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Canvas LMS Course Design
(Second Edition) Ryan John The revised and updated second edition of Canvas LMS Course Design is now available from Packt Publishing! With updated sections for all of the basic and advanced features of Canvas, this book aims to make life easier for teachers using Canvas. This step-by-step guide leads readers through the process of setting up a Canvas account, creating activities and assignments, designing and customizing the course layout, and teaching a course using Canvas. With content geared to help users at all skill levels, this book offers practical and philosophical information to maximize the use of Canvas to improve the lives of teachers and students. Check out Ryan's Interview with Packt about the book and writing process. |
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Ryan John's most recent book with Frank Abrahams, Becoming Musical, is now available! A practical companion to Planning Instruction in Music, their first book, Becoming Musical is written for music education students and practicing teachers seeking to unlock deeper levels of musicality with students. The goal of Becoming Musical is to ensure that students develop and discover their own musicality as they engage with music inside and outside of school in ways informed by musical understanding, musical agency, and learning styles.
In addition, twenty-seven experienced music educators share their approaches to supporting students along the journey of becoming musical people. Contributors include Jennifer Bailey, Daniel J. Beal, Brian Bersh, Jay Broeker, Suzanne L. Burton, Lucas Ciavatta, Ellary Draper, David J. Elliott, Lucy Green, Molly Patrician Haines, Jason Iannuzzi, Nathan B. Kruse, Ming Luke, Katie Wolf Martinenza, Sean McCarther, Anthony Molinaro, Mark Moliterno, Hannah Picasso, David Reimschussel, Susanna Saw, Alex Schumacker, Marissa Silverman, Gareth Dylan Smith, Janice Smith, Alden H. Snell II, Maria Varvarigou, and Daniel Wells. |
Ryan John co-authored a new handbook for music educators with Frank Abrahams entitled Planning Instruction in Music: Writing Objectives, Assessments, and Lesson Plans to Engage Artistic Processes. As a practical tool for in-service and pre-service music educators, this book is "designed to help music educators develop effective objectives, lesson plans, and assessments for their students, forming the backbone of successful classroom, instrumental, and choral instruction."
Part I of the book presents a framework to help teachers meet the demands of contemporary education while maintaining the joy of making music in their classes. Part II features 100 sample objectives that teachers may adapt for their own needs in writing state-mandated growth objectives. Part III includes lesson plan templates and sample lesson plans from 19 experienced music teachers that implement the ideas discussed throughout the text. |
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Summer Music Technology Seminar with Ambitious Music
Ryan John presented "Curricular Considerations: Recording Technology in the Music Classroom" with Ambitious Music production company as part of their Summer Music Technology Seminars series. Participants encountered examples of music technology-based projects, sample documents for curriculum and instruction, and discussion opportunities. |
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Performance at Madison Square Garden
Ryan John performed in two sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden with Downtown Voices, a semiprofessional choir at Trinity Church Wall Street. The group was contracted as the choir for Andrea Bocelli's annual performances at Madison Square Garden, and featured the choir singing opera choruses, pop songs, and classics favorites alongside Bocelli as well as other guest performers including Katharine McPhee and Nadine Sierra. |
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Performance at Rockefeller Center in The Gauntlet As a member of Downtown Voices, Ryan John performed in an immersive, site-specific experimental choral performance work entitled The Gauntlet. Created by Sxip Shirey and Coco Karol and produced by National Sawdust, the piece featured over 200 choral singers from around New York City sharing stories and insights from leading creative minds focused on personal and national identity. |
World Premier of "If We Stand As One" on February 13, 2018. Photo: http://www.lemanmanhattan.org/news_20.html
World Premier of "If We Stand as One" at United in Song at New World Stages
Ryan John conducted the world premier of "If We Stand as One" by composer Jim Papoulis to benefit the Tyler Clementi Foundation on February 13, 2018. The premier took place during United in Song at New World Stages in the off-Broadway theater home to Jersey Boys. United in Song is triennial concert sponsored by the Léman Community Association that seeks to bring together the Léman and New York City community through music. The evening featured performances by over 130 elementary, middle, and high school students joined by parents, faculty, staff, and professionals from the worlds of Broadway, classical, and jazz.
"It We Stand as One" is a piece commissioned by the Léman Fine Arts Department under the direction of Lisa Nowicki that supports the Tyler Clementi Foundation's mission to end bullying. Planned in close collaboration with Jane Clementi, mother of Tyler Clementi, the piece explores the power of words and our ability to change others' lives, for better or worse, with our words and actions. "If We Stand As One" will be published and the Tyler Clementi Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds from all sales.
Ryan John conducted the world premier of "If We Stand as One" by composer Jim Papoulis to benefit the Tyler Clementi Foundation on February 13, 2018. The premier took place during United in Song at New World Stages in the off-Broadway theater home to Jersey Boys. United in Song is triennial concert sponsored by the Léman Community Association that seeks to bring together the Léman and New York City community through music. The evening featured performances by over 130 elementary, middle, and high school students joined by parents, faculty, staff, and professionals from the worlds of Broadway, classical, and jazz.
"It We Stand as One" is a piece commissioned by the Léman Fine Arts Department under the direction of Lisa Nowicki that supports the Tyler Clementi Foundation's mission to end bullying. Planned in close collaboration with Jane Clementi, mother of Tyler Clementi, the piece explores the power of words and our ability to change others' lives, for better or worse, with our words and actions. "If We Stand As One" will be published and the Tyler Clementi Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds from all sales.
Digital Music class at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School. Photo Credit: Sarah Jacobs, Business Insider.
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Digital Music Class featured in
Business Insider Ryan John and the Digital Music class he developed at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School were featured in a profile of Léman by Business Insider. The article takes readers on a tour of a day-in-the-life of a boarding student at Léman, including a visit to Ryan's Digital Music class. The course focuses on the technological and musical skills that empower students to create music in a variety of styles and genres. Students complete units of study in software and composition techniques; film scoring; song writing; copyright, creativity, and originality; sampling; remixing; and mashups. The final project of the course is a full-length album that incorporates elements of each unit studied throughout the year. |
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Soloist with the New York Chamber Choir Ryan John performed as the baritone soloist for Maurice Duruflé's Requiem with the New York Chamber Choir. Held at St. Ignatius of Antioch in New York City, the concert featured the Duruflé Requiem as well as the music of Victoria, Mendelssohn, Bach, and Pearsell. New York Chamber Choirs is a non-profit organization and charity dedicated to the promotion of chamber choir music through performance, education and outreach. Ryan is a member of the 20-voice adult choir, which collaborates with the New York Chamber Choir Youth ensemble on a regular basis. |
New York Chamber Choir. Photo credit: Stan Schnier
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Ryan john and Frank Abrahams with Westminster Choir College alumni in attendance for the NYC DOE Professional Development day.
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Keynote Address delivered for New York City Department of Education Professional Development Workshop
In November 2015, Ryan and co-author of Planning Instruction in Music, Frank Abrahams, delivered the morning plenary keynote address at Session One of the New York City Department of Education's year-long series, "Enhancing Our Artistry and Practice." The address, entitled "Teaching Music to Generation Z," provided a philosophical context for teaching and learning music in schools. With a focus on ensuring meaningful musical interactions between students and teachers, the keynote address offered a new perspective on lesson design, rehearsal planning, writing objectives, and assessment in the music classroom. |
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New York City Department of Education adopts Planning Instruction in Music for NYC Music Educators
The New York City Department of Education has adopted Frank Abrahams' and Ryan John's book, Planning Instruction in Music, as a professional development resource for all NYC Music Educators. At Session One of the year-long professional development series, "Enhancing Our Artistry and Practice," the DOE distributed over 400 copies to K-12 music teachers, supervisors, and administrators. |
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Ryan John and Frank Abrahams present "Lesson Plan Boot Camp" for NAfME Collegiate Chapter 183.
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"Lesson Plan Boot Camp" presented at NAfME Chapter 183
With Frank Abrahams, Ryan presented "Lesson Plan Boot Camp" for Westminster Choir College's chapter of the National Association for Music Education. The presentation focused on content from Planning Instruction in Music and included an overview of the Abrahams & John lesson planning model, various types of instructional objectives, and elements of good teaching. |
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Music Director for the inaugural Léman Main Stage Production, OLIVER!
Ryan served as the music director for OLIVER, the inaugural production for the new Léman Main Stage program at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School. The sold-out production, which included students from all age divisions of Léman as well as faculty, received rave reviews from parents, students, teachers, and community members alike. Léman Main Stage is dedicated to delivering exceptional educational experiences and productions. Representing the Léman Performing Arts faculty as well as the NYC theater community, the Main Stage production staff includes talented individuals with years of professional experience in theater. Whether on stage or behind the scenes, students learn from experts who set high expectations and prepare students for college and beyond. |
"Consider Yourself" from Léman Main Stage's inaugural production, Oliver!
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Presentation badge from the ISAME 5 Conference in Williamsburg, VA
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Presenter at ISAME5 Conference:
Connecting Practice, Measurement, and Evaluation With Frank Abrahams, Ryan John co-presented A Content Analysis of Student Growth Objectives Created by New Jersey Music Teachers at the 5th International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education conference in Williamsburg, VA (February 18-21st). The article has been accepted for publication in the conference proceedings, which will be available from GIA Publications. |
Ryan John at the Learning in a Changing World conference.
Presenter at the Learning in a Changing World Conference
Ryan presented a paper at the Learning in a Changing World conference sposored by the Institute of Education and Beijing Normal University. Held at the Institute of Education in London on November 21-22, 2014, Ryan presented a paper with co-author, Frank Abrahams, entitled A Content Analysis of Student Growth Objectives Designed by Music Teachers to Measure and Assess Student Achievement in School Music Classes. The session was one of several presentations in the "Learning and Creativity" stream of the international confernece, which featured presentations by scholars from from China, Australia, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Brazil, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Iceland.
Ryan presented a paper at the Learning in a Changing World conference sposored by the Institute of Education and Beijing Normal University. Held at the Institute of Education in London on November 21-22, 2014, Ryan presented a paper with co-author, Frank Abrahams, entitled A Content Analysis of Student Growth Objectives Designed by Music Teachers to Measure and Assess Student Achievement in School Music Classes. The session was one of several presentations in the "Learning and Creativity" stream of the international confernece, which featured presentations by scholars from from China, Australia, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Brazil, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Iceland.
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Now Available:
Canvas LMS Course Design Available from Amazon and Packt Publishing Packt Publishing has released Ryan John's newest book, Canvas LMS Course Design. As a users guide to the popular Canvas Learning Management System, the book includes how-to instructions for designing, building, and teaching courses using Canvas. In addition, the book explores the ways in which Canvas, distance learning, and technology connect to popular frameworks of contemporary education including the P21 Framework for 21st Century Learning and Understanding by Design. |
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Article Published in Visions of Research in Music Education
http://www-usr.rider.edu/~vrme/v24n1/visions/John_High_School_Community_of_Practice.pdf Ryan John's article, "Part of it All: The High School Musical as a Community of Practice," appears in the 24th volume of Visions of Research in Music Education. Through interviews with 5 cast members of a high school musical, the article explores how the students' participation in their high school musical theater production allowed them to become part of a community of practice, which impacted their personal development. Visions of Research in Music Education is a fully refereed critical journal published exclusively on the internet. |
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Photo credit: Veronica Norton.
From Broadwayworld.com
Paula Leggett Chase Helps Léman Manhattan Prep Students Rehearse for DAMN YANKEES
By BWW News Desk
Broadway stage actress Paula Leggett Chase has been working with middle and high school students at the Léman Manhattan Preparatory School in Lower Manhattan as they prepare for the school's spring production of DAMN YANKEES. Paula will make three visits to the school to work on vocals and choreography with the students...
DAMN YANKEES will run April 3 & 4 at the Léman Manhattan Preparatory School Theater, 1 Morris St. in the Financial District. It will be directed by Mariah Sanford-White (the Upper School Performing Arts Teacher). Meena Jahi (Upper School Music and Chorus Teacher) and Ryan John are the Music Directors. The show will feature 6th through 12th graders.
Read the full article
Paula Leggett Chase Helps Léman Manhattan Prep Students Rehearse for DAMN YANKEES
By BWW News Desk
Broadway stage actress Paula Leggett Chase has been working with middle and high school students at the Léman Manhattan Preparatory School in Lower Manhattan as they prepare for the school's spring production of DAMN YANKEES. Paula will make three visits to the school to work on vocals and choreography with the students...
DAMN YANKEES will run April 3 & 4 at the Léman Manhattan Preparatory School Theater, 1 Morris St. in the Financial District. It will be directed by Mariah Sanford-White (the Upper School Performing Arts Teacher). Meena Jahi (Upper School Music and Chorus Teacher) and Ryan John are the Music Directors. The show will feature 6th through 12th graders.
Read the full article
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From Downtown Magazine
The Léman Manhattan Singers Light Up the 90th New York Stock Exchange Tree Lighting Ceremony Twenty-two students from the Léman Manhattan Preparatory School Lower School Singers had the unique opportunity to entertain attendees at this week’s 90th Annual New York Stock Exchange Tree Lighting, one of the most anticipated holiday even in Lower Manhattan. The children also assisted New York Stock Exchange CEO Duncan L. Niederaur as he officially lit the 62-foot-tall tree. The Léman Manhattan Singers, comprised of third-through-fifth graders and conducted by Ryan John, with Lisa Nowicki accompanying on guitar, serenaded the crowd of 200 with a moving rendition of “Silent Night.” The annual tradition, which extended throughout Broad Street between Wall Street and Exchange Place, also included a performance by the cast of “Bayside! The Musical!” ...continued at Downtown Magazine |
Léman Manhattan students performed at the 90th Annual New York Stock Exchange tree lighting ceremony under the direction of Ryan John.
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