Seven great ed-tech tools for music instruction

Here are seven music apps, tools, and websites for use in the classroom, courtesy of Common Sense Media and its new Graphite service.

As we reported recently, new research confirms that music education can help close student achievement gaps and enhance learning in other subjects. Here are seven music apps and websites for use in the classroom, courtesy of Common Sense Media and its new Graphite service—a free database of teacher-written reviews of ed-tech tools.

 

Flocabulary

Learning rating: 4 (out of 5)

Grade range: K-8

What is it? Schoolhouse Rock meets Tupac in this delightful, hip-hop-based platform.

Pros: Smart songs are helpful and catchy; they hit all the right spots to satisfy both teachers and students.

Cons: There aren’t too many songs for the sciences or social studies, and advanced topics aren’t addressed as much as simpler ones.

Bottom line: Flocabulary is savvy enough to keep kids focused, and teachers will be tapping their toes to see that this unorthodox learning method actually works.

Review: http://www.graphite.org/website/flocabulary