Horizon Report Tech Trend

Using GarageBand for Assessment Lesson Plan

Reading the 2012 Horizon Report was both an eye opening and exciting experience. Seeing what we have accomplished and where we are going with Technology is amazing. I am a huge iPad fan and enjoy using this device whenever I can in my classroom. Because of this, I am drawn to the Mobile Apps part of the Horizon Report.

GarageBand is an amazing app for $4.99. There are so many ways you can use this program to help children learn about music. Since my music program is more performance-based, I find that teaching kids to listen to their performance, assess themselves, and then refine their performance to make it better a very worthwhile educational experience. I created this lesson plan because I think the entire process will increase my student’s learning. My music program is based on the Orff-Schulwerk philosophy, that is learning music by playing music through the use of singing, chanting, moving, and playing instruments. My students play arrangements that have 3 or 4 parts. Once they learn their part, getting them to listen to all the parts together to refine their work is a whole new skill in itself. I think the right way to implement this lesson is to start slow with teacher guidance. Perhaps only listening to 1 rubric item might make it easier the first few times. Also, making sure they have the background knowledge needed for the listening assignment is key. Do they remember what steady beat, blend, balance, and dynamics mean? As the students get more practice listening and assessing  themselves, they will become better at it which will not only result in more musically refined performance, but also individual musicianship. I am sure that when I use this lesson plan with my students, things will come up and I will need to adjust the plan accordingly.

Because the lesson is based on using an ios device and mobile app along with a computer to project the information for student learning, it utilizes the following AECT Standards 2.2 (Audio Visual Technologies, 2.3 (Computer-Based Technologies), and 2.4 (Integrated Technologies). In addition the lesson is used for assessment purposes and utilizes AECT standard  5.3 (Formative and Summative Evaluation).