Technology I Use in the Elementary Music Room
In my graduate course, I was asked to share tools and apps that I used in my classroom. At first, I hate to admit, I thought that I really didn't use a lot of technology inside my classroom. I am a techy at heart, but I don't feel like I have the time it takes to truly integrate ALL of the resources I'd like to use in my class with my learners. I teach 8 classes a day with only a 30 minute planning time. I have to use that time to set up instruments and music equipment for our performances or activities, so the millions of ideas for technology that are floating around in my mind, don't always see the light of day. I know using technology effectively takes a lot of planning or it will not be successful and a waste of the very little, precious time I have my learners.
However, when I sat down and really started to look at the things I use everyday in my classroom, I do integrate quite a bit of technology tools into my daily planning, organizing, and collaborating with both colleagues and learners.
I use the entire Google suite to create and share files among colleagues and my learners. I use the app iDoceo to organize plans, seating charts, and grades. I use Garageband to create new background tracks for presentations, slideshows, or new student-created chants. This year, I created a google site for kids to find important information and resources and have had a lot of fun experimenting and creating digital break out rooms in google sites for my kids to explore new materials with. I am teaching a flipped recorder class through Schoology as well. I frequently upload lyrics to performance pieces to private youtube channels for my learners to practice and have recently posted QR codes around the building to remind kids to go practice. Speaking of QR codes, I also have QR codes posted for kids to fill out google forms for musical auditions, online worksheets, and an interactive bulletin board for kids to scan and listen to music to help deal with different emotions and needs.
I am working on creating a few ed shelves to discover, save and share apps that may be useful in both the general education and music education classrooms. The first board I created is a general digital learning board where I am adding any useful apps that I have used or hope to use. These apps could be used in many classroom settings, and will be moved to more subject specific boards as I have time to explore them more. The second board is one that is more specific to apps that support elementary music. These are not all specific to music, but are apps that I have been able to use to enhance our learning.
I hope to eventually give descriptions and uses to the apps so that others not only see a cool app but can get ideas on how to use them in a music classroom.