Last week, Bryson Tarbet and his amazing team at thatmusicteacher.com hosted a free online summer professional development conference called the Elementary Music Summit. This event was tailored for elementary music educators, offering sessions focused on their specific needs. The event was sponsored by Musically Minted and Music is Elementary.

The summit showcased a lineup of workshops and sessions led by seasoned music teachers and industry experts. The primary objective was to equip attendees with practical teaching strategies, techniques, and classroom-ready resources.

Key Highlights of the Summit included:

• Workshops and Sessions covering a range of topics like classroom management, lesson planning, technology integration, and diverse musical traditions.

• Expert Speakers delivering presentations and workshops led by respected music educators and professionals.

• Resource Sharing providing access to teaching materials, lesson plans, and other valuable resources.

• Networking Opportunities allowing music educators to connect, share insights, and foster a professional community.

• Focus on Inclusivity offering strategies for creating an inclusive classroom environment that caters to all students.

Takeaways

• There were numerous insightful takeaways from the conference that resonated with me:

  • Embracing recorders in the elementary music classroom can be beneficial, although it may not suit every educator.

  • The recurring theme of "You do you" emphasized the importance of adapting teaching methods to suit individual teaching scenarios and student needs. However, remember to help all students feel included and safe in your classroom.

  • Repetition plays a crucial role in the learning process, as reiterated by several presenters, highlighting its effectiveness in helping students grasp concepts.

  • A wealth of resources were shared by presenters, including free materials, session slide decks, and access to session recordings for 24 hours.

  • The All Access Pass offered valuable benefits such as extended access to sessions for a year and additional resources provided by presenters.

  • The conference featured 27 outstanding presenters who shared practical insights and strategies for adapting to diverse teaching environments.

Free Online Tech Resources

In my session focusing on Free Tech Resources for elementary music educators, various tools were introduced to enhance music education. These resources encompassed music sub plans, creative platforms, virtual instruments, AI song generators, and web-based audio tools like editors and mixers. Additional resources included one-stop solutions like Clipchamp and Canva. For a comprehensive list of shared links, please check out my session Wakelet.

The conference was a remarkable experience for elementary music educators. I highly recommend attending their upcoming online conferences for valuable insights and inspiration.

Coming soon!