Technology in the Music Classroom

The first time I substitute taught in an elementary school after I was dumbfounded by the amount of technology these students have access. It had only been about three years since I had been in an elementary school, but  technology in the school had completely changed. Every classroom had a Smartboard and many students had Ipod touches and Ipads. I was able to see how teachers utilize this technology to enhance their teaching and engage their students. How has this technology changed in the Music classrooms?

Students now expect technology to be a part of their education. And why not? Technology provides so many resources that can be utilized in the classroom. Students may no longer be interested in or be engaged by writing on paper or the chalkboard, or even listening to you talk.

Youtube is an excellent resource for any music classroom. There are so many ways you can utilize it in your classroom. People often post videos of their performances on Youtube. Before starting a new piece with your ensemble you can find an example of an ensemble who did an EXCELLENT performance of that piece to inspire your group.With parent permission you may even be able to share videos of your ensembles performances. Students get very excited when they are able to share their work with the world.

Youtube is also a wonderful source for video tutorials. If you have a class of beginning trumpeters, you can find a tutorial on Youtube to recommend to them for practice at home with. This means that they don't need to waste time at home practicing incorrectly or getting discouraged because they can't remember what was done in class. You could even make a Youtube video yourself!

Musictheory.net is one of my favorite resources for practicing musical skills. The website provides practice for concepts as basic as staffs and note reading, to advanced analysis. This is an excellent source for students to practice concepts learned in the classroom. They can even make a game out of it! The website also has lessons for students to review the concepts. 

Teachers also use the internet to post their own lesson ideas. Through technology we can build an even larger community of music educators. In his blog post, What Does it Take, Chris Johnson writes that music educators must be thieves. We make music education better by learning from other teachers, and in turn we can share our own ideas. A music teacher in Plattsburgh, NY created a website with links to different music lessons that utilize the Smartboard. By using the Smartboard for these lessons students can visualize and engage in music in a new way.