Deanna Welch's 20% project

My 20% project went a couple of different directions.  I spent the first few weeks learning about and working with Smart Music.  I ordered the software and microphone from the company, installed it on my computer and explored what it could do for my students.  It is a program with preloaded music (such as the 5th grade band method book) where musicians can play with an accompaniment and record their performance.  The coomputer program then evaluates how many notes were correct and the percentage of the selection performed accurately.  While I think this is a great tool for band, orchestra and choir members, I'm still struggling with how to use this in the general music classroom.  The one area where I think it will be helpful is in recorder playing in fourth and fifth grade.  I hope to set up a couple of computers in my room where students could go and try it out.  My daughter who plays french horn in 5th grade really enjoyed working with the program at home and I think it would be a motivation factor for those students who may not otherwise enjoy playing the recorder!  I also worked with the web based program Audacity for the rest of my 20%.  I took a webinar through TIES and learned the basics of the program.  I see a ton of use for this program in the music classroom and will expand on that in the paragraph below.

I really saw mayself grow in NETS*T Standard #2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.   Most of the assessments we do in the music classroom are performance based and I have been looking for a way to record these performance assessments so that students can really self evaluate.  The video camera has been more of a distraction than an assessment tool, and I think that Audacity would allow me to record student work quickly and playback just what is needed for the students to be able to hear and self assess. 

I also see the possibility of putting together parts of songs from different classes and create one large grade level piece of music through Audacity.  Pieces of music can take different directions in each classroom, especially when improvisation is involved.  This would be a chance for one 4th grade class to see what another is doing, and possibly even use them together to create a collaborative piece of music.  We could also do this between Edina elementary schools and throughout the country or world for that matter!  I'm excited to rework my curriculum using this tool.