Hi I'm Kev and thanks for stopping by. Here you'll find the latest Tech, Tools, Toys, News and lesson plans for teachers who want to work smarter and keep a step ahead your students. I aim to keep it simple, straight to the point and relevant. Enjoy!
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Here are a great collection of games for junior school students that incorporate literacy and play. I hope you enjoy them.
Monday, May 2, 2011 at 2:00PM | 
Ujam is without a doubt the best free app I have seen pop on the web in the last 12 - 18 months and it is a really fresh and unique piece of software that is going to blow your students minds. Essentially uJam let's anyone create a professional piece of music in minutes by simply singing. No instruments required. ( You must see the video below to believe it.)
Next, the user can edit the style of their music. There are many to choose from and each allows the user to produce something that sounds exactly the way they want it to. After polishing their personal music creation, the user can share it with others. It can be sent privately to a select group of friends or family members or shared with a larger group of fans.
It has some big names behind it including Han's Zimmer and Pharrell and is currently totally free but I get the feeling that may not last. You really need to take a look at the videos below to get an idea of how this amazing app works but I can definitely see this up there with facebook and myspace as internet phenomoenons for teenagers and aspiring stars by the end of the year.
Just about everything Ujam can do is unique. The application guides musicians of all levels to building their own music. Style settings allow users to produce a piece they can be proud of and would want to listen to.
Check it out here.
I'd love to hear your songs and thoughts on uJam
Sunday, January 16, 2011 at 8:34AM | 
This site has copyright-free music by Moby that students can use for their classroom projects. You will need to create an account and can access it here.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 10:24AM |
Use your mouse to play the keyboard. You can also play chords and add drum beats. Don't forget your earphones! Tryour hand at composition or play long to the drum beats. Check it out here.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 9:51AM |
Make no mistake Myna is Garageband in the Browser for mine and is a far superior product to Soundation but Soundation is another great tool for those want to get creative on the web and make some music with minimal fuss. Students and teachers can use this tools as a powerful online sequencer with 11 real time effects, 3 synthesizers, a drum machine and a fully integrated Sound Shop. It has both a free and paid version and is definitely worth a look if music is your thing. Get it here.
Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 7:15AM | 
Just over a month ago I came across Myna from Aviary (click here for the article) an amazing web based audio looper and recorder that really looked and operated much the same as Apples Garageband straight from the browser. This month's gem is Jamstudio which is more focussed on actual music creation in the form a more traditional approach of chords and instruments. I came across this excellent review from Philly Teacher and I highly recommned her site
JamStudio is a free music-making tool created by Dave Edwards, a musician and software engineer who wanted to offer a music-making tool for people wanting to make their own music. Users can create music for free without an account, or they can create an account to save and share the songs they create. It is based on Guitar chords, which are simply laid out by letter. Even a user who is not comfortable with Guitar chords can, after fiddling around a bit, figure out how to make a melody using the simple click-to-add method this site uses for creating a song. Users can also choose a Guitar effect and change the time signature.
JamStudio is FREE! You can still play around with it, even if you don't create an account. It starts off immediately with an animated tutorial that can be repeated as well as a YouTube instructional video for extra help. It also loads fairly quickly for immediate user satisfaction.
To be honest, there aren't many. The only one I can forsee is that many of the outside links are to YouTube, which, as we teachers all know, is usually unavailable. Also, you can't save your work without creating an account, which can cause problems with younger students who are under 18 and/or may not meet the age requirements for an account (I couldn't find the age requirement anywhere on the home page).
JamStudio offers a grant for teachers who want to use the All Access option (normally $10/month) with their students. This allows students to save their mp3's and send them to their teacher.
This online software could easily be used in the classroom with the simple posting of a link to a del.icio.us page or wiki for students to access right away. It could be used by music teachers or by teachers who may want their students to create an original song for a presentation (possibly to avoid copyright issues). Since the grants are available, it's a great resource for teachers/schools/districts who don't have enough funds for programs like GarageBand or want something easily accessible anywhere as an alternative to Audacity.
I may try this with my students after we use GarageBand and ask them how the two compare and what they liked/disliked about each.
I used Jam Studio with a 3rd grade class today and they LOVED it! It actually taught them about music since I had to explain that the # sign meant 'sharp.' They quickly picked up the basics. I find that a class needs to use a program like this at least 2 times to become really comfortable with it and get the full value of it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 10:56AM | 
What is it: I have not really found a product that is even closely comparable to the quality and simplicity of Apple's Garageband for budding musicians and loopers and it would have to be a real selling point for Apple to teenagers who want be creative and create something fresh and cool. Well after about an hour of playtime I have to say that Aviary's multi track Audio Studio Myna is a close second and quite possibly the web cloud based applications I have yet seen.
This multitrack (Maximumof ten) recording studio allows you to record and edit audio through your browser without destroying your original file add a range of audio effects such as pans, loops, fades and publish the final product to your desktop or publish it online via your Aviary account.
Better still Myna comes with a library of riffs from Quantum Tracks that can be used for educational purposes, and a few sound effects from other sources. You can upload your clips to the service as well, and record directly from your computer take your pick.
Finally it looks great and will be a sinch to kids and anyone who has ever used a linear based editing suite such as Garageband, Vegas or Audacity.
How can I use this in the classroom: Make a podcast of a literacy task?- Make a Music track combine the two into a dramatical old style radio theatre piece or simply try and produce your first hip-hop track. Really the sky is the limit with this one and I am sure you will be full of great ideas specific to your kids needs and wants.
My first impressions of this are that it is excellent and a must try for you and your students - Demo Video included below and Myna can be found here.
Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 9:38PM | 
What is it? Masher let’s you easily create a video by mashing together video clips, music tracks and photos. So you can create a video to brag about your holiday, to wish your friend happy birthday, or to show off your creative side and post it up on the web in a number of locations.
Masher has an incredible built-in library of footage and music that you can use in your creations for free. The free video library archive features thousands of high quality clips, including footage from CBS News, BBC Motion Gallery, China Central Television, NHK Japan, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Rip Curl, Huntley Archives and many more. The music has been provided by Audio Networks and Slam, experts in online music and production..
How can I use it in my teaching and learning? Definitely for your older kids high school and up, this can offer them a chance to become an editor or creator to put together a music video clip, documentary or use their own photos to make a pretty funky photostory with some web effects laid over the top.
What level of expertise is required? This is not particularly difficult but your younger students might question the point a little when there are simpler options available. But high school and tertiary students will really appreciate the size and quality of the library. You do need to register to use it which is always another deterrent to quick and simple access.
Masher is available here
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 9:23PM | 
