Handy Tech Gadgets for Your Music Classroom

There are many new audio and video gadgets that can help make you more productive and make your job easier. Come see how these pieces of technology can help you document your student’s progress, assess student achievement, and help assist in everyday classroom activities. You will learn how simple these tools are to use and how affordable they’ve become, even under tight budgets.

Portable Audio Recording Devices

These are handy portable devices which record digital audio. After recording, all of them will connect to your computer via a USB cable where you can transfer the files. These files can then be edited with an editing program like Audacity or Garageband and uploaded to your podcast. You can also burn the files to an audio CD.

Teaching Ideas:
  • Record students during their first rehearsal or run-through of the piece, again midway through rehearsals, then compare those with the concert performance. What musical details improved? How much?
  • Record student’s performances throughout the year, then have students listen back to their first performance of the year and their last. While the pieces are different, overall what skills improved? Did anything get worse?
  • Using a recorder helps get kids motivated because they know that they are being “listened to” by the microphone. Also builds student confidence.
  • Record a student’s parts and allow students to copy them off of a classroom computer or post to the web so that they may refer to the recording during home practice.
  • Allow students to individually record themselves (in a separate room) for assessment, grade the videos later.
  • Benefits for teacher: Rewinding, Fair assessment
  • Benefits for student: better performance, less pressure

Outcomes:
  • Increased aural discrepancy of what a quality performance should sound like and how to get there
  • Student’s pride in knowing that they have improved – can impact retention rates
  • An archive of your performance
  • A means for teacher’s self-assessment

You can compare the features to see which ones you might like. Here are some features/options to consider.
  • Mics: Does it have a built in microphones, or do you have to attach a mic(s) to it?
  • Mics: Does it have phantom power? (to power external professional condenser microphones)
  • Mics: Does it allow you to record with varying mic angles (90º, 120º, etc.)
  • Media: Does it record to CompactFlash, Secure Digital, or built-in media? Hard drive?
  • Form factor: How big is the unit? Weight? Handheld?
  • Input: Does it have a digital input or only analog? Do you need digital?
  • Batteries: Rechargable or disposable? Internal (not easily replaceable)?
  • Batteries: How long do they last, on average?
  • Recording format: Does it record compressed (mp3) and uncompressed (wav) formats? How does the sound quality compare to other models?
  • Audio Interface: Can it double as a USB microphone for recording directly to your computer?
  • Ease of use: Does it take a Ph.D. in technology to use it? Can you record quickly?
  • Warranty: How long? What does it cover?
  • Brand: What reputation does the brand have in professional audio? Is this the first generation of this product or a more refined 2nd /3rd generation?
  • Price: What can I afford? Will the increased cost of a more expensive model do what I need it to do? Will I use the fancy features?


Flash Video Cameras
Benefits:
  • Most portable video cameras ever
  • Affordable
  • Good quality video
  • Good battery life
  • Easy to use - point and shoot
  • Easy to import videos and upload to computer and web

Teaching Ideas:
  • Allow students to individually record themselves (in a separate room) for assessment, then watch/grade the videos later.
  • Record your class and self assess your own teaching.
  • Film clips of daily class life, trips, special events, etc. for a digital scrapbook.
  • Audio or Video – What’s the difference? Why use both?

Outcomes:
  • Gain a 3rd party perception of classroom
  • Student pride

What do I look for in a digital recorder?
  • Recording capacity?
  • Recording quality?
  • Do I need standard definintion or HD?
  • Zoom?
  • Recording media? Internal or replacable?
  • Battery life? Battery type?
  • Reviews?

Models:
  • Flip Ultra II - $149
    • Flip Ultra HD - $199
    • Flip Mino - $179
    • Flip Mino HD - $229
    • Kodak Zi6 - $159
    • Sony MHS-PM1 (HD) - $169

iPod Touch/iPhone
App Store -- New apps available all the time
  • Apple Remote – control iTunes from your handheld device
  • iPro Recorder
    • Karajan – music theory learning tool
  • Music Streaming Apps – Pandora, Last.fm, Slacker
  • Tuners - iStrobosoft
  • Many other apps available too – usually from 99 cents to $9.99

Microphone Attachments for iPod
  • Blue Microphones Mikey - $80
    • Alesis ProTrack - $199