Tips for using a visualiser in Art, Crafts and Music lessons at all key stages

Chris Deeley is Managing Director of Elementary. He has nearly 20 years' experience in the Audio Visual (AV) Industry servicing schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions with AV solutions. In 2009, recognising the potential educational benefits of Visualisers, Chris launched thevisualisershop.com (a division of Elementary) the only dedicated comparison website to sell Visualisers to customers across the UK and Eire. Since it launch, the business has fast developed a high level of expertise and knowledge in advising a wide range of education sector customers on Visualisers and document camera solutions, with free demonstrations available for educational establishments.

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Whether you’re about to invest in visualisers for your classroom, or already have one and are looking for new ways to use it, here is the fourth article in our series looking at maximising the effectiveness of visualisers across different subjects.

Here we are looking at music, arts, crafts and design classes. Below you will find practical tips on using visualisers to help pupils explore their creativity:

Music lessons at KS1 and KS2

Record and play music in the background so the children can sing over with lyrics shown on the screen.

Teach the class how to read music.

Project the words to a song and ask the children to annotate during discussion of the meaning.

Music lessons at KS3 and KS4

Record students’ performances, play back and give feedback.

Give a live demonstration on a keyboard to show how to play scales and chords.

Demonstrate how to tune an instrument.

Art and crafts lessons at KS1 and KS2

Ask the children to add contributions to a mood board. Or make a collage and take snap shots as items are added.

Students can closely observe intricate techniques such as moulding clay and making perfect brush strokes.

Use the snap shot feature to create a time-lapse photography project.

Let the children create a puppet show and video it.

Art and design lessons at KS3 and KS4

Create simple stop motion animation films by using the freeze frame option.

Demonstrate paint mixing and art techniques.

Examine the properties of different types of fabrics or other materials.

Use a split screen function to always keep workshop safety rules up while using for other purposes.

Demonstrate needlework techniques and record how to create different effects, and then leave playing in a loop.

Project images for composition work that can be captured and re-arranged using an interactive whiteboard.

Zoom in to show the different parts, icons and uses of a digital camera.

Demonstrate how to perform origami.

This list is not exhaustive and we would be delighted to hear of other ways that teachers have used a visualiser to enhance the teaching across any creative subject. If you know of any more innovative techniques that you might have applied in your classroom or other learning spaces, please share it with us in the comments section below.