In this article we will look at ways you can use Music Ecademy in your classroom.
HOMEWORK
Setting tasks for homework – you can set tasks and homework for individual students that is personalised for their use.
Flipped classroom model – try setting work for students to do before lessons begin so that students arrive to class with a pre-understanding of what you will cover. You can then devote more class time to activities, games, practicals, and so on. For example if you wanted to look at key signatures, you could ask students to complete the topic NCEA key signatures before they come to the classroom. This can also be useful if you don’t have much class time available.
GROUP WORK
Assign group work – assign work for students to complete as a group or pair. The work that students don’t complete can be finished as homework, or in later lessons. This is great for when not all students have accounts or devices.
For extension students – assign content to extension students in order to extend their learning. Additional ideas include having the extension students then teach what they have learnt to their classmates. Conclude the lesson with a group learning session, then set tasks for the rest of the class as homework.
Rewording – students write out the content in their own words either digitally or on a piece of paper. This helps to make sure that they have understood the concepts. Can also be group work as they explain the musical concepts to their pair or group. For example you could get pairs to study different topics and then explain them to one another.
INDIVIDUAL WORK
Starter or finisher – set a task for the first and/or last fifteen or twenty minutes of your class. This is great for setting up as a daily or weekly routine. For example complete a section, quiz or lesson.
Tasks for different levels – personalise the learning for each student by identifying those that might need revision, extension, or consolidation and setting them extra content as a task.
One-on-one time between student and teacher in which the student gives answers verbally. This helps students engage with learning without having to type, and they also have someone to prompt them if they lose focus.
Write out all the questions on stave paper as they are doing them so they practice notation.
Individual work – set a topic, or grade you would like students to work through individually. Try to choose something that fits within the lesson time. Anything students don’t finish you can set as homework.
ASSESSMENT
Formative assessment – you can use Music Ecademy as a formative assessment tool. It is great for this as students are continuously tested on what they have learnt throughout the programme. This allows teachers to better gauge their students’ comprehension of the concepts.
Summative assessment – use the final tests to assess your students’ progress and what they have learnt at the end of the term or the year.