3 things to record with children in general music

As I've mentioned in previous posts, having an app that makes it easy to record on a device that is easy to use and easy to carry means that I am more mindful and therefore have found myself recording MUCH more often than I used to.  Here are my favorite
things to record. 

1. Solo singing - Although I still haven't found enough time to formalize this well...... I record soloists MUCH more often than I used to.  I record them during class, I record them as we line up when they want to share a song they know, I record them when they drop by during their recess and I record them when they audition for a special part.  I only have limited success in capturing recordings from everyone so at this point as long as I am required to give participation grades rather than content mastery grades, I mostly use these solo recordings as positive reinforcement for students who are VERY motivated to share what they know AND as a way to formalize any auditions that I have. 

2. ensemble work - No one is prouder than the class that has mastered an ordinary song on a ordinary day to the point that the work is beautiful and ready to share.  For years I have motivated students to work even to the end of class by gambling that their home room teacher would pick them up a little early with the time to hear our performance.  NOW I don't have to hinge our class motivation on a classroom teachers ability to telapathically read my mind and know that her class is axiously hoping her meeting will get done early.... As you can imagine..... we don't often have an audience..... BUT when I record something wonderful, I can share it in a variety of ways with the homeroom teacher who can then watch at her convienance. 

3. Student thinking - Sometimes the best evidence of learning is found not in the performance, but in the process.  I've found that some of my favorite moments of audio this year have come out of our composer centers where my students talked through what they were thinking.