Making Music Joyful!
Lauren Summa - Clear Creek ISD Inservice - January 18, 2016
Terrific Technology for the Music Room
QR Code Note Match
Choose a simple QR code reader for your students, like the i-nigma QR reader app.
Making a QR Code Match Game
- Choose topic (See the TEKS here!)
- List terms for review
- Gather symbols (I create them in Photoshop)
- Find reward images
- Save reward images on your website
- Create QR codes (www.qrstuff.com)
- Set table in Word
- Paste in symbols, QR codes, and write in terms
Want to use my reward images and QR codes? Download the word template here!
Kaboom!
Did you pull out a letter?
- Place the note on the correct line/space of the music staff
- Scan the QR code to check your answer
- If you're right, keep the card! If you're wrong, put it back.
Did you pull out a star? That's a KABOOM!
- Scan the QR code for a funny pic (takes the sting out of losing)
- Put back ALL YOUR LETTERS!
The person with the most letters at the end wins!
Making your own KABOOM!
- Choose topic (see the TEKS here!)
- List terms/symbols for review
- Gather or create answer images
- Find reward images
- Save reward images on your website
- Create QR codes (www.qrstuff.com)
- Set table in Word
- Paste in symbols, QR codes, and write in terms
Want to use my KABOOM! images and QR codes? Download the word template here!
Apps in the Music Room
Consume and Create
Instrument Apps
Congas
Easy Xylophone
GarageBand
Apps for Solo Singing
Sock Puppets
Morfo
Chatterpix Kids
Sock Opera
Make an old favorite new with science content and a fun creation app.
- Review the song Did You Feed My Cow with the group.
- Illustrate the song with simple pictures organized in a food chain.
- In small groups, students sort through pictures of animals and create new food chains.
- Groups select their favorite food chain and change the words to the song to fit their new content.
- After practicing the song as a group, record it using the sock puppets app.
Creating activities with creative apps...
Augmentation - The technology is a direct substitute, but with functional improvement
Modification - The technology lets you redesign the task significantly
Redefinition - The technology lets you create tasks you couldn't dream of without it
Apps for Melodic Play
Jelly Band
Tune Train
Explore melodic contour and orchestration with this exemplary free app. Tune Train is appropriate for melodic play at all grade levels.
Learn more here...Toca Band
Music Literacy Apps
Rhythm Cat Lite
Tap and Sing by StoryBots
Tune Train
Sing for your Supper
- Go fishing for three fish. Read the melodies on their bellies...use the QR codes if you need help!
- Place the fish on their matching solfege platters. Line them up and sing all three in a row. Arrange them for maximum melodic effect.
- Choose your cat - Fancy or Foul - and create some suppertime lyrics your character would sing. Practice performing your musical creation as a group.
- Use Chatterpix to create a video of Fancy or Foul singing your new song.
DO NOT introduce the technology aspect of this project until all students are done with steps 1-3! If the kids know about Chatterpix, they will most definitely jump ahead.
Making a Melodic Masterpiece
1. Select the melodic patterns your students need to practice.
2. Think of a theme that fits your personality and your students' interest.
3. Record yourself (or a student!) singing the melodies. Upload the recordings to YouTube or TeacherTube.
4. Create QR codes leading to the melodic recordings.
5. Create visuals that correspond with your theme, including melodic patterns, solfege labels, and your singing stars.
Web Publishing Tools
Smore.com
Tackk.com
Check out a story written by my son about a criminal banana...
Canva.com
Digital Art
Search for Graphics
Download
Modify your Purchases
LUNCH TIME!!
Making Orff Pop
Playalongs
Shake it Off
Roar
Livin' on a Prayer
Ho, Hey
I Gotta Feelin'
Somebody That I Used to Know
What Does the Fox Say?
Behavior Management
Get Positive!
Positive Power
- I wake up every Thursday in a GREAT mood because I know you guys are coming to music!
- Yes!! I was hoping I would see you guys!!
- Wow - I see so many students who doing just what I asked. Thank you so much - you make being a teacher so easy!
- I am so happy! I have one...two...three...four students who are standing quietly facing forward. You guys are great! Oh...and look! More kids doing great! So many superstars in this class.
- I know your teachers must be really sad when they drop you off to specials. You're so wonderful to work with!
- Almost everyone used a singing voice instead of a speaking voice! I am so proud of you...I am probably going to dream about that tonight!
- Ugh - I am so lucky. I teach the best subject. I get to hear you guys make music every day.
- How did you do that?? Are you guys fifth graders in disguise?? Did you sneak into first grade today and try to trick me??
Yes - I make great use of flattery.
Trust
- Using Instruments
- Using technology
- Concerts
- Visitors
Rewards
- Bubble Wrap
- Hall of Fame
- Chap Stick
- Music Rocks
- Wind Chimes
- Jack in the Box
- Cool Kid Spray
Listen and Smile
- Spend most of your time smiling and laughing!
- Invest in your sanity by listening to stories and blurts.
- Love the hard-to-love kids...they need it most.
The Gift of Words
- Wait until you hear this...
- You're an awesome musician!
- I know - I worked hard!
- Did you hear me sing that?
Signals and Cues
Countdown
Chord Progression
Short Rhythm
Stop/Go
M-U-S-I-C
Points
Rules
- No more than five rules.
- First two are "Follow Directions" and "Keep Hands/Feet to Yourself."
- Last three are specific to your subject.
Procedures
Rewards!
1. Tell the Teacher
2. Tell the Principal
3. Call Home
4. Game Days
PUNISH THOSE FOOLS
1. Warning
2. Move Seat/Removal from Activity
3. Note/Call Home
4. Office Referral
Stick to the plan and don't argue. You lose EVERY argument you have with a kid. And don't give away your power...you can do ANYTHING for 45-55 minutes. Then you get to start over again!
Game Plan
- It uses tried and true songs and activities that veteran teachers know work.
- New teachers find the curriculum easily accessible.
- STUDENTS make the music, not CDs!
- Although the curriculum is heavy on Orff, sight singing skills are also emphasized.
- The year is beautifully sequenced and accessible in scope.
While I can't duplicate and distribute activities from Game Plan, I would still love to share them with you!
Third Grade
- Remember Me (p. 13)
- Four Beats After (continuous)
- Papa Moses (p. 24)
- Hill and Gully Rider (p. 34)
- Jazz Pizzicato (p. 48)
- Mini-Canon (p. 58)
- Movement Canon (p. 63)
- Fjaskern (Teaching Movement and Dance)
Lauren Summa
Lauren Summa has been an educator for 17 years, the last 12 at Melba Passmore Elementary in the Alvin Independent School District. In 2008 she was chosen as campus Teacher of the Year and honored as Alvin ISD’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. She has served as AISD’s Lead Music Teacher for seven years. During that time, Mrs. Summa has worked to bring collaborative opportunities to Alvin elementary music teachers with programs like the AISD District Musical, Fine Arts Showcase, Elementary Music Festival, and AISD Uke Fest.
Lauren earned her BME from Texas Christian University. After earning her undergraduate degree, she moved with her family to Vermont and completed a Master of Arts in Teaching with Internet Technologies at Marlboro College.
In October 2015, Mrs. Summa served as a co-chair for the first-ever Music and Technology Conference of Houston (MATCH). In addition to her work on MATCH, Lauren is TMEA Region 17 Elementary chair and has presented sessions for AISD, Region 17, TETA, TCDA, and TI:ME/TMEA.
Email: laurensumma@gmail.com