Instructional Software

It is amazing how much software is available to today's teachers. I remember receiving two computers for use in my choral classroom fifteen years ago. I was excited to give them a try, but outdated operating systems and software made it difficult to use them effectively. Educational technology has grown by leaps and bounds over the past fifteen years. Today, as computer discussions revolve around "helping teachers perform various tasks in ways that transform the teaching process," (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 77) there are many more options available to us.

In a choral classroom, music theory is sometimes taught to 80 plus students at one time. There are varying levels of understanding when I teach concepts such as meter or key signatures. Students who have taken private lessons fare better than others so I typically end up with some students ready to move on and some who need additional practice. A great program for drill and practice for these students is http://www.emusictheory.com. A subscription to this site offers teachers and students tailor-made instruction to any music theory concept. It serves the purpose of "practice after instruction,"(Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 83) and gives slower students a chance to catch up without holding up the rest of the class.

For an easy tutorial software on all things music I recommend https://www.ars-nova.com/practica6.html. This is an incredible program that offers "alternative learning strategies" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 88) to students who work better at their own pace. This software teaches everything from pitch-matching to basic piano instruction, and while it does not replace me as the teacher, it is great for a general music class rotation that needs a crash course in a subject that can take many years to learn.

The website musiclearningcommunity.com offers great instructional games for music students. I love using this software in keyboard labs because it doubles my instructional time. One student can benefit from private instruction with me, while others are playing instructional games that reinforce theory, pitch matching and ear training that are important for learning. No student is ever sitting still waiting, and learning becomes challenging and fun.

For simulation software I am a huge fan of Apple's Garage Band. It literally does it all. This is a great program for boys because it makes them feel like they are in a studio playing with a rock band. Kids LOVE it. You can simulate guitar amps, play with different types of voices, learn to play instruments, compose, create audio rehearsal track and much more. There is truly no limit to what this program can do, although there is a pretty stiff learning curve. One of my favorite things to teach students (especially boys) is to rehearse with their "band." They can choose their players, control their sound, and come out with a really cool "performance" if they work it just right.

For several years I taught a special education music class. Integrated learning software (ILS) was not available then, but if I ever teach this class again, I will use http://www.inharmonylearning.com. This is a great program that integrates basic life skills special education students need, and incorporates music and speech therapy to help them learn. It gives them goals and benchmarks and measures success in areas that are sometimes difficult to measure. Proponents of ILS "feel that the students who experience the most success with ILSs are those whose needs are typically most difficult to meet." (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 105) Many students in special education classrooms fit into this category.

The most difficult type of software to find for a music program is problem-solving software. The two I would recommend for the very advanced music student are Sibelius and Finale. Composition is a skill that requires problem-solving by its' very nature, and both of these programs teach students to follow a "sequence of steps" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 102) to put a piece of music on paper. Students can also collaborate when using this software to compose a piece together or to notate something that they have played or sung by ear. Again, this is very advanced software and more appropriate for a high school music lab than a general music or choral class.

I will leave you with one of my favorite new finds for the general music classroom. Groovy Music Jungle can be purchased for an elementary or middle school music classroom and is an effective instructional software for many reasons. It falls into several categories listed above, and offers students a variety of fun ways to learn.

For more instructional software ideas, check out my tweet on the subject.

Music Instructional Software for the classroom- http://t.co/P646ZiaQJt #ED5059413UWA
— Lisa Latham (@LathamlLisa) June 23, 2013

Roblyer, M.D., & Doering, A.H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into                    education. (Sixth ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.