These are my 5 favorite tech things in my music room make my life easier on a daily basis. Check out the count down below for the links of my exact devices! Fav Tech #5: Bluetooth Karaoke Machine with Microphones This stereo has several different inputs from auxiliary, USB, USBC and Bluetooth. Charging time is quite short and depending on duration of use, will last for most of the day. I usually do a recharge over lunch just to be safe. This particular model comes with a shoulder strap for convenience when going outside. The two microphones come in handy when we are outside to communicate with the students, especially when it comes to transitions. The volume is much louder than my voice. The range of the Bluetooth is pretty standard. However, I find that the range from my smartwatch to phone is a bit broader. I leave my phone near the stereo and use the controls on my watch. This affords me the opportunity to play with the students. The sound quality of this speaker is A-MAZING! We like to play a musical version of “Floor is Lava.” When the music plays, the students have to be moving around on the ground. When the music pauses, they have to get off the ground as quickly as they can (onto the swings, play structure, up a tree, etc.). The last person off of the ground is out. However, in the summer the last person will have a water balloon thrown at them (if they like). The downside: There are no controls to adjust treble/bass levels. Also, batteries for the speaker, microphones and remote are all separate. I don’t need to use the remote often, so this doesn’t matter to my use as much. Fav Tech #4: Multi-USB Extender After having the division upgrade all of the teacher-computers, the laptop I use only has two USB ports. I use a wireless mouse, a presentation pointer, and I also have my smartboard all need to be plugged into the laptop. This gadget is plugged into one of my ports, with the smartboard plugged into the other. Into this gadget are the dongles for my wireless devices, with two free ports for an external disk drive, USB or other things. The buttons allow me to turn the ports on or off without needing to remove the dongles. Fav Tech #3: The Portable Monitor Another saving grace! This monitor comes with the option of its own power supply OR it works off of your computer. There are two cables: USB and HDMI that plug into your computer to operate. There is one button on the back that controls screen settings such as brightness. Most of the other controls can be found in the settings on your hard drive. Personally, I like to extend my display for several reasons. I like having a blank document open while I’m teaching in order to record data throughout the class. Whether that is progress of the lesson itself or the improvement a student has experienced. I also make note of absence patterns or create reminders of things that need to be completed. I keep this info in a Google doc so that I can refer back to specific days when need be. This screen also comes in handy when it is report card season. It saves me some time when working in my gradebook so that I don’t have to keep flipping between screens. It doesn’t seem like much, but it is actually a huge time saver! During performance season, I have the music ready to go on one screen, and my lesson plan on the other. It helps me to stay organized and never to lose my music. Fav Tech #2: Thrifted Electric Organ This organ was technically a hand-me-down. But the students LOVE it! It was a key element in our video game music unit last year and has always been a popular request during free play. It has since been incorporated into the daily musician routine of our conductor. See this post for more info. The demographic I work in has many new-comer families who don’t necessarily have the opportunity of sending their students for privatized music lessons. This has allowed an exposure to an “unusual” instrument that they can experience first-hand. They learn where “middle C” lives, experiment with the many keyboards, and figure out what the different button settings do. The students who do participate in private lessons get to play a song that they have learned. They can bring their books or play from memory. This alleviates the requests to “play for the class” without having a formal recital or having to decline each student. The answer goes from “no” to “when it’s your turn.” This year, I hope to also turn the organ into a center. I found these note stickers that I put on the keys. My plan is to create a secret code that will require the organ to decode. Fav Tech #1: Presentation Pointer/ Mouse Clicker/ Laser Pointer This is my newest tech discovery! Upon receiving the new smart board, I needed a way to switch the slides from a greater distance. Usually any pointer will be compatible with PowerPoint, Slides and other generic presentation forums. Our division has switched to Lumio platforms (yes, a Google Platform, but not compatible with a simple up/down clicker) so the only way to switch the slides is by touching the smartboard or by using the computer mouse. The clicker below has a mouse activation button that allows the clicker to function as a mouse. Clicking the function on lets the pointer be your computer mouse! It has a left button and right button so all options are on the table. Additionally, the pointer functions as a smart pen on the smartboard whiteboard application. The downside: It is USB rechargeable. I prefer my clickers to have batteries, but that is just a personal preference. I’ve had this clicker for about two weeks and…
