Teachers Find Additional Technology
During Remote Learning
Is your student suddenly talking about new technology that they are using in their classes? The Gregory School teachers have found a variety of ways to use technology to help mitigate some of the challenges of teaching remotely. To help you understand what your student is doing, here is a guide to several of these applications and how they are being used in the TGS remote classroom.
Bandlab, Garageband - Using Bandlab and Garageband, choir students can listen to a piece of music that they are working on, then record their own track of themselves singing their parts. For Choir, Dr. Chris Fresolone created tracks in Bandlab—one track has each of their parts on it, another track has the accompaniment (if applicable), and another track has a “click track,” which contains the beat, like a metronome. Students can mute tracks so that they can only hear what they need to. After they have practiced, they can record themselves singing onto a new track, then submit that track to Google Classroom. Dr. Fresolone then takes those recordings and mixes them together on his computer so that the class can hear themselves singing as an ensemble!
Breezin’ Thru Theory - Orchestra and band teacher Dr. Christie Blute, guitar teacher Mr. Ryan Phillips, and choir, music, and music theory, history & composition teacher Dr. Fresolone are all using an online music theory program so that students can practice music reading skills. Breezin’ Thru Theory is a website that contains a collection of lessons and drills covering a variety of music reading skills. Students log in and complete the drills, and are assessed on their performance. Students can repeat the drills as many times as they would like to practice the specific skill.
Flipgrid - Flipgrid is a video discussion platform. After learning from teachers Allycyn Jacobs and Joan McKee about the importance of organizing their learning spaces, 6th grade Skills students are using Flipgrid to create videos of their learning spaces. Students create their own video, watch three other student-created videos, and give feedback. Then the students edit their videos based on the feedback.
Mote - Mote is a Chrome extension that enables teachers to leave voice feedback on Google Docs, Google Slides, and in Google Classroom. Teachers can record feedback for students, making it more personal. When students open up their work, they click on a link to the voice note. Teachers have up to 90 seconds to record their feedback, and can also set the program to transcribe the feedback into a written note.
Quizlet - Quizlet is an application that helps students learn through games and other engaging activities. Middle School teacher Katie Patt said, "Quizlet live is a great way to engage with vocabulary. Students race against each other to complete the vocabulary set. The sound effects and the gasps of the kids when they near the finish make it great fun."
Smartmusic - Smartmusic allows the music instructors to post and assign premade exercises or exercises that they create for music students. Students then sing or play along with the music—practicing first!—then actually recording themselves. Smartmusic then shows students where they made errors and gives them a grade. Students can record again and try for a better score and then submit the recording to Smartmusic. Instructors then get to listen to each student’s recording.
Stop Motion Animation - Helen Reynolds’ 8th grade science students used stop-motion animation to create a movie that uses the particle model to explain physical changes and processes in the world around them. Using salt dough to make particles, they made the animation on their mini-whiteboard so they can annotate the pictures and show that they know how to use the language of chemistry that they have been learning.
Sworkit - All TGS students now have access to Sworkit, a site dedicated to physical fitness. During the COVID-19 pandemic many students are spending much of their time inside and have reduced their normal daily exercise. Sworkit provides students with 24/7 access to great workouts that they can also customize, all of which can be done from home.