Incorporating Technology in The Performance-Based Orchestra Classroom

Setting Up the Classroom

One issue educators encounter is organizing the classroom, from daily preparations to setting up the classroom prior to the start of the school year. Organizing the classroom and establishing procedures require thoughtful planning, which can be time-consuming. Learning to use technology and setting up technology in the room also takes time; however, thoughtful use of technology can help teachers organize their classrooms to maximize student learning and engagement throughout the year. The amount of time teachers invest before the year begins will pay dividends as the year progresses.

“Thoughtful use of technology can help teachers organize their classrooms to maximize student learning and engagement throughout the year.”

Before the first day of school, teachers should take an inventory of the technology available in the school and classroom and decide what technology they need. This could include anything from audio equipment to smartboards, tablets, projecting equipment, and beyond. If the option is available, teachers may decide where in the room to set up technology. Teachers could also consider how remotes or Bluetooth devices will allow them to control technology from any location in the room and help make transitions seamless. If the technology is immovable, such as an installed projector and smartboard, teachers can experiment with devices so they can control them efficiently once the school year begins.

Some schools allow students to bring their own devices to class or issue devices to students. In these cases, setting expectations for in-class use of technology is essential. If the school does not have a technology policy in place, the teacher should establish a classroom policy. Teachers may consider the following: (1) when students should bring their devices to class, (2) the applications students should have on their devices, (3) requiring the students to come to class with their devices charged to at least 50 percent and to use devices set to at least 50-percent brightness so students can use the device throughout the period and the teacher can see the students’ screens at all times, (4) alternatives for students whose devices are unavailable or not working properly, and (5) setting up space in the classroom where students can store or charge their devices when they are not in use. Of course, these are just some of the many variables to consider. Technology in every school and classroom is different, so finding the best way to use it is essential. Teachers should think about how the technology policy will help students successfully use technology to enhance their learning in class.

Setting up technology to use as a class management tool will help the year run smoothly. The first few minutes of class can set the tone for the entire class period. To organize that time, a timer could be projected onto the board to count down the time until class begins. Two or three minutes are usually sufficient for students to gather their materials, sit down, and tune their instruments using their electronic tuners. Projecting a PowerPoint slide onto the board could also help manage time. This slide should include classroom objectives and time that will be spent on each objective. Copying and pasting items each day to change the slide is much more efficient than writing on a whiteboard. Teachers can also save each slide to document lesson plans or submit as teaching artifacts in the future.

After class has begun, orchestra teachers can continue to use technology to manage the classroom effectively. Class Dojo is a popular class management application that allows teachers to document student behavior, but it also provides teachers a method for randomly calling on students, as seen in Figure 1. This feature adds the element of chance to the class when students need to answer a question, form groups, or establish an order in which to complete playing tests. Students are more likely to stay focused throughout the class period when they do not know when their teacher, or Class Dojo, will call on them.

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Figure 1.

Class Dojo.

These are just a few ideas that can help middle and high school orchestra teachers organize their classes. Most of the above suggestions will involve some extra work at the beginning of the year—setting a technology policy, choosing useful applications, experimenting with the technology available in the classroom, or putting student names into applications like Class Dojo; however, this extra time will only help classes run smoothly throughout the year and enhance student learning and engagement.

The Lesson Plan

Students in orchestra classes must have their instruments tuned before learning can continue. Unfortunately, tuning takes up a significant amount of time in beginning orchestra classes, compared to band classes (MacLeod 2010; Witt 1986). Students need to be taught how to tune independently by ear, a skill that many teachers of beginning orchestra do not address (Hopkins 2013). Students need to be trained how to perceive subtle differences in pitch. Applications on mobile devices are available to help teachers train their students to perceive these differences. InTune, TuneUp, or Tunerval are great applications with which to start. A mobile device can be connected to loudspeakers, and these applications can be used as games at the end of class as an exit slip activity. InTune has an easy interface and can be played with the class in five minutes (Figure 2). Once students learn how to perceive pitch differences accurately and tune their instruments, a computer or mobile device can be connected to loudspeakers to sound a pitch, and a tuning routine can be established. Using programs like Audacity or GarageBand, teachers can create a tuning sequence—a recording of five reference pitches, one for each string, which automates the tuning procedure and prompts students to get ready for class quickly.

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Figure 2.

InTune.

Applications can be used for routine warm-ups. GarageBand for iPad and iPhone has an option for autoplay for each of its instruments. Once a specific key signature, time signature, and tempo has been selected, an electric bass, piano, or other sound on autoplay can be used in the background for echo sequences, scales, or simple sight-reading exercises. GarageBand also has a Beat Sequencer option, in which teachers can create an automated drum kit that can be used to supplement warm-ups such as rhythmic exercises, echo sequences, scales, book exercises, and so much more (Figure 3). Beat Sequencer has a dice option, which if tapped, will create new beats. This could be passed around to students as a motivational tool to continue the exercises. Using autoplay could supplement the warm-up routine and help keep students engaged. Another application that can be used to create a rhythmic accompaniment for warm-ups, rhythmic exercises, or the repertoire is Pianist Pro for iPad (Pianist for iPhone). Using the drummer feature in this application, teachers can pre-record a simple or complex rhythmic track to accompany students. This is especially useful when working on mixed meters, as the application allows the user to include a variety of meters in one track.

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Figure 3.

GarageBand.

Another important element in the string classroom is sight reading. There are many applications available to aid students in developing this skill. For beginners who are just learning to read music, applications like Music Tutor or Staff Wars will reinforce note-reading through fun, timed note-identification drills (Figure 4). Teachers could set up games or competitions between sections of the orchestra, in which all students have the opportunity to pass an iPad around and complete one of these drills. For more advanced students, applications like Sight Reading Factory allow for the improvement of sight-reading skills. This application allows the user to sight read application-generated musical examples that can be customized by key signature, time signature, note duration, range, and other parameters.

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Figure 4.

Music Tutor.

Exit slips are becoming a common practice for classroom teachers; however, some music teachers may find it difficult to implement exit slips in a performance-based classroom, especially in situations where tearing down the stage, classroom, or other teaching venue is required in addition to having students put away their instruments. Other teachers may find it difficult to organize physical pieces of paper and keep track of who submitted what exit slip and when. A possible solution is to use Google Forms and a QR code. If a Google form or a similar survey form is used, it should require the student’s last name and the topic of the exit slip (Figure 5). The form could then include a question and a text box for answers. The question could be something like: (1) What was the best part of rehearsal? (2) What can we improve the most? or (3) Who is the composer who wrote our first piece? Once the form is created, teachers may use the provided link to the form to create a QR code. QR codes can be created using http://www.qr-code-generator.com/, http://qrdroid.com, or any other QR code creator. Once created, the QR code can be posted on a projector screen or printed and posted by the door. Students can take a photo of the QR code on their mobile devices, which will send them to the Google form. A spreadsheet will be created for the teacher as students submit their forms, and it will be easy to keep track of their exit slips.

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Figure 5.

Google Forms.

Assessment Practices

National organizations in music education state the importance of practicing effective methods of assessment. According to the National Association for Music Education, “music educators have an interest in supporting approaches to assessment that are standards-based, practical, and serve to help school music programs provide the best possible experiences to all students” (National Association for Music Education n.d.). The American String Teachers Association suggests that educators demonstrate effective methods of assessing and evaluating student achievement. The standards also suggest that string educators demonstrate knowledge, application, and assessment of comprehensive, sequential K-12 curricula with focus on string and orchestral teaching (“The ASTA National Standards for Successful School String and Orchestra Teaching, Updated” 2015). String teachers will have to be creative when deciding how to fulfill these standards while implementing technology seamlessly rather than cumbersomely.

If proper infrastructure is put in place, then recording a video of student performance can be an effective assessment tool. Unlike a standard pencil and paper assessment, a music performance vanishes into thin air once it is completed. Teachers cannot evaluate future achievement of subsequent performances without an initial recording to establish a baseline. Recording videos of individual student performances could be one of the most effective assessment techniques; however, preparing for, collecting, and grading them can be time-consuming. Before recording can occur, students must have access to proper equipment. Many students have mobile devices with a camera and a microphone, but some students may not have a mobile device. The teacher must have recording equipment available for these students to use. If purchasing recording equipment is an issue, the school library may have recording equipment available for staff and students.

Once recording equipment has been acquired, it is important for there to be a proper and easy-to-navigate infrastructure before video assessments can take place. Many schools have learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard, Moodle, Charms, or Canvas, where teachers can create assignments and students can upload assignments of any file type. Other schools might have Google accounts where teachers can set up Google Classrooms for students to upload assignments. There may be some schools without an established infrastructure. If that is the case, teachers must create their own video submission system using an application such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Regardless of how video is collected, the important fact is that there is a record of student performance. Once videos are collected and graded, teachers can organize videos and put together student portfolios. These portfolios may contain video assessments from a student’s first year through their final year in school. Using these portfolios, anyone can objectively see a student’s progress on their instrument.

Teachers can also record a video or an audio of rehearsal or a run-through of a piece. They can use state-of-the-art recording equipment, a dedicated handheld recording device, or their own mobile devices. Once a recording is complete, students can listen to and evaluate the performance. This assignment could be an individual writing activity, a group discussion, or a combination of both. It could be a quick exit slip question, as discussed earlier, or it could be posted on an LMS where students can listen and write a more extensive performance evaluation at home. Teachers could ask students to identify difficult spots in various sections or major successes in the performance. Regardless of how a teacher decides to implement student self-assessment, recording student performance allows students to hear how the ensemble sounds. This is an important step considering how many students could just be concerned with their own parts.

There are a variety of other ways to implement recording technology to promote and assess student achievement. Applications such as Coach My Video or Coach’s Eye can help teachers to evaluate and reinforce proper playing position and setup. Teachers can arrange a video conference call with another teacher or clinician to provide students an opportunity to work with another educator. Similar to a flipped classroom model, teachers could create practice videos, demonstrating a specific technique in a sequential manner, to which students could refer. Advanced students could also create a practice video of a difficult passage of music for younger students to use in their practice. With a little bit of creativity and time, teachers can seamlessly use video and audio recording technology to promote student achievement in their classrooms.

In Closing

Incorporating technology into the secondary, performance-based orchestra classroom can be a difficult task. Exploring different applications and preparing the technology for students to use takes time. Teachers may have the required understanding of music, pedagogy, and classroom management to be successful in the orchestra classroom, but they can increase their success and the success of their students by incorporating technology into their lessons. Orchestra teachers must regularly investigate new applications and developments in technology that would be beneficial for their students and experiment with this technology before incorporating it into the classroom. Our suggestions were aimed at helping both veteran and novice teachers purposefully incorporate technology into their lessons. Using a mixture of the suggestions above will help orchestra teachers enhance teaching and learning through the use of technology.