BP7_201032_Web2.0Tools2_(box.net)

This week I choose to learn about box.net. This program has some of the same features that Google docs has but also allows you to upload and organized audio and video files. One of my main goals while looking at new web 2.0 tools this week was to find something that would allow me to create files of listening exercises for my AP music theory students. Part of their class and test is being able to listen to a musical example and then write out the sheet music for it. This is very difficult at best and requires lots of practice. The advantages of box.net is that it allows me to put up groups of musical files they can practice with, but also the a recording sheet that lists only the first note for them to use when writing out the music, and it allows me to post the solution music so they can go back and check themselves. I can put as many files as I would like and choose which students have access to which and also see which have accepted my invitation to the site and which have not.
Two minor drawbacks that I have found is that students cannot simply play the mp3 files I have created off the website, they need to download them first (this can also be a plus because they can then load them onto an mp3 player or burn a cd if they wish). The other slight drawback if the because it is a file sharing program it is blocked by our school. Since this is a resource I am planning on having students use this primarily from home this does not make as big of difference as if I were planning on using this in class.