to discuss anything related to your research or research in general. As the conference approaches, we will post the exact times and presentation schedule for our research sessions.
2. Social Lounge - Use this space to talk about anything and to get to know each other. Post your itineraries, places to stay in Bologna, and anything else you’d like.
3. Sharing Practice - This project will be formally launched in a month or so. We are looking to gather stories and examples of what music learning and teaching are like across the World from the perspective of ISME young professionals.

Stop by http://ismeypfg.ning.com/ to meet other music educators from around the World!

This July, I will be teaching a week-long summer course at Central Connecticut State University entitled Podcasts, Blogs, & Wiki’s… Oh My! This summer’s course will focus on using Web 2.0 tools and Ning social networks to extend and support K-College music classes. These tools provide an easy and collaborative way to get your music program online, to create online communities of practice, and to support student assessment.

Come on out to beautiful New Britain, Connecticut. Tuition, including 2 graduate credits, is only $500!

Here’s the official blurb:

Podcasts, Wikis & Blogs—Oh My!
In this hands-on class music teachers will develop strategies to support and extend student learning with online collaborative tools such as social networks, blogs, podcasts, and wikis. These tools provide easy ways to get your music classes online integrating text, video, and audio. Strategies for using these tools to facilitate assessment, writing across the curriculum, and reflective journaling, as well as to support performing, rehearsing, practicing, and composing will be explored. Applications of these tools in settings from elementary through college will be shared and developed. Prerequisite: None. Examples of tools for both Macs and PCs will be shared. Targeted for elementary, middle, high school and college levels, general music or ensembles.

50096 MUS 536, Sec 04, 2 credits, $500
July 7-11, 1:15–5:45 pm & Thurs 7-9:30 pm

More information and registration available at http://www.ccsusmi.com/