Final Project: Technology Integration Project

I worked with a lesson plan on a beginner’s oboe lesson with middle school students. The lesson plan is designed for students to learn and play Hot Cross Buns on the oboe individually and in groups. The main goal of the lesson is to teach the students how to play three notes (D, C, and Bb) on the oboe and Hot Cross Buns song by using these three notes. The reason why I chose this lesson plan is that it has detailed procedures and NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards for music content area. Beyond the existing lesson plan, I infused some technologies and strategies for this final project. Now, allow me to lead you into my TechnologyIntegration Matrix.

On the matrix, I organized standards, strategies, and technologies in three columns. There are four steps to standards integration: access, analysis, evaluation/assessment and communication. In addition to the Music NJ Core Curriculum Standards in yellow, I put NETS for Students in green to help the lesson to be more interesting and beneficial for the students.

On the first row, I indicated my educational goal about this lesson: “Increasing student understanding on playing notes on the oboe.” Throughout the four steps to standards integration, I will work toward accomplishing this goal.

The rows 3-7 are an access stage with an opening activity: listening and trying. As the teacher models a simple pattern with three pitches (D, C, and Bb), the students follow the oral and visual instruction to try on their oboes (NJCCCS 1.3.P.B.1). In this stage, the students will smoothly get involved into the learning process. In order to make this lesson more effective, I would ask the students to record their individual three notes pattern playing on the computer by using USB microphones (NETS-S 6.b). They will listen to the outcome only by themselves and self-evaluate their playing in order to fix some problems. They can ask questions to the teacher but there will be no sharing for this activity.

The rows 8-12 are about an analysis. The goal is helping the students to understand theoretical part of the song before they play it. The students will be asked to answer some theory questions about the song, Hot Cross Buns: key signature, time signature, and notes that will be used (NJCCCS 1.3.12.B.2). By infusing technology, I take a further step for the students to analyze the music. The students will use the Finale (music writing software) to put the Roman numeral analysis for each measure (NETS-S 3.d). Once they finish their editing, they will print the music with an analysis and submit it to the teacher.

The rows 13-17 are on evaluation and assessment stage. The teacher will give certain note names randomly (C, D or Bb) and the whole class will play them in unison. While the teacher is conducting for breathing and rhythm, the students will follow by playing them on the oboes (NJCCCS 1.3.2.B.7).This is a good chance for the teacher to assess how the students feel comfortable to play three notes and evaluate the students’ progress in learning. The further evaluation will be not only a self-evaluation but also a peer-evaluation by recording their group playing with a digital camera (NETS-S 1.b). Immediately, I will put the video on a big screen and ask the students to evaluate or critique their playing. They also will discuss how they can improve the sound (Is this a breathing, an embouchure or a fingering issue?).      

The final rows 18-24 are a communication stage. Since they learned three notes in a Hot Cross Buns song beautifully, this is a chance to perform it with confidence. The students will play the song together as the teacher gives them particular conducting cues (NJCCCS 1.3.8.B.2). As they perform the song on the oboes, I will record the sound in MP3 file format by using a USB microphone. I would give this MP3 file to the class and they will use the garage band in order to build up this monophonic single melody to the polyphonic or homophonic music with different accompanying instruments. After finishing their projects, they will post their work on the school website. The students will discuss about each other’s work as a constructive critique on the discussion forum of the website (NETS-S 2.b). This way, I can evaluate students’ improvisation skill and music technology skill as well as their overall performance during the class. Also the students can communicate to each other about their performance and arrangement which will give them a chance to develop a critical thinking skill. 

After infusing some technologies on the original lesson plan, I felt like this lesson becomes more complete with the use of technology. I tried not to overuse the technology, but I tried to put as many technological devices as possible. I like the lesson with technologies better than the one without it. Because of the use of technology, all the access, the analysis, the evaluation and communication parts are elaborated and extended with a successful fulfillment of the original goal of the lesson. Furthermore, I could evaluate the students more creatively by using technology in the classroom. I would like to infuse and use more technological strategies for other lesson plans, because it definitely motivates my students’ understanding and learning.