Kat Okada (Ms.O)

International Educator | Music Teacher | Kodály Educator | Band Director | Pianist | French horn player | Composer | #ISDwow

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

G1 exploring different note duration (quarter and eighth notes). An Aha! moment awaits when we discover we can visualize what we play :-) #isdwow #issedu

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

@msjosmary How did you change so quickly?!

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Gr.4 identified Major and minor qualities in different melodies. We even discovered the words Major and minor end with the same letter(s): “or” in English, 调 in Chinese and 조 in Korean. Amazing how Ss can find their difference and relationship at the same time. #isdwow #issedu

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Grade 2 is learning to sing in tune with beautiful singing voice! Using Curwen’s hand signs, Ss are tracing the melodic contour. #Kinesthetic #isdwow #issedu

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

What musical excitement are we experiencing this week? #WhatsHappeningInMusic at #InternationalSchool of #Dongguan aka #ISDwow :-) #ITeachMusic in China

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

One of the most fruitful teacher training opportunities perhaps is to be back to a student and learn something new from another teacher. #lifelonglearning

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Kindergarteners worked on their first music notation today! Visualizing what they sing, making connections to musical reading in an imaginative way! Know what song this is? #isdwow #issedu #iteachmusic

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Ss singing in round :-)

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Never thought technology integration would be this easy! Gotta thank @QuaverMusic for offering their “Teacher-Friendly Technology Management” even in China! Ss learning music notation on iPads at #ISDwow

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Grade 5 is excited to learn their first band instrument: the trumpet! We will be exploring the low brass instruments next week. #isdwow #beginningband #schoolband #musiceducation #iteachmusic

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

And here’s the plan for Week 5 #isdwow #musicteacher

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Week 4 looked like this!

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Grade 5 visualizing the steady beat in a syncopated rhythmic pattern. Took us several students to get the correct answer, but at the end Ss were able to read rhythmic syllables aloud while clapping the steady beat! #isdwow

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Grade 4 listening to different harmonic qualities. We then sang a tonic triad and dominant seventh! #isdwow #solfege

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

The length of lines tells duration of sound we hear in music. Then we write vertical lines and beams to make’em look like notes in music notation. Finally we place note cards to finalize our aural-visual analysis. Successful rhythmic dictation approach in my G3. #isdwow #issedu

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

I like our new Music Pass for Grade 5, who is starting the band program this year. They want to practice during their recess! Always love the practice culture at #ISDwow

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

This was this week's What's Happening in Music? Already finished up Unit One on Friday.

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

Two finalists of today’s rhythm tournament in 4A! They sight-read those combinations of sixteenth notes and triplets! Impressed! #isdwow

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

G5 started the unit on brass techniques with mouthpiece buzzing. Wooden sticks helped us learn how to shape our embouchure. Already hear some tonguing in here! #isdwow #issedu #musiceducation #schoolband #iteachmusic

[Kat Okada (Ms.O) @msOtweeting]

A big win doing a Dalcroze-inspired activity with G3. Ss experienced meters in 2, 3 and 4 and moved differently to each meter only by listening to music. Very excited to be learning more of the Dalcrozian approach this fall #isdwow #issedu