Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your peers’ posts by answering the questions they posed about the video. Encourage their participation in the discussion by including your own questions concerning the video. (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/eric_whitacre_a_virtual_choir_2_000_voices_strong.html)
Kim Spiegel
The first question that I would ask my class in an on-line environment as well as in class about the virtual choir would be:
1. why do you think Eric changed his mind about joining the choir after listening to the other students sing and play Mozart?
I believe that this question will create an effective classroom discussion because it requires my students to not only watch the video, but to also listen what he is really saying. It is one thing to watch a video and get nothing out of it. It is another when you are required to answer questions about it, especially if they will be graded.
2. Eric talks in the video about how he had a transformative experience after hearing the other students sing Mozart. What do you think he means by this? Do you think you have ever had a transformative experience and if so what happened?
I feel like this question gets students to think critically and analyze what the message is that he is trying to convey. It also gets students thinking about what a transformative experience is and if they ever had one. It gets students thinking on another level.
3. Other than making beautiful music, what do you think the virtual choir did for the people who were involved in it? Would about the people that are watching it?
I feel like this question could create effective discussion on-line and also in classroom because students can talk about many different facets of the video such as bringing people from all over the world together as well as the connections they made doing so. They can also discuss what the music and video means to the people watching it.
