Click image to view it larger.
I use iTunes to organize my teaching music. I sort my songs into playlists, for example “Alphabet”, “Math”, “Movement”, “Rhythm Sticks”, etc. Now, iTunes even allows you to make folders for playlists (and folders within folders). This is useful because I separate my “School” music from my “Personal” music in folders. Then, I can use folders to organize my “Songs with Props” playlists (rhythm sticks, bean bags, rhythm instruments, castanets, etc.) I have also started making a playlist for each month, and I organize those playlists into a folder called “Months”. It is much easier to find the song I need and I don’t have to change out CDs. I play the songs from an iPod with speakers. At the beginning of the year, I put “iPod with speakers” on our classroom wishlist, never expecting to actually get one, but one of the parents donated their barely used iPod and bought the speakers to go with it.
People often ask me how I organize my playlists. These are my folders and playlists. I most recently added the “Months” folder, and I think I find that most useful, but I still make use of the other folders and playlists at times, so I didn’t want to delete those.
Folder: Months
- A Playlist for each month, August through May
Folder: Props
- Bean Bags
- Instruments
- Props (these are miscellaneous props)
- Rhythm Sticks
Folder: Skills
- ABCs
- Calendar
- Colors
- Literacy
- Math
- Science
Folder: Themes
- Bugs
- Christmas
- Community Helpers
- Fairy Tales
- Farm
- Forest
- Nursery Rhymes
- Ocean
- Plants
- Pond
- Space
- Weather
- Wild Animals
These are playlists that are not in a separate folder:
- Lullabies
- Birthday
- Books (audio books)
- Clean Up
- Free Dance
- Movement
- Sing (mostly traditional songs that are good for singing)
{This post updated June 2011}
Find more Tech for Teachers ideas.
