Web+2.0+Tools+for+Teaching+Music

__**Classic Cat ([|http://www.classiccat.net]) **__

This site is great for a school that may not have access to an extensive  classical library. You can search and download multiple, classical music performances so that students can access them at home. It is an extensive site covering major composers as well as a smattering of lesser known people. You can search the site by composer, but you can also search by instrument which allows teachers to discuss orchestration and have the students find out for themselves what each instrument sounds like. It also served as a way for students to begin exploring on their own without the irking of a teacher.

__**Penzu ([]) **__

Penzu is an online 'diary' that is completely private (if you want it to be). You must have a valid email in order to sign up for it and of course, there is a version that can be paid for; however, the free version is very user friendly. The benefit in a classroom is that it is a modern day journal. You can write in it openly, insert pictures and links, email it to people and customize it to your liking for students that prefer to use computers rather than paper. When you add photos, it can be hard   to size them properly for the page. It allows for more of a 'collage-style' journal entry as opposed to an entry made of strictly writing.

In a classroom, this is a way to have students do homework online (ie. listening to specific pieces, composing) and then respond to them as they go. You can also have them paste any sources directly into the document AND you can take advantage of any multimedia that may apply to the assignment by having it put right into the journal. If a piece makes them think of a picture, they can paste it right onto the page so that we can see what they mean. The journal pages can also be locked, so if it is something the student vented about and doesn't want you to see, they can make it private. I see this as a great homework assignment in a Music Appreciation class.