New Tools for Kids!

Our students now have Google Apps available to them!

This news was shared with our staff in a short sentence in a lengthy Monday morning newsletter.  Way at the bottom.  I really think that news should have been shouted from the mountain top, with way bigger type and about a dozen exclamation points!

Can you tell that I am pretty excited?  Those of you who have had Apps for a while are probably yawning right now.

Why would a band director be so excited about kids having access to Google Apps?  When you use SmartMusic like we do (everywhere and everybody) kids frequently ended up sharing accounts with other members of the family.  Now each kid can get his/her assignments without having to dig through big sister's/brother's assignments to get there.  Sure, I could have set them up with an account myself, but I am pressed for time as it is.  Now, someone else has done all the set-up.

Other reasons to get excited include all the other tools that go with an Apps account.  Writing, spreadsheet, forms, presentations, web pages can all be authored with these tools.

The cross-disciplinary assignments that I didn't get to may be possible now.

How about a serious tuning unit with a spreadsheet to track your tendencies over several practice sessions?  Wouldn't be cool if kids new where they typically were on the tuner with a little scientific study?

Report on a composer?  Or should that be a presentation?  AND it gets stored on the "Cloud," so no more "the dog ate my homework."

Nothing like a new tool to get the excitement going!

SmartMusic Everywhere To The Next Level!

www.smartmusic.com

The next level of SmartMusic convenience has arrived.  Teachers with Android and iOS devices (iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad) can now get the convenience of listening and reviewing to student assignments anywhere those devices can get connected to the internet.  (I spent most of my time trying out the iOS version on my iPod.)

Think about this.  Waiting for your kids to get done at practice?  Got a long commute? Knock off a few reviews.  Please don't do the commute one if you are driving!  Passenger seat is ok.

Of course, you will want to have a life, so don't over do this work-anywhere-all-the-time plan, but this is a way to keep from getting run over by the work that can pile up while you wait to get to it on your computer.  I went on a long field trip last spring and I could stay caught-up with the kids back at school with this tool.

The "SmartMusic In Box" is an excellent description of how it works.  You log in with your teacher e-mail, password and security code and the program gives you what you haven't evaluated yet.  You can sort the in-bound work by class or look at all of the work that has come in, much like messages in your e-mail in box.

If you go in by class, your class roster is available there as well.  From there you can look at the student's grade, review work he or she has turned in the past or send an e-mail to the individual.

The class roster on your iPod could be pretty handy in non-music situations.  Ever have to take attendance away from your computer or forgotten your class list for the fire drill?

The layouts are well thought out for the iPod version.  I haven't tried it on an iPad or iPhone yet.  The iPad idea may be interesting, because of the keyboard size.  I still haven't mastered keyboarding on the iPod and I do leave comments for all work turned in.  I don't think I am too far out on a limb saying the iPhone and iPod Touch versions should have similar keyboard sizes and issues.

I was surprised by how quickly this version of SmartMusic works.  It compares favorably with the computer version and may be the faster way to get your reviews of student work done.  This is exactly the task you need to do and there is no rewrite/reload of the full grade book page slowing you down.  I haven't done a head to head (SM vs SM In Box) race yet and your actual mileage may vary depending on your network.

Overall, I think this is a great addition to the SmartMusic tools.  I plan on using this a lot this fall.

What To Do With The Rambunctious Music Class This Last Week...

I have THAT class...

You know the one that has more than its share of kids who check out WAAAAAY too early.  I think they were done three or four months ago.  As a teacher, you know that if you lighten up, there will be problems.

It's the end of the year here, students really aren't that motivated, unless it is some project of their creation.  The problem with their projects is they can end up involving the Dean of Students.  What should I do with them?

Every once in a while I have a spasm of lucidity.  Make a project theirs.

It is time for a creative project.  Our music text has a musical in it.  Instead of skipping it because we ran out of time, we are in the process of turning it into a video.  There will be several versions of it, because I have 4 different teams working on the project.

This project needed some lead time to set up.  We watched some musicals.  We studied the characters.  Historically, the music we had an interesting cast to study.  When asked "why?"  I pointed out the more you know about the topic the better story you can tell.  We learned to sing the parts.

We split into two teams.  We planned and did story boards.  We won't have a lot of time to shoot and edit, so planning is key!  When I saw a solid plan,  I handed out the cameras.

My students are problem solving.  It is surprising how many choices you can make on an artistic endeavor.  I think these students get that now. We'll see how they turn out.  Right now, I am hoping they will finish!  There is a lot of discussion on how the musical should look.  There have been a lot of reshoots, just to get it right.

I get materials, observe the groups and stay out of the way.  I tell them it works like Donald Trump's TV show, if you are helpful and pitching in, you will hear good words from me.

I am seeing some of their best work of the year right now.  At a time of year when most other teachers are complaining about their attitudes and laziness I have busy and productive students.  Amazing.

YouTube in Music

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8676380.stm


YouTube in Music Education

YouTube has popped up in my PLN over the last couple of days.

Did you know that YouTube now gets 2 billion hits a day?

To get traffic like that, you must be filling a need.  I don't think that it is all entertainment based.  YouTube in some ways has become our "go to" place to see how things are done.

I've used this in my classes.

Want to show kids how Mission:Impossible could sound?  Search YouTube and there is the BBC Big Band recording with Lalo Schifrin himself at the piano.  The Limp Bizkit version  is there too.  (Does this piece really work in a simple meter?)  Wander around a little bit and you can find the Swingle Singers covering it.  There is a gamelan version and a bunch of ensembles, school and garage bands.  The version that has me curious is the OST Angklung version.  Angklung?  I must have missed that lecture at college.  But that's ok, Wikipedia will have an article on how they work.

Interesting.  Learning by wandering around a little bit.  There are other directions my curiosity could have taken.  Each noun mentioned in that last paragraph could have been a little side track on the way to becoming an expert.

Some people need a little bit more structure for their classes.  Sometimes the language in the comments isn't sanitary enough for your classroom.  (You DO PREVIEW these materials, right!?) For those times, I would suggest that you use the button and copy the bit of code there.  Use that code to put the videos you want right into a web page (Moodle page, Wiki page, Blog entry) without the comments.  Then send your students to that page instead of YouTube.  Same movie without the worries and more focus on what you want the kids to see.

I haven't even mentioned the learning possibilities of posting your own work on YouTube.  Authorship easily generates higher level thinking.  Are you doing that with your kids?

There is a book for YouTube in Music Education that I know I will be reading this summer for even more ideas.  My PLN is recommending it and I am looking forward to digging in next week!

The Music Education 100 Blog Project

http://mustech.net/2008/12/16/announcing-the-almost-official-list

I do love vacation, I can catch-up on all the interesting projects and reading that I have been working on.

Have you been following the 100 ME Blogger project?  Looks like the 100 has happened!  The blogs are worth a look for ideas and they are a chance to see what others are thinking.  Have a couple of minutes before the next thing happens in your day?  Take a quick look here.

Music Teacher Alert-- LSO Master Classes on YouTube

I forgot an important feature to the online YouTube auditions. There are master classes with the London Symphony Orchestra on YouTube as well. They may have been intended to help people prep for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, but I bet you can find some things in here that will help your students in their everyday playing as well. Worth a look.

Happy Halloween. Scary end of the quarter.

We are rushing madly towards the end of the quarter.

The music area sounds like a music area.  I really kind of dig the sounds of the practice rooms.

I had an email from a while back that was asking for ideas on how to get kids to get enrolled and to submit their assignments... I don't have any clever ways of making that happen. 

I am lucky enough to have a student assistant and another teacher nearby, so the real hardcore stragglers have been walked through the enrollment process.  I can't tell you what a blessing that is.  I owe a bunch of favors.

Most of the time, when you get kids past enrollment they can figure out the rest.  They have logged in on other programs and networks by fifth grade.

I would say I have most of the assignments back from the deadline from two weeks ago.  The rest will get several notes from me saying that the assignment is due.  I will also go through the list and tell the laggards in class (and out-loud) that they need to get this in.  I also tell everyone that got it done well and in "Thanks" and "Good Job."  I don't mention scores,  you and I both know that can cause problems and I am staying positive with the people that are late... "you need to get this in."  That's a message the student can do something about.

I think this is an important enough project for our program that I am seriously thinking about having any missing SmartMusic assignments as a reason for an incomplete grade, not just "points off."  I do end up taking late work (at no penalty.)  I like to think my assignments are important for the kids to learn and really the only deadlines are imposed by mark reporting for the office.  This way of working may not work for you.

This fall, I have been getting back great work. The mic wizard is really working well.  The do-it-over-because-I can't-tell-what-that-is assignment has been very rare.  There were a few last fall that hurt to listen to because the mic was set too loud.

I also think that students that login are going all the way and really, really working hard.  I have seen 17 takes on one kid's assignment.  A positive video game mentality creeps in and they "play" SmartMusic until they have it.

Keep the kids focused and insist they enroll and remind them frequently to get installed, enrolled, practiced, recorded and submitted.  I think the results are worth it.

Opportunities to Learn Finale

I spent some time installing Finale 2009 this morning.  It seems to be working great right away.  I did run into small hitch and that was Finale asked for the location of my Garritan sounds.  There are a number of them included on the install DVD and  I forgot to install them.  Not much of a problem.

Garritan still hasn't come up with sounds that match my ensembles.  They are more than welcome to come out and sample my beginning band if they ever get tired of listening to fine instruments.  Human Playback may need a little tweaking to sound like my band as well!  

I love the ease that registering the upgrade is, just a couple of clicks and you are current.

I have been following my own advice and I am working my way through the included QuickStart videos.  The manuals are all electronic as well.  It never hurts to study how a program is supposed to be used.  It can save tons of time later. 

I am a book guy, so I miss the bound paper manuals that most current softwares are leaving out.  David Pogue hasn't published one of his Missing Manuals for Finale.  Writing that may be my next project...If you don't beat me to it!

If books and screens won't do it for you and learning Finale, I would like to point out a great upcoming  opportunity. The Minnesota Summer Music Technology Symposium will be here in August.  If you can't make it there, I would look for any workshop that features Mavis Kallestad.  Her workshops are well thought-out and hands-on.  Very few people know more about using and explaining Finale.  A session with her is worth your time.  You can reach her at workshops@makemusic.com or 952 475-2894 or look for her workshops at MakeMusic.com.

These short naps are wonderful. There is some news for Finale Users.

Wow.  I haven't written since last Thursday?  Really?

Last Thursday, Finale 2009 was released by MakeMusic.

I'm planning on upgrading, not so much because I like to stay current, but because there will be improved SmartMusic support.

You see, Finale is the key to getting what you want in SmartMusic.  If you can't find  what you need in the 50 bazillion exercises, etudes, band arrangements that are built in/available, your next step is to open a new Finale document and create it.

They say that linked part support will save a lot of time for educators.  I believe they are right.  I will love to verify that for you when I get my copy of '09 and the latest version of SmartMusic (10.3?)   That's gotta be coming in soon as well. 

Only only 41 days left to the end of the "seasonal summer lay-off."  It is good to have a couple of projects.

SmartMusic Help

I have been looking through my posts and looking at Goggle Analytics.

My most popular posts are about "help" with "SmartMusic." I have a few tips that could easily be put into one post.  (People are right.  Blogging does help you distill your thinking.) Want to know how to do something in SmartMusic? Check out their QuickStart videos. I think when you are telling kids how to use SmartMusic, you need to teach them how to get to these movies. They haven't missed too much here. I really like the school site license method of getting the SmartMusic in kids hands. If it is not in your budget, do a fee.  (If it is in your budget, is your district hiring?)

If you do the fee, the hard part is collecting the money (duh.)  Plan where and when to collect it.  We went with registration time.  Parents were planning on paying fees then.  Help your parents out, tell them how much and what it is for ahead of time.  Be ready to tell them how it will help their students.

Plan the microphones into the fee.  The first year will be the most expensive as everyone needs a mic.  Second year, just the new people will need mics.  Have extra mics.  Apparently CATS have something against them.  We had 5 cats-microphone incidents this year.

If a family doesn't have a computer, their fee will go towards support the practice room computers.  

Have practice room computers.  I know 94.86% of my kids have internet connected computers at home.  I was surprised how many had problems.  I shouldn't have been.  Mom or Dad's office hand-me-down may not be a great computer.  Also, new computer or not, we are all one hard drive crash away from being in a jam when the project is due.  Practice room computers solve many problems.

Have a scholarship program with your boosters or school parent group for the kids that can't swing the fee. 

You can do a SmartMusic program at your school.  There is lots of support available.  Visit the SmartMusic web site and see.  There is help there for both the teacher and student.

iPhone Apps

There is a lot of buzz about the iPhone release today.  There is a lot of talk about the improvements and the new pricing.

I was most excited about the App Store that is opening at the same time on iTunes.  Developers are now able to write software for the iPhone (and iPod Touch) and publish their work at iTunes.  Some of these apps are free and some are low cost.

A quick look at iTunes this morning turned up an app that music teachers may be interested in.  Guitar Toolkit looks like something that music teachers could use.  A lot.  Ever wish you had a tuner in your pocket?  I probably wouldn't use it for the alternate guitar tunings, but just hearing a A=440 that is actually in tune would be helpful no matter what ensemble I am working with.  This might be worth a closer look.

(Quick Edit-- I went back to the store and after playing around a little more. I found a NUMBER of other apps that may be a help to music teachers.  Happy shopping.)

Guitar Toolkit must need the microphone from the phone, so I suppose my iPod won't run it.  I wonder if the IRS will let me deduct my iPhone bill?

SmartMusic Numbers

The SmartMusic July numbers are interesting.  

97 districts will be using it now with the site license plan.  There was a jump in enrollment this last month. 

538 teachers are using Impact to give assignments to 50 or more students in a year.  I think this may be the most interesting number to watch.  This may be the portion of the program that will be the most useful for educators.  When people hear how easy it is to create, send, collect, evaluate and communicate about student assignments from these 538 people, I think the use of this program will grow exponentially.

It really is pretty easy to get things done with Impact.  Are you using it?

The MusicEd Blog Carnival

I am kind of new to the blog carnival idea, but I like the results.  There is one going on here!

SmartMusic Tip

Teachers, if you are thinking about using SmartMusic in your program this year, you may want to do a little work this month.

SmartMusic is looking at a price increase later this month.  It may be worth your time to beat the price increase.  Check it out for yourself.  www.smartmusic.com or write them at smartbuy@makemusic.com.

Got my iPod

I am still playing around with my iPod touch. Like all tech toys, this one has a lot of initial fun and wow going for it. At least that's what they do for me. I think this one is going to have staying power. I have a case for it coming. I won't bring it to work until I do. I'll let you know how Radio Free Roger works in class. I have been playing with it around the house. Here's what I have noticed so far... I love how easy it is to sync to my computer and its files. I turned the auto sync feature off. If something is going to get overwritten, I prefer that I did it myself. I wish it had Flash. The wondering is over. SmartMusic Impact uses Flash to do the audio. The Touch, doesn't do Flash yet. You can do everything important in the grade book, just not listen to the student work. Adobe, if you are listening, I would pay a bit for a Flash player or plug-in on my iPod. There is a lot of content out there that needs it. Calendar. I think I am going to need to switch from Google Calendar to the Apple Calendar or get the syncing program for the two. I can't count on always having an internet connection to calendar with this device, so using the built in calendar is good idea. Address book/contacts. I think I will like this piece the best (after the music.) I have wondered which computer had what address before. The new answer is this one. The interface/keyboard. This is neat. I have always been a slow typist. This doesn't make me that much slower. I do wish that there was a "." in every keyboard screen. That takes some getting used to. I love the ability to zoom in on a section of text in a web page. If my regular monitor did this, I might skip wearing the glasses once in a while. I wonder why I waited so long.

Waiting on a new iPod

I am pretty excited.  I am getting my first iPod soon.

I'm getting it for my general music classes.

Believe it or not for crowd control.  

I don't play piano well enough to really accompany my 5th and 6th grade music classes.  I have been shuffling CDs in and out of the player.  Those CDs are all starting to look alike (even with the bifocals.) So sometimes it takes me a minute to shuffle through them.  If you know 5th and 6th graders that's 59 seconds too long.  Sure I can burn a CD with my lesson plan all neat and tidy on it, but what if the CD needs revision before the next class?  It is easier edit a playlist on the fly.  

I think if you throw in an FM transmitter wandering the classroom and playing the songs just got easier.

I settled on a refurbished Touch unit.  The ability to grab an new tune off a wifi network was pretty enticing.  Also, the internet in your pocket sounds good too.  I wonder if Impact will run on this version of Safari?

Hope the UPS guy can make it tomorrow.  I am looking at snow right now.

I'm on the list of Music Ed Bloggers

As I mentioned a few posts back, there is a push to find 100 music ed blogs. That's me on the list at number 37. There is still room for more there, so go ahead and take the plunge. Add yours. A little bit about me. I am a 25 year veteran of the middle school band room. I have been in my current district for the past 15 years. The program has grown since I have been here to the point where about half of the students take band here at Grandview Middle School. To keep from going crazy, I have a couple computer programs that I use often. I am a huge fan of FileMaker Pro and SmartMusic. FileMaker to organize student information that I need and SmartMusic to help students get better at their instrument. I have been using both programs since 1994 or so. I am always looking for ways to work smarter, so drop me a line if you have one.