BLiME+WEB+LINKS

media type="custom" key="27286888" BLiME HOME]
 * Blended Learning in Music Education (BLiME) WEB LINKS **

The following links are presented as "top tier" web tools music educators might use in building a blended learning course or unit. There are many more web apps you might use to accomplish more specific curricular goals listed at the LINKS area (for the entire site) that appears near the bottom of the menu to the left.

Are you familiar with any of these digital tools? Pick one to present to the class! NOTE: Items with an asterisk (*) signify that they are favs of Dr. Watson :)

*Educreations - Online interactive whiteboard app (tablet and computer). Here's my brief overview/tutorial. Here's the Educreations FAQs page; consult it or your instructor if you can't figure out how to do something. DOCERI - Another Interactive Whiteboard app....you might prefer it to Educreations. Explain Everything - Another online interactive whiteboard app. Similar to Educreations, but costs, allows music to be added, etc. Stoodle - An online whiteboard app that facilitates collaboration. *Camtasia - Video screen capture software. Camtasia tutorials. QuickTime - Apple Mac users with recent OS can make a screen recording simply by opening QuickTime, and choosing "File - New Screen Recording"....it's that simple! *ScreenFlow - Video screen capture software. Screencast-O-Matic - Free web-based app or program download (client-based) for making screencasts. Jing - Video screen capture software. *YouTube - Upload/host videos. Save From Net (& other sites like it) allow you to download YouTube vids offline.] *YouTube Video Editor - Web-based video editor (import clips from other YouTube vids, apply cuts, add transitions, titles, etc.). Click here for tutorials/help. *Firefox Video Download Add-on - Download this extension to the Firefox browser in order to download YouTube vids to your desktop. Why? So you can use them off-line, in GarageBand video scoring projects, to prepare music tracks (strip Movie out), and much more! *iMovie - This app (Mac or iOS) combines the best features with simplest use. MANY other video apps for smart phones and tablets exist and really, you don't need anything fancy. For instance, here's a great video of a guy writing on manuscript paper that gets the job done :) *Podomatic - Podcasting host. Example: Dr. Watson's "What Music Means to Me" podcast.  TED-Ed - Platform allowing users to create "lessons" (Watch, Think, Discuss) around a TED or YouTube video. Here's my TED-Ed lesson on using a USB Mic.  EdPuzzle - Edit found videos by trimming their length, adding audio commentary, and pop-up annotations and quiz questions! Here's an example of an Edpuzzle: Trumpet Lip Slur Explanation  Thinglink - Upload screenshots or other pics to Thinglink and add annotations, explanatory movies, etc. to the image to help explain things to students. Free educator accounts. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Reflector - Mirror iPad to Computer. *VGA Switcher - Use this inexpensive box to quickly switch between your computer's and your iPad's video send to a VGA projector. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Presi - Online presentation app with more motion and zoom than the norm. Click here for The Beginner's Guide to Prezi. ***Google Apps:** Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Calendar. Canva - Accessible Web 2.0 graphic app with templates for all sorts of useful things. Sway - Looking for an alternative to the standard slide-based preso? Create an attractive, interactive, web-based canvas of ideas/information with Sway. Adobe Spark - This is a suite of three tools - Post, Page, and Video - all wrapped into one web tool for "telling your stories" on the web or via social media. Mobile apps of the separate components (Post, Page, Video) are available as well. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jeopardylabs - Easy online Jeopardy-style game creator (not as graphically cool-looking, but allows for linked audio/images). *Jeopardy Rocks - Easy online Jeopardy-style game creator (but doesn't allow for linked audio/images). Check out Ben Watson's Guitar Unit 1 Review Game. Check out my BLiME Review Game. And here's an "Instruments of the Band & Orchestra Review" game. *Socrative - Create online, real-time quizzes and games for your class. Students use their mobile phone to submit answers. View an overview video about Socrative. Reports results to you in a variety of ways! (CLICK HERE for student login area - Dr. Watson's classroom # is **9faabae2**) *Kahoot - Similar to Socrative, but a little more colorful and like a game show. Does surveys as well as quizzes. Quizizz - Similar to Kahoot, runs group quizzing like a game show with sounds, music and graphics. Triventy - Similar to Kahoot, but they've facilitated students (or other teachers) contributing questions as well as the primary creator of the quiz. Playposit - Add interactive questioning to videos you've created or those you've found on YouTube. Plickers - This is the smartphone app for you when your students don't have devices! They hold up personalized cards to record their answers; you just scan the room with your smartphone. Pretty cool :) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  *Wikispaces - Popular K-12 Wiki host. CLICK HERE for my beginner's guide to getting started with Wikispaces. Click here for Wikispaces own "Getting Started..." guide.  Google sites - Website host. you can find Google Sites Help/Tutorials here.  Weebly - Website host.  Edmodo - Popular learning management system, described here in Peter Briggs' nice Presi.  Google Classroom - You must have a Google for Education account to use this free learning management tool. Speak with your school district administrator. *Schoology - Well thought out Learning Management System. CLICK HERE for some helpful Schoology instruction links. Canvas LMS - A complete learning management system that integrates with most other media/content. Hype (by Tumult) - Use to create iBooks (and webpages) that work with HTML5, so that they work on iPads, Mac computers, and even Windows PCs. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *Noteflight - Music Notation app (typeset, playback, share, etc.). CLICK HERE for my intro to Noteflight. Here's the Noteflight Guide; consult it or your instructor if you can not figure out how to do something. *Musictheory.net - Theory lessons, customizable drills, various tools. Teoria.com - Theory lessons, drills (including melodic dictation). G Major Music Theory - Simplified Schenker analysis lies beneath the surface of this site's approach. If used systematically, this is great stuff. *Audacity - Audio recording.editing (not a web app though). Online Audacity user's guide. *GarageBand (for Mac) - Entry-level Digital Audio Workstation (OSX for desktop, and iOS for mobile). You can sign-up HERE for a free copy of The GarageBand 10 Quick Start Guide (enter email address, check email to confirm, click link to download free). *SoundCloud - Post/host audio, create playlists. SoundCloud 101's (FAQ's - really useful stuff!). Try it: Create a SoundCloud Playlist using three tracks (upload tracks from this shared audio folder). *Soundtrap - Cool online DAW with simple interface but good functionality. Here's my basics of Soundtrap video. Here's are video tutorials on How to Record audio in Soundtrap, Working with Tracks in Soundtrap.and Working with Regions/Tracks in Soundtrap. Soundtrap FAQ. Soundation - Another good online DAW. UJAM - This site houses "Studio" (Think Band-in-a-Box online) and "Songcruncher" (for remixing stems). *Petrucci Music Library - Thousands of PDF scores, midi files, etc. *Midnight Music - Website of Aussie Music Ed Tech Trainer, Katie Wardrobe. Register at her sight and get free download: Ultimate FREE Music Tech Resource Guide. SmartMusic - Requires a building/teacher or student subscription, but a wonderful program! And, a cloud-based version is coming. SmartMusic Practice Report - CLICK HERE for instructions on how SmartMusic can track student practice time, and even assign a grade. Chrome Music Lab - Wonderfully simple "mini web apps" that allow either for demonstrations of musical concepts or limited creative fun. www.beatsperminute.com - Clear and simple web button; tap a few beats and see what the tempo is!
 * CREATING CONTENT **
 * Google Drive & Docs Tutorial
 * Google Sheets Tutorial
 * Using Google Forms
 * ** Doing more with Google Forms (adding images, movies, etc.) **
 * ** Using Flubaroo Auto-grading Add-on with Google Forms and Sheets. NOTE: The NEW Google Forms allows for auto-grading without installing any "add-ons"!! **
 * Using Google Slides - Music Theory Joke

(Pair up and find content //**to add**// to the list below.)
 * READY-TO-GO CONTENT **

*MusicFirst - Complete solution, reasonably-priced. Suite of online music apps, learning management system, large lesson plan library from which to choose, etc. Here's a video review of MusicFirst's PracticeFirst (similar to SmartMusic). "40 Ways to Learn Music Online" (te@chthought.com, 8/21/2012) Khan Academy - Music offerings from this major BL player are surprisingly slim :(
 * Varied/Multiple Areas **

*The Learning Station (Primary-Level Songs) - Vocal/Movement *Vineyards Elementary School, Recorder Lessons - These vids, featuring zany teacher Evan Ziegler, are really fun...and well done! Learn to Play - You need to buy the books, but the YouTube lessons that go with are great. Also for beginning band and pop instruments. The Singing Classroom - Songs, how to teach them, and related resources - subscription-based, but some free sample content. BrainPOP - Fun, attractive animated discussions of various arts (including music) topics. *MusicTechTeacher - The website of general/instrumental music teacher, Karen Garrett (Birmingham, AL). Lots of varied content. Music Elements - Video series; fun discussion of the "elements" of music with Dr. Robin Giebelhausen (Univ. of New Mexico).
 * Elementary General **

Oboe Page - Mount Vernon Band Program
 * Instrumental Music **

Musictheory.net - Theory lessons, customizable drills, various tools. Teoria.com - Theory lessons, drills (including melodic dictation). G Major Music Theory Yale Music Theory Course Wakeland High School Music Theory Parkland High School's Elective Music Wiki Fundamentals of Music Theory (Coursera) for free!
 * Secondary Elective: Music Theory **

TMEA Music Appreciation - Online 12-level sequence of activities from the Texas Music Educators Association. ETSU Intro to Music Course - Free online course from Eastern Tennessee State University; requires (free) enrollment.
 * Secondary Elective: Music Appreciation/Listening/History **

*Parkland High School's Elective Music Wiki - A complete Music Tech/Production curriculum here, based on the book, //Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity.// The book gives you PBL approach (8 Principles for Unlocking Student Creativity) behind the lessons. A Brief History of Electronic Instruments - Complete unit with downloadable supplemental materials created by Joe Pisano and Richard McCready; comprehensive survey from the days of early electronic art music up to today's DAWs.
 * Secondary Elective: Music Technology, Music Production **