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New Read Along Story Coming Soon!

By
Sound Adventures
on May 27, 2009 8:47 PM | | TrackBacks (0)
Just writing about a new feature that'll be available soon on the Rockford's Rock Opera website. As well as the free audiobook stream we're introducing a new read along audio story. This is, in technical terms, a text synchronized audio book for children and adults. 

We're doing it following many requests from teachers and parents who love the story and have recognised the possibilities it offers for all aspects of learning. As you may know, Rockford's Rock Opera is now in use by many, many thousands of schools around the world (in the UK, Key Stage 2 primary school pupils are a particular focus as well, we're very glad to say English as a Foreign Language students). It's used to teach about ecology and extinction but also about language, writing, listening and storytelling skills.

We hope the new free read along story will be available in the next few weeks. SImply check back to the Rockford's Rock Opera home page and it will be clearly visible.

If you have any further suggestions about the site and how it may provide even better resources, please get in touch.

Keystone Species - from Rockford's Rock Opera Free Audiobook

By
Sound Adventures
on January 18, 2009 8:09 PM | | TrackBacks (0)
For all of you who know the message behind Rockford's Rock Opera and the download ecological musical story you'll know that we place great emphasis on the importance of ALL LIFE, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

The story also highlights the fact that man tinkers with the natural balance of nature at his peril... a fact made all too obvious in the following true story:

Parachuting cats into Borneo! A Cautionary Tale.

In the early 1950's, the Dayak people of Borneo suffered a terrible malarial outbreak.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) had a solution: to spray large amounts of DDT to kill the mosquitoes that carried the malaria.  The mosquitoes died; the malaria declined; so far so good.  

But there were unexpected side effects.  Amongst the first was that the roofs of the people's houses began to fall down on their heads.  It seemed that the DDT had also killed a parasitic wasp which had previously controlled thatch-eating caterpillars.  Worse, the DDT-poisoned insects were eaten by geckoes, which were eaten by cats.  The cats started to die, the rats flourished, and the people were threatened by outbreaks of typhus and plague.  

To cope with these problems, which it had itself created, the WHO was obliged to parachute 14 000 live cats into Borneo. Operation Cat Drop, now almost forgotten at the WHO, is a graphic illustration of the interconnectedness of life, and of the fact that the root of problems often stems from their purported solutions.

(Quoted in Rachel Wynberg and Christine Jardine, Biotechnology and Biodiversity: Key Policy Issues for South Africa, 2000)


Music, Free Audio Books and Learning

By
Sound Adventures
on January 13, 2009 7:43 PM | | TrackBacks (0)

I found this on the web and thought it very relevant to our experiences with Rockford and the many emails we've received about the use of the songs and lyrics in education. Certainly there seem to be many, many enlightened teachers and parents around the world who are already using music in the teaching environment:


BRINGING EDUCATION TO LIFE WITH MUSIC
How is it that for most people music is a powerful part of their personal life and yet when we go to work or school we turn it off? The intentional use of music in the classroom will set the scene and learning atmosphere to enhance our teaching and learning activities. Plus, using music for learning makes the process much more fun and interesting! Music, one of the joys of life, can be one of the joys of learning as well. The following pages give you suggestions for when and how to use music during your teaching or training. With these techniques, you, the teacher, can orchestrate a classroom environment that is rich and resonant-- and provide learners with a symphony of learning opportunities and a sound education!
Music helps us learn because it will--

establish a positive learning state
create a desired atmosphere
bu ild a sense of anticipation
energize learning activities
change brain wave states
focus concentration
increase attention
improve memory
facilitate a multisensory learning experience
release tension
enhance imagination
align groups
develop rapport
 provide inspiration and motivation
 add an element of fun

FULL chapter is reproduced at following link, it is

reprinted from the book Music and Learning by Chris Brewer, 1995
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/arts/brewer.htm

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