Technology on a Budget By Barbara Balch Packales
Technology takes many different forms in the music classroom. It can be the CD player that you use every day, to an interactive whiteboard, to a digital keyboard, to an audio recorder. Regardless of how you use technology in your classroom, there are many options out there to enhance your lessons and engage your students.
I use Plank Road Publishing’s Music K-8 Magazine and have reproducible student parts, which I usually du- plicate for each student. But, with a non-existent budget for paper and copier ink, a new technological direc- tion for my elementary classroom has emerged. I simply project music onto my screen instead of handing out sheet music.
I wasn’t really sold on this idea at first, but as Plato said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” It has turned out to be one of the most educational things I’ve done so far. Not only have I “gone green,” but I have begun to develop better musicianship in my students.
My students are fully engaged with their learning and I rarely have discipline problems. I know that they are in the right place in the music, because I’m following the notes with my cursor for them. I can pause the mu- sic and discuss something that they need clarification on, including correcting pitches. What an “Aha” mo- ment!
There are programs out there that will follow a melody, but most of us are working on a zero budget of money and time. I play the music on an iPod, and use the cursor on my computer to move rhythmically over the staff in the pdf file. You can count out loud if there are several beats of rest, or have the students do the counting. They are reading the music and you can make instantaneous corrections.
The students get excited over seeing a new dynamic marking or musical symbol. They point them out and ask questions. They also enjoy having the tools of reading music at their fingertips. They are learning as a group, rather than as individuals and the entire experience provides more interactivity for them.
All of my classroom music resides on an iPod Classic (purchased as a refurbished unit from EBay) that I sync with my MacBook Pro. I started out with a small portable speaker that doubled as a docking station. (MMEA Bulletin, Feb 2009) I have since invested in a portable PA system with a docking station. The Alesis TransActive mobile system has the following:
• High-output powered mountable 2-way speaker system
• Built-in rechargeable battery with level indicator lasts over 12 hours
• Outputs high-fidelity sound to over 150 feet • Enhanced bass output creates a full, rich sound • Professional quality microphone included • Heavy-duty aluminum construction • Two-wheel system with retractable handle for easy portability • 1-3/8" PA speaker stand mountable
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