Tech Talk

QuaverMusic is a world leader in online curriculum development for grades Pre-K to 8. Their approach to online curriculum development combines engaging digital resources, ongoing professional development, world-class customer service. They have been developing digital music resources for 7 years. They are not just digitizing textbooks, but creating truly interactive content optimized for classroom bandwidth along with backup resources for Internet down days. Their curriculum resources encompass all music teaching pedagogies. While it is a paid site, teachers can check out the 30-day trial here.

Noteflight is an interesting web tool for music teachers. It allows users to create, store, listen to and share notated music online. Teachers can use it to create and share music sheets and help students communicate and collaborate in music learning. Noteflight’s user guide offers detailed instructions on how to use the program. The basic free version of Noteflight allows you to write music, share scores publicly, import and export music XML and MIDL, connect with musicians and composers, view and join groups and many more. Premium versions provide more advanced features.

Noteflight has a specific program for students called Noteflight Learn. This is ‘a private website designed specifically for music education where all users have Noteflight Premium features, including recording, performance and assessment tools. Every user can access their Noteflight account from any computer or device, including Chromebooks, iPads, and smartphones. All digital scores are interactive, customizable, and easily accessible, and sharing and collaboration are built directly into every aspect of Noteflight Learn.’

"Start out with Edpuzzle using video for the purpose of pre-teaching, perhaps pairing videos with text in any content area where students might need scaffolding or supports. Use the voice-over feature to add a few quick checks to read-aloud videos to engage and support struggling readers, introducing vocabulary words (pronunciation, meaning, synonyms) along the way. For math centers, record yourself teaching a concept, and have the kids stop for practice and submit their answers. Want to flip your flipped classroom? Let kids use the tool to create a video lesson, and choose some of the best for their peers to complete on their own. Then, go into depth in class to expand upon what students learned from remixing their videos.

If you're using others' content as a starting point, Edpuzzle's search will suggest high-quality videos from sites such as YouTube, Kahn Academy, TED Talks, and Vimeo. There's also the option to choose content from the curriculum library, which is a collection of videos organized by content area. However, be aware that editing the videos won't alter them in any way, and remember to preview all video content for appropriateness. Finally, consider taking advantage of the Personalized Learning Certifications for teachers and students to develop learning competencies in a variety of areas, including digital citizenship or diversity and inclusion. Teachers earn continuing education units -- and students earn credit -- toward a student project-based learning initiative." - Common Sense Education

Email: blwilliam@deweyk12.org
Website: www.deweyk12.org
Phone: (918) 534-2214