Make amazing music in ALL classrooms for ALL students
Imagine your students making unbelievable sounding music by simply moving their hands through laser beams!
- Play in a group or on their own
- Record and share their performances
- With no complicated learning curve to get started – for them or for you!
Meet the Beamz Interactive Music System and read on for more info about how it's great for all students in every classroom. From primary students right through to budding DJs in secondary school music classrooms (using extra DJ programming software included but not necessary for basic outa-the-box operation).
What about kids in special ed? Perfect! Many features are built right into the Beamz system to support their additional needs.
Don’t just take our word for it. See it in action here by watching Christian, the guy on the left in the video below, working the Beamz at the Opening Session of the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2014 last month. He creates a variety of backing rhythms alongside Kevin on guitar and Lee on GarageBand on his iPad. Seriously cool fun!
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So how does it work?
It's really simple to set up! You just need the Beamz Unit and a laptop (Windows or Mac). Or you can connect the Beamz Unit up to an iPad* or an iPhone.* Download the software or app for mobile devices and you are up and running!
Wanna get a bit more complicated? You don't have to … but if you have students who want to take it much further, then the Virtual DJ software will allow them to interactively remix and record their own unique music. Watch overview videos here.
*Techie notes. A USB cable is provided to connect the Beamz to your laptop. Connection to an iPad or iPhone is via Bluetooth using the Bluetooth dongle supplied with the Beamz. You must be using an iPad 3rd generation or later or an iPhone 4S or later hardware device.
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Works for students in special education too!
Beamz is universally designed so that you can provide as much or as little support needed to ensure a successful experience. Students with autism (ASD), traumatic brain injuries, Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities are highly engaged in the Beamz music-making experience.
Watch the video above to see how engaged the young student with Down Syndrome is in the music session with his teacher.
Students with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injuries and lack of fine or gross motor skills, are all provided equal access to a unique music-making experience too.
Beamz lasers can be triggered in a number of ways accommodating a range of physical abilities.
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Physically interrupting the laser beam with any body part or object, such as head pointers.
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Keyboards and Alternative Keyboards
All twelve instruments sounds, page swapping and rhythm track activation have correlating key equivalents. This enables players to use standard and adaptive keyboards.
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Switches
Make Beamz switch-accessible by connecting a programmable switch interface. Programmable interfaces allow you to pair key commands to specified jack ports. You can then plug in multiple switches for activating instruments sounds, page swapping and rhythm track start/stop. The number of switches is dependent on how many ports are provided on the particular interface device you’re using – the number of jacks vary from model to model.
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Interactive Whiteboards and Touch Screens
The Beamz software interface is a near replication of the Beamz laser controller. Players can activate lasers and function buttons by touching the lasers and buttons on the screens of touchscreen enabled devices – laptops, tablets, iOS devices and interactive whiteboards.
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Tobii EyeGaze
Beamz has created a customised version of its Windows Player Software purposefully designed to work in conjunction with the Tobii eye gaze systems. Learn more here.
Even more ideas for your classroom or therapy practice!
The Beamz team have compiled a heap of activity suggestions to take the brain work out of how to integrate the Beamz into your classroom or therapy sessions! Watch out for more coming from the Spectronics Consultancy Team soon too!
If you enjoyed the Beamz performance … Access more presentations here for the next 12 months!
Did you miss out on a chance to be a part of the dynamic and truly inspirational Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference in Australia last month? Often referred to as the "world's best conference focusing on technologies to support struggling students!" And doesn't EVERY classroom have students with additional learning needs?
Let us help you to feel MUCH more confident in using technology to support these students! A Virtual Registration allows you to be a part of the awesome ILT2014 Conference community with 40 hours of videos (from 27 different presentations) NOW live online for you to view. For viewing now and for the next 12 months. Right in your corner of the world. Ready to share with your colleagues.
And NEW for today! We have just added the 40 hours of recorded sessions as audio files. Ready for you to download to your mobile device and listen to each of the presentations on the go!
- The dynamic Opening Keynote Presentation by Kevin Honeycutt "Trends, Tools and Tactics for 21st Century Learning"
- Behavioural Intervention and Technology: Strategies for Student Success
- Going Google in Education: Must See apps and Ideas
- Full Day Pre-Conference iPad MasterClass: Using iPads to Support Students with Autism in Primary School Years
- Inclusive Learning, Autism and iPad: Our Journey
- Technology and Autism: A Practical Approach
- Digital Content for Students with Learning Difficulties/ Dyslexia/ Low Vision
- Keynote Address: Applying the Research Knowledge Base to Improve Outcomes for Students who Struggle in Reading and Learning
- All ten of the fast-paced five-minute speed-sharing IGNITE Session presentations
- And 30 more hours of presentations!
To sign up for your ILT2014 Conference Virtual Registration visit the registration page.
If you would prefer to register using a School Purchase Order, that is fine too. Just contact us on conference@spectronicsinoz.com and we will make it happen for you. Or complete this PDF Registration Form and forward it to the ILT2014 Conference team at Spectronics.
Ready to Register NOW? Click here to register online!
PS Any questions? Just ask! We are happy to help out with answers.
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