INCOMPETECH - Royalty free music

Image courtesy of Music and the Mac

Royalty free music is music that is allowed to be used in the classroom and doesn't breach copyright laws (covered under Creative Commons agreement) Incompetech is a website that provides royalty free music to be downloaded.

Music has a number of uses in the classroom. It can be used to motivate and engage all types of learning styles (multiple intelligences), create a mood in the room, and promote creativity in the students when they compose their own works containing music. It is a powerful tool when used effectively.

I downloaded a piece of music called "Deliberate Thoughts". This music could be used in the classroom to accompany a powerpoint or photostory for greater impact of the message. It is a calming music, and would be used to support a 'serious' topic, such as effects of global warming on our wildlife. This type of music could also be played as background music in the classroom, when children are having 'reflection time'. Another use for this piece could be when teaching students dance. They could dance using slow floating movements to express themselves creatively.

Music offers the students another tool for student- centred learning, to make their works unique and an expression of their character. Music could also be used in group task to meaningfully engage students in a worthwhile task to produce a product of value in the real world, for real world feedback (Kearsley and Shneiderman, 1999) .