I chose
my lesson plan from my inclusion class last semester. It is about teaching
students in grades four through six how to play the recorder. At first, it
seemed like a challenge to integrate technology into learning to play an
instrument. It was a challenge, but I believe the technologies I chose will
greatly benefit the students not only to learn the recorder, but to learn other
musical devices.
The
first row discusses the items we will have learned before picking up the recorder
that are necessary to play it. These are basic musical foundations needed for
any instrument or basic musical training. While we are reviewing these items,
we can integrate technology by using online sites that allow us to practice our
knowledge. I enjoy MusicTheory.net because it allows one to quiz themselves
(with both written and aural examples) based on a specific unit of study. It
also allows you to change the difficulty of the exercises for different level
learners, something that is virtually impossible in the classroom without this
technology. Imagine trying to give each student a different, fair assessment
without wasting an immense amount of time and energy. NETS 1C applies here
because it concerns using models to explore specific issues. MusicTheory.net
allows the students to practice at their own pace and the teacher can arrange
quizzes, so this can be a student activity, or teacher-guided.
The
second row concerns using a variety of instruments to learn musical nuisances,
and also playing alone or with other students. I did not include a NETS
standard in this group because it is irrelevant, although a variety of
technologies can be used to learn some of the same things. The only way for
this standard to be accomplished is though playing an instrument, in this
lesson, the recorder.
The
next column is very important, as it discusses imitating and improvising
melodies or patterns. The NETS standard of communicating ideas to an audience
is directly correlated with the improvisation standard. It is also very
possible to integrate technology effectively here. The traditional way to do
these activities would be for a teacher to play a melody or pattern, which a
student then copies, or the teacher playing backgrounds while the student has
to improvise over them. With new technology, however, we can hear a melody on
music notation software, such as Finale, and have the students repeat it. We
can even have them practice this at home by sending them the Finale file and
having them decipher it. SmartMusic is another fantastic way of monitoring
practice at home. This program can tell the student when they are playing notes
incorrectly, which would be invaluable when trying to figure out a melody by
ear. Lastly, ImproVisor is a great website with ideas and a program on how to
improvise. The program allows students to play a solo over a chord change
played beneath them. It also allows for a solo to be automatically written, for
the beginning soloist who does not know what to do during an improv section).
The
next column takes the playing from ear and puts a visual aspect to it: reading
sheet music. Hopefully by this point, the students will know their clefs and
how to read music, but it is still very possible that they will not, or that
they will struggle with it. Melodies and patterns will still be played, but
from written music this time. They will need to use their ears and eyes to
follow the pattern of the music on the board. This is a teacher/student
activity, because it is based around the students but needs a teacher to
mediate and help out. I picked SmartMusic for this section because of its
previously described ability to tell a student when they are playing notes
incorrectly. In this case, it will even show them which notes are wrong.
The
next column discussing Orff instruments is similar to the second column,
discussing the proper use of basic instruments. The recorder will be displayed
by both the teacher and YouTube videos. If the teacher can find something
intriguing on YouTube for their students, the students will be more willing to
play enthusiastically.
The
last column shows the playing of actual melodies and songs, in AB or ABA
patterns. These are very common patterns which the students need to know. As
NETS states, preexisting knowledge will form the basis of this section of the
lesson. This group activity with guided practice allows for the culmination of
everything the students have been working on. SmartMusic is again a fantastic
device. This will be the culmination of our short lesson or group of lessons,
as we will be playing a full song on the recorder.
Overall,
the addition of technology to this lesson plan was greatly beneficial and not
nearly as difficult as I first thought it would be. As long as it benefits and
interests my students, I would be willing to try any of these technologies or
other suggestions for the good of my students.
