Smart Board in Music Class

Using a Smart Board in effectively music class can be challenging, but if used correctly, can enhance student learning. Many music classes that I have observed do not use Smart Boards even when they are given one. Even the most basic functions of the Smart Board can be used by those with little technology experience. At Johnson School of Excellence, we use the Smart Board to play videos with movements for the students to do as a class. This gives the students a "brain break" while also uses movement to emphasize style and steady beat. Students can also view youtube clips of live music performances and talk about the instruments they heard. Click HERE for an example of hour to use a Smart Board in music class.

Smart Boards can be used to promote literacy in the music classroom. Many music teachers teach by rote or out of books with tiny text. A Smart Board allows for this text to be displayed in larger font and can include images and activities to support student learning. Students will be singing the words while also looking at how they are spelled. The instructor can then focus on complex words that use unusual vowel patterns to improve literacy skills. For example, when teaching quarter notes and eighth notes to 3rd graders, a teacher might start by displaying the text and use iconic notation to represent the notes. The students will talk about a complex word in the piece and then sing the song using that word. Smart Boards can present iconic notation that is not normally represented in traditional sheet music. Students can use the touch screen function on the Smart Board to rearrange the iconic notation to form new compositions. The touch screen function makes music class more exciting and engaging for students. More resources on how to use a Smart Board in music class can be found HERE.