Workshop 2013

iPads in Music Education More Ideas!Katie WardrobeMidnight Music

QR Codes 3

What is a QR code? 3

How to scan a QR code 3

How to generate a QR code 3

101 uses for QR codes in the music classroom 5

Useful links 6

Augmented Reality 6

AR in the Music Classroom 7

How To Use Aurasma 7

Performing, Recording and Arranging a 4-Chord Song 8

Soundprism 8

GarageBand 8

Isle of Tune 9

Looping Apps 9

Rockmate 9

Screencasting (Explain Everything) 9

About screencasting and whiteboard apps 9

Ideas for the music classroom 10

Files for using with Explain Everything 11

Screencasting and whiteboard app options 11

QR Codes

What is a QR code?

You may have seen them around the place: square “barcodes” that can be found on posters, !yers, supermarket products, shop windows, magazines and real estate boards.

A QR code (quick response code) contains information that will automatically connect your iPad or other smart device to an online location: a website, an audio "le, some text or a map.

In essence, a QR code allows you to combine physical world with the online world. The possibilities for education are extensive and very exciting.

How to scan a QR code

To scan a QR code you’ll need to install a QR code reader app. Most QR code readers are free.

There are many options available, but one that I like is i-nigma. It reads QR codes quickly and without much fuss.

To use the app, tap to open it, and hold your iPad camera over the QR code. It will make a sound and then automatically open Safari and connect to which the QR code is linked.

How to generate a QR code

Let’s look at the process for creating a QR code yourself:

• First, visit the web page that you want to link to

• Copy the web address (highlight the address and press Ctrl+C on a PC, or Cmd+C on a Mac)

• Visit a QR code generator site such as http://mustech.net/qr/ (there are many others, but this one features a lot of !exibility)

• Paste the web address into the URL box

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• Choose colours for the background and foreground (the code itself ) if you wish

• Fill in the Captcha at the bottom and click Generate QRC

• The Qr code will appear in the square on the top right

• Next, download the QR code as an image by clicking on the Download PNG button. Select a location to save the image to and name the "le something sensible (!) so you can "nd it again

Now the QR code image that you saved is ready to be used. Read on for some practical applications in the music classroom

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101 uses for QR codes in the music classroom

Well, not quite 101, but almost!

Bear in mind that you can link to almost anything that is located somewhere online. This includes audio "les that you have uploaded to a website such as Soundcloud, videos on Youtube or Vimeo which means that you can easily share recordings of student work.

• Display sheet music of student compositions which includes a QR code that links to a recording of a performance by the composer

• Notated compositions of students can include a QR code that links to audio commentary about their thinking behind the composition

• Worksheets can include QR codes that lead to instructions, tutorial videos or further information

• Display a QR code that takes students to a collection of approved websites for their research project

• Students can create a poster of their favourite band or artist which includes QR codes that link to videos of the artist performing, a map of their birthplace and their Wikipedia article

• Orchestral and band parts can feature a QR code next to the title that links to information about the composer and history of the piece

• Orchestral and band parts could also feature two other QR codes: one that links to a recording of the complete piece and another that leads to a recording of their part played on its own

• Sheet music could have a QR code code above a tricky passage: the QR code code links to a recording or video of the teacher playing the passage

• You could create a treasure hunt or quest for the students: a series of QR codes down a hallway which each links to a clue. Each clue leads students to the next one

• You can include QR codes on printed worksheets that take students to an answer page which is not visible until the code is scanned

• Students can create a “soundwalk” (a spoken walking guide or story devised by US teacher Nick Jaworski) which is uploaded to audio-sharing site Soundcloud. They can then display a QR code at the start of the walk which links to the soundwalk audio

• For instant response class questions, you can create a QR code that links to a Google Doc survey where students need to respond to a question (or many questions). Answers can be submitted anonymously if you choose and the answers will come in in real time

• Some QR code code creators allow you to keep the same QR code but change the destination link, without having to re-print the code. These are useful for displaying a composer of the day, a quote of the day, or a song of the week

• Students can compose and record a theme to go with their favourite book or make a “book trailer”. The recording can be uploaded to Soundcloud and then a QR code can link to the recording. The QR code can be placed on the back of the book

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• Students can use QR codes to explore a physical object: place QR codes on different parts of a musical instrument and discover the name of each part and what it’s function is

• Similarly, QR codes can be included on each section of an orchestral layout picture: each code links to a recorded example of that section

Useful links

• QR Codes Explained By Common Craft http://www.commoncraft.com/video/qr-codes

• QR Codes Explained (Free Tech 4 Teachers) http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/qr-codes-explained-and-ideas-for.html

• Treasure hunt creator - http://classtools.net/QR/ 

• Gorillascan http://www.gorillascan.com - QR code stays the same, link changes

• Sharing audio online: http://soundcloud.com

• Sharing videos online: http://www.youtube.com or http://vimeo.com or http://www1.teachertube.com (if Youtube and Vimeo are blocked at your school)

Augmented Reality

Like QR codes, Augmented Reality (AR) can truly enhance the learning experience for students. AR allows you to create Harry Potter-style pictures by combining video of students performing with a printed image. When you scan the printed picture with your iPad (or other device) the printed picture comes alive and begins to move.

AR allows you to embed instructions on a worksheet, display student videos on a classroom wall or make newsletters interactive.

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AR in the Music Classroom

Some options:

• Create short videos of students performing class ensemble pieces and make a poster for each one which includes the trigger image. Display the posters on your classroom wall or hallway so that parents and other students can see them come to life when scanned with their device (like the Boom Snap Clap example above)

• Enhance printed worksheets with extra instructions from the teacher that play when the student scans the document

• Help students learn a difficult passage in a piece of music by creating a short instructional video demonstrating how to approach the section. When students scan their sheet music, the video begins to play

How To Use Aurasma

There are many how-to guides and articles about how to use Aurasma in education available online. Here are some of the best ones:

• Useful visual guide made by Richard Wells. Richard has an excellent blog which supports the use of iPads in education: http://ipad4schools.org/

You can download a PDF copy here:

http://ipad4schools."les.wordpress.com/2013/09/school-aurasma1.pdf

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• The Kleinspiration blog: How To Use Augmented Reality in Your Classroom http://www.kleinspiration.com/2013/05/using-augmented-reality-via-aurasma-in.html

• Mrs Dennis - Aurasma in the Music Room http://musicwithmrsdennis.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/aurasma-in-music-room.html

• Aurasma How-To http://thrasymakos.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/an-aurasma-how-to/

• Ideas and resources http://engagetheirminds.wordpress.com/augmented-reality/

Performing, Recording and Arranging a 4-Chord Song

The focus of this part of the day was to look at the many ways that the iPad can assist with the following:

• differentiated learning - easy to cater for different levels all at once

• quickly providing students with creative “wins”

• providing a springboard for more complex creative activities

Soundprism

Soundprism is a keyboard-style instrument with a unique interface that allows even non-keyboard players to create an effective sounding accompaniment to a song.

Soundprism also provides a simple way to teach students about harmony, tension and release. It can be a useful “sketch-pad” instrument when students want to write their own compositions or arrangements because the chords of a given key are laid out for them on the screen.

GarageBand

For detailed instructions on how to use GarageBand, please see the separate GarageBand for iPad How-To Booklet (PDF).

Using GarageBand, we played and arranged a 4-chord song by doing the following:

• Explored the Smart Keyboard, Smart Bass and Smart Guitar

• Experimented with the Autoplay feature as a way of creating “instant arranging success” for students

• Created and recorded our own unique arrangement of the Maroon 5 song Payphone

• Looked at the options for more advanced students - the “real” Keyboard and Drums

• Discussed how to record vocals over the top of our backing

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Isle of Tune

Isle of Tune allows you to build a musical city: roads with houses, trees and bushes that make sounds. Then, drive a car down the road to hear the sounds playback.

Isle of Tune offers a completely different way of creating and viewing music and it’s a good challenge trying to put together a song.

Looping Apps

We brie!y looked at the art of looping on the iPad (lots of fun!!). The two apps we discussed were:

• Loopy HD (shown in the session)

• Everyday Looper

Rockmate

Rockmate ($2.99) is a great option if you have groups of students sharing iPads. Up to four students can play at the same time.

Link for app: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/rockmate/id417415477

Screencasting (Explain Everything)

About screencasting and whiteboard apps

Whiteboard apps allow you to draw freely - using your "nger or a stylus - on a blank background. Most whiteboard apps also allow you to record yourself drawing, while you talk through what you’re doing. You can then export the end product as a movie "le and share it with others.

The best apps also allow some !exibility:

• change the background colour

• alter the style of the pen (transparency, thickness and colour)

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• type text

• add icons and shapes (arrows, squares, stars, circles)

• re-order objects (using layers)

• import images such as a 5-line staff, music notes/clefs, instrument pictures

• insert documents

Ideas for the music classroom

There are a number of ways you could use screencasting apps in the music classroom. A few suggestions:

• Explain musical concepts to students, or have them demonstrate their own understanding of concepts. Examples include music theory concepts, labelling parts of an instrument or the sections of the orchestra

• Sing or play the 12 bar blues (or a recording) and have students identify the chords at the right time by drawing Roman numerals on the blank whiteboard

• While a recording is playing, students can identify the sections of the pop song, or the themes in a classical piece. They could press record before the teacher starts playback of the piece and their answers would be recorded in realtime, matching up with the recording that’s being played. They could write their answers or use shapes to represent different sections

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• Students could explore graphic notation: they could sing or play and create a graphic representation of their composition as they go

• Students could graphically notate each other’s performances. One student plays/sings while the other graphically notates the compositions

Files for using with Explain Everything

You can use the following "les (located in a Dropbox folder) to test out Explain Everything:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aln4pxf2p08bcdv/-wAcvm43um

Screencasting and whiteboard app options

There are a number of apps available. If you have a school-managed iPad, check to see whether you have any of these apps:

• Explain Everything

• Showme

• Screenchomp

• Educreations

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