piano
While piano in the general music classroom is certainly not a knew idea, many of the resources that we may utilize today are as a result in advances in technology. Traditional methods do need to be used in the classroom, but supplemental materials as a result of technology can help students better understand materials and practice at home! In this section we will discuss the use of podcasts, musictheory.net, and iPad applications for instructional and assessment uses.
podcast
A tool that did not emerge until 2004 is the podcast. A podcast is a digital media that is presented in episodes via audio, video, or PDF files that are subscribed to. Podcasts exist for nearly anything you can think of, even for learning piano! Playpianotoday.com utilizes a podcast through iTunes for distributing lessons. The podcast is distributed as a video and guides students on learning basics in playing piano. This could be watched in class or used at home for students to practice. Consider breaking the lesson into multiple sections and assessing students small portions at a time. The podcast does not inherently contain assessments, but one can very easily generate performance assessments from the exercises that are incorporated into the lessons.
|
musictheory.net
Musictheory.net is mentioned frequently on this site and for good reason! Musictheory.net utilizes the keyboard for teaching concepts in music theory - a definite necessity for mastery of the piano. For assessments, consider using the exercises page for note and key identification on the keyboard. You can create assignments that are to be completed in class or at home with set achievement goals to be printed or turned in as a PDF.
|
tablet applications
There are many keyboard apps that are available on the iPad, Android Tablets, and smartphones. There are a wide variety of both free and paid apps available for both platforms. Spend some time hunting for the app that you think will be best for your class! Below you will find just a few of the applications available through the iTunes app store. These could be utilized for practice at home, in class, and for performance assessments in the classroom.
|