TECH+507+Final+Culminating+Project

This page serves as my culminating project for TECH 507. Each lesson presented below addresses each of the three diverse learning groups in my classes:

@TECH 507 Lesson Plan 1 My first lesson was designed for my absolute beginners- those who have never been in choir before. Most of the students are 7th graders, but a few 8th graders joined this year because their friends told them it was fun! When I gave this group of students a basic theory test, here were the results: Since half of my students showed deficiency in basic theory understanding, I decided to begin with note names. Teaching beginners to read the lines and spaces of a musical staff takes only 5 minutes. However, to ensure retention, each student should have many practice exercises over the course of the first nine weeks. One option to "drill" the lines and spaces are flash cards; this method would work, but I feel that in today's technology driven world, my students will benefit from doing drills on the computer, "game style." The technology method is definitely less boring, and has an extra bonus- the exercises are timed, so a student can work diligently to name more notes in shorter spurts of time.

@TECH 507 Lesson Plan 2 My second lesson plan addresses a need in my high school choir class, grades 9-12. These students have been in choir before; they have mastered the basics of theory and have the tools to apply their knowledge into modern music making. When I took a survey of how many students were familiar with music notation software, here were the results:



The majority of my students had heard of music notation software, but only three students in the entire class had ever used it. This lesson transitioned easily from antiquated to modern delivery; all of my students were accustomed to writing music on regular staff paper. However, modern technology makes it easier to input notes and edit them on digital staff paper, and deliver a refined, presentable version of the music instead of handwritten manuscript. I feel that part of my responsibility as a teacher is to give my students the tools to be successful. Consequently, I believe that introducing my students to modern ways of notating/composing music will help them in the technology-integrated music classroom of the future.

@TECH 507 Lesson Plan 3 After learning about SmartMusic in my TECH 507 class, I realized that it could be a valuable tool in all levels of my 7th-12 grade classes, and is well worth the $140 fee. I gave my students information on using SmartMusic to take their test, in the privacy of their own home, or during lunch at school. I gave the students the opportunity to vote on whether or not SmartMusic would help them to earn higher grades on singing test. Here are the results of that survey: The majority of my students voted YES! They want to try using SmartMusic as an assessment tool. When using the Tech-PACK model, Phase 1 consists of analyzing learning and teaching needs. With SmartMusic integration, the relative advantage is huge for both teacher and student! Students waste time sitting around waiting for the assessment process to be done; even when it is their turn, they are nervous to sing in front of the class and may not make the grade they expected. Using SmartMusic for assessments in a win-win for everyone involved. Benefits of integrating this technology include:
 * 1) reduced nervousness and pressure on each student- It is very intimidating to sing in front of the class, even in small groups.
 * 2) higher earned scores on singing tests- Students can record multiple attempts, then submit the best recording for the assessment.
 * 3) individualized feedback- This happens very rarely in large classes like band and choir. With SmartMusic, I can hear each student's voice individually without putting them on the spot or embarrassing them.
 * 4) reduced class time required to administer singing tests- Right now, it takes an entire class period to correctly assess a group of 45 students. With SmartMusic, students will have a set number of assessments due at the end of the nine weeks. Each student can work at their own pace, as long as the recordings are submitted by the due date. No extra class time is needed for singing tests!!!

Phase two of the tech-PACK model involves planning for integration. I will have to set up assignments with page numbers and parameters in SmartMusic, and give each student login information. I will also need to create a sign up sheet for lunchtime so that students have a specific day and time to finalize their recording for submission. Finally, I will have to train all my classes on how to navigate SmartMusic and troubleshoot without me at home if necessary.

The final phase of the tech-PACK model is post-instruction analysis and revisions. In order for SmartMusic integration to be a success, students must fully understand how to submit a final recording. I anticipate that 10 percent or so of my students will be confused and that they will need one on one help. This is part of the process, and will help to make SmartMusic both an integral and vital part of my music curriculum.

Reflection:
I plan on incorporating all three of these lesson plans into my curriculum this school year. (Once I get permission to override the school filter for websites.) Most of my students will continue in choir with me for multiple years- from 7th-12th grade if they so choose. Even though it will take a great deal of time and effort on my part to integrate these lessons throughout this year, I know it will only get easier each year. My returning students will be familiar with the process, so I will only have a small handful of students that I need to catch up to speed. In fact, I can ask my high school students to help educate the younger, new choir students, about musictheory.net, MuseScore, and SmartMusic. Thank you, PK, for changing my mind about technology integration into a music classroom!

