An innovative Olympus High School Music-Instrumental Teacher, Tim McMurray, seized the opportunity to apply for a secondary schools technology grant offered by the Educational Technology Department during the 2017-18 school year. He knew some classroom practices could be transformed using technology, allowing students to learn in a way not previously possible without it.

Mcmurray received 20 Alesis Q25 Midi Keyboards as part of the grant application he submitted. Students use the keyboards and Chromebooks alongside several online learning programs to enhance their classroom experience. With these resources, students have greater opportunity to interact with each other as well as to individually supplement their classwork. Shown here, the students in McMurray’s class are using an online tool called multiplayerpiano.com.

Way to go Mr. McMurray for making this unique learning experience possible for your students!

Spotlight authored by Teresa Bruin, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader. Originally published in our May 2018 GSD Ed Tech Newsletter, emailed to all Granite School District teachers.

Here’s a bonus tweet from Mr. McMurray’s classroom by Keith Smedberg, Library Media Educational Technology Specialist at Olympus High School:

Just using some keyboards plugged into chromebooks and headphones. Somehow this is studying for an AP test! @Olympus_High @TheOlyCenter thank you @EdTechGSD pic.twitter.com/BFldY2VZn1

— Keith Smedberg (@ksmedberg) May 1, 2018