Elementary Music/Music Technology Blog

This past year our school started a 5th grade instrument class where all 5th graders were required to learn an instrument for a year. Since I initiated this new program, and I am a woodwind tripler (clarinet, saxophone, and flute), the students could choose to learn one of those three instruments. Those three instruments were also a nice progression from recorder, which they had been studying in our general music classes since third grade. Here are some of my reflections from how the 1st year went:

• Scheduling: The 5th grade general music teacher is also a “quasi” administrator, so she needed more time in her schedule for administration duties. Due to this, the 5th grade general music classes, which meet 3X a cycle, were going to be reduced to 2X. I did not want to see that happen, so I proposed the idea for a 5th grade instrument class-where I would teach the class on the students’ 3rd music class per cycle. This made me rethink my own schedule and I was able to work it out so that all of my other general music classes (PreK-grade 3) still met with the same amount of time. Therefore, it was not hard to convince administration to have the 5th grade instrument class because it did not add anymore time to the schedule.
• Curriculum: As all teachers do, I had an idea, created lesson plans, and then scrapped them all once I had 17 clarinets, flutes, and/or saxophones in front of me-all at various levels, some with embouchure and finger issues, and some with instrument problems. Each 5th grade class would have a mixture of instruments from 8 saxophones (oh, my ears!), 5 clarinets, and 4 flutes, to 7 clarinets, 5 flutes, and 6 saxophones. It was difficult to teach the entire group. Therefore, I taught each day as it came and used Pearson’s Standard of Excellence, along with my own materials, to help the students to achieve success.
• Instruments: The school did provide the instruments for the students with an agreement signed by the parents about what would occur if the instrument needed to be repaired or if the instrument ended up missing. The funding for this came from the school. The students would have the instruments for a year and then give them back in June. I would then clean them out thoroughly and have them ready for the 09-10 5th graders.
• Who got to play what: At the end of the school year, I have the incoming 5th graders audition each instrument. They write down their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices. Over the summer, I calculate the choices and compare them to the amount of saxes, clarinets, and flutes that we have, and assign the instruments. For the first three classes, I will have students who want to switch their instruments because they cannot immediately produce a sound as quickly as the student next to them. However, last year, I encouraged and assisted these students and they continued on the original instrument that they chose.
• Results: Students responses by the time I left on maternity leave were: “I like this class. Do we have to stop and go to math?” “I love my instrument! Do I have to give it back?” “I did not think that I could play this instrument when I first tried it in September.” “I liked having Smart Music test me on my song.” (I used Make Music’s Smart Music for assessments throughout the year).
• Reflection: I am excited to teach this class again for the 09-10 school year. I know that since I will have a new crop of students, my lessons will probably be quite different to fit their various needs. In addition, since I am planning on staying throughout the entire school year (no maternity leave in my near future:), I will be able to see how the program begins, progresses, and finishes. With that, I will be able to assess the program more accurately and begin to create a curriculum that would be an outline for the class for years to come. All in all, I really adored what I saw this year and am thrilled that my school supports this class so that all students will get to experience learning a band instrument at some point in their elementary schooling.

For the past two days, my colleagues and I ran a workshop about the uses of a SMART Board and the Notebook software at our school. Our school just upgraded the Notebook software form 9.7 to version 10. Notebook software allows you to utilize tools such as games (like vortex, crossword, hangman, basketball, and more), activities (such as balloon popping, word reveal, multiple choice, and more), animations to the screen (some that you find in powerpoint), recording techniques with the software, and the SMART response system, to enhance your current curriculum and lessons. There are some new additions to the Notebook software version 10. These include:

• The Lesson Activity Toolkit 2.0 comes with the installation disc. In 9.7, we had to download the lesson toolkit. The lesson toolkit has many educational advantages as it gives you many options on how to utilize it in a lesson as a teaching or assessment tool.
• In the Welcome Screen, you will find a redesigned Teacher’s Hub to offer more resources for teachers, even those who are very experienced with Notebook.
• The Gallery has more templates.
• Magic Pen allows you to write on the SMART Board and then your writing disappears in 10 seconds. This is fun to use with your students because you can write a rhythm pattern on the SMART Board with the magic pen and the students have 10 seconds to clap it before it disappears.
• The Properties Bar on the right allows you to animate words, photos, or objects on the screen. They can fly in or out, spin, fade in and out, and more. It also allows you to easily change the background of a slide and allows you to record one page of a slide and all of the animations and drawings that you do to that one page.
• The SMART Response system allows you to give a test, quiz, exam, assessment with the students and record the students’ answers with the clickers hardware. These clickers look like remote controls. When you set up a test in SMART Response, the students press the correct answers using the clickers. It is then recorded for the teacher and the teacher just goes to a page in the software to see how the students did. Basically, it records and grades your multiple choice tests for you.

After intensely working with the version 10 software for the past few days, I generally like the new additions. However, Notebook 10 is unstable on a MAC. It crashed my computer several times during the workshop. My laptop is only 6 months old, so I did not feel that it was the laptop. When all of my colleagues and the participants had the same problems with crashing, we all realized that it is the software. However, with that said, we called the tech help at Smarttech.com and they were extremely helpful.

Check out some of the lessons that were made during the workshop!

Has anyone used Notebook v.10 in their classrooms? If so, what were some of your favorite items?

 I just returned home from the first-ever MENC Music Education Week-Music Technology Academy, which was held in Arlington. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there as the sessions were good and I finally got to meet many music colleagues who I have followed on Twitter, posted responses on blogs, communicated with via email, or friended on Facebook. As I write that sentence, I stop to think again about how our students are growing up in this technological world and how enhancing a music classroom with technology can hook your students’ attention because they will be able to relate to your teaching tool. Once you hook your students, your music classroom will have endless learning possibilities.

I heard that Saturday’s Opening Plenary: Making a Case for Technology, was excellent as it brought up numerous topics and discussions for why technology would be a wonderful tool in the music classroom. I wished that I could have attended it, but I did not make it to Arlington in time. However, the moderator was Jim Frankel, and if I know Jim, I am sure that he podcasted the session.

I attended the session titled The Technology-Enriched Elementary General Music Classroom. Pam Hoffmaster and Becky Moseley, both music teachers in the Loudoun County School system, did a nice job presenting and demonstrating the Yamaha Music in Education (MIE) program. I always enjoy watching teachers present sessions because I can relate to their content and examples because it comes directly from their classrooms.

Peter Jutras, Barbara Freedman, Estelle Roth, and I presented at Sunday’s opening plenary: Software for Music Creation. We had a nice turnout and excellent questions from the audience. To read a thorough and wonderful post (in a twitter-style), please check out Andy Zweibel’s “Live Blog” of Technology Session at musicedmajor.net. If you would like to hear our opening plenary of Software for Music Creation, please visit my podcasting page on podomatic.

Before my husband, daughter, and I needed to head back to NJ, I caught one more session titled Technological Solutions for Teaching Composition. This panel consisted of Morton Subotnick-composer and software designer of Making Music, World of Music, and more- Joe Berkowitz-president of Noteflight, which is a wonderful online notation program (check it out today!)-and Jay Dorfman-TI:ME Officer and music education professor at BU. They spoke about technology and composition, how the youngest can compose simply by finger painting on the computer screen, sharing compositions, and more. It was moderated by Emile Menasche, the editor-in-chief for In Tune Monthly.

I enjoyed the two days that I attended this academy. My favorite sessions were ones that teachers were the presenters and the panel discussions. As I stated above, the teachers presenting make the sessions more “real” for me. The panel discussions are advantageous because you never know where they will go with their topics. They could hit a hot topic and a heated, and educational, discussion could follow.

Did you attend the academy? If so, what was your favorite part?

Today I am heading to DC for the Music Education Week in Washington DC. The Music Technology Academy, being held at the Marriott Crystal Gateway, Arlington, VA, on Saturday and Sunday looks to be a wonderful collaboration of teachers and companies that utilize or sell music technology tools to enhance music classrooms. The panel that I am on will meet on Sunday, June 21 at 9:00 am. Our topic:

OPENING PLENARY: Software for Music Creation
From Sibelius to GarageBand, today’s leading music creation programs blur the line between performance, composition, recording, and notation. This panel discusses how these programs work and suggests ways to employ them in the music classroom.
Moderator: Pete Jutras, assistant professor of piano, University of Georgia and editor of Clavier Companion
Panelists: Amy Burns, music teacher, Far Hills Country Day School, Far Hills, NJ; Estelle Roth, instrumental music teacher, Patrick Henry Elementary School, Arlington, VA; Barbara Freedman, electronic music and audio engineering teacher, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT

I will be demonstrating and speaking about how I use Sibelius’s Groovy Music, Subotnick’s World of Music, Apple’s GarageBand, and Finale’s NotePad in the PreK-Grade 3 general music classroom. I will also be showing my students’ works using most of these programs. Finally, I will be podcasting the session and you will be able to listen to the podcast on my Podomatic site.

Viewing the schedule for the two days, I am excited to see sessions on copyright, music technology in all grade levels, music recording, electronic instruments, making a case for creating standards for music technology, and more. It should be an excellent two days. I will report back on Monday.

Steve Raybould and Kriston Feldpausch, the executive directors of BNC Education Blog, are hosting the June Music Education Blog Carnival. As you can imagine, submissions were low at this time of year as we all are winding down the school year, writing numerous grades, and directing a variety of end-of-the-year concerts. Therefore, they did something wonderful: They looked through the 100 ME Bloggers list and compiled a list of posts that were very helpful. They sorted them into four major categories: Your Students, Your Program, Your Place, and Your Life. I was thrilled that they included one of my posts in Your Place. They did an excellent job including a variety of posts. I encourage you to check them out today!

Today, for the first time ever, I was able to attend our Elementary Closing Ceremonies instead of working the ceremony! It was a wonderful experience.

Each year, our students in grades K-5 assemble on the last day of school, sing songs about their school year, and then cross over a bridge that symbalizes them “moving up” to the next grade. As the students cross over the bridge, the next grade level teacher stands at the end of the bridge and welcomes the students into the new grade. It is a wonderful ceremony that has been a tradition at our school for numerous years! In addition, right before the grade of students cross over the bridge, they sing a song about their curriculum throughout the school year to the tune of “Hey Look Me Over.”

It was a thrill for me to attend the ceremony this year with my new baby girl as opposed to leading the ceremony. I watched in awe as my colleague and the music teacher who is filling in for me on my maternity leave, led the students beautifully. The music teachers did an exceptional job preparing the students for singing their songs and exhuming confidence throughout the entire ceremony. I also loved listening to the students sing. When you are leading the students in singing, sometimes the last thing I do is actually stop and listen because I am focusing on so many aspects of the music and keeping an eye on the students who have issues standing on a riser. So, to actually stop and enjoy listening to them sing was a pleasure. It reminded me that when I go back in September, I need to stop and listen to the students sing, play instruments, and tap rhythms (etc.) more.

Now onto the summer: I will be presenting at the MENC Music Education Week in Arlington, VA, teaching a music technology course at CCSU in CT, and enjoying my new baby girl. If you are at MENC or attending CCSU this summer, please stop by and say hi. If not, I will still be blogging this summer, so please check back and leave a comment!

When I first purchased Finale, it was over a decade ago and you had to be a rocket scientist to be able to program it.  As the years progressed, so did Finale, and it became much easier to use. Currently, I use both Finale and Sibelius due to their eases of use and so that when I teach a graduate course with notation software, I am able to teach and answer questions about both programs.

One item that I have always liked about Sibelius is the teaching resources and worksheets. Up until Finale 2010, Finale did not have worksheets that would appeal to an elementary general music teacher. However, Sibelius had wonderful resources and worksheets that were aimed at the elementary general music classroom. So, I am thrilled that one of Finale’s 2010 updates is music education worksheets. As I read on the makemusic website: “Finale now includes more than 300 ready-made, customizable, music education worksheets. Designed for K-12 students of general music, theory, band, orchestra, and choir, these educator-approved worksheets help teach basic elements of music.”

I am excited to upgrade my Finale and to see if these worksheets will appeal to an elementary music educator. As I try them out, I will then blog about them in the future.

If you have been using an earlier version of Finale, click here to see the improvements to the program.

Totally side note: If you are a MAC user, Phil Schiller is currently giving the MAC keynote. Check out the latest advances for Apple by clicking here!

Years ago, when my colleague left FHCDS and she was the only one who knew how to run the new keyboard/MIDI lab that was just installed, I had to learn it and teach it quickly to the new teacher that would begin shortly. I looked around for courses in music technology, but this was 1998 and there were very limited offerings in such an area. I then found the Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME) Summer TI:ME Courses. I enjoyed them so much that eventually I earned my Level 1 and 2 Certifications. These courses are taught by experts in the fields of music education and technology. In addition, the instructors are patient and can differentiate the instruction to satisfy the novice and advanced participant. I would highly encourage you to check out the Summer TI:ME Courses to see if there is a course that would interest you. They vary from basic skills to advanced specified areas in music educational technology.

Check them out today by clicking on the sites and courses links.

With summer vacation approaching, here is another idea that would count as professional development:

This summer, I have the privilege of teaching “Integrating Technology into the Elementary Music Classroom: A Course For Elementary  Teachers Taught By An Elementary Teacher” at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). I have fond memories of of CCSU as I spent 6 summers there earning my Masters of Science in Music Education. The course will be offered from July 6-July 10. The course description is as follows:This hands-on course is aimed at elementary music teachers who are interested in integrating technology into the elementary general music curriculum. The course will include a survey of successful teaching strategies and lesson plans as well as an overview of hardware and software appropriate for the elementary level. The material covered in this course will be applicable to every teaching scenario from the teacher who teaches on a cart, the teacher with one computer in a classroom, and the teacher who either already has a classroom lab or who is interested in setting up a lab. Classroom-ready lesson plans, handouts, and software will be included.

If you are interested in taking the course, please click here for more information about registration.

With summer vacation approaching, here is an idea that would count as professional development:

  This summer, MENC will be holding a variety of Music Education Academies, in replacement of their National Conference. There are numerous academies being held such as general music, jazz education, performance, and music technology. As MENC states on their website:

“The Music Education Week Academies are unique and in-depth two-day professional development conference tracks designed to expand teachers’ horizons and supply attendees with new tools and techniques to take back to the classroom.”

As I look through their website, I am excited to see so many music technology gurus planning on participating, such as Dr. James Frankel (marketing director of SoundTree); Stefani Langol, (assistant professor of music education, Berklee College of Music); Brian Moore, associate professor of music education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music; Joseph Pisano, director of music and fine arts technology, Grove City College, Grove City, PA, and founder of the MusTech.net Web site; and many more.

I will be one of the panelists for “Software for Music Creation”
“From Sibelius to GarageBand, today’s leading music creation programs blur the line between performance, composition, recording, and notation. This panel discusses how these programs work and suggests ways to employ them in the music classroom.”

I am excited and intrigued to see how this new format works out. I am honored to be asked by MENC to participate. If you are planning on attending, I am hoping that you will attend the panel discussion on software for music creation.

To find out about these academies, please click here.