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A Peek into Technology in the Middle School
This week's look at the Middle School laptop program includes Musical Bytes and Interactive Algebra.
By Anneke Emerson
Directory of Technology Integration
 Musical Bytes
Adamant that laptops enhance (rather than replace) his students’ musicianship, Mr. Salmon has developed a curriculum for his sixth grade students that blends both traditional and digital musical tools. First, students experiment with pitch and melody on xylophones, crafting the backbone of an original piece of music in a “hands on” medium. Once the song begins to take shape, students use the computer program Encore to input their original arrangement into the computer. Encore helps students learn the names of the notes they have chosen and improves their ability to read musical notation. Next, the tune is transferred to the program Garageband, where students can adjust tempo and add instrumentation like guitars, horns, bass and drums. Often students add unconventional sounds as well, such as synthetic animal noises, cartoon “boings” or electronic explosions. Finally, students use the program iMovie to design a music video to compliment their creative compositions. This innovative music curriculum gives students the tools and guidance to become successful “21st century” composers.
Interactive Algebra
Laptops have given the Chandler math department the added flexibility to incorporate new, interactive challenges into classroom instruction. For example, Mr. Adams adds web-based math challenges into his sixth grade lesson plans to vary the style of arithmetic problems his students encounter. In the spring, sixth graders will present math concepts using podcasts, slideshows or movies. Older students in Mrs. Owen and Mr. Carlson’s algebra classes use the program Green Globs to graph linear equations digitally. After a bit of practice with pencil and paper, teams compete to write highly specific equations that hit pre-determined points (green globs) on the computer screen when graphed. Every “hit” scores points for the team. Turn after turn, the competition grows fiercer until one team is crowned champion. New digital resources such as these help enliven the classroom and motivate students to improve their mathematic skills.
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