K-5 music course designer Allison Doll is creating lessons that will be taught to about 1,000 elementary students.
Allison Doll is a K-5 music course designer at CCA. This year, she is creating lessons that will be part of edio, CCA’s new learning management system, that will go into effect next school year. Allison shares some of her thoughts about edio in this week’s designer spotlight.
What is your role with edio, the new learning management system?
I was hired this year as the elementary music designer. I am creating all of the courses for grades K-5 music.
How many new music classes will be offered?
There are five classes and they will be grouped by grades.
What has the design process looked like for you?
I’m using the Pearson interactive music curriculum, so that is providing me with a springboard to get the audio I might need, including folk songs, classical pieces, operas and video performances for famous pieces of music. I am provided with lesson plans for those materials. Since it is a cyber learning environment, I am taking those materials and redesigning them for students learning at a distance or online.
This material wasn’t designed for online purposes, so I have to make changes that fit the online learning platform. I’m designing courses for about 1,000 students. I want to make sure they have an engaging experience and can dance, sing and do other music-related activities in different ways.
What new features should students and families be excited about in edio?
I think they will really like a lot of the components or different pieces of the lessons. Not only are we able to nicely display the content for them (e.g., grouping, colors, etc.), but we have other components on the interactive side.
One of my favorite components is the hotspot. You upload a picture and can add little dots to that picture. When the students click the dot, it reveals information. This same component can be used to answer questions. It’s nice because it’s the first LMS that has so many different parts that can be incorporated into one lesson. I think the kids will enjoy all of the aspects.
If there are specific things during a lesson that I feel the learning coach needs to verbally say or physically do, we have these icons we put in and it comes up in blue for the learning coaches to help the learner understand the concept. It’s good because I feel like it encourages learners to step away from the computer and go do an activity. For example, we can suggest students go practice an African dance they just learned with their parent or learning coach.
Will the courses be available to all students?
These will be available to all students. Currently, music classes are optional. In the fall, students will be required to take a music class at each level as a full-year course. My courses are designed with the learning coach as a full participant. I can’t control what goes on at home, but I encourage learning coaches to sit with their child and go through the material. There is no restriction for students who may need extra time.
How does this further the students’ learning experience?
There are more ways for students to showcase what they’re doing. It is easy for them to share with their teacher. Quick knowledge checks can be completed from one lesson to the next. They can do all of these things in the LMS. Previously, there was an extra step.
What has been your favorite part about designing the courses?
I really just like working in edio. I have worked in three other learning management systems prior to this one. This is an incredibly different experience. I think it is easy to learn and easy for outsiders (students and learning coaches) to pick up. I don’t have to rely on outside tools. This LMS houses it all.
