Technology on a Dime

1. Technology on a Dime 2009 Midwest International Band & Orchestra Clinic How to Incorporate Music Technology in Your Classroom Without Breaking the Bank by Mike Fedyszyn Instrumental Music Director Lake Country School District Hartland, WI

2. Technology in the 21st Century Classroom (in a nutshell) • Why is it necessary? • Today’s students are “digital natives” – they have grown up in the digital age • It encourages creativity in the classroom • It enhances good instruction greatly (but doesn’t replace it)

3. Technology in the 21st Century Classroom (in a nutshell) • Why is it necessary? • Students have come to expect that technology is a part of their lives in all facets (including school) • It is our job as educators to relate our teaching to our students’ lives

4. BUT THE BIG QUESTION IS…HOW DO YOU PAY FOR ALL OF THIS?

5. Find Deals! • Comparison shop at a variety of retailers • Ask retailers about discounts you may be eligible for but not know about • Check the Internet for deals • TigerDirect • Slick Deals • Price Grabber • BizRate

6. Find Deals! • Use online shopping services • Google Product Search, MySimon, NexTag, eBay, Craigslist, Half, etc. • As always, buyer beware – be sure of what you are purchasing (do your homework)

7. Gently Used/Refurbished/Off-Lease Products • Technology doesn’t have to be new to work • Don’t shy away from these items • Many times, these type of items can come with some sort of warranty • You will receive a vastly lower price on these sorts of items • However, do your research – make sure you are getting quality

8. Ask for Donations • Money from PTO groups, education foundations in your district, booster clubs, etc. for a selected item • Gently used items (old iPods, DVD players, VCRs, TVs, stereos, etc. – these things all can still be used and are FREE) from parents, community members, friends, etc. • Donations are tax-deductible for donors

9. Grants • There are numerous grants available to teachers looking to incorporate technology into their curriculum • Where to find grants • Online sites (Grant Wrangler, Grants Alert, Teachers Count, Google searches, etc.) • Professional associations will often announce grants in their journals • Local and national retailers often have some sort of educational grant program

10. Grants • Where to find grants (con’t) • Ask your colleagues – they may have received information about grants that you did not know about (administrators receive information about grants frequently) • Networking with parents, community members, etc. (they may be aware of grant opportunities in their workplace, civic organization, etc.)

11. Grants • Register your classroom with a grant match service that links donors with projects they are willing to support • Digital Wish, Donors Choose, and Adopt a Classroom are all sites that offer this service • Think of this service like posting a resume on an online job site such as Monster.com – only you are posting your project online

12. Sharing Items With Other Teachers/Departments • Combine forces by sharing a purchase • Gain access to a product wanted by both parties at a lower price • This plan works best for items not used on a daily basis and are not music-specific • Example: The music department and physical education department team up to buy a Wii console and the games Guitar Hero (music-related) and Wii Fit (phy. ed. related)

13. Sharing Items With Other Teachers/Departments • Use the technology purchased for the entire school • In my district, when the first Smart Board was purchased, only four teachers used the technology – administrators and school boards can only justify these types of purchases for their schools if people actually use the technology. If people don’t, those types of purchases become fewer and more far-between.

14. Recycle! • The Great Scavenger Hunt! • Ask other teachers if they have anything of use • LMCs often have older items that can still be useful • Contact your technology aide/director of technology – they may have older equipment that can be used • Look around your own classroom – you may have some things that can be used • Use existing items and adapt to new ideas

15. UNIQUE (AND INEXPENSIVE) WAYS TO UTILIZE TECHNOLOGYPart I – Gadgets & Gizmos

16. Gadgets & Gizmos • Buy a projector • Probably one of the most significant things you can purchase if you haven’t already • They are going down rapidly in price and are ESSENTIAL in creating a 21st Century learning environment

17. Gadgets & Gizmos • Buy a projector • Projectors can and should be used as outputs for computers, VCRs, DVDs, etc. • Specs to look for • 2000 lumens or more • At least 1024x768 resolution • HD (if you can)

18. Gadgets & Gizmos • No Money For A Projector? • Connect your computer to a TV with an S-Video input • AVerKey converters used with TVs also work well for this purpose • Not as great of quality, but still gets the job done

19. Gadgets & Gizmos • Wireless Keyboards can easily become “remotes” for your computer • Be sure to look for 2.4 GHz RF Wireless connections (other technologies, including Bluetooth, don’t quite give the same range in a large music room)

20. Gadgets & Gizmos • Have an overhead screen in your classroom and a projector? Make your very own “Stupid” Board

21. Gadgets & Gizmos • Take a Bluetooth-enabled computer, a Wii remote, and an infrared pen and make your own Wiimote Whiteboard

22. Gadgets & Gizmos Some newer and low-cost gadgets • Portable MP3 Recorders • These powerful tools are like having an iPod that records (with a high quality microphone) to some sort of removable media (most often SD memory cards) • My favorite brands • Roland Edirol R-09HR • Zoom H2 or H4n • M-Audio MicroTrack II

23. Gadgets & Gizmos Some newer and low-cost gadgets • Camcorders and Portable Video Recorders • Camcorders are rapidly going down in price (one can be had for as little as $300) • For those looking for an greatportable option (with less features),check out Flip Video camcorders ($150, $200 for HD) • Keep an eye on the new Zoom Q3(portable audio & video recorder) – this could be a revolutionary new piece of technology

24. UNIQUE (AND INEXPENSIVE) WAYS TO UTILIZE TECHNOLOGYPart II – Current Technology Is Our Friend

25. Current Technology Is Our Friend • As stated earlier, one of our jobs as educators is to relate our teaching to the lives of our students • What better way to incorporate technology into your classroom by using technology in which your students use on an everyday basis? • There are NUMEROUS ways to achieve this • Ways to utilize “student-friendly” technology are only limited by your imagination

26. Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly” Technology • Present a “Cell Phone Concert” • Have students bring in their cell phones to your class (be sure to receive permission first from administration) • Instruct students to find one person (mom, dad, grandmother, family friend) that can be called during this performance • Before the performance begins, students call the person who will be their audience • Once cell phones are placed on a table in front of the ensemble, the performance can begin (Many thanks to Lisa Werner for this idea)

27. Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly” Technology • Text Message Alerts to Your Students • It goes without saying that SMS (Text) messages are extremely popular (especially with our students) • Why not use this technology to our advantage as music teachers? • Use a group text messaging service likeJabberText, TextMarks, or Upoc to send alerts to your students • Many possibilities (rehearsal & performancereminders, cancellation alerts, homework reminders, etc.) • Use your judgment if this would work in your situation

28. Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly” Technology • iPods (and other similar players) • There are many great uses for iPods • Use one for listening libraries, play-along accompaniments, and other types of recordings utilized in the classroom • Create your own podcasts • Performances • Online-based instruction

29. Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly” Technology • iPod Touch and iPhone Apps • The App Store is one of the definingfeatures of the iPod Touch/iPhone – there are over 100,000 applicationsthat have been downloaded over 2 billion times • There are apps for everything – including powerful tools for music educators

30. Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly” Technology • A couple of my favorite apps suitable for the music classroom… • Instruments In Reach • Rhythm In Reach • MooCow Pianist • Pitch Pipe • Karajan • ClearTune • Tempo • iPro Recorder • Musictionary • iRealBook • Mobile Air Mouse • Remote • AirSharing

31. Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly” Technology • Video Creation • There are many unique ways to integrate video creation into a performance-based curriculum • Portfolio-based assessments • Videos for concerts • Recordings of performances • You can create and edit your own videos inexpensively while still maintaining a high level of quality

32. Ideas To Utilize “Student-Friendly” Technology • Music-Related Video Games • Music-related video games have (some) educational value • Used the right way, they can hold great extrinsic rewards for students while transferring knowledge learned using traditional methods • They shouldn’t be used exclusively in a classroom – but can be a unique tool (much like a rarely-used kitchen utensil)

33. Web 2.0 • Web 2.0 is the new wave of information sharing on the Internet, focusing on interactivity and collaboration • The focus of Web 2.0 is….YOU (the Internet user) • Examples of Web 2.0 include such functions as video sharing sites, web applications, social networking sites, wikis, and blogs • Most are FREE to use and are very education-friendly

34. Web 2.0 • Facebook • The most popular social networking site allows groups to make their own “Fan” page • Facebook users can then follow a selected group and have access to various things (photos, video, calendars, links, etc.) • Users can also receive news updates from these groups • Used the right way, Facebook can be a great resource for your program

35. Web 2.0 • Twitter • Twitter is a micro-blogging site (write something in 140 characters or less) • Micro-blogging can be used to broadcast updates and news-worthy items to your followers

36. Web 2.0 • Ning • A relative newcomer to the social networking field, Ning offers users to create their own networks for their own interests • Thus, you can make a site that is extremely personalized for your music program

37. Web 2.0 • Blogs & Web Sites • It is extremely easy to develop your own web site using Web 2.0 tools (using a blog-based site or traditional set-up) • Web site building tools • WordPress • Weebly • BlogSpot • ClassJump

38. Web 2.0 • YouTube • Share your performances • Analyze other musicians of all levels (think National Standard 6) • SchoolTube • YouTube’s more school-friendly site – devoted to educational media

39. Web 2.0 • Keep an eye on… • Google Wave • A brand new service that merges E-mail, instant messaging, social networking, message boards, and other elements of Web 2.0 • iSchoolBand.com • One of the best options I have seen for music educators to create a web site that is truly interactive

40. FREE STUFF!

41. Freeware/Open Source Software • Freeware is exactly what it sounds like – free, unlicensed software • Open source software are programs that are continually updated and rewritten by the general public • They are free for all to use; no license is needed • Chances are that any type of utility will have an open source option

42. Freeware/Open Source Software • Where to find them? • 100-downloads.com – a depository of the best free software • Sourceforge.net – a leader in organizing open-source projects • Mustech.net – an outstanding blog on music technology – includes links to music education-specific free software • FreeMusicSoftware.org – a site that emphasizes pro audio software; many options available for Mac and Linux-based systems • An internet search for “open source” or “freeware” will yield many options

43. Some Of My Favorite Free Programs • Audio/Video • Audacity – a multi-track sound recorder that is extremely powerful • iTunes – Apple’s media player and music store interface • CinemaForge – transfers video file formats (very helpful for uploading videos to a web site or portable media player such as an iPod or downloading a video from YouTube)

44. Some Of My Favorite Free Programs • Audio/Video • SongBird – an iTunes alternative • WinAmp – a media player that has set the standard in the industry over time • VideoSpin – free movie making software from Pinnacle (industry leader)

45. Some Of My Favorite Free Programs • Audio/Video • VirtualDub – open source movie making software • Jahshaka – another open source movie making option • Windows Movie Maker – the Windows option for movie publishing • iMovie – Apple’s movie publishing software (comes free with iLife)

46. Some Of My Favorite Free Programs • Productivity • OpenOffice – an open source version of the Microsoft Office suite • CutePDF – a utility that creates a PDF file from any document on your computer

47. Some Of My Favorite Free Programs • Pictures and Imaging • GIMPShop – an open source version of Adobe Photoshop • Krita • Paint.NET (Windows only) • ChocoFlop (Mac only) • iTag – image tagging/organizing software for your pictures

48. Some Of My Favorite Free Programs • Web Site Creation • KompoZer – a powerful web site publishing program that is very easy to use • Flash Slideshow Maker – make professional slideshows for use on the Internet • Powerbullet Presenter – make your own Flash movies for the Internet

49. Some Of My Favorite Free Programs • Notation/Composition • TrakAx – An open source, PC version of Apple’s GarageBand • MuseScore – Music composition software • Anvil Studio – MIDI sequencer

50. Some Of My Favorite Free Programs • Other Music Education Software • E-Chromatic Tuner – free tuning software • JAM Chord Player – a simple chord player • Tempo Perfect Metronome – an extremely powerful metronome; includes subdivision patterns • GNU Solfege – Music theory training software • TabPlayer – Guitar Tab Player