Personal Learning Network

Over the course of the semester I have learned of a lot of new technology and internet websites, that allow it to be easier to teach music to children in a way they understand. I think my biggest discovery  so far has been the Makey Makey. This tool is in basic terms a controller. When you plug the usb cord into the computer The Makey Makey becomes the space bar the arrow keys and even some of the letters. You then hook these up to wires, and children can use them to create music. To make it work someone has to be holding the ground. This person is essentially the one who makes the sound. Now other children can hold other wires that are attached to other keyboards keys, when they touch the person holding the ground's hand it will make a sound, or vice versa. Of course, the Makey Makey has to be attached to something that will generate noise, so that is where other tools come in. My favorite website to use with the Makey Makey is scratch,mit.edu. This allows you to assign different sounds to different keys so when kids touch the person holding the ground they can play anything from any note to a cat's meow. This tool can be used in any grade level for a variety of different lessons. In elementary school especially, because it is a good way to keep students engaged, and focused, while still teaching them concepts they will need to know if the continue with music throughout their lives. With the Makey Makey you can also make your own instruments, so it can be a good tool to keep your students engaged, while also getting them to be creative. The Makey Makey is good for students with Attention Deficit Disorder because it gives them something the can focus on, and in turn they will be more engaged during class time. The Makey Makey is a very useful tool to use in any classroom at any grade level and I am glad I have added this tool, and the websites that go along with it to my personal learning network. ​