This past Christmas was the second Christmas since my dad passed away in November 2009. In our family, we are still very much aware of the many gifts he gave to our family throughout his life with us. Time won’t change that I suspect. These gifts among others are love of family, love of faith, love of laughter, love of our Irish heritage and love of music.
Love of Music
I am writing today about the gift of the love of music. Music has a way of creating a mood, making memories and connecting people together. My dad loved to listen to all kinds of music. Irish music was a prominent favorite. The love of music has been carried on by family members in many ways. Some play instruments and sing. Others like myself take advantage of many ways to listen to and share the music.
Online Playlists
I created this playlist of some of my Dad’s favorite songs to give a small ‘gift of music’ to my brothers and sisters this Christmas. Listening to these songs sure brings so many nice memories of my dad.
At the outset, I had not used online music sites aside from Itunes very often. With free online playlists this was created quickly and at no cost. Online Playlists are easy to create and fun to use. Create an account on an online music site such as Grooveshark or Mixtape.me. Then sit and search your favorite songs, add it a ‘playlist’ and voila! You have created your list. These can be played on your computer or on your phone. Also, you can share them via social media such as blogs and facebook and twitter.
Technology Today – Telling Stories
Technology helps us to tell our stories. We can tell these stories in ways never imagined years ago. The ability to create lists of audio and video content opens up a world of learning to our students too. Students easily construct meaning, tell stories and pursue interests to inspire learning.. It affords options to teachers never before available too! Though technology can often be pointed to as something that alienates us from one another, I believe that it also can be a great tool for connecting us. The pros far outweigh the cons. Through my online networks, I learn daily from others as they share professional resources and ideas. This will surely continue to expand in ways we can only imagine and some we can not. In schools it is important that we continue to explore the ways to best use technology to enhance, to empower, to connect – to tell our stories and to share our gifts.
Mom and Dad, 1945
