iMovie and Flash: Hi-Tech Harmonic Dictation Teaching Assistants
Harmonic dictation is a sine qua non of ear training, and at the same time, one of the most elusive skills to acquire. To instruct learners to identify harmonies, I will demonstrate how two multimedia programs can be engaged as “teaching assistants”: Apple’s iMovie and Macromedia’s Flash. Both can be used to create instructional listening guides, and both can be used to create assessments. The process in iMovie is simple: import a sound track from iTunes, add titles, and export as a QuickTime movie. Flash yields more polished results, but requires specialized programming knowledge.
The distinct advantage of hi-tech listening guides is the ability to synchronize the audio and graphic components, which in this case are a harmony and its label. At each chord change, the label adjusts to identify the new harmony.
Hi-tech listening guides use real musical examples of various styles, genres, textures, and time periods. Suitable excerpts are those that sustain each harmony long enough for the learner to (1) view the label, (2) actively hear the harmony (either audiate or sing aloud), and (3) associate the musical sound with its label. Using Apple’s iMovie and Macromedia’s Flash as “teaching assistants,” hi-tech listening guides (that couple real musical examples with synchronized sound-cum-label) allow students to acquire harmonic listening skills and to demonstrate their ability to take harmonic dictation.
Who Wants to Pass Fundmentals: Clickers in the Classroom
The personal response system (PRS) technology-popularly known as "clickers" and familiar from the tv show "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" is an effective classroom tool that provides instant assessment of a group's understanding. This presentation addresses how PRS technology is used in large-section classes of music fundamentals. Each student has a radio frequency transmitter and uses this device to answerquestions (typically, multiple choice questions). The responses are tabulated and displayed in the form of a bar graph at the end of a designated time period, variable in 15-second increments. This feedback can lead to peer teaching, additional explanation from the professor, or verification that the majority selected the correct answer. The software indicates how many of the students respond to each question, thus providing another indicator of student involvement. Students enjoy using the technology, and attendance has improved since adopting PRS.
This poster display will offer a hands-on demonstration of the technology, along with explanations of the technology, how I use it, and the advantages of using it.