Don’t just learn GarageBand.

Learn how to teach your students to create music with it!

Award winning teacher and author Barbara Freedman will give you tips, techniques and all the tools you’ll need to teach music through the creative process of composition. You will leave with lesson plans, student assignment sheets, MIDI files, audio files and pdf files to use in your classroom to teach music for all your students to be successful composers and creators of music. These lessons were designed with the beginning music student in mind and contain modifications for use with younger students and students with special needs. A copy of  Barbara’s book: “Teaching Music Through Composition: A Curriculum Using Technology” will be included with the course.

This course is offered online in ten (10) Units. Participants will log into a secure Learning Management System, MusicEdTech Moodle Classroom, to receive course materials including readings, lesson plans for teaching with GarageBand, assignments for student use, video instruction on how to use the software, video instruction on teaching with GarageBand, pertinent audio, MIDI files and assignments for participants. Assignments simulate student assignments in the lesson plans to demonstrate content and technical proficiency. Participants will share work and comment on other participants work via our online, secure classroom.

Teaching Music with GarageBand includes:

  • 10 session course delivered asynchronously. Learn on your own schedule within the course weeks.
  • A copy of the book “Teaching Music Though Composition: A Curriculum Using Technology”
  • Materials to use in your classroom including Student Assignment Sheets, audio, MIDI and videos files, not just for the first 8 Units (17 lessons) covered in this course but for all 29 Units (68 lessons) in the book.
  • All course materials to complete the course.
  • FREE subscription to macprovideo.com for the duration of the course.

 

Participants will:

  • work directly with standards-based curriculum materials, primarily the book Teaching Music Through Composition: A Curriculum Using Technology, with guidance from the instructor, so they understand how the content, pedagogy, technology, assessment, and computer lab management issues interplay in the implementation process.
  • understand the basic functions of the music software GarageBand through a direct experience with the curricular materials by implementation of the student assignments.
  • understand music technology terminology and how it is used in the creation of digital music compositions and be able to use the technology to complete a variety of music composition assignments within the curriculum.
  • present their compositions throughout the course for feed back from the instructor and other participants.
  • develop a repertoire of language to teach to students to intelligently assess and comment on the aesthetic of music.
  •  discuss common implementation issues such as content issues, pedagogical issues including music lab management, specific music technology issues, and alternative assessment in the music classroom


By the end of this course you will know and be able to:

  • teach your students to use GarageBand as a tool to manipulate and save compositions
  • teach your students basic music technology terminology
  • understand the basic and advanced equipment available for a computer lab
  • understand issues of and solutions for music lab classroom management
  • know the difference and utilization of software instrument and audio tracks
  • distinguish and use MIDI and audio regions
  • implement classroom management techniques in evaluating student music
  • implement “best practices” in student presentation of music
  • implement“best practices” in student evaluation of peer’s music
  • implement “best practices” in assessment of student music
  • use basic digital effects and their musical use in GarageBand
  • implement the Rhythm States Method for teaching rhythmic notation
  •  manipulate music style, change genres, using digital music technology
  • understand and implement composition techniques for creating original melodies
  • understand and implement composition techniques for creating melodic variations within compositional structure for aesthetic variety and interest

This course is offered during a specific period of time. Courses are delivered in a Standard and Accelerated format. Each format delivers the same content and materials. The course expectations, regardless of format delivery, are the same.

The Standard Format delivers 10 sessions, one per week. The Course Week is Wednesday through Tuesday. Each Unit is made available to participants on Wednesday morning by 8 AM. Participant’s assignments are due by Sunday (midnight EDT) with responses to classmates assignments due Tuesday (midnight EDT).

The Accelerated Format delivers 10 sessions over a 5-week period. The Course Weeks overlap Saturday through Wednesday and Tuesday through Saturday. One Unit is made available on Saturday morning by 8 AM (EST). Participant’s assignments for this Unit are due by Monday (midnight PST) with responses to classmates assignments due Wednesday (midnight PST). Another Unit is made available Tuesday morning by 8 AM (EST). Participant’s assignments for this Unit are due by Thursday (midnight PST) with responses to classmates assignments due Saturday (midnight PST).

For a calendar view of the Accelerated Format, go to this post

For a preview of the MusicEdTech Classroom, please watch the video below:

To learn more about online courses and to determine if it is right for you, go to this page: Online Course FAQ

This course is also offered for 3 Graduates Credits through Endicott College for an additional $300. For more information on graduate credits for this course, go to this page: Graduate Credit

Tuition for the course is $650 and an additional $300 for those who wish to receive three graduate credits.

Click HERE to register for Teaching Music with GarageBand!