Remote/Online/E-Learning and Hands -Off Dances

There are many reasons schools may choose to close to on-site learning and move to remote learning. In times of flu or illness running rampant through our petri dishes, um ... schools we need to be careful about hand holding, instrument sharing, and taking care of our physical health. At present, COVID - 19 is spreading around the world. 

Friends teaching overseas have already been teaching online for months as their schools closed in January.  Some school systems around the US are closed and others making preparations and plans for possible closings. Teachers are being asked to create lessons students can access from home to continue learning.  
This list is just a quick overview of some possibilities - many more exist and it has been amazing to see the camaraderie of music teachers joining together to help one another continue our students music education. Please add to the conversation - read on and you will see there are many places and spaces for you to join, ask questions, and find answers. If you are not on facebook and cannot access the groups, leave a comment here and I will post your question/comment on fb.  Stay healthy, everyone!

Some of us will stay teaching in our schools and the rules and restrictions around contact, sharing instruments, etc. will be important to consider, particularly in our classrooms where so much of what we do is movement related.

Hands Off Dances/Movement

Click this link for a playlist of many no-touch dances. Please let me know what others you have and I will add them to the playlist. As of right now there are 35 videos. 

For others, we will move to remote/online/e-learning formats where our students will be home and we will be using a platform to teach from. Our school uses Powerschool, and if we go to a remote format, we will direct students and parents to Powerschool and to our existing pages where we can record videos, add documents, and add links to Seesaw, youtube, etc.
Some teachers will use existing subscriptions (such as Musicplayonline.com, Seesaw, etc.) and others will be able to access some new ones - check out this googledoc of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due To School Closings.

Remote/Online/E-Learning

So, how to teach elementary music online?  

• First look at what is already done you might be able to use.  

Google doc with  FREE General Music Distance Learning Resources & Activities

Short, Sweet, Specific
This is the message from many teacher friends overseas who have been remote/online/E-Learning for months. Will students receive lessons in an email or online platform your school uses, will you need paper/pencil activities or online activities? Lots of things to think about here:
Resources for Teaching Online (Not Music Education Specific)

Facebook Groups - Ask Questions, Get Answers, Info, Comments

• Music Educators Creating Online Learning
• E-Learning in Music Education (includes 10-minute Master Classes on specific elements of remote/e-learning)
• Feierabend Fundaments Virtual Schooling Resources Google Doc

Ways to Create Lessons with "Active" Teaching (Students See Your Face)

• Video yourself teaching a lesson, upload to:

YouTube (free) Playlist of  Ted-Ed Music for students here.
Vimeo (free)
Seesaw, (also ready made lessons by music teachers) 
Google Classroom (free)
Edpuzzle "Make Any Video Your Lesson" (free)
Flipgrid (free) article here on 20 Ways to Use Flipgrid in Music Education

• Create screen recordings - "how to" activities and websites. 

Screencast-o-matic, free
Tutorial:

Screencastify free up to 5 minutes of video, Chrome Extension (Use chrome web browser) 
Tutorial:

Other Sites to Look At/Make Plans/Activities/Lessons:

• Chrome Music Lab 

Tutorial for Elementary Aged Students:

• Incredibox  Free lesson here from Midnight Music.

• Looper App - Superlooper

Sample Lessons or Lessons YOU Can Use

• Online Lesson using Children's Literature

My friend, Kathy, teaches at Seisen International School in Tokyo and while her school has been out she has continued the learning. She happily shares a very successful lesson we can model using A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle.

  

Her school uses Seesaw but anyone can see this. I love how everything is included right in the Seesaw app!  This could also be done as a youtube or vimeo video with a link to materials in a google doc. 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Let's Make a Seashell Ostinato Activity

The New Victory Theater in NYC 

This amazing theater has canceled it's amazing line up of shows, but is bringing lessons for ages 6-12 direct to us at home. The first week (March 16-20) is Percussion Week complete with Body Percussion, stepping, and a bucket or two! Their videos are very kid-friendly:

Teaching Music Digital Learning

Looking for something by grade levels to see what someone else does? Check out this great resource by David Row of Make Moments Matter. 

Music Teacher youtube Videos

Laura and Daniel are music teachers in Hong Kong and are experts now at remote learning. They have a HUGE selection of videos to choose from and they are so clever!  They deliver content through the home learning section of their music blog. 
 Here are two of their videos.:

Brahms Storm

Loose Tooth Music Note Reading

Mariana teaches in Tokyo, here is a link to her many videos.  Here are a couple of her wonderful videos:

Grade 1 Lesson 5:  Rhythm and Movement

Grade 4 Recorder Lullaby

Krista teaches in Hong Kong and she has several videos students can watch and write a response to - here are a couple:

Instrument Game Show - Do You Know Your Instrument Sounds? 

Singing with Solfege -"Hey, Hey! Look at Me!" (Mi-So Edition)

Other Possibilities 

Che Che Koolay - folk song (traditional) from Ghana

Students learn the song and then can play along with various parts - this would need short directions such as, "Find something at home that makes a shaking sound and play the shaker part when you see the four ta (quarter)notes." Or, "Find two pencils or wooden spoons to try playing the rhythm stick part when you see the rhythm rest titi rest ta."

Have students make connections to Ghana in this short video - chocolate, gold, and poisonous snakes - COOL!! Start the video at 1:00 (advertising before that).

Can Music Bring Joy When Times are Tough? Watch, Listen, and Respond

Check out this googledoc of a sample watch/listen/respond using google forms. Easy to recreate and so perfect for upper elementary to help them deal with the uncomfortable emotions surrounding the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Let's Dance

Play along using a fitball (students could use a pillow on a chair and wooden spoons or chopsticks instead of drum sticks)

Hello Echo Rhythm Song

More from Kathy in Tokyo

Jump, Jump, Everyone:

Kye Kye Kule Movement and Song:

What other ideas do you have?  Please join the conversation and let's all help each other continue to make music with our kiddos.

Almost There- Holiday Activities for the Finish Line!

I had one concert last Friday and after another 4 rehearsals, had the last two concerts on Wednesday. Whew! 28 pieces of music later, I am tired.  We all know what that feels like, and how nice it is to hear from teachers and parents how much they enjoyed the concerts! 

Today is my last day of school before break. This will be me at 11:45 today!

 It is a half day ... and it is a crazy day we call "Gold and Maroon" which is where everyone is one of our school colors, either Gold or Maroon. Each grade is divided equally and students compete against each other in grade level teams for relay races and tug of war. But the fun and crazy screaming doesn't end there, then it is the parents turn to compete - Gold Dads compete against Maroon Dads and the same for Moms.  It. Is. CRAZY!  Fun, but crazy, and loud, and yes, we are in the gym!

I know many teachers are still going strong, some of you have 3 days left, some have a full week next week.
Here are a few things I have done the past couple of weeks that do not require you to print, cut, or laminate anything.  I am not a fan of worksheets or coloring pages - I don't use them. 
I do not know the animator who puts together these Musication videos, but I am so very grateful for these wonderful, highly entertaining and active play alongs!  Great to leave as sub plans, too!!
All you need are some instruments and a projector to show these. Guaranteed fun and the best part is the children are actively making music and having a fun experience that is not at all boring - no heads on the floor and eyes closing while watching these!

1.  Trepak Percussion Play Along

This is perfect for first through upper elementary!  I have students watch the first minute or so, then ask them to turn and talk to a neighbor about what they saw and noticed.  Then I go back to the directions page, which shows what the symbols are, what instruments are needed, who the conductors are, etc.  I ask students what they notice, turn and talk, how many symbols, and then ask the older students (2nd grade and up) to problem solve; how many students do we have today, how many instruments. I try to let them help figure out how many groups of students we need and usually let them self-select groups.  My students know where our instruments are and they go by group to choose the instruments to play.  There is a "cymbal" part in this but I don't have enough cymbals so I let them use the gong!  I give enough mallets for all to play the very large gong and they love it. It is not an instrument we use often, and this way everyone gets to play this very special instrument! Then... PLAY!  It is so fun and they really love it.  I usually let mine rotate through the instruments; the last group puts the instruments on the floor and steps back, then I tell them "drums go to triangles, triangles to sticks, sticks to tambourines, tambourines to gong (cymbal)".  We play again and again until everyone has had a turn!  SO fun.. you could also use body percussion; stomp, pat, snap, clap, lip pop!
There are two of these - one with instrument symbols - great for younger students, and one with other symbols - also good for instruments, and also good for body percussion!

2. Trepak Boomwhacker Play Along Easy

You will need a Bb for this one which uses low E and low F / G, A, Bb, B, C, D, E, F
(B + E for one child)

3. Twinkle Twinkle Handbells (or glockenspiels or Orff instrument) Play Along:

4.  We Wish You a Merry Christmas Boomwhacker Play Along

5.  We Wish You a Merry Christmas Boomwhacker DUO Play Along



 

6.  Jingle Bells Play Along with notes on a partial staff



7.  Frosty, the Snowman Boomwhacker Play Along

 

Hope you enjoy these and check out musication on youtube here.  They have a nice variety - everything from Sylvia Pizzicato, Frere Jacques, Black House Blues,  Happy Birthday, Nima Naja, In the Hall of the Mountain King, to Rolling in the Deep! There are about 50 videos now and just added several this fall.

Happy holidays, everyone! Good luck with concerts, Happy New Year!