My students come in all different ages and degrees of ability. I have several special needs students that integrate into my regular elementary music classroom on a regular basis. Often these students struggle playing classroom musical instruments by themselves due to a disability.
Our school is located in a small central Missouri community.
We are K-12 under one roof. I teach K-6 music classes in our school. Over the last few years I have had random students in several classes that were not able to play the music instruments in the classroom, due to their disability and/or handicap. While attending our state music conference this year I was introduced to music being performed on an iPad with the performers using the iPad as a musical instrument. I also attended a session led by a music professor from a university in Florida, and he addressed using this concept with special needs students. Using the iPad allowed these students to create and play music on their own, even though they may have a handicap that would limit their ability to play a traditional musical instrument. I also liked that most of these students were able to make the music on their own without help from an aid.
My Project
I envision having an iPad in my classroom that students, particularly special needs students, are able to use to create music. With the purchase of a few inexpensive apps. (Garage Band and Thumb Jam) these students will be able to experiment on the iPad and create their own music.
The addition of an iPad to use for creating music could make a major impact for at least five special needs students in my classes.
All of these students already love music - evident by the way they participate already in my music classes. The use of the iPad to create music would give these students a hands on "musical instrument" to make music with.
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