Re: Smart Music in your classes - this is research for a license renewal project - please respond with details.

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: This sounds like an interesting project. Good luck with the license. : I have used the program in class. It is a better fit for lessons or sectionals because the program will listen and follow one person. : Currently, I am trying to use it outside of class as support for student practicing and evaluation. With Impact this became very practical as you can send and get back assignments in a can't miss fashion. : If you have a web connected computer and you are in band you get SmartMusic. More than 90% of my 260 students have the subscription running at home. For the 10% or so that have a problem with the computer requirement, I have it running in the practice rooms on three machines (I am expecting 2 more machines soon.) : The practice room machines cut way down on excuses for not getting your work in. I have heard more than once that the home computer has crashed...I think that is the new "dog ate my homework." Just send them to a practice room. The school available machine is important. : I teach at the beginning level so I really don't have need of chair placement tests. This is an excellent way to make certain that everyone is getting a concept. So if you are looking for a way to do formative assessment, without going crazy, SmartMusic is the tool. : I have created my own projects for SmartMusic. The scanning tools included in Finale 2008 are most helpful for this. I would like to do more of this with the band library that isn't in SmartMusic Impact yet, but even the 10 minutes or so in my day to do a little project like that is hard to come by. It is pretty easy. : I would say that SmartMusic has impacted my beginning program in a very positive way. I would say that it is not a replacement for sectionals or lessons however. I am in a situation where they chose not to replace a retiring teacher. To make that work they cut my sectionals with my second and third year players and gave me her large group sections. At this time of year, I would say that my beginners (with SM and sectionals) are about 18 weeks ahead of previous year's groups. I would say my groups without sectionals and with SM are about 9 weeks behind. : I shudder to think where they would be without any SM support. If I had to choose between SM and sectionals I would choose the small group time. Since the choice was made for me... : SmartMusic does a good job of identifying students having problems with rhythm and pitch. It will help them with fingerings. If they practice with it long enough, they will solve their problems eventually. Ideally, they need a teacher to help them solve their problems quickly. : I think that right after the technical end of playing an instrument most band problems are relationship problems and those are best handled in small groups, not from the podium. There is no computer program that will handle those. : Parents who have been watching their kids progress in the older groups have been asking for the contacts for private teachers more often. : Pieces with SM support in Impact are easier for the kids to learn and are better prepared for the concerts. They learn them faster as well. : This generation we are teaching does well with technology. To them technology is the new #2 pencil. It makes sense to meet them there and use the new tools with them. SmartMusic makes practice more like a game to today's student. If you are worried about tech replacing what you do, don't worry! Do you feel threatened by your tuner or metronome? SM is just some good solid help. : Hey you lurkers with something to add, help Chris out! This should be a good thread. : Roger : : : Hey Chris, : : I am a 4th year teacher from Jersey that uses smartmusic everyday as part of my curriculum of teaching instrumental music. My experience with smartmusic has been great. With the way the world works today I am well ahead of the teachers doing it the old traditional way. I use a single laptop in the center of my room hooked up to a projector on a table. Then I run wires that are taped down to the floor to a set of speakers mounted on the wall in front of the classroom. If you are using it for band I would recommend picking out pieces of music that are already in smartmusic. Then you can have the band or chorus play or sing along with the accompaniment. It works great and my band rehearsals are great. If you have any more questions please feel free to contact me. : : Thanks, : : Mark White : : : : If you are finished changing, you're finished. : : -Benjamin Franklin : : : : Chris, : : : This may not be the "best" place for your question...I've been checking it for a couple of months now and not a whole lot of people post (I'm not sure how many people "lurk" though! :) ). I could be wrong though, maybe we'll get lucky and have a run of it! :) : : : Chad Criswell (also a music teacher) has alot of articles about it at his own his sites: http:www.musicedmagic.com and http://musicappreciation.suite101.com/ : : : I teach smartmusic in my college classes as an auxilliary, although I agree heavily with Owen and James about not letting technology be the focus only a tool... I am pretty sure that Owen Bradley (co-author of mustech.net) uses/has experience with it. You can check with him at http://digitalmusiceducator.com or http://www.mustech.net : : : I also know James Frankel (also a music teacher) has written about Smart Music a few times at his site: : : : http://jamesfrankel.musiced.net/ : : : You might scare some people off with the "be advised". Good luck with it! : : : Joe Pisano -MUSicTECHnology.net : : : http://www.mustech.net : : : : I teach middle school band/choir and have created a professional development plan that implements Smart Music into my band/choir room beginning next year. What I am in need of is feedback regarding: : : : : *how you utilize this powerful program in your classrooms; : : : : *how many computers do you have that utilize the program; : : : : *Do you use this program for chair placements/voice tests? : : : : *Do you create your own assessments for your students? : : : : *do your students have home subscriptions? : : : : *how has the use of this program impacted your programs? : : : : Please be advised that all responses to this post will be submitted to my review committee as an artifact for actually completing this portion of collaboration on the project. Thanks in advance for your time and responses. : : : : Chris