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Séamas ÓLabhradha
As a musician and artist I have been tutoring and teaching for over 20 years.
During this time I have studied with the OU to gain BA Hons Humanities in Music with Art History and PGCE Mus.
Location Belfast
Activity
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Distractions and competing priorities. Teaching online is demanding, lesson planning, resource finding and creating not to mention the actual teaching online experience. Yet people think because I am not in school I AM OFF and available to take on other activities. NO. I AM BUSIER THAN EVER.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I've learned a lot since moving to online teaching. One of the most important lessons I think for me was not to try to recreate the classroom experience. It won't work. Instead I have gone for a system which is much more in the control of the students with one Zoom lesson each week and uploaded resources which the students access and work with at their own...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Motivated and ready to learn.
The new environment of online teaching presents the opportunity for creativity in lesson building and teaching. -
Although as a music teacher I ask my students to spend a certain amount of time practising I'm not a fan of homework. Just a personal opinion but consider having spent the best part of your day teaching and then being expected to teach again as practice. Students find the learning process just as tiring as we find teaching. Online is even more demanding and...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I've broken my classes down into small, manageable groups with each group signing in at set times each week. This gives me the chance to set a relaxed learning environment were I can engage each student in informal conversation as they sign in as well as devote an amount of time to 121 with each student during the lesson. This way each student feels a personal...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
The comment I made in the previous step also applies here. Providing as much choice as possible to the students solves many of the problems we face in creating the online learning experience. Students will naturally make choices that appeal to their personal learning styles, needs and environments.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I always try to involve my students in the decision making process when planning each course. I offer them as much choice as possible in the content and presentation as well as the pace at which they progress. This way the individual feels in control while each learning style is facilitated.
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In teaching music I can see a need for all of these learning methods but the emphasis would be on Production, Practice and Collaboration with some Investigation for practical music making while Investigation, Acquisition and Discussion would come into play in music theory and history lessons.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Most of my students are working from home and speak English as a second language. Many of their parents don't speak English at all. I like to keep synchronous lessons to a minimum with resources and instructions as well as short videos modelling required outcomes for the following week posted on a music lesson community Facebook account. Luckily one of the...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Fanny Bolta
I find myself using a lot more modelling in online lessons to ensure students understand what is expected of them.
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I also like to have a monitor observe lessons. They will notice things that are so easily missed in online sessions. They also notice student reactions and can alert us to possible problems developing.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
As a performing musician in a small group I am used to creating presence and have found this useful online. When I was in teacher training the tutor noted that I 'performed' lessons which she said made them more engaging for the students. The key is to be enthusiastic and animated in presentation, use funny anecdotes and stories to illustrate the theme of the...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Hello, I'm Séamas in Belfast, until covid I was a professional, performing artist/musician and qualified teacher touring schools tutoring a number of instruments. I have now taken my tutoring online based in a small studio I share with one of my sons. It is nice to meet you all.
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I've found the student's personal learning environment to be the biggest challenge to online teaching. Background noise, other members of the family going about their normal home activities and siblings playing are all constant distractions to the student and to me as a teacher.
I have tried, with a limited amount of success to get parents to help create a... -
Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Strange new world
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I found my first online lessons very awkward and learned a lot from student feedback. One thing I did recently was to ask one of my sons who is also a teacher to 'sit in' on one or two lessons as a guest student. His feedback was a tremendous help as he was seeing the lesson from the student side but critiquing as a teacher. He noticed so many things that I...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Americo Gorello
Hi Americo, although I am comfortable with technology I think teaching music remotely presents a number of problems unique to our practice. Playing music is so much a social activity. We need to feel connected in order to perform together. Technology simply doesn't provide the answers. I also find that students are no more comfortable with it than we are.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I find the templates and planning resources on this course all very useful. I have mentioned before that I am using OBS studio in conjunction with Zoom.
Changing between screens and presentations can be slow and awkward at times on Zoom. Building all the presentations into OBS studio and using overlapped screens the teacher can be seen in a small screen off... -
Teaching music my immediate problem was tuning strings. In normal classes I would spend a few minutes fine tuning the instruments for the younger, less experienced students. Working remotely I found directing each student how to tune took far too much time. My response was to record a number of instructional videos which took the student through the tuning ...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
My first priority is to get my students organised with time tables of online lessons, sign in and online behaviour protocols and what they need to have at hand for the lessons. Getting the students into a regular routine of signing in and learning sets up a momentum so we can get up and running as soon as possible. I got this arranged by setting up a...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Until now I've been using the lesson plan template we were expected to use for the OU PGCE course. I've found it useful so stayed with it. Having watched the Learning Designer Quickstart Guide I think this is a much more efficient way to plan online activities.
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I started out using Zoom but found it awkward to manage the presentation and keep an eye on student activity. Since I started using OBS studio I have been able to present much more professional resources. To overcome the student attention problem I use two computers, one to manage the session and sign in on the other as a monitor. I can present the lesson on...
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I have the same problem with students switching cameras off. I have started telling them that if they switch off I will mark them as absent and send them extra work to make up for what they missed.
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So are we all. It's a big learning curve.
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It might be an idea for them to create their own support groups on the platform where they can help each other. Maybe as one of your older students to lead and monitor the group. Make sure though that you have access to the group activity to monitor it for yourself to guard against bullying or misuse of the platform.
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I like to have a conversation with my students at the beginning of each set of lessons. The lessons are set out in plan stating the expected outcomes and how they will be achieved. Together we draw up personal learning plans so that each student has a course tailored to their needs and interests. I have found it very useful to create a private Facebook...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Before lockdown I was designing and presenting workshops and courses for all ages from pre school through primary and secondary school to adults. Moving online I have lost many students and find with a few exceptions I am teaching mostly teenagers. I attribute this to their being comfortable with technology, using phones and laptops etc. They are working from...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Benson. K. Musansa
How small the world becomes online.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Hello
I am Séamas ÓLabhradha, a professional musician and artist living in Belfast. I have been tutoring in these subjects for over 20 years. I have an Honours degree in Music with Art History and PGCE in Music with the Open University. I share an art and music studio with one of my sons and until recently we were running classes for all ages in both... -
Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I can't really choose one Emperor as the main influence on Rome. As the weeks went on we learned so much about each ones contribution, even the bad boys contributed in some way to the splendour. The real glory goes to the many architects whose genius made the many Emperor's visions reality.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Thank you so much Matthew and all the team for this wonderful trip to ancient Rome. My wife and I visit different parts of Italy every summer and go adventuring. Cancelled this year of course, we were feeling home sick for what we feel is our second home. We both watched the videos and feel that we have at least had a virtual holiday. Very enjoyable...
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Martial reads like a spin doctor drawing attention to the contrast between the most evil Nero and the wonderful Emperor Vespasian. And in case you are in any doubt here is this wonderful public theatre for proof.
I like Ovid, so much of his character comes through in his poetry. He's a cross between Omar Khayyam with his advice to lovers and Lurkio from 'Up... -
Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Simon Hill
I wonder did they do a Mexican wave when the gladiators came on?
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I've visited the Colosseum many times and wandered about trying to imagine what it would have been like in its day. The virtual model makes it so much easier to understand how the building worked. Especially since it allows us to visit out of bounds areas and see them as a Roman of the time would have.
I did wonder about the bollards. I became acquainted with... -
@PamelaHanger Hi Pamela, I took the A178 Perspectives on Leonardo da Vinci as well. It was the first on-line course for me. I enjoyed it very much being an artist as well as musician. All my other courses were music and art focused. After the degree I took a PGCE music specialist course. Taught part time in schools for a few years but went back to tutoring and...
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I agree and disagree at the same time. From our modern point of view the whole spectacle of the 'entertainment' that was the Colosseum is shocking and barbaric. But the Romans of 2000 years ago inhabited a different world with a completely different mindset. Wild animals were frightening to them. The Emperor bringing exotic fierce animals to the arena where...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Many people are shocked at the brutality of the Romans in the arena when it came to convicted prisoners. Their attitude to such people was that they were already 'dead' as a result of their crimes. They were dead to the law of civilised human beings and so were no longer human beings but animals. Such dehumanisation allowed the crowed to call for the most...
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@PamelaHanger Yes you are right A103. I should have checked my study record. Which courses did you take after 103?
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Benny or Big Fra?
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Hi Pamela
Yes I think it is the same course. I'm not sure but think it was A108. I'm very sorry to learn of your injury. How did life work out for you since? -
Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Sharon Hill
Maybe the went to the baths during the midday interval.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I signed up with the Open University to study for an Arts degree many years ago. Learning hadn't gone online yet so it was a correspondence course with a big box of books, cassette and CDs and attending tutorials. My first course 'An Introduction to the Arts' was made up of eight units. Everyone agreed that our favourite unit was the one dedicated to the...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
With the exception of the Pantheon Temples, Fora and Theatres were designed according to fixed criteria. Bath houses on the other hand offered architects the opportunity to experiment and expand ideas. With the gradual inclusion of various and diverse activities the Thermae, although intended for the promotion of good health and fitness would have become...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Bill Coleman
Although it sounds disgusting, urine is a natural antiseptic and was used for many purposes in ancient times.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Susana Biemmi
With the exception of the head, Romans felt body hair was a sign of being barbarian and needed removed to show themselves civilised. They would have loved being waxed.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
The drum and dome design of the bath house carried over into the design of the Pantheon by Agrippa. Was there some deeper cross reference in the design of the Pantheon? Something like bathing in heavenly light to become spiritually clean?
What a wonderful sound picture Seneca paints.
A hollow glass ball would float. Could the glass ball game have been... -
Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Séamas ÓLabhradha
Was this a result of a genuine change in Roman attitudes or were they all just too scared to challenge him?
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On a brighter note, on a visit to Seattle, USA myself and the musicians I was with were offered a day admission each to a private health club which offered 'The Roman Experience'. (Musicians get spoiled when we travel). When I explained what it meant the others backed out, so I collected their tickets. Based in Seattle for 10 days I had plenty of time to use...
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At the beginning of the course we were asked what the Romans did for us. Amongst other things I mentioned that we should not forget how important slaves were in the success story of Rome. When we learn about the luxuriant bath houses it is easy to think what a wonderful life the Romans enjoyed but it came at a cost. The Romans had central heating. Today we...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
No temple attached to this theatre. Unlike Pompey, Augustus was unapologetic about building a theatre for entertainment. furthermore, placing the theatre at the end of Circus Livinius on the route of Triumphs he was raising the status of theatres in the public eye, paying tribute to his predecessor whose ideas he was fulfilling and pointing to his intended...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I can't help looking at this from the point of view of a musician who has played in many venues over the years. The overall design is excellent. The orchestra provides a commanding view of the entire audience. The audience view varies according to seating. Those to the far right and left have a skewed view while those to the back would struggle to see very...
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And did they throw things at acts they didn't like?
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The assassination of Julius Caesar would have been continually in the back of Augustus mind. As emperor he was claiming even greater power than Caesar and needed to make a clear visible statement that having an emperor was a good thing. Not just providing bread and circuses but turning Rome into a city of marble splendour with his Temples and Forum as well as...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
The attitude of Italians to their history is refreshing. For them the past is still alive with them. It is part of the present. Anywhere else the Circus Maximus would be sealed off and people would visit to look at it. The Romans still use it for entertainment. Ovid's description reminds me of squeezing up next to my wife (not my mistress) to watch a free rock...
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Through Temple building the Emperors secured their place as intermediaries between the people and the gods. Being able to provide food and entertainment on a lavish scale would have been seen as proof that they were in favour with the gods and so well thought of by the masses.
I can't help noticing how important entertainment was to the Roman politicians. At... -
Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Our modern headstones tell the observer who the grave contains, the date of birth and death and sometimes mention relatives. But Roman grave marking have a very personal tone to them. They attempt to speak directly to us, want us to get to know the person and remember them . There is no mention of an after life. Being remembered by the living seems to be their...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
The main road into Ostia is lined with tombs and columbaria. It was interesting walking along the road with these burial places either side. It is almost as if the deceased inhabitants are welcoming you in by letting you know who they were.
The conquest of Egypt over 2000 years ago seems to have had the same effect on Roman architecture and culture that the... -
Thanks Susana. Mammy had 84 years of life and she lived every moment so we had lots of stories to tell and lots to celebrate.
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@BunnyWaring I lost my mother during the summer. In Irish families we tend to celebrate the dead with a party and story telling, singing and of course a good deal of crying. We often plan our own funerals in advance. I know what music my relatives want played, which readings they want at the Mass and what they want on their headstones. This is the origin of...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Not knowing how long or short their reign might be Emperors, like Pharaohs began building their tombs immediately to ensure their place in the after life. Augusts' tomb was making a statement to all who entered Rome by the main road that they were living during the reign of a most important man. I find it interesting that the builder emperors were at pains to...
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Am I right in thinking that the tomb would have been in a prominent position on a main road just outside the city walls at the time of building?
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Bunny Waring
I'm a little jealous. There is good evidence that the some Romans came to Ireland but they didn't invade or build anything here. The Normans were the first to bring any architectural influence to the country so I have no local sites to visit.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Finding garden and pooled villas alongside apartment blocks I find myself asking a number of questions. Was there a clearance of older housing to make way for the more luxurious residence? Or did the owner of the gardened house own the neighbouring apartments? Whichever, how did they come to be so close to each other? I can imagine the owner of the villa...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Jan Miller
You are welcome. I'm sorry it hasn't worked for you.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Might the Forma Urbis have been one of many 'You are here' maps to guide visitors through the maze that was Rome? Although the model makes the apartment blocks look neat and attractive we need to remember that life in these areas would have resembled Victorian London with extended families living in single rooms within the blocks.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
In 2000 years we haven't learned any lessons. High rise accommodation for the less well off and the ever present danger of fire.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Horizontal stratification of society has been with us for a very long time. My grandmother and her four siblings were left orphans in the first decade of the 20th century. Her siblings were sent to a home while she, being the eldest (13) was sent into servitude to pay for their keep. She worked as a cleaning servant in the area landlords big house, a large...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Ostia is a great place to visit. I like to imagine myself back in time and experience life in a Roman city with the help of maps and audio guides. I went touring in Ostia visiting all the places a contemporary visitor would. I took a lunch with me and ate it in one of the public restaurants (now a ruin of curse) and imagined the sounds and sights. My time...
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I watched an interesting documentary on the subject of what the Romans ate and was amazed to learn that they were not only importing spices and other foodstuffs from India but were employing Indian chefs to prepare recipes for them. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these chefs didn't open takeaways in the city to supplement their income.
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Thoughts on the high rise apartment blocks.
So many people living in Rome needed to be close to the centre. An over expanded city would have been impossible to manage without an efficient urban transport system which at the time was very limited.
Just like today, in a city scape land is scarce. Landlords would want to get the most out of each piece of land... -
Thanks Christane, it looked like gold in the tour.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Andrea Cuthbertson
This made me think. The Colosseum was fitted with retractable sun shades. I wonder if there was a device fitted to close the oculus in bad weather?
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Although the columns are shorter than had been intended I don't think anything was lost in regards to the effect.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
First time visitors were lead right up the garden path. The exterior has all the appearance of a traditional temple. Once through the door they would have felt transported to another world. Instead of a dimly lit rectangular temple the gold rimmed oculus would have bathed the circular temple in golden rays of light. Looking up the visitors would have been...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Anne Barnes
Which search engine are you using? You should be able to access it if you sign into Futurelearn from the Google search engine. Then go to the step and simply press launch. It should work.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Jan Miller
It should work on chrome. Try signing into Futurelearn from the google search engine. Go to the step and just press Launch without downloading anything. It works that way for me.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
i noticed a gold ring was fitted in the rim of the oculus. This would have reflected the sun rays in the opposite direction filling the temple with golden rays of light 360 degrees.
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I have to say I like the spaghetti junction of Rome's streets. I visited Portland, Oregon a few years ago and went adventuring. The city ground plan is an almost perfect square grid. How bored was I.
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Treasuring and preserving the past is a very modern practice. Previous generations looked on the ancient buildings and say only ruins to be reused, recycled or just demolished and built over.
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Visiting Rome today the city seems like a badly designed maze with haphazard twisting streets an ancient monuments scattered carelessly about. Yet watching the video of the model brings home the logical and deliberate planning that went into the design of the ancient city.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
The Romans discovered how to make concrete and then mastered the use of the material. The dome of the Pantheon is still in good shape after almost 2000 years and a number of earth quakes. Many modern concrete constructions last only a decade or so before structural defects begin to appear and reinforcement is required.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Walking into the Pantheon for the first time a Roman citizen would have been expecting the usual temple structure. This expectation would have been encouraged by the exterior columned portico and outsized doors, typical temple entrance. Once inside the visitor would be immediately struck by the circular structure, the light pouring in from the oculus and the...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I'm still thinking about the questions above but having visited the Pantheon a number of times I was always impressed by the dome. Contemporary visitors might have found it frightening and worried that it could fall on them at any moment. I was also impressed by the way light plays around the interior, the open airy feeling and most of all the acoustics....
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
As a musician I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this ancient music and learning about the instruments. Thank you for the further reading suggestions.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
At the beginning of this week I suggested Julius Caesar (although he wasn't an Emperor) because he introduced the original ideas of how the Forum should look. He set the ball rolling and various Emperors took up the challenge. Trajan wins the prize by far for his Forum, the biggest and most impressive.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Although these buildings are on a grand scale and built to inspire awe as well as please the gods, I found them very restrained, almost Spartan compared to the Imperial Fora. It would be interesting to see inside the temples. There would have been large statues of the gods I expect, altars etc.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Diane Francombe
I've visited St Peters several times researching art history and generally enjoying the museums at the Vatican. But from a spiritual or religious point of view found the self worship of the many Pontifex Max almost obscene.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha replied to Susana Biemmi
@SusanaBiemmi The phrase in English is 'God helps those who help themselves.' Open to much interpretation.
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The Mysteries of Mithras was a very popular 'Revelation Cult' imported from Persia which many Romans embraced. Temples to Mithras are to be found all over the Roman Empire. There is a well preserved one in Ostia and a few to be found in the British Isles.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
The themes in week three overlap with themes I studied of art history. Although it would seem that Christianity spelt the end of the Roman Polytheism, when Rome adopted Christianity Romans adapted Christianity to to the old religious system. The 12th century church in the previous step symbolises this merging of the religions. The church was built in the very...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
Propertius gives us a very clear picture of the Temple of Apollo with its walkway, columns, various statues and altar as well as indicating the materials used in the construction. References are made to numerous gods and mythical heroes as well as defeated Gauls.
Ovid is less concerned with the physical building as with the impression of awe that it inspires... -
Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I'm really not sure what to make of the poems. Virgil seems nostalgic and idealistic. His poem prophesies with the wisdom of hindsight while Ovid seems in a roundabout way to be appealing to be allowed back to Rome and writes about it in a melancholy fashion.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
What I find interesting about the Roman Origin stories is that Roman's take pride in diversity. Most empire building nations create a 'pure race' myth for themselves but from the outset Roman's saw their origins in the meeting of diverse, displaced peoples, refugees and even fugitives.
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
A Roman from Trajan's time would find our modern cities very lack lustre. He might also be very disappointed to join thousands of spectators in a stadium only to watch 22 men running up and down after a football. 'What? NO LIONS? I want my money back.'
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I don't think any modern city could compete with this. I started my tour at the Templum Pacis and made my way through the Fora to finish at the far end at Trajan's Column. The massive structures supported on tall slender columns would have made a contemporary visitor feel they had been transported to the home of the gods. Each Forum is a tremendous experience...
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Séamas ÓLabhradha made a comment
I could spend all day wandering around this model. There are so many details. And so many columns. It is a magnificent balancing act.
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@ChristianeGuinot
Anglais......Wolfe's paw -
@SusanaBiemmi You are very welcome
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@ChristianeGuinot De rien mon ami
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My family name dates back to around 3rd century AD Ireland. In the Gaelic language (Irish) you can split two words in half and join the halves to make new words. My name is made of two words Labhar meaning to speak and Radha meaning to say. It translates literally as Speak-say person. Advocate.
