Transcript Technology on a Dime

TECHNOLOGY ON A DIME
How to Incorporate Music Technology in Your
Classroom Without Breaking the Bank
2009 Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic
by Mike Fedyszyn
Instrumental Music Director
Lake Country School District
Hartland, WI
Technology in the 21st Century
Classroom (in a nutshell)
• Why is it necessary?
– Today’s students are “digital natives” –
they have grown up in the digital age
– It encourages creativity in the
classroom
– It enhances good instruction greatly
(but doesn’t replace it)
Technology in the 21st Century
Classroom (in a nutshell)
• Why is it necessary?
– Students have come to expect that
technology is a part of their lives in all
facets (including school)
– It is our job as educators to relate our
teaching to our students’ lives
BUT THE BIG
QUESTION
IS…HOW DO YOU
PAY FOR ALL OF
THIS?
Find Deals!
• Comparison shop at a variety of
retailers
• Ask retailers about discounts you
may be eligible for but not know
about
• Check the Internet for deals
– TigerDirect
– Slick Deals
– Price Grabber
– BizRate
Find Deals!
• Use online shopping services
– Google Product Search, MySimon,
NexTag, eBay, Craigslist, Half, etc.
• As always, buyer beware – be sure
of what you are purchasing (do your
homework)
Gently Used/Refurbished/OffLease Products
• Technology doesn’t have to be new
to work
• Don’t shy away from these items
• Many times, these type of items can
come with some sort of warranty
• You will receive a vastly lower price
on these sorts of items
• However, do your research – make
sure you are getting quality
Ask for Donations
• Money from PTO groups, education
foundations in your district, booster clubs,
etc. for a selected item
• Gently used items (old iPods, DVD players,
VCRs, TVs, stereos, etc. – these things all
can still be used and are FREE) from
parents, community members, friends,
etc.
• Donations are tax-deductible for donors
Grants
• There are numerous grants available to
teachers looking to incorporate
technology into their curriculum
• Where to find grants
– Online sites (Grant Wrangler, Grants Alert,
Teachers Count, Google searches, etc.)
– Professional associations will often
announce grants in their journals
– Local and national retailers often have
some sort of educational grant program
Grants
• Where to find grants (con’t)
– Ask your colleagues – they may have
received information about grants that
you did not know about
(administrators receive information
about grants frequently)
• Networking with parents,
community members, etc. (they may
be aware of grant opportunities in
their workplace, civic organization,
etc.)
Grants
• Register your classroom with a grant
match service that links donors with
projects they are willing to support
– Digital Wish, Donors Choose, and
Adopt a Classroom are all sites that
offer this service
– Think of this service like posting a
resume on an online job site such as
Monster.com – only you are posting
your project online
Sharing Items With Other
Teachers/Departments
• Combine forces by sharing a purchase
• Gain access to a product wanted by
both parties at a lower price
• This plan works best for items not used
on a daily basis and are not musicspecific
– Example: The music department and
physical education department team up
to buy a Wii console and the games Guitar
Hero (music-related) and Wii Fit (phy. ed.
related)
Sharing Items With Other
Teachers/Departments
• Use the technology purchased for
the entire school
– In my district, when the first Smart
Board was purchased, only four
teachers used the technology –
administrators and school boards can
only justify these types of purchases
for their schools if people actually use
the technology. If people don’t, those
types of purchases become fewer and
more far-between.
Recycle!
• The Great Scavenger Hunt!
– Ask other teachers if they have anything
of use
– LMCs often have older items that can still
be useful
– Contact your technology aide/director of
technology – they may have older
equipment that can be used
– Look around your own classroom – you
may have some things that can be used
– Use existing items and adapt to new ideas
UNIQUE (AND
INEXPENSIVE)
WAYS TO UTILIZE
TECHNOLOGY
Part I – Gadgets & Gizmos
Gadgets & Gizmos
• Buy a projector
• Probably one of the most significant things you
can purchase if you haven’t already
• They are going down rapidly in price and are
ESSENTIAL in creating a 21st Century learning
environment
Gadgets & Gizmos
• Buy a projector
• Projectors can and should be used as outputs for
computers, VCRs, DVDs, etc.
• Specs to look for
• 2000 lumens or more
• At least 1024x768 resolution
• HD (if you can)
Gadgets & Gizmos
• No Money For A Projector?
• Connect your computer to a TV with an S-Video
input
• AVerKey converters used with TVs also work well
for this purpose
• Not as great of quality, but still gets the job done
Gadgets & Gizmos
• Wireless Keyboards can easily become
“remotes” for your computer
• Be sure to look for 2.4 GHz RF Wireless
connections (other technologies, including
Bluetooth, don’t quite give the same range in a
large music room)
Gadgets & Gizmos
• Have an overhead screen in your classroom
and a projector? Make your very own “Stupid”
Board
Gadgets & Gizmos
• Take a Bluetooth-enabled computer, a Wii
remote, and an infrared pen and make your
own Wiimote Whiteboard
Gadgets & Gizmos
Some newer and low-cost gadgets
• Portable MP3 Recorders
• These powerful tools are like having an iPod that
records (with a high quality microphone) to some sort
of removable media (most often SD memory cards)
• My favorite brands
• Roland Edirol R-09HR
• Zoom H2 or H4n
• M-Audio MicroTrack II
Gadgets & Gizmos
Some newer and low-cost gadgets
• Camcorders and Portable Video Recorders
• Camcorders are rapidly going down in price (one can be
had for as little as $300)
• For those looking for an great
portable option (with less features),
check out Flip Video camcorders
($150, $200 for HD)
• Keep an eye on the new Zoom Q3
(portable audio & video recorder) –
this could be a revolutionary new
piece of technology
UNIQUE (AND
INEXPENSIVE)
WAYS TO UTILIZE
TECHNOLOGY
Part II – Current
Technology Is Our Friend
Current Technology Is Our Friend
• As stated earlier, one of our jobs as educators is to
relate our teaching to the lives of our students
• What better way to incorporate technology into
your classroom by using technology in which your
students use on an everyday basis?
• There are NUMEROUS ways to achieve this
• Ways to utilize “student-friendly” technology are
only limited by your imagination
Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly”
Technology
• Present a “Cell Phone Concert”
• Have students bring in their cell phones to your class (be
sure to receive permission first from administration)
• Instruct students to find one person (mom, dad,
grandmother, family friend) that can be called during this
performance
• Before the performance begins, students
call the person who will be their audience
• Once cell phones are placed on a table
in front of the ensemble, the performance
can begin
(Many thanks to Lisa Werner for this idea)
Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly”
Technology
• Text Message Alerts to Your Students
• It goes without saying that SMS (Text) messages are
extremely popular (especially with our students)
• Why not use this technology to our advantage as music
teachers?
• Use a group text messaging service like
JabberText, TextMarks, or Upoc to send
alerts to your students
• Many possibilities (rehearsal & performance
reminders, cancellation alerts, homework
reminders, etc.)
• Use your judgment if this would work in your
situation
Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly”
Technology
• iPods (and other similar players)
• There are many great uses for iPods
• Use one for listening libraries,
play-along accompaniments, and
other types of recordings utilized
in the classroom
• Create your own podcasts
• Performances
• Online-based instruction
Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly”
Technology
• iPod Touch and iPhone Apps
• The App Store is one of the defining
features of the iPod Touch/iPhone –
there are over 100,000 applications
that have been downloaded over 2
billion times
• There are apps for everything –
including powerful tools for music
educators
Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly”
Technology
• A couple of my favorite apps suitable for the music
classroom…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Instruments In Reach
Rhythm In Reach
MooCow Pianist
Pitch Pipe
Karajan
ClearTune
Tempo
iPro Recorder
Musictionary
iRealBook
Mobile Air Mouse
Remote
AirSharing
Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly”
Technology
• Video Creation
• There are many unique ways to integrate video creation
into a performance-based curriculum
• Portfolio-based assessments
• Videos for concerts
• Recordings of performances
• You can create and edit your own
videos inexpensively while still
maintaining a high level of quality
Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly”
Technology
• Music-Related Video Games
• Music-related video games have (some) educational value
• Used the right way, they can hold great extrinsic rewards for
students while transferring knowledge learned using
traditional methods
• They shouldn’t be used exclusively in a
classroom – but can be a unique tool
(much like a rarely-used kitchen utensil)
Web 2.0
• Web 2.0 is the new wave of information sharing
on the Internet, focusing on interactivity and
collaboration
• The focus of Web 2.0 is….YOU (the Internet user)
• Examples of Web 2.0 include such functions as
video sharing sites, web applications, social
networking sites, wikis, and blogs
• Most are FREE to use and are very educationfriendly
Web 2.0
• Facebook
– The most popular social networking site allows groups to make
their own “Fan” page
– Facebook users can then follow a selected group and have
access to various things (photos, video, calendars, links, etc.)
– Users can also receive news updates from these groups
– Used the right way, Facebook can be a great resource for your
program
Web 2.0
• Twitter
– Twitter is a micro-blogging site (write something in 140
characters or less)
– Micro-blogging can be used to broadcast updates and newsworthy items to your followers
Web 2.0
• Ning
– A relative newcomer to the social networking field,
Ning offers users to create their own networks for
their own interests
– Thus, you can make a site that is extremely
personalized for your music program
Web 2.0
• Blogs & Web Sites
– It is extremely easy to develop your own web site using Web 2.0
tools (using a blog-based site or traditional set-up)
– Web site building tools
•
•
•
•
WordPress
Weebly
BlogSpot
ClassJump
Web 2.0
• YouTube
– Share your performances
– Analyze other musicians of all levels (think National
Standard 6)
• SchoolTube
– YouTube’s more school-friendly site – devoted to
educational media
Web 2.0
• Keep an eye on…
– Google Wave
• A brand new service that
merges E-mail, instant
messaging, social
networking, message
boards, and other elements
of Web 2.0
– iSchoolBand.com
• One of the best
options I have seen
for music educators
to create a web site
that is truly interactive
FREE STUFF!
Freeware/Open Source
Software
• Freeware is exactly what it sounds
like – free, unlicensed software
• Open source software are programs
that are continually updated and
rewritten by the general public
– They are free for all to use; no license
is needed
• Chances are that any type of utility
will have an open source option
Freeware/Open Source
Software
• Where to find them?
– 100-downloads.com – a depository of the
best free software
– Sourceforge.net – a leader in organizing
open-source projects
– Mustech.net – an outstanding blog on music
technology – includes links to music
education-specific free software
– FreeMusicSoftware.org – a site that
emphasizes pro audio software; many options
available for Mac and Linux-based systems
– An internet search for “open source” or
“freeware” will yield many options
Some Of My Favorite Free
Programs
• Audio/Video
– Audacity – a multi-track sound
recorder that is extremely powerful
– iTunes – Apple’s media player and
music store interface
– CinemaForge – transfers video file
formats (very helpful for uploading
videos to a web site or portable media
player such as an iPod or downloading
a video from YouTube)
Some Of My Favorite Free
Programs
• Audio/Video
– SongBird – an iTunes alternative
– WinAmp – a media player that has set
the standard in the industry over time
– VideoSpin – free movie making
software from Pinnacle (industry
leader)
Some Of My Favorite Free
Programs
• Audio/Video
– VirtualDub – open source movie
making software
– Jahshaka – another open source movie
making option
– Windows Movie Maker – the Windows
option for movie publishing
– iMovie – Apple’s movie publishing
software (comes free with iLife)
Some Of My Favorite Free
Programs
• Productivity
– OpenOffice – an open source version
of the Microsoft Office suite
– CutePDF – a utility that creates a PDF
file from any document on your
computer
Some Of My Favorite Free
Programs
• Pictures and Imaging
– GIMPShop – an open source version of
Adobe Photoshop
– Krita
– Paint.NET (Windows only)
– ChocoFlop (Mac only)
– iTag – image tagging/organizing
software for your pictures
Some Of My Favorite Free
Programs
• Web Site Creation
– KompoZer – a powerful web site
publishing program that is very easy to
use
– Flash Slideshow Maker – make
professional slideshows for use on the
Internet
– Powerbullet Presenter – make your
own Flash movies for the Internet
Some Of My Favorite Free
Programs
• Notation/Composition
– TrakAx – An open source, PC version of
Apple’s GarageBand
– MuseScore – Music composition
software
– Anvil Studio – MIDI sequencer
Some Of My Favorite Free
Programs
• Other Music Education Software
– E-Chromatic Tuner – free tuning
software
– JAM Chord Player – a simple chord
player
– Tempo Perfect Metronome – an
extremely powerful metronome;
includes subdivision patterns
– GNU Solfege – Music theory training
software
– TabPlayer – Guitar Tab Player
ALMOST FREE
STUFF!
(Other Inexpensive
Software Options)
Other Inexpensive
Software Options
• SmartMusic – a subscription-based practice suite
for students that holds thousands of songs and
evaluates the progress of students (among
MANY other things)
– Think of SmartMusic as a combination of iTunes and
Guitar Hero for your students
– If you are unfamiliar with SmartMusic, you owe it to
yourself to check this powerful program out
Other Inexpensive
Software Options
• Notation/Composition/Sequencing
– Acoustica MixCraft
• A great PC alternative for GarageBand; intuitive
interface, numerous loops included ($50
institutional price per license)
– Sony JamTrax
• Another GarageBand PC alternative; newer to the
marketplace and some nice features ($20)
Other Inexpensive
Software Options
• Notation/Composition/Sequencing
– Finale Notepad
• Once the “gold standard” of free music notation
software, Finale’s software publisher (MakeMusic) no
longer offers a free version of this software
• Instead, it is offered with expanded capabilities from
previous versions for $9.95
• Regardless, the program is still HIGHLY recommended
• Finale is to Microsoft Word as Finale Notepad is to
Windows Notepad (i.e. limited capabilities, but still
gets the job done)
INTERNET
RESOURCES
Internet Resources
• There are THOUSANDS of resources
for free on the Internet
• Another whole session could be
devoted to great web sites for music
educators
• This list focuses on some of my
favorite sites (and is by no means a
comprehensive list)
Internet Resources
• Performance Aids
– Metronome Online
• Theory and Composition
– Ricci Adams’ Musictheory.net
– Good Ear
– Noteflight
• Instrument-Specific
– Vic Firth Education Resource Center
(AMAZING site)
– Conn-Selmer Educational Resources
– 8 Notes
QUESTIONS?
Final Thoughts…
• Prioritize
• What are your priorities when it comes to
technology? Spend available money here first
• Never let your creativity get into the way of
budgetary concerns
• There are NUMEROUS ways to incorporate
technology with little to no funds
Feel Free To Contact Me!
• If you have any further
questions, I would be happy to
help out
• Visit my web site at:
http://www.fedmusic.com
• Contact me at:
[email protected]