8 easy ideas for creating better music room resources in Google Slides

8 easy ideas for creating better music room resources in Google Slides

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 Upper High School Students

Template from Slidesmania, used for lower Middle 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
Google Slides used as a music journal for Middle School. Template provided by Slidesmania

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.
Template (slidescarnival) adapted to a practice journal. These pages can easily be copied and pasted. 
Practice evidence can be quickly added.

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! 

Google Slides How to make a copy of a presentation.

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. 

Google Slides The picture can be cropped to any desired shape available in the crop function.

Using the crop function to show pictures in a desired shape. 

Google Slides The picture can be cropped to any desired shape available in the crop function.

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.

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.

View of “edit theme” in Google slides. 

By selecting the “background button” one can choose a photo to change the layout

View of “edit theme” in Google slides.

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.

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. 

Google Slides In presentation mode, pressing “L” turns your mouse into a 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. 

Google Slides Downloading the presentation as PDF to use as handout.

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! 

Download your copy

Would you like to take a copy of this with you? Click the button below and a copy of this will be sent directly into your inbox.

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.

MMC Mockup new

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.

Learn more and take a sneak peek inside

2 Comments

  1. Jeninote May 22, 2022 at 12:44 pm - Reply

    Some great tips! I never knew about the “L” shortcut for a laser pointer when presenting!

  2. […] 8 easy ideas for creating better music room resources in Google Slides […]

Leave A Comment

You might also like...

Introducing

The Midnight Music Community

An online community where music tech professional development, lesson ideas, and accountability come together.
Ultimate Free Music Tech Resource Guide Guide 2023/24

Download Now for FREE...

The Ultimate Music Tech Resources Guide for 2023-2024

Claim your copy of our annual guide to free music technology resources, designed especially for music teachers. Discover interactive music websites, software, productivity tools, and assessment resources you can use in your music classroom for free.

Follow Me on Social Media

PRIVACY POLICY

This is the Privacy Policy for the Midnight Music website located at www.midnightmusic.com (“Site”).

The Site is operated by Midnight Music Pty Ltd ABN 87 619 652 603 (“Midnight Music” or “Company” or “we” or “us”).

Midnight Music understands the importance of protecting your personal information and undertakes to adhere to this privacy policy at all times to ensure your personal information is effectively safeguarded.

Information you provide to us

The Site provides various places for users to provide information. We collect information that users provide by filling out forms on the Site, communicating with us via contact forms, responding to surveys, search queries on our search feature, providing comments or other feedback, providing information when ordering a product or service via the Site, and other circumstances where collecting personal information is reasonable and permitted by the Laws of the State of Victoria, Australia.

We use information you provide to us to deliver the requested product and/or service, to improve our overall performance, and to provide you with offers, promotions, and information.

Information we collect through automatic data collection technology

As you navigate through the Site, we may use automatic data collection technologies including Google Analytics to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns. This will generally include information about your location, your traffic pattern through our Site, and any communications between your computer and our Site. Among other things, we will collect data about the type of computer you use, your Internet connection, your IP address, your operating system, and your browser type.

The information we collect automatically is used for statistical data and will not include personal information. We use this data to improve our Site and our service offerings. To the extent that you voluntarily provide personal information to us, our systems will associate the automatically collected information with your personal information.

Use of cookies and pixels

Similar to other commercial websites, our Site utilises a standard technology called “cookies” and server logs to collect information about how our site is used. Information gathered through cookies and server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our site, and the websites visited just before and just after our own, as well as your IP address.

A cookie is a very small text document, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier. When you visit a website, that site’s computer asks your computer for permission to store this file in a part of your hard drive specifically designated for cookies. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser’s preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites.

The Company reserves the right to use technological equivalents of cookies, including social media pixels. These pixels allow social media sites to track visitors to outside websites so as to tailor advertising messages users see while visiting that social media website. The Company reserves the right to use these pixels in compliance with the policies of the various social media sites.​

How we manage personal information

Midnight Music undertakes to take all commercially reasonable steps to ensure that all personal information collected by us is accurate, up-to-date, complete and stored securely. When your personal information is no longer required for the purposes which Midnight Music uses personal information, all commercially reasonable steps will be undertaken to securely destroy that information.

How your personal information will be used

We use personal information for purposes of presenting our Site and its contents to you, providing you with information, providing you with offers for products and services, providing you with information about your subscriptions and products, carrying out any contract between you and the Company, administering our business activities, providing customer service, and making available other items and services to our customers and prospective customers.
From time-to-time, we may use the information you provide to us to make you offers to purchase products and services provided by third parties in exchange for a commission to be paid to us by such third parties. Should you opt to take part in such promotions, the third parties will receive your information.

Disclosure of your information

Midnight Music considers personal information we collect about you to be confidential and will not disclose such information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

  • Where you have consented to your personal information being provided to a third party;
  • Where Midnight Music is required by law to disclose your information; and
  • Gaining access to your personal information held by Midnight Music

Except in circumstances where access to your personal information may be denied by the Privacy Act or other Law of the State of Victoria, Australia, your personal information will be provided to you upon request.

Visitors’ General Data Protection Regulation rights

If you are within the European Union, you are entitled to certain information and have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These include the following:

  • We will retain the any information you choose to provide to us until: (a) you ask us to delete the information; (b) we decide to cease using our existing data providers; or (c) the Company decides that the value in retaining the data is outweighed by the costs of retaining it.
  • You have the right to request access to your data that the Company stores and the rights to either rectify or erase your personal data.
  • You have the right to seek restrictions on the processing of your data.
  • You have the right to object to the processing of your data and the right to the portability of your data.
  • To the extent that you provided consent to the Company’s processing of your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based upon consent that occurred prior to your withdrawal of consent.
  • You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority that has jurisdiction over issues related to the General Data Protection Regulation.
  • We require only the information that is reasonably required to enter into a contract with you. We will not require you to provide consent for any unnecessary processing as a condition of entering into a contract with us.

Contact us

Should you have any queries in relation to the above or require further information regarding the Privacy Policy please contact us:

Midnight Music Pty Ltd
PO Box 219
Glen Waverley
Victoria 3150
AUSTRALIA

Email address: support@midnightmusic.com