This was during one of my SMART Board courses where I am showing free, downloadable software from http://www.themusicinteractive.com/
This summer I will be heading back to Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) Summer Music Institute to teach a course titled, “Integrating Technology into the Elementary Music Classroom: A Course For Elementary Teachers Taught By An Elementary Teacher.” CCSU Summer Music Institute is an excellent program that has been around for numerous years. Music educators from all over the US come to CCSU in the summer to take professional development courses that focus on vocal, instrumental, general music, and technology. The courses are taught by amazing faculty, many who are big names in music education. The first courses I took were back in 2000 when I took Bruce Pearson‘s instrumental methods and band course and Don Muro‘s electronic keyboards course. After that summer, I was hooked with CCSU’s Summer Music Institute. I then took more summer courses and eventually enrolled into CCSU’s Masters of Science in Music Education program, which allowed me to earn my Masters Degree during the summers.
In 2009, CCSU contacted me about teaching a course during the summer. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching at CCSU. The music educators that take the courses are the best. They ask wonderful questions and produce great work at the end of the week-long course. I have taught courses on integration with music technology and SMART Boards (novice to advanced users). My course this summer is geared for elementary music educators who would like to learn about how to integrate technology into the elementary general music classroom. This course will focus on free internet resources, iPads, interactive whiteboards, apps, cloud software, curriculum that is enhanced with technology, and assessment, classroom management and philosophies/methodologies that can be enhanced with music technology easily. My goal for the music educators that take my course is to find one technological tool that they can immediately use in their classrooms when they return from summer break. My course is being offered from July 8-12. It is scheduled in the morning from 8:00-12:30 and includes one nighttime meeting on Tuesday, July 9, from 7:00-9:30 pm.
During the week that I am teaching this course in the morning, my good friend James Frankel will be teaching a course titled, “Teaching Music in the Cloud,” during the afternoon slot from 1:15-5:45 (which includes a Thursday night session). Jim is currently the Director of MusicFirst-cloud-based tools for music educators-and his course will focus on an in depth view at many of these free and low cost cloud-based music educational solutions and how they can be integrated into the K-12 music curriculum.
Throughout the summer, CCSU will hold some other great music technology courses that will be taught by Tom Rudolph, Michael Fein, Stefani Langol, Scott Watson, Floyd Richmond and Gena Greher. In addition, there are numerous courses about vocal techniques, band methods, band music, general music curriculum, movement, pedagogy and more. Dr. Carlotta Parr directs the CCSU Summer Music Institute and she and her staff do an amazing job organizing and putting together a summer program that any music educator would want to participate in and learn.
