This is a guest article written by: Elisabeth (Lisi) Bottoms
Introduction
While presentations are a big part of Google Slides, there are many other ways it can come in handy for a music teacher.
Here are just a few ideas:
- As a starting point for group research projects
- As a process or music journal
- As a practice journal
- As a lesson guide or for a project layout
In this blog, I’ll show you some simple ways that I use Google Slides to create teaching tools and resources in my music classroom and my students. Additionally, you’ll learn some quick tips to make using Google Slides even easier!
#1: Save Time with Templates!
As music teachers, most of us are constantly short on time. Using templates to create your slideshows is a big time saver. You can either create your own template and adjust it every time you use it, or visit some of the free sites that provide fabulous templates.
Here are some of my favorite places.
I really like adjusting the template to match the grade level and the topic.
Here are some examples:
Template from Slidesmania,used for Upper High School Students
Template from Slidesmania, used for lower Middle School Students
Providing Templates as a Basis for Group Work
Group work is always a great way to engage students. However, often too much time is spent with the technicalities and too often students, especially my middle schoolers, can get easily distracted by the many options available. By creating a template and sharing this with the different groups, they can focus on the musical essentials and cut down the time discussing the layout.
#2: Journals
Process Journals or Music Journals
In our school, we ask students to keep a process journal or music journal. This is a living document that includes text, videos, audio, pictures, drawings which documents their growth as musicians. I tried out many different formats and finally settled on using Google Slides for it. It is a place where all formats can be stored, easily edited and the slides can be organized in a variety of ways – either chronologically or by theme.
For younger students, I prefer to scaffold the journal, while high school students have a high degree of liberty.
Google Slides used as a music journal for Middle School. Template provided by Slidesmania
Practice Journals
Keeping a practice journal is often a good idea to remind students of their daily practice. When I used the paper practice journals, it was easy to simply write down the minutes. By using Google Slides as a journal, the students can add evidence of their practice, as well as include videos of interpretations they like.
Template (slidescarnival) adapted to a practice journal. These pages can easily be copied and pasted.
Practice evidence can be quickly added.
#3: Using Google Slides to Guide Your Lesson
One way I use Google Slides the most often is when creating a full lesson plan. I love the fact that I can virtually link anything in Google Slides! Never again will I have to click out of my presentation to show a video, play a musical example, stop to have the student answer questions, work on a doc or a form, or make a jamboard. Everything is in one place and nothing can get lost.
When it is time to teach similar content with a different class, all I have to do is either make a copy of the slides or only export the specific slides of my “master presentation”. Proper labeling of the new presentation is key to avoid future mix up but it can be a immense time saver for planning your lessons!
How to make a copy of a presentation.
#4 Enhancing Slides with Pictures
Using Pictures and the “Explore” Button
A picture is worth a thousand words. But where can you find them? One very simple way to find royalty free pictures is Pixabay.com.
Another, often overlooked feature is the “explore button” at the bottom right in the google slides.
Finding the explore button in google slides.
Once clicked, it opens up a side panel where you can search for content or images on the web, or your own drive, that has used the same words. When you click on the plus button, it automatically inserts the picture into your presentation. I appreciate the fact that it also adds the source of your image – but it is only visible when you edit it.
I sometimes surprise myself with the fact I have already done a document or presentation on that topic. A true time saver!
Reshaping Your Pictures
To give your illustrations a professional look, you can easily change the shape of the picture. To do so, you need to click on the picture and then look for the crop sign.
Using the crop function to show pictures in a desired shape.
The picture can be cropped to any desired shape available in the crop function.
#5: Add Musical Notation
Sometimes, a short musical illustration is needed. Using the add-on Flat for Docs is just the right program for it. Once you have installed it and opened the add on, you see a screen similar to the one below. With just a few clicks, you can add a short musical notation. You can even add text, ornaments, articulation and choose from a few pre selected layouts.
It is truly intuitive and you can listen back to the notation to check if you have inserted it the correct way. Unfortunately, one cannot listen to the notated notes in the presentation itself yet. However, I am confident that this feature will be added soon.
A true bonus is the fact that the notation is inserted with the background already removed – fitting seamlessly into your presentation.
Flat for Doc – screen that appears when opening the add on.
Notice the added musical notation circled in red below. One can easily reposition the transparent image and resize the musical notation.
#6: Changing the Background of Your Presentation.
The background of the presentation can be altered and adds that special touch to your presentation.
I used this very elegant template but wanted to add the Vienna State Opera house to it, since we attended the performance there. To do this, I need to edit the template.
You can find the edit button under “edit theme”. This takes you to a different look of the template.
View of “edit theme” in Google slides.
By selecting the “background button” one can choose a photo to change the layout.
And now, I have the template with the Vienna State Opera house integrated. My students actually noticed it!
When you are happy with the result, you can leave the editing function by clicking on the x in the top right corner.
Exiting the editing function in google slides.
#7: Sharing Your Presentation
When it is time to share your presentation, there are a few tips, which will make the process easier. By exchanging the word “/edit” with “/present” in the web address of your Google Slides file, the presentation automatically opens in presentation view mode. A simple way to look even more professional and save time in a busy class.
When I present, I also like to use the laser pointer to direct the attention of the students to the correct part of the slide. In presentation mode, simply press “L” and you have a built in laser pointer.
In presentation mode, pressing “L” turns your mouse into a laser pointer.
#8: Using Google Slides to Create a Handout
Once I have used the presentation, I sometimes like creating a handout for students. When doing this, I select the relevant content pages, skip the introduction and other pages (which were only relevant for this particular lesson) and export the pages which contain the content I need into a PDF.
If I want to export the entire presentation, I simply pull up the presentation, go to “file” – “download” and select the desired format.
Downloading the presentation as PDF to use as handout.
If I only want to use a few slides of the presentation, I repeat the steps mentioned before. I select the slides I want to use, make a copy (and label it “handout of”) and download it then as a PDF.
Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning some new helpful tips & tricks for Google Slides!
What is your favorite way to use Google Slides in your music classroom?
Do you have a tip you’d like to share?
Leave a comment below!
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About the author
Elisabeth (Lisi) Bottoms is currently the Department Leader for Performing Arts at Vienna International School and Resource Developer for the International Baccalaureate. She loves sharing her passion for teaching music on her website https://www.internationalmusicnavigator.com/
Looking for More Resources for Music Teachers?
Hello! I’m Katie Argyle – an Australian music technology trainer and consultant with a passion for helping music teachers through my business Midnight Music.
I’m a qualified teacher but no, I don’t currently teach in a school. I help teachers through my online professional development space – the Midnight Music Community – where there are tutorial videos, courses, links and downloadable resources.
I like to focus on easy ways to incorporate technology into what you are already doing in your music curriculum through a range of creative projects. I also run live workshops and have presented at countless conferences and other music education events.
If you want simple, effective ideas for using technology in music education, I would LOVE to help you inside the Midnight Music Community.
2 Comments
Some great tips! I never knew about the “L” shortcut for a laser pointer when presenting!
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