Technology Infused Lesson Plans Student Composers Use Syncopation By David Gallagher Timeline and Outline of the Lesson Classroom Considerations Accommodations Evaluation Interactive PowerPoint’s in the Classroom

Timeline and Outline of Lesson ART.M.I.8.4 Use technology in a variety of ways in musical performance. ART.M.I.8.5 Sight read basic melodies in treble and bass clefs, using combinations of whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests; in simple, compound, and alla breve meters. ART.M.II.8.2 Improvise melodic embellishments and basic rhythmic and melodic variations on given pentatonic melodies, and melodies in major keys. ART.M.II.8.3 Improvise short melodies unaccompanied and over given rhythmic accompaniments, each in a consistent style, meter, and tonality. ART.M.II.8.4 Compose short pieces to communicate ideas and/or stories, within defined parameters and using standard notation. ART.M.III.8.5 Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of one’s own and others’ musical performances and creations by applying specific and appropriate criteria and offering constructive suggestions for improvement. ISTE 1. Creativity and innovation b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression. ISTE 5. Digital citizenship b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity. NCAS Creating: Anchor 2. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. NCAS Performing: Anchor 4. Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation NCAS Responding: 7. Perceive and analyze artistic work Standards that will be addressed in the lesson :

Timeline and Outline of Lesson Upon given and lesson about how syncopation works in music, students will play various passages of music that include syncopation with at least 80% accuracy. Given specific guidelines students will create a short piece of music with at least 2 sequences of syncopation using Finale music software Students will upload their short pieces to the interactive whiteboard so it can be displayed for all students and then they will play the piece with at least 80% accuracy Students will log in to blogger and positively critique their partner’s original composition using at least 2 helpful tools that could enhance their composition. Students will create a composition for their partner to play on their own instrument using the before mentioned critiques to make the best composition possible. The student sight-reading the piece will have two chances to play the piece and must achieve 75% accuracy on rhythm. Objectives covered in the lesson :

Timeline and Outline of Lesson The lesson will take place over a 5 day period Day 1: Students will start the class by listening to a piece of music that has a lot of syncopation. The class will talk about what they heard in the music that was different and interesting to them. The teacher will guide the students through selections in their music that deal with heavy syncopation. Students will play in small groups so the teacher can determine what students are able to play syncopated rhythms. Day 2: Students will start the class with a review on the concepts of syncopation and how it looks when it is written in a piece of music. The teacher will move with the students to the computer lab to. There the students will create their own compositions using Finale music software in a 16 measure excerpt. Students will load their pieces into the interactive whiteboard file so that they can be viewed the next day with the class. Day 3: Students will start the class by warming up their instruments on various selections richly filled with syncopation. Students will be grouped with a partner for the rest of the short unit. The students will play their own pieces individually for the rest of the class. The teacher will evaluate the performances easily with the music being on the interactive whiteboard for all to see. Students will log in to blogger for homework and post two positive critiques about their partner’s original work. Day 4: Students will start the class by talking about the critiques from their classmates about their original compositions on syncopation. The teacher will talk about how to and add an element to their composition in regards to melody. Students will go back to the computer lab to create new compositions that they are writing for their partner that is on a different instrument. Students will use blogger again to ask the teacher questions that night while finishing compositions. Day 5: Students will come to class with a finished copy of their 16 measure piece written for their partner. Students will have a show and tell day. Students will play the piece that the partner has written for them. Students playing will get one shot to sight-read the piece in front of the class and then have another shot at a final performance where they must play with 75% accuracy. Day to day activities :

Classroom Considerations The students in the classroom need to come to class ready to learn and the teacher needs to be ready to teach his/her students. In order for the lessons to run smoothly for this unit, the interactive whiteboard must be working properly to display all of the information that is going to be created by the students. The teacher must be able to have a computer that is linked to the whiteboard so that the different student work is presented in a rapid pace to make sure that all students work will be heard. The computer and whiteboard must be linked to the internet. The teacher needs to set up a plan with their students so they can quickly move through the material with as small amount of downtime possible between presentations. Students must be ready to read new music and use their already known fundamentals to play the best that they can for their classmates. In The Classroom :

Classroom Considerations In the computer lab – There must be enough computers so there are no more than two students per computer. Students need to be able to navigate through the process of turning on a computer and getting in the program Finale. Students will be guided through the steps to add notes and change their durations in Finale. No matter where the students are in the room they need to make sure that the computer is faced in a way that they can see the teacher demonstrating how to use the program. Finale Technology needs at home – Students will need to have access to the internet at home in order to use blogger to post on their partners page and exchange feedback. Students will also need to have a computer at home. The music writing program will be provided for the student from the school as an extension of the text. Students must be able to have the time to access the computer at home and actually do the work that is assigned during this unit.

Accommodations Students coming from harsh socioeconomic backgrounds – No matter where a teacher is teaching, the conditions of their student’s lives may not be ideal. A teacher needs to be aware of these issues and give students alternatives if they do not have the tools requested at home to complete this assignment. The teacher must give students alternatives before and after school to meet with the teacher to complete the work asked by the teacher. If those options do not work for the student, work may have to be completed during lunch so that every student has the same chance to successfully complete their work.

Accommodations Students with special needs – Many of the things happening in this unit require a partner to complete the tasks. It is the teachers duty to pair students in a way that allows each side of the partner group to get what they need out of the assignment. The teacher should make sure that the piece that is being written for a special need student will be done in a way that allows them to be successful. The assignment can still fit the guidelines of syncopation and not be made so difficult that playing it will embarrass any student. If a student is unable to use a computer then they may be able to sing what they want to be played and the teacher could write it down for the student. No matter what the special accommodation is the main point is that the teacher needs to be flexible and create a new way for a student to complete the objectives in a way that is outside of the assignment.

Evaluation Tools being used – Interactive whiteboards give students a new and fast way to see the things that they have just created in front of the class. The boards store information so that things can be revisited and a portfolio can be made for the student to show all the work that they have done using this tool. – Blogger is a great and easy to use site that allows for student interaction that is outside of the classroom. This tool can get students thinking out school at home that can lead to more parent involvement and give students something that is educational on a device that could be assumed is mostly for play.

Evaluation Assessment – Students should be constantly assessed by their teacher as much as possible. In this unit there are times when students will be playing a piece that was created by them or their partner. It is the teacher’s job to be assessing both the piece and how the person is performing the piece. Students will have one summative assessment during this unit on their last piece of composition that is for their partner to play in class. Students will have to be accountable for their own actions because they are creating something for the public and they have a partner counting on them to create something good.

Interactive PowerPoints In The Classroom Inside of the classroom Interactive PowerPoint’s could be very helpful for student’s retention of material. The tool makes it very easy for students to see how information should be grouped together and how all items are linked together in some way. Different sections could be color-coated in order to spark a light in different learners and visually see a difference between topics. Students could create their own interactive PowerPoint and share it with the class on their own material. Students could also collaborate in creating a large interactive PowerPoint where they are in control of a different section so you have group work and individualized work happening at the same time which would be better for student understanding.