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Technology Integration Unit (Upper High School Choir) by Michael Fibelkorn

I. Introduction/Purpose Statement:

The purpose of the technology integration is for students (Upper High School) to discover new
composition software on iPads and how to apply it to the creation of music. Luckily, these music lessons
will take place in a school district that is able to provide iPads and all the necessary apps and websites
that are required for the unit to succeed.

The unit will begin with students using application walkthroughs on Sibelius, MuseScore, and
NotateMe. All three of these applications allow for composers to not only hear the music they are
composing, but see the actual notation that is going down in the scoreenhancing both the technology
and handwritten music skills. Next, we will use the Explain Everything app where students will use the
app walkthrough to make a video to explain how their music composition software works. Throughout
the process, they will use voice overs and other features to show off the unique features of their
composition software. After learning how to use their chosen applications, students will then be given
audio and visual 2-4 measure excerpts to transcribe and rearrange. This part of the unit will be the
Present section of the unit process, being the first time where students will be first arranging and
composing by hand. To wrap up the unit, students will then practice and show off their new abilities in a
final arranging/composition group project. In groups of 3-4, students will arrange a verse and chorus, for
at least 4 voices, and present their finished product to the class. The class will then vote on their favorite
arrangements and rehearse and perform the piece in classor at a concert if the copyright allows.

By allowing students to work individually, in partners, and in groups, they will not only have the
opportunities to learn the material in a variety of settings, but be exposed to multiple perspectives. This
unit will not only teach students how to write music outside of the classroom, but will allow students to
increase their content knowledge of musicmaking many concepts easier to grasp in future lessons.
One application that should not be overlooked though is Explain Everything. This is an application that
can upload images and videos, and one can create a video with drawings and voice overs that explains
those pictures and videosbasically, a more interactive PowerPoint. Explain Everything can be used
by students for much more than just music and can be utilized in the future more many different
careers.

Objectives for the course:

1. Students will create 8 measure phrases using iPads and music notation software, using at least
4 different voices.
2. Students will create a video using Explain Everything and one composition app to complete
checklist and all requirements.
3. Students will compose by ear and rearrange musical excerpts using composition software in
groups of 1 or two.
4. Students will arrange a chorus and a verse of popular music in small groups using music
notation software.
5. Students will perform the selected verses and choruses while reading student composed score.
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II. Product/process sample:

Unit Overview/Outline

1. Individual Music Software Walkthrough

2. Flipped Classroom App Tutorial Project
3. Partner excerpt Arranging
4. Individual or Group Composition
5. Rehearse and Perform new student arrangement

1. Individual Music Software Walkthrough

First, students will walk into class to this written on the board: Students . . . Please grab an iPad,
headphones, and all 3 application tutorials. You may sit anywhere in the room. The unit will begin with
students using application walkthroughs on Sibelius, MuseScore, and NotateMe. All three of these
applications allow for composers to not only hear the music they are composing, but see the actual
notation that is going down in the scoreenhancing both the technology and handwritten music skills.

At the conclusion of each of these three tutorials, students will be asked to save and screenshot
their small composition (4 measures) to show that they have completed. They will then send/turn in
their compositions through email.

2. Flipped Classroom App Tutorial

Next, we will use the Explain Everything app where students will use the app walkthrough to make a
video to explain how their music composition software works.

First, students will individually choose an app walkthrough worksheet to follow (Students may choose
between NotateMe, Sibelius, or MuseScore)

For this project, you will be using the Interactive White Board App EXPLAIN

EVERYTHING to make a tutorial for a Music Composition app of your choice.

Teach us how to use the app, every step and convince us we should install the

app on our iPad and why we should be using it.

In other words, a complete demonstration tutorial of the App with how-to

instructions. Step-by-Step!

An easy way is to make your screenshots and crop

them and add a few basic labels is using another app

called SKITCH for your iPad. No way to add your voice

but nice way to make screenshots better. Here is a

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tutorial-https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=lmNfZcFywlU

Upload the images to the Explain Everything

Interactive Whiteboard app and then make a movie by adding additional

annotations and your voice to the images. Something should always be

happening on the screen.

Do whatever it takes to make it clear and complete. Make sure someone who has

never seen your app could learn how to use it from your tutorial.

Tutorials Page for Explain Everything: http://ded318ksu.weebly.com/explaineverything.html

REQUIREMENTS for the Assignment

1. Yes, your tutorial must include your voice.

2. Length, not sure, but it should show how to use the app and be convincing

enough for someone to want to download and install it when finished viewing

the tutorial.

3. Make sure your TUTORIAL is detailed and very complete.

You will be presenting these as if you were the teacher in a classroom.

4. Be detailed and specific, include links and images in your tutorial. Introduce the

app where to get, how much it costs, links to the website and apps and

whatever else is needed, plus step-by-step instructions for how to use the

app.

6. You'll need to add your tutorial video to YouTube. I will expect that you have already added
videos to YouTube, numerous times this semester, so I suspect you are skilled already.
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3. Excerpt Arranging Practice

FULL Lesson Plan for: Technology Integration Unit

Teacher Name: Michael Fibelkorn

Objectives: Students will compose by ear and rearrange musical excerpts using composition
software in groups of 1 or 2.

Standards Being Addressed:

2.5 PS: The teacher transcribes or arranges selected music for voices and instruments other than
those for which the pieces were written in ways that preserve or enhance musical expression.

3.1 CK The teacher understands the aural and notational skills required for creating and recreating
music for instruction.

3.4 PS The teacher notates music from aural sources.

Materials of Instruction:

Musical Notation Software (Sibelius, MuseScore, or NotateMe)

Worksheet (Partially filled out audio examples on front; Where are You Christmas? on back

Staff paper

Pencils and Erasers

Audio Recordings https://youtu.be/cg2SIuz7o8g (melodic dictation)

https://youtu.be/tlDKbusVDKo (2 voice harmonic dictation)

https://youtu.be/kjPlFvBMUhg (4 voice harmonic dictation)

Rearranging worksheets
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Lesson Sequence (lessons may have more or less activities as appropriate):

Entry Activity/Warmup: Board Work Solfege Warm-up

Students will have a melodic line on the board. T will model line on a neutral syllable. Students will
repeat on solfege syllables. Once 100% correct among small ensemble, T will have a student come down
and change 4 notes. Repeat process after 3 students get a turn to change the melodic line.

Way to warm up your ears students. Next, I need everyone to come up and grab 1 worksheet and 1
piece of staff paper. Also, get out a pencil with an eraser and find any seat in the room. We will be taking
a little pre-assessment quiz that will be completed individually.

Activity #1: Melodic Dictation (Every other note is filled in)

1. T plays melodic dictation recording

2. Ss fill in the notes

3. T replays the recording 2 more times and gives 5 minutes total for the example at most

Transition: Next, we will be moving onto 2 voice dictation. Remember this is a pre-assessment so
please do not feel any pressure.

Activity #2: 2 Voice Dictation (2 Blank Notes per measure)

1. T plays 2 voice Dictation recording

2. Ss fill in notes

3. T replays the recording 2 more times and gives 5 minutes total for the example at most

Transition: Last one coming up! Keep working hard!

Activity #3: 4 Voice Harmonic Dictation (Alto and Tenor notes are all filled in. 2 notes per measure for
Bass and Soprano are filled in)

1. T plays 4 voice dictation

2. Ss fill in notes

3. T replays the recording 2 more times and gives 5 minutes total for the example at most

Transition: Way to finish strong! Please turn over your papers and read the instructions above on
Rearranging Where are you Christmas? If you do not complete this in class today, please have ready
to go at the beginning of class next time. If you do get it done, grab a book or other homework and work
silently until the end of the hour.
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Activity #4: Rearranging Where are you Christmas? m. 1-12

1. T goes around and answers any questions Ss may have

2. Ss work independently on rearrangement

3. Ss turn in paper and work on homework or read until the end of the block

Conclusion: Remember, if you did not get the assignment done today, please bring it back next class.
We will be choosing our winners soon for a special performance.

Assessment(s):

1. Pre-assessment worksheet. T will look papers over and see what concepts need to be
addressed, or stressed, later in the quarter or semester. If time allows, T can have another
formal assessment that is similar to the pre-assessment to easily track progress.

4. Small Group Composition/Arranging Project

To wrap up the unit, students will then practice and show off their new abilities in a final
arranging/composition group project. In groups of 3-4, students will arrange a verse and chorus, for at
least 4 voices, and present their finished product to the class. Students will have 2-3 opportunities
throughout different class periods to work in their groups, with their iPads, to finish up their
arrangement of Seasons of Love. Students will only receive a recording of the piece and have to make
their arrangements by ear. They are allowed to also use pitch pipe/piano apps on the iPads as a pitch
reference. A rubric would be used to assess their final compositions to make sure all requirements were
met at a high standard.

5. Rehearsal and Performance

The class will then vote on their favorite arrangements and rehearse and perform the piece in class
or at a concert if the copyright allows. After the class votes on pieces of paper that only the teacher will
read, T will pick the top 2-3 arrangements and organize them into 1 complete composition. This can now
be a piece in the ensembles repertoire that they can rehearse and perform.

III. Assessment(s)
1. Music Software Walkthrough uses a skills assessment. The students are required to take
screenshots of their completed walkthroughs/tutorials to prove they have acquired a certain
amount of skills.
2. Explain Everything tutorial uses a criterion-based reference assessment through the rubric
given to them at the beginning of the assignment. The rubric is also used by the T to grade their
projects.
3. Excerpt Arranging will use the Pre-assessment worksheet. T will look papers over and see what
concepts need to be addressed, or stressed, later in the quarter or semester. If time allows, T
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can have another formal assessment that is similar to the pre-assessment to easily track
progress.
4. The small group composition will uses a criterion-based reference assessment through the
rubric given to them at the beginning of the assignment. The rubric is also used by the T to grade
their projects.
5. The final rehearsals and performance uses an informal performance assessment. The individual
grading and formal assessments took place earlier in the unit. The relaxed finished allows for
students to feel no pressure going into their final performance and continue on to the next unit
with no distractions.

Reflection

As I was creating my technology unit, there was one question that kept coming to mind; Am I
using technology in a way that complements music and technology or am I using the technology
just to use it?

Beginning with the start of my unit, I do believe that the best way for students to use
composition software is to explore the app and figure out which software fits their style the best.
By using this software, students are learning a way of writing music that will be more efficient and
helpfuland it just happens to be through the use of technology. These applications allow for
musicians to hear what they write immediately, while receiving the benefit of writing music and
seeing the score, as if the music was on paper right in front of them. The next project was the
Explain Everything tutorial, where students created mini-tutorials of their composition software
using the iPad app, Explain Everything. Though they wont be composing as much in this
segment, the Explain Everything app is a tool that can be used beyond the classroom and in the
professional world. Not only is the app helping explain how to begin composing music, it is a tool
that can benefit students in their future professions and classes. The next lesson is the Pre-
Assessment excerpt arranging assignment. Though the only technology in this portion are
recordings, I find it important for students to master the skill of using their ear without any other
distractions (aka: using new technology while trying to transcribe multiple voices). The final part of
my unit is the group composition with the final performance. To make sure students are not biting
off more than they can chew with this project, I wanted to make sure that they has multiple
colleagues to work with while using their new software and arranging a piece by ear. Technology
will be useful so all members can work and share their arrangements together, play the recording,
while using a piano or pitch pipe as a pitch reference. Without technology for new composers, they
would be lost in a world of new information. The final performance will not include any technology
besides us possibly recording ourselves. The purpose of this unit was not to incorporate
technology with performance but with composition and creation. With the whole unit including
composition and arranging with technology, students will hopefully feel relaxed going back to the
basics with just reading and performing the music with just their voices.
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Thanks to all of the applications, iPads, and recordings on hand, I was able to combine
technology and music in a way that not only taught students how to use subject, but how each
content area can complement each other in order to make musicians better musicians.