Group items tagged

How to make accommodations for music students with special needs has always been a topic of conversation; however, as author Mary Rogelstad suggests, we have nothing to fear; among her list of recommended strategies for effective differentiation are items like teaching lessons that appeal to multiple senses and varying the speed of the content, or repertoire, to be learned and performed. As you can see, Rogelstad provides a sort of manual that helps us help our students to reach their maximum potential.

Audacity is an audio editing tool used to alter recordings and export them into various formats. Used as an educational tool students are able to record, edit, and add digital effects to recordings to remix or compose creative musical products. Music educators may also find it valuable for editing recordings of performances or demonstrating the properties of sound. In order to export a song file to MP3 additional instillation steps are required, see the FAQ for more information.

This book is a music education wiki focusing on music education with digital technology. Information in this book unfolds how teachers use technology in music classrooms, the pros and cons of technology, and how to effectively use technology in the classroom. One fascinating information I picked from this book is the use of classroom mobile phones. Almost every student in high school has access to a mobile phone. These mobile phones have a new software called "blue tooth" which enables one to share a file from a phone to a computer or to another person's phone. This tool can be utilised in class during composition, for students to share their compositions and get feedback from each other. These compositions can then be sent to a computer and students edit their compositions using soft wares like Audacity.

Sound trap is an online Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that one can use to create loops and tracks online. One doesn't need to download any software to install sound trap, it is typically online and is a very good resource for teaching creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking (4 Cs). I like sound trap because it enables students and teachers to continue work anywhere any time (in and outside the classroom). Teachers can easily add projects and invite students to work on the project any time anywhere. The fact that one can invite another person to work on the same project and/or even record a track together is mesmerizing. With sound trap, it is easy to record any instrument, download a track, and best of all, you can record using a microphone and/or use the free loops, MIDI, and effects that come with the software. A school has to purchase the software and add students to start using it. However, the software has a one month free trial which teachers can try out with their students before purchasing.

Music Learning Community is a site for music educators and music students that includes a great deal of information on computer-based learning. Included are games and activities that teach theory and build aural skills. There is a free trial but the site requires a membership fee.

This website offers hundreds of interactive games to teach students music theory, rhythms, ear-training, sight-reading, and notation analysis. Designed to make learning musical concepts and take-home assignments more fun and engaging, these games are broken down into various levels for students. Lower levels can be effective for early elementary students, and higher levels can be effective for students in high school. Games are colorful and entertaining, and they list certain scores that students should strive to achieve. Most games have a lesson version, a practice version, and a quiz version. Teachers can track scores and data of individual students to see strengths and weaknesses.

This website has many games that can be used to learn various musical concepts. Some games are free, but there are more games with the paid subscription. You can pay monthly or yearly and it can be used for 5 to 50 people.

The 4-Beat Rhythm Cards found on this site has been an excellent tool for me over the past three years. I have used the full-page sized flash cards as rhythm exercises for both bands and choirs, and they are really effective for immediate use in the classroom. Not only are rhythm charts found on this website, but a host of music theory resources are also available.

Dr. Mark Flegg, my trumpet professor from my undergraduate days, writes about how to oil your valves safely and effectively for beginning trumpeters.

This software is a easy way for students to make, create, compose, their own music. The purpose of this source would be to help student come up with creative ways to make music, using a famous interface call Ableton push. It makes it easy for the composer to create loops, and other things using this software. It comes with many features, like effects, vocals, built in instruments, and loops. There is more than enough tools for the composer to use, to create different types of music.

Band Directors Talk Shop is a great online resource that works towards having music educators collaborate on ideas and share resources that others may find helpful in their own classes. Teachers can share links to teaching materials or exchange tips and ideas on methods that they have used in their classes and found to be effective.

Authors Nicole Springer and Ella Wilcox summarize strategies for effective classroom management in the ensemble classroom. By citing the experiences of former high school orchestra director Gretta Sandburg as well as her tried-and-true teaching methods, they provide their audience with four substantial tools that enable directors to make the most of their students' rehearsals; reading suggestions pertaining to this same topic are also provided at the end of the article and are accompanied by downloadable handouts. 

Educator David Pope aims to provide his audience with effective strategies for selecting repertoire that compliments their ensembles. His list includes but is not limited to setting realistic expectations, knowing the demographics of your ensemble, determining the curricular goals or outcomes to be achieved through the repertoire, and connecting with each student; additional information pertaining to each of these four strategies, especially their impact on the repertoire selection process, has been summarized in the article as well.

From the Top is a PBS series that features young performers on the Carnegie Hall stage. Each clip includes background and an interview with Christopher O'Riley (host and sometimes piano accompanist). There are representations of almost every major instrument in band and orchestra as well as vocalists, choral ensembles, pianists, and guitarists. The young performers have selected pieces in a variety of styles and some have amazing background stories, including an Olympic skater and one about the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The website also includes podcasts and a section for teachers that includes lesson plans to incorporate along with each episode. Clicking on From the Top at the bottom of the page gets you to more recent streaming videos from the show at fromthetop.org

Blog featuring different ways to utilize a circle game for music instruction.

Activities and ideas for teaching young children to explore their vocal capacities.

This is a podcast for elementary music teachers. It focus on teaching philosophies and how to effectively use a variety of teaching styles in the classroom.

Quia enables educators to create quizzes quickly and effectively. The website walks you through the quiz-making process, and it is easy to use. Questions can take the form of true/false, multiple choice, multiple answers, short answer responses, essay, and several others. In addition, multimedia capabilities are available to enhance quiz questions. Teachers can add a music clip or an image to illustrate or become the focal point of a question. Questions can be randomized for multiple variations of quizzes, and feedback can be left for students for each question.

This blog discusses the most effective ways to implement technology into the music classroom, while addressing the concerns and misconceptions surrounding a 21st century curriculum.

The Talent Code is a blog centered website by the published author of a book of the same name, Daniel Coyle. The Talent Code is a book that talks about the importance of proper practice and its link to success. The purpose of this website is to share ideas of effective strategies for successful practice that correlate with the book. The ideas that are shared have a direct connection for practice for students both at home and in the performing arts classroom.

This website, from the National Association for Music Education, highlights the "Top Most Read Music Education Blogs of 2016." The blogs pertain to various topics including the benefits of the arts, lesson planning, concert etiquette, music technology, and classroom management.

The purpose if this site it to create easy access to the most read blogs of 2016 in one location. Topics such as: What Students Have to Gain From the Arts, Effective Lesson Planning for the Secondary Choral Director, 3 Reasons Music and Arts Education is a Shining Light, Music Teacher Resumes Revisited: Planning, Creating, and Maintaining, Ten Tips to Transform a Flutist into a Piccoloist, Teaching Concert Etiquette, How to Teach Your Students the Attention They Need to Succeed...etc. are explored. All these topic are related to student success in the music classroom.

Ted Talks are an extremely engaging way to provide students with additional information relating to music, performance, or any other topic you might decide to discuss with your students. Lectures on brain function, social issues, and music are all part of this fantastic collection.

The purpose of this sire is to provide access to leading and cutting edge conference speeches, educational talks and interviews that motivate, inspire and inform. These "talks" are all gathered in one place to access and explore and have a wide variety of interest for the music teacher. These talks often pose and answer questions about education, contemporary research and the like that will aid in growth and understanding in our profession and perhaps, in effect, better student achievement.