Transcript EDGE Institute 2014 SongSmith Cheryl McClure Meridian Middle School - Science Agenda • Introduction – What is SongSmith? • Student Engagement - Learning ownership via SongSmith •

EDGE Institute 2014
SongSmith
Cheryl McClure
Meridian Middle School - Science
Agenda
• Introduction – What is SongSmith?
• Student Engagement - Learning ownership via SongSmith
• SongSmith Application
o Accessing SongSmith
o Lesson Ideas for SongSmith
• Creating your own SongSmith
• Brainstorming & Sharing
Introduction – SongSmith?
So what is Songsmith exactly?
A Microsoft application for students to easily create a song
 Songsmith generates musical accompaniment
 Students sing into their laptop’s microphone
 Students record their own song!
Introduction – SongSmith?
Why use SongSmith?
“Songsmith allows somebody who has
limited or no musical experience to sing
into a microphone and get back a piece
of music right away.”
“Songsmith is a great way to encourage students to be creative:
many music teachers know that sometimes just helping kids
“find their spark” is the hardest part of stimulating musical
creativity”.
“Even outside of music classes, Songsmith is a great way
to encourage creative approaches to learning. We’ve
heard from teachers who had students write songs about
science concepts, and we’ve heard from parents whose
children used Songsmith to memorize their multiplication
tables”.
How do I use SongSmith?
What do I do to make a Song?
• Select a Style
• Select a Tempo
• Sing & Record Lyrics
• Save your Song 
Student Engagement
SongSmith as a tool for learning ownership
(see below in notes)
How can SongSmith foster Student Engagement?
• SongSmith provides student choice
– They write the lyrics from lesson objectives
– They chose their own music style
– They sing their own song to review their learning
Are students nervous to sing?
Yes
Do students laugh and giggle during the song making process?
Yes
Do students understand the concepts better after they have made a song?
Definitely!
SongSmith Objectives and Success Criteria
Lesson Objectives:
• SongSmith allows students to review and formalize their learning.
Producing an end of unit song demonstrates their understanding
of the material in a fun, creative way.
Success Criteria:
• Students will be able to produce their own lesson song based on
content learning objectives
“We can explain content creatively, requires
students to recover what they’ve learned”
-real quote from an actual middle school student
SongSmith Objectives and Success Criteria
Lesson Objectives:
•
SongSmith allows students to review and formalize their learning. Producing an end of unit
song demonstrates their understanding of the material in a fun, creative way.
Success Criteria:
•
Students will be able to produce their own lesson song based on content learning objectives
Student Produced Song Video
Student Produced Song
“SongSmith is fun and having our own
group and making silly lyrics that are
facts helps our learning”
-Another real quote from a different middle school student
SongSmith Application
How do I download and access SongSmith?
• SongSmith is a free Microsoft application
• Sign up and registration on the
Microsoft Educator Network (Partners in Learning)
http://www.pil-network.com/
• Find SongSmith and a host other free applications to
download to your personal computer
• Click Free Tools
• Navigate to SongSmith
• Download application
SongSmith
SongSmith Application
How do I download and access SongSmith for School?
• KSD teachers can request SongSmith for their
classroom/teacher/student computers by putting a
request into the Customer Service Center (CSC)
CSC needs the KSD barcode of the computers to push out the program
• Extension 7030
• Email to CSC
SongSmith ~ Lesson Ideas
Here are some examples of how I use SongSmith in class
In my science class, I use SongSmith as an end product for the Unit/Lesson review.
First, I remind them to use their Learning Goals to help write their lyrics
• Learning Goals to help
with Lyrics
• Self Evaluation Guide to
help keep work on track
• Final Song Check
~Group Rubric
Unit 2 Learning Goals: Cells
How does a cell work?
At the end of this unit, you will be able to…
1.
Understand that all organisms (living things) are made of cells.
2.
Explain why cells are the basic unit of life.
3.
Know the important “cell scientists” who contributed to the cell theory.
4.
Explain the cell theory.
5.
Identify the major structures (parts) of a plant and an animal cell by drawing a
diagram.
6.
Describe the functions of all plant and animal cell structures.
7.
Correctly use a microscope to observe and draw plant and animal cells and to
identify their structures.
8.
Compare and contrast plant and animal cells.
9.
Explain how cell structures work together like a real life system. Answer the
question: “How is a cell like a city?”
Describe the functions that cells do to help keep an organism alive (such as cell
10. division, taking in nutrients/releasing waste, using energy to do work and
making materials that the organism needs.
At the BEGINNING
of this unit, my
confidence level is…
3 – I know this
2 – I’ve heard of this
1 – I don’t know this
At the END of this
unit, my confidence
level is…
3 – I know this
2 – I’ve heard of this
1 – I don’t know this
SongSmith ~ Lesson Ideas
Here are some examples of how I use SongSmith in class
A self evaluation guide can help individual and group members stay on track – helps
my students know my expectations to work productively each day
Science Song ~ Self Evaluation Guide
• Learning Goals to help
with Lyrics
Your Name________________________________________________________________________________________
Lab Group #___________________________
Title of Song________________________________________________________________________________________
Day 1
Song Style
Day 2
Lyrics
Day 3
Practice
• Self Evaluation Guide to
help keep work on track
Date_________________________________ Class period___________
Group members’ names______________________________________________________________________________
Day 4
Complete (3)
Working on it (2)
Minimal Work (1)
Complete (3)
Working on it (2)
Minimal Work (1)
Complete (3)
Working on it (2)
Minimal Work (1)
Working on it (2)
Minimal Work (1)
Complete*(3)
Record Song
/12
Evaluate the quality of the Science Learning in your group’s Science Song
1 (low)
2
/3
3 (high)
Evaluate the quantity of the Science content in your group’s Science song
1 (low)
• Final Song Check
~Group Rubric
2
/3
3(high)
How did you lab group work together? List work percentage by lab group members
1. _________________________________ =__________%
2. _________________________________ =__________%
3. _________________________________ =__________%
4. _________________________________ =__________%
Comments – What
Total = 100%
should I know about your song and/or your group’s work on the song?
Total
/17
SongSmith ~ Lesson Ideas
Here are some examples of how I use SongSmith in class
A Final Song Check is the final checklist of requirements. Students know they have to
print their Lyrics and evaluate the quality and quantity of the content of their song.
• Learning Goals to help
with Lyrics
Final Song Check – Group Rubric
Science ~ Reviewing Unit 4 Genetics & Unit 5 Evolution through Song
Lab group #__________________________
Date_________________________________ Class period___________
Names: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Title of Song________________________________________________________________________________________
 Style of Music
 Lyrics Print
& Attach Final Lyrics 
 Audience target
• Self Evaluation Guide to
help keep work on track
What is the quality of the Science Learning?
1 (low)
2
3
4
5 (high)
Describe how this song provides a quality review of Unit 4 & 5 learning.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
What is the quantity of the Science content?
1 (low)
2
3
4
5 (high)
Describe how this song provides a quantity of science content review of Unit 4 & 5 learning.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Lab group contributions – list work percentage by lab group members
• Final Song Check
~Group Rubric
1. _________________________________ =__________%
2. _________________________________ =__________%
3. _________________________________ =__________%
4. _________________________________ =__________%
Total = 100%
Comments - What
are you most pleased with your song? What would you like to change?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Creating your own SongSmith
Now your turn…
What do I do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Find a partner or group
Chose a lesson or topic
Write out Lyrics
Make a Song
•
•
•
•
•
Access SongSmith
Select a Style
Select a Tempo
Sing & Record Lyrics
Save your Song
SongSmith Brainstorming
Lesson Ideas – Grab & Share
How about you?
Let’s Brainstorm ideas that could work for your students!
• How do I use SongSmith is my classroom?
• What are my Learning Goals for my students?
• What song product do I want my students to create?
SongSmith ~ Wrap Up
Any Questions?
Please free to contact me
(during the school year ~ I’ll be taking this summer off )
• Cheryl McClure
• Meridian Middle School
• [email protected]