Here is the summary from the challenge:
Day 1 Email:
I'm so excited to start this challenge! I created this challenge to help out anyone who has wanted to try centers, but isn't sure how, or for those of you who have done centers but would like new ideas!
Each day, I'll send an email in the morning. Then, at 7:00 p.m. EST, I'll do a Facebook Live video (click here to follow Mrs. Miracle's Music Room on Facebook to make sure you don't miss it.)
There’s going to be great discussions in the private FB group as well – so if you haven’t yet, <<join here. >>
Before we dive right into today’s email – I'd like to give a quick summary of what centers are. With centers (also called stations), you can split students up into small groups to each work on a different task. Then, every five or so minutes, students can rotate to a new task, so that by the end of the lesson, they've completed each center. Typically, I've done centers where each task is focused on the same concept, but approaches that concept in a different way. We'll dive into that later, as well as how to set up centers in multiple ways for even greater student engagement!
In my classroom, I've done centers with rhythmic concepts (such as tika-tika, or sixteenth notes), melodic concepts (such as sol-mi), recorders, ukuleles, instruments of the orchestra, and more! Whatever has been a focus in your lessons can work for centers.
Your challenge for today: After reading this email, decide which grade level in your music room you'd like to try centers with, as well as which concept. Head on over to the Facebook group and post on the Day 1 challenge post with your thoughts.
Tune into today's training on Facebook Live today at 7:00 p.m. EST (or catch the replay if you can't be around at that time) to hear thoughts about the benefits of doing centers, sample grade levels and concept ideas, and when to do centers.
>>Click Here to Visit Today’s Post on Facebook.<<
That’s it, Day 1 is in the books and you’re thinking about centers. Make sure to tune into our live training today to get your creative juices flowing more!
See you at 7 p.m. eastern!
Day 2 email:
I hope you were able to check out the Day 1 challenge! If not, no worries…the Facebook Live video can be viewed here, the Facebook group discussion is posted here, and you can go back through your inbox to read the ideas and challenge from Day 1. Now onto Day 2!
We've been talking about different tasks students can do at centers. Having a hands-on center, with manipulatives, can be a great way to engage students and improve their musical understanding!
For rhythm, a few examples of manipulatives are popsicle sticks, like in this blog post, fruit manipulatives, like in this blog post, and wood blocks, which can be purchased here.
For melody, a few examples of manipulatives are solfa manipulatives, like in this blog post, solfa cubes, like in this blog post, stick-to-staff foam match-ups, like in this blog post, and “Whack Pack” sit spots, which can be purchased here,
Your challenge for today: After reading this email and visiting the links, decide which manipulative you'd like to use for your centers. You might use a center I discussed in this email, or you might decide on a manipulative you already have in your music room. Head on over to the Facebook group and post on the Day 2 challenge post with your thoughts.
Tune into today's training on Facebook Live today at 7:00 p.m. EST to see some of my favorite manipulatives!
>>Click Here to Visit Today’s Post on Facebook.<<
See you at 7 p.m. eastern!
Day 3 email:
I hope you were able to check out the challenges from Day 1 and 2! If not, no worries…the Facebook Live videos can be viewed here, the Facebook group discussion is posted here, and you can go back through your inbox to read the ideas and challenges from the first two days.
Now onto Day 3!
Today, we're exploring instrument centers. We all know that kids love to play instruments, and having instruments at one center is a great way to make sure that all kids get to play instruments that day.
One of my favorite instrument centers, for rhythm, is set up with music stands and rhythm flashcards. Students choose a non-pitched percussion instrument (such as a hand drum, maracas, or triangle), then play all of the rhythm patterns on their instrument, put it away, and then choose another.
For melody, my favorite instrument center is set up with music stands and barred instruments. At each stand is a song (known or unknown) written in stick notation. Students are told which note is do, and then figure out how to play the song, with their knowledge of steps and skips. For example, if students are practicing re, they could figure out how to play “Hot Cross Buns,” knowing that do is C.
If students are learning recorder, one of the centers could be learning a new song, or playing a song for a belt! I've also had students practice a song they've been learning on barred instruments.
For ukulele or guitar, students could practice a known song, or learn a new chord with a tutorial, like I describe in this blog post.
Tune into today's training on Facebook Live today at 7:00 p.m. EST to hear about more fun instrument centers for your escape room!
Your challenge for today: After reading this email, decide which instrument center you'd like to try. Head on over to the Facebook group and post on the Day 3 challenge post with your thoughts.
>>Click Here to Visit Today’s Post on Facebook.<<
Make sure to tune into my live training today to discover more fun centers ideas. See you at 7 p.m.!
Day 4 email:
We're already more than halfway through our music centers challenge! I hope you're as excited as I am about all of the creative inspiration and possibilities!
Now onto Day 4!
Today, we're exploring technology, and how to integrate it into centers.
If you don't have much technology in your room, you can still integrate tech into centers! For example, if you have a SMART board or another interactive board, you could have one center set up where students are interacting with whatever is projected onto your board. For example, you could download this set for free on TpT, and use it to have students read rhythm patterns (with a fun Superhero theme!) Students can even use a squishy ball to throw at the screen and then read!
If you have a teacher computer but no interactive board or LCD projector, you could have students explore a website on your computer, such as The Rhythm Trainer for rhythm, or Classics for Kids for instruments of the orchestra.
If you do have access to Chromebooks or iPads, you could have students work individually or in small groups. Students could use GarageBand on iPads to create music, they could learn to code with an app like Tynker, they could practice note names with an app like Staff Wars, or they could work with a Google Slides game like the ones found in this set.
If you have access to even more technology, you could have students work with Specdrums or the Dash Robot, like in this blog post, or they could work with a Makey Makey set to practice melody and create! To see Makey Makey in action, check out my highlighted stories on my Instagram.
Tune into today's training on Facebook Live today at 7:00 p.m. EST to see some tech tools in action!
Your challenge for today: After reading this email and checking out some of the links, decide which technology center you'd like to try. Head on over to the Facebook group and post on the Day 4 challenge post with your thoughts.
>>Click Here to Visit Today’s Post on Facebook.<<
Make sure to tune into my live training today to get more ideas for centers. See you at 7 p.m. eastern!
Day 5 email:
Today is the last day of the challenge! I hope you already have some great ideas for centers in 2020, and I bet you've inspired some other music teachers with your creative ideas!
Now onto Day 5!
A great benefit to using centers is that you can assess students in smaller groups, or even individually. This could be a center that you are anchored at–meaning that you stay at this center the whole time–or it could be one that you only assist if needed.
If your students are playing recorder, for example, they could be assessed on their individual playing. At one center, all the students could practice “Hot Cross Buns,” but you could pull students one at a time to listen to them, give immediate feedback, and potentially take a grade.
If students are working on melodic concepts, you could have one center be a worksheet, in which students have to write patterns on the staff. These worksheets work well for assessment, when practicing re. Worksheets as an assessment could also work for any other concept…just choose your concept, find a worksheet, and print!
On day 2, we talked about manipulatives, and on day 4, we talked about technology. Both of these can be used as assessments. For example, you could use popsicle stick manipulatives like these to formatively assess how well students can dictate rhythm patterns with long and short-short or ta and ti-ti (if you are anchored at that center). You could use websites such as Quizizz or Kahoot to assess how well students understand musical concepts. Students can play in teams or individually (but if taking as an assessment, make sure to tell them they have to use their real name!)
Your challenge for today: Decide how you'll assess at one center. Head on over to the Facebook group and post on the Day 5 challenge post with which assessment you plan on using.
>>Click Here to Visit Today’s Post on Facebook.<<
Make sure to tune into our last live training today; I'll be discussing different ways to structure centers for maximum student engagement! There will be an giveaway tonight…so make sure to tune in until the end! And feel free to post on challenges from previous days if you're just getting to them!
It's been so much fun to share and collaborate with you! See you at 7 p.m. Eastern!