The variety of methods for distance learning with music has become overwhelming. So today, I thought I’d share two easy ideas that you can use, whether you’re expected to have detailed lesson plans each week or provide optional activity ideas that don’t require any tech. Best of all, these ideas emphasize the healing power of music and student autonomy.
1. MUSIC CHOICE BOARDS
Choice boards are by far my favorite idea for teaching music from home. I’ve seen a variety; some are formatted like a BINGO game, others lean more heavily into tech, such as hyperdocs. Some are simply grids with music choice activities that include singing and playing instruments. I like the idea that students get to choose how they make music. Hopefully choice boards allow parents to have a more hands-off approach as they attempt to juggle working full-time and helping their kids with schoolwork.
I’ve listed a few of my favorites below. All are free to download.
- Jennifer Bailey’s Music at Home BINGO
- Jennifer’s resource requires minimal tech and is suggested for grades K-8
- My Fortune Cookie Music Activities
- This resource requires no tech and is suggested for lower elementary
- My Music Choice Board Template
- I created this super simple template so that you own customize your own choice board
2. STUDENT & TEACHER-CREATED PLAYLISTS
Music Educators Creating Online Learning and E-Learning in Music Education are THE places to go for ideas on getting your students to create music at home. My favorite ideas that have come from this group are the ones that ask students to curate their own playlists. However, there are also fantastic video playlist suggestions for teachers as well.
- Students create a “pandemic playlist” that lifts their spirits and share it with everyone via Youtube
- The healing power of music is alive in this lesson idea, you can read all the details HERE
- Be sure to search “playlist” within these FB groups for even more ideas
- Students choose from pre-selected playlists to find their favorite for a class discussion board
- There are 65 playlists to choose from via Classical MPR Playlists
- Teachers create a playlist of playalong videos for singing or playing instruments using found objects
- Musication is a great for playing along with instruments or found objects
- The SingtoKids Youtube Channel is a FANTASTIC resource for singalongs and movement activities (including freeze dance)
- Teachers create a playlist for upper elementary and secondary general music classes
- This playlist was shared in the E-learning in Music Education FB Group; it has all of the music-related TedEd videos, which would be great for older students to respond to and discuss
