For example, as a social studies project you might want your students to create a poster that describes a particular composer or historical period through an overview of its music. Technology could be used to support the research and production of that poster. Alternatively, as a music teacher, you could choose to feature various types of World Music in a multimedia Hyperstudio stack where the cards could be created by individual students or small groups. The end results of either of these highly engaging projects would be wonderful "show and tell" pieces for students to present, compare with other students' work, or show off at an open house.

Integrating Microsoft Word

Word, and in particular its drawing features, can be quite useful as a tool for music notation and the production of student work. Our first two integration ideas use Word's Drawing Toolbar.

To access the Drawing Toolbar, pull down the View menu, choose Toolbars, and then Drawing (if it already has a check mark next to it, leave it checked). Unless you have moved it elsewhere, the toolbar will appear across the bottom of the screen. Move your cursor slowly over the available tools to show what they are. Experiment with the Oval and Fill Color, and the Line, Line Color and Line Style.

Idea #1:

Try drawing a whole note using a white oval inside a black oval, a half note the same way, using the Line tool for the stem. Group the Oval and Line together, making it possible for you to move the note to a different location on the page if desired. A quarter note is just the black oval with a Line stem. How would you make two eighth notes? Can you figure out a way to demonstrate line notes and space notes? Ledger lines?

Idea #2:

Explore the AutoShape menu which is part of the Drawing Toolbar. The sub menus allow you pick various Line types, Callouts, Block Arrows, Stars and Banners, and other Basic Shapes. When you choose one, and move your cursor to an empty spot on the document, a cross will appear. Hold down the mouse button and drag diagonally down and to the right. Your shape will appear. Some of the shapes will nicely hold text if you click on Text Box in the Drawing menu and click within the shape. A text cursor will appear, allowing you to type. Can you figure out how to change the Font and Size of the Text? The color? Could you create an assignment for your students depicting musical history periods or a composer "cartoon" (Callouts). See this month's integration idea for an example use of callouts.

Integrating Presentation Software

If you have a multimedia presentation tool such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Hyperstudio, you have endless possibilities! Using these tools, your students can insert specific music examples, videos, and graphics into their projects.

Idea #3:

World Music is fascinating to most students because it is very different from the music they most often hear. For example, how many of your students have you ever heard Japanese Rap, or AfroPop, or Indian Ragas? In this integration idea, your students can use the Internet to research characteristics of a particular type of World Music, and then create multimedia presentations which showcase their research. Students can search for country flags or graphics that depict a region of the World and then find sound files that provide examples of the style of World Music they are researching (see this month's Web Spotlight for some audio file sites). At the conclusion of their research, assign each student the task of making a computer presentation "card" (or slide) that displays a flag, graphic of the country, text boxes that describe the characteristics of the music and a button that plays an example. Link all the cards together as a class presentation.

An eighth grade music class of mine was assigned four countries of South America. In groups of four, they put together a Hyperstudio stack that consisted of a title page, one page each for the four countries, and a credit page citing the graphics and music examples. They couldn't wait to return to the computer lab for their next project!

Musical WebQuests

Idea #4:

Do you know what a WebQuest is? If you do, you know it's one of the best ways for your students to use the World Wide Web effectively. Study the following: http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/musicland.html. This is an example of a long-term WebQuest which uses music as its organizing curriculum theme. The project is done in groups, involves creative thinking, and keeps students motivated. Other examples of music WebQuests can be found at http://chsdragonband.com/webquests/music_history/.

For more information on WebQuests in general, see Sun Associates' resource pages on creating and using these curriculum resources.

Integrating Music Notation Software

There is an abundance of free and good quality music software available. This author's personal favorite is the shareware notation software, Finale Notepad. This is a less powerful and simpler version of Coda Music's well-known Finale. You can download this free application from http://www.codamusic.com/coda/np.asp. Notepad is an introduction to music notation software, and helps you or your students transform musical ideas into printed music, without having to know how to play a specific instrument. It includes a set-up Wizard that allows you to select the instruments and voices you want, and sets up the score automatically. Playback gives your students the opportunity to hear what they have created. Note entry is done by placing the notes from a tool (note) palette onto the staff, and the notes can be heard as they are placed. The score can be printed locally or published on the Internet.

Idea #5:

For visual arts, music, and technology integration, have your students create a picture appropriate to your curriculum. For example, if you are a social studies teacher teaching Ancient Greece, have them draw a scene relevant to the time period. Students can then experiment with Finale Notepad, creating a musical score for the picture. It helps if students have a good understanding of notation, but it is not necessary, as scores can be created through experimentation. Limit the scores in length and loop them (as audio files) in the background as the student presents their project and explains why the score reflects the picture.

Conclusion

Hopefully these examples and curriculum integration ideas have shown that it is necessary to have specialized technology to support the integration of technology into music. With the software you already have, you can offer your students an enriching musical experience. Technology provides many opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively, and to be challenged with the opportunity for group problem solving. The result is a motivated learner, who is more concerned about the quality of his or her work and the work of others in the group.

If you have never thought of music and its relationship to technology integration, try some of the ideas mentioned in this article. You'll be rewarded with a new enthusiasm in your students and perhaps a new avenue for your own creativity.

Back to the December, 2001 Sun Associates News

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