ED 300 and Wheat Thins

This is the new and the old.  The previous owners did the painting job.  We’ll be fixing that within the next month.  You can see how much smaller the tankless is.

This is just a more up-close look.  The yellow tube is actually the gas line.  I might be trying to beautify the 2×4’s it is mounted to.  I’ll wait till we paint to worry about that though.

This is a video that more advanced players could use to work on stick control.

Here a teacher named Mrs. Shier who podcasts her class.  The parents can go to the web and listen to what their kids did in school that day!  I guess parents won’t have to ask their kids anymore, “What did you do in school today?”.  This is great for the kids too since they will be able to hear how much better they have become.

Vic Firth is a percussion company that specializes in making sticks, but is also very active in education.  Their website has tons of video and bios of different performers. Their educational link has play along streaming videos that would be great for practicing.  There are also videos that show the technique of how to hold the sticks and play the drum.  They even have a video on how sticks are made.  It is a great tool that teachers can use to get students engaged in how to play percussion instruments.

For music students, a metronome is essential for practice.  A student needs to know how fast a piece should be played.  The metronome helps the student play at a consistent tempo too.  Not all students own a metronome, since the cheapest one is about $20.  But, nearly every student has a computer.  This website is an online metronome that a student can listen to while practicing or can at least be used to find out what a tempo is.

This website has slides that enable the student to look at slides and manipulate them from any computer instead of having to be in a lab.  The best part is that the slides are pictures of real slides.  This can let students look at slides and study them at home if the did not get enough time at school.

I got a tankless water heater put in on Tuesday.  It is wonderful.  I can take a 40 minute shower and never run out of hot water.  I’ll see how it does with my gas bill too.  It is supposed to reduce my bill by about 50%.  It is different from a regular tank water heater in the way that it is not always heating.  It turns on when I turn on the hot water.  I would advise getting one the next time you need a new water heater.  The only down side is that they cost more. Here is a website that talks about tankless water heaters.

I use some tech hardware while I practice.  I have a metronome that can give me pitch along with a steady beat.  I have sound isolation headphones that I use with my metronome so I am able to hear the tempo better.  The headphones help save my hearing too.  I have also recorded myself using my isight camera on my mac.  I also have a miniDVD camcorder that I use to record concerts that I play in.  I have used the camcorder to record rehearsals too.  All these are very helpful for the the high school music scene since a teacher can record a student and let them listen/watch what they sound/look like.  The teacher and give the students the link to an online metronome so the students will not have an excuse to practice with one.

This is my blog for my teaching tech class.  I have never written a blog or read a blog.  Most of them I’ve seen are people talking to no one, which is what I’m doing.  That’s why I’m stopping this post until I have something to say to someone.