Article: The Power of Using the SMART Board i...

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The Power of Using the SMART Board in the Music Classroom
By Jean Baker
Last summer in July, I received a letter from my new principal inviting me to be a member of a SMART board training team for the high school that I would be teaching at in the fall.  I was excited for several reasons; computers and technology interest me, I had seen SMART board information from other districts and was envious of them having that resource in the classroom, and the POSSIBILTIES to use in the music classroom was endless and exciting.   Well, I went to my first day of PDC for this and was overwhelmed with the direction that this could go, all the potential and more than a little apprehensive that I could use this to be a benefit in my classroom after teaching for 20 years.  The first lesson I made covered knowledge of the words of the Star Spangled Banner (as we know, many students cannot seem to get the words correct!).  Creating lessons in SMART notebook was not that difficult, the hardest part was deciding were to start, which background, how many graphics, etc.  Zipping right along with the creation of lessons came easily.  There was one drawback, and it was a huge one for me, the music room did not have its interactive white board installed yet, so I could not put into action what I had done in class.  To get past this hurdle, I took the classes and the lessons into the computer lab which was properly installed with the equipment needed, this worked out well in that we integrated a technology lesson while we were in there, which had the students interest, and pleases the administration for including technology in the music classroom.  Most of my lessons at this point are intended for the Music Appreciation classes; American Pop Music and Reel Music (music of the movies), but I have also created and utilized lessons for choir classes.  When the day came that the SMART board was installed, the dam broke, and the learning was accelerated.  The intent of the interactive white board is just that, that all students are engaged and on task.  When using the SMART lessons, they are on task, and involved.  There are operational quirks that needed to be learned by me,  the teacher, but the students are old hands at SMART board lessons because the Gasconade County R-2 schools have over 85% of the classrooms with SMART Boards and are willing (usually more than willing) to assist the teacher.  In American Pop Music we start with music post Civil War and it is an absolute perk to be able to show items as well as play clips from that era so that it becomes real for them all at the click of a mouse.  The days of posters, and albums, fussing with media sources is over, all of these can be embedded into a lesson plan.  Students are more often than not willing to come to the board to use it in some capacity or another.
With about 60 hours of professional development provided to create lesson plans that are Fine Arts Standards based, as well as GLE based (in Missouri, we have Grade Level Expectations which we will be implementing this fall) it is becoming easier to involve the student that may not have chosen to be in your classroom, and that is the ultimate goal, to encourage each learner to have a positive experience in the music classroom.  To quote Frank Zappa, “Remember, information is not knowledge; knowledge is not wisdom; wisdom is not truth; truth is not beauty; beauty is not love; love is not music; music is the best.  Music is the best, and learners of all ages can and should experience music in as many positive ways as one can get, and using the SMART Board is another way to get kids hooked on music.
The SMART Board is used in the music classroom with some of our favorite software including: SmartMusic, Finale, and other music writing software.  You can project a rhythm lesson to a class of 1 or 50 and they can all participate at the same time without a piece of paper in front of them,  it is a great teaching moment.
If you have not experienced the higher level of teaching which the SMART Board can provide, I encourage you to visit a school with a SMART Board in the music class and ask questions.  It will inspire you to go back to your administration or Parent Group and ask for one.  Your teaching will never be the same.
Jean Baker
Vocal Music
Owensville High School
http://owensville.k12.mo.us/~Smart_Lessons/index.htm