Maximizing the One Computer Classroom

By Beth Pickard

Are you faced with teaching music using only one computer? Many music teachers are faced with this problem. In our schools money is tight. Many administrators don’t realize that music technology exists, much less that it will help their music teachers teach music more effectively.

But if you have one computer, how do you go about using that one computer to help you teach music? First of all realize that if you use the resource you have—the one computer in an effective way, you will have proof for your administrator. You will have used what you had to better your music program. Now, maybe the powers will take another look at your situation, and perhaps make more technology available to you to further maximize your teaching. If you are “faithful” over few resources, perhaps you will be given the opportunity to become “faithful” over many resources. I think I read that somewhere!

When you are faced with the one computer in your classroom, here are some ideas to consider: You need a projection unit; You need active Participation from your students; You need Accountablitiy from your students.

When considering a projection unit, you are faced with several choices. A video projector is probably the best choice, but it is also the most expensive (around $3,500). And your funds are probably limited or you would have more computers, right? Another choice might be a Video Out to a TV/VCR unit. This would involve purchase of a video card or other hookup for the back of your computer. You then run a cable from that hookup to the VCR or the back of a TV. This choice is probably going to cost under $100. This is probably a little more in your budget, right? Many laptop computers have composite TV output capability built into it. This gives your laptop the ability to connect directly into a TV.

Another point to keep in mind. Always search for ways to actively involve your class with the one computer. A computer show run by you or one student is not going to get the job done. You need to come up with ways to involve all of the students. Competition is usually a great way to make the participation happen. Games and competition get students involved. The results of this competition need to be visible somewhere in the school setting. Students need to feel proud of their accomplishments.

Accountability needs to be an ingredient. Students need to realize that they have responsibility for the activities with the computer. This can come about through assignments done at regularly scheduled time with the music classroom computer or accessible computers elsewhere.

If your school has a media center, computers might be available there for student use on music assignments. If a computer lab is available at your music time or at other times during the day, this could be an answer. Every school has different facilities. Check out where the computers are in your situation. Check out the possibility of your students’ using those computers. Find a way to have the software you want students to use on those computers. It might be possible to use a program that is on the Web for your assignments. Then you just need a computer or computers that have Web access.

I have come up with seven ways that I have used one computer to help me in my teaching. This is by no means a complete list. I am sure many music teachers can think of other exciting ways to use one computer in your classroom. But maybe these ideas might get you started!

1. Keep attendance and scores with Excel.

2. Write music with notation software.

3. Write music and assignments with web-based Notation Station.

4. Create accompaniments and improvise with Band in a Box.

5. Use MIDI files with sequencer software for practice and performance.

6. Use musical games from the Internet.

7. Use musical tutorial and game software

1. Keep attendance and scores with Excel. Many record keeping software programs exist such as Pyware’s Music Office. But with a little help you can learn how to use Excel, part of the Microsoft Office software, to be able to keep students’ scores and attendance. Doing these tasks on the computer makes record keeping much more simple.

2. Write music with notation software. If you need an exercise for your class for recorders you can easily write out just what you need with notation software. The lower price notation software is usually very easy to use such as Print Music.. Students appreciate being able to read the exercises that you ask them to perform.

3. Create accompaniments and improvise with Band in a Box.. The Band in a Box software is very inexpensive, but very useful to music teachers and students alike. Students or teachers can enter chords to accompany a melody. This accompaniment may be used in a performance or for practice. It can be transposed. This accompaniment can be varied in tempo without changing the pitch. Tape recordings can be made from this file for student at-home use.

Another exciting way to use Band in a Box is to provide a background for improvisation. Improvisation is one of the hardest National Standard to accomplish in the music classroom. The teacher or student needs to add the chords for the 12 Bar Blues in the key of C. The accompaniment needs to be transposed to the Key of Eb. The accompaniment is then played. Students can now improvise a “Blues Song” on the black keys of any piano or keyboard while the Band in a Box accompaniment is playing. This brilliant idea came from Dr. Tom Rudolph in a music technology workshop.

To help you get started, please refer to The Music Technology Guide. It is a great resource for music technology products.

Biographical Information
Beth Pickard is the TI:ME Instructor at Indiana University School of Music at Indianapolis (IUPUI) where she teaches music education, music theory and TI:ME Level 1A, 1B and (this year) 2C Workshops. Beth also teaches music education classes at Ball State University. Beth recently completed 28 years of teaching elementary and middle school music and music technology in the Anderson Community Schools of Anderson, Indiana.. Beth holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree in music from Ball State University as well as a Master of Science in Music Technology from Indiana University School of Music at Indianapolis (IUPUI) in which she completed an internship.