The SmartMusic Gradebook always offers you full access to every assignment your students have submitted; simply click on the Gradebook tab in SmartMusic 2010. You can even access this info from a computer that doesn't have SmartMusic installed by visiting http://www.smartmusic.com/gradebook. Of course your students (and their parents) similarly have 24/7 access to their submitted assignments. However, you may wish to periodically save off a subset or sampling of each student's work; in other words, a portfolio. This week I'll share some tips on how you can use the SmartMusic Gradebook to easily save specific recordings and assessments to create a student portfolio.
To make this all work, you will need to create a system of organization. I'd suggest starting by creating a folder for each group you teach, and indicate the year. For example, if you teach both a beginning and an intermediate band your two folders might be named "Beginning Band 2010-2011" and "Intermediate Band 2010-2011."
Inside each folder I'd suggest creating separate folders for each of your students, "Bobby Johnson," "Suzy Garcia," and so on. Within each student folder you might also create another folder including the year, like "Suzy Garcia 2010-2011." Now when you receive student assessments or recordings you wish to save, you have an organized place to keep them.
Now let's look in the Gradebook:
Click on any green speaker icon (I've circled one above) to access the Assignment Review window:
In the Assignment Review window in Gradebook (above), look in the upper right hand corner for the Portfolio button (which I've again circled in red). After this button is pressed, you can select between the screen shot of the student's assessment or the recording:
Clicking on either icon gives you the opportunity to name and save each file as well as determine where the file is saved. Here you'd navigate to the individual student folder you created above, and you'd want to assign an appropriate name like: "First Solo 9-21-2010," "Articulation Evaluation Number 4," or "Mozart Flute Concerto No. 1 in G." It's up to you how detailed you want to get with this.
That's it. You have saved a student's work in his/her portfolio.
You could also type up any comments in a word processing application and save them in this same folder, or include a screen shot of this Assignment Review window.
Here's how:
Windows users: Press the Print Screen (PrtScn) button on your computer's keyboard, then open up Paint and type Ctrl-v to paste the screen shot into Paint. You can then get to Paint's File menu and choose "Save As..."
Mac users: Press Command+Shift+4. The cursor will turn into a cross-hair. Outline the window by dragging and then release. You now have a picture of the Recording and Assessment window. Rename the file as "My" Comments (substitute "My" with your name) and put it in the student's folder for the assignment.
Again, a portfolio contains a sampling of a student's work so you don't have to go through this process for every single recording - just those you deem appropriate. Next year you can copy this year's portfolio into the folders of your continuing students so you have quick access to both years' work - and so on. Imagine if this process is started in middle school and continued through high school!
SmartMusic and the Gradebook can definately help you document each student's individual progress. I hope this helps you get started.
Subscribe