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Sidebar Part 7 of 11: Leaderboard

Dec 30, 2023 | App Features

In this series of articles, we’re highlighting the different options found in the SproutBeat Navigation Sidebar. Part 7 covers the seventh icon: Leaderboard

Who doesn’t love a bit of friendly competition, right? At SproutBeat, students earn points for every completed assignment, but what’s the fun in just collecting points? We’ve got an awesome system in place that lets you turn these points into your very own reward system–the assignment leaderboard.

Let’s break down what these labels mean:

Understanding the labels

HW Done – a quick way to check how much homework your students have completed within a specific timeframe
Points – the points earned by students during this period
Point Balance – shows the total points available for students to redeem
Total Points – gives you an overview of the student’s overall points earned

SproutBeat Leaderboard Labels

Now, here’s the cool part: you can customize the date range. You can adjust the calendar to display the specific data you want. For instance, if you’re organizing a monthly challenge, you can easily reset the calendar to show the results. During the summer break, when students are on vacation, it’s easy for them to lose touch with learning. But with the option to reset the calendar and set up engaging challenges, you can keep them involved and motivated. It’s a fantastic way to encourage continuous learning, even when school’s out.

Reward their hard work

When your students want to cash in their hard-earned points, it’s a breeze. Just click on their point balance, enter what they’re redeeming, and the number of points they’re using. You can even keep track of all the points being redeemed by your students. And for those exceptional efforts, there’s a way to add ‘bonus points.’ Click the ‘+’ sign and reward deserving students with extra points – a little pat on the back for their outstanding work.

Top 50 Global Monthly Earners

Oh, and did we mention the global leaderboard? SproutBeat is available worldwide, so we showcase the top 50 students who earn the most points every month on the ‘Monthly Global’ list. Curious to see if your students made the cut? Just click and find out! The best part? The list resets every month, adding a touch of excitement and a global flair to your studio.

Sidebar Part 6 of 11: Grading

Dec 28, 2023 | App Features

In this series of articles, we’re highlighting the different options found in the SproutBeat Navigation Sidebar. Part 6 covers the sixth icon: Grading

Interactive games VS. Worksheets

SproutBeat’s interactive games have completely revolutionized the way we approach grading. The fact that these games are auto-graded is a real time-saver. I mean, who doesn’t appreciate not having to spend hours pouring over piles of papers to grade, right?

Now, when it comes to worksheets, they serve as our digital theory books, offering a structured learning experience. When students complete these worksheets, they send them back to you for grading. There are two options when it comes to grading: send it back for corrections or grade it as complete.

Mistakes? It’s ok, we can make corrections

When opting to send a completed worksheet back for corrections, it’s crucial to keep the markings to a minimum. Overcrowding the page can be overwhelming for students. And since they can’t erase these markings, it might hinder their learning experience. By keeping the notes and marks concise and focused on key areas for improvement, students can effectively grasp the concepts they need to work on. This approach ensures that when they receive their ‘returned paper,’ they can clearly understand the feedback provided and make the necessary corrections.

Yay! It’s all good

If everything looks great, simply mark it as ‘graded,’ assigning points that correlate with the percentage they receive. For example, 100% means 100 points, 85% means 85 points, and so on.

And here’s the fun part – you can also add stickers as a form of motivation. My students absolutely love receiving stickers on their completed worksheets. It’s a small gesture, but it makes a big difference in their motivation and engagement.

What teachers love most about SproutBeat is the ability to practice new concepts using interactive games. The instant feedback and self-grading features in these games are invaluable. Students can play these games multiple times at home, reinforcing their learning in an interactive and engaging way.

To ensure their understanding, you could use worksheets as a form of assessment or mini pop quiz after their practice sessions with the interactive games. It’s a fantastic way to gauge their comprehension and review past concepts, all while cutting down on grading time.

SproutBeat has truly transformed the way we teach and learn, making the process efficient, interactive, and enjoyable for both educators and students alike. It’s a game-changer in the world of music education and grading theory assignments!

Not sure how to send assignments to your students? Watch this handy video.

Need help managing your students’ account details? Check out this tutorial.

Sidebar Part 5 of 11: Notes

Dec 26, 2023 | App Features

In this series of articles, we’re highlighting the different options found in the SproutBeat Navigation Sidebar. Part 5 covers the fifth icon: Notes

How is SproutBeat different from books

You know, with traditional books, it used to be quite a challenge to figure out if students were finishing their homework or struggling with certain concepts until they showed up for lessons. I still remember those old days when students misunderstood a theory concept, but we wouldn’t find out until a whole week later!

But thanks to the Notes feature in SproutBeat, we’ve changed the game. Now, students can ask questions about their music theory assignments and get help while they’re working on their homework, even during the week. It’s all about fostering communication and support.

Adding Notes for your students

So, how do you attach a note to a game or worksheet for all your students? It’s super easy!

First, just tap on the game or worksheet you want to add a note to. Then, click on those three little dots in the top right corner. Next, tap on the message icon and start typing your message. Hit enter, and voila! Now, whenever you assign that content to your students, they’ll see the attached message.

We recommend keeping it simple and generic, like a quick tip such as ‘Double-check the clef!’ or ‘Remember, the relative minor is the 6th of the major key.’ But what if you need to send a note to a specific student about a specific homework assignment? No problem! Just go to the student’s ‘Assigned’ section first, then follow the same steps to attach a note tailored just for them.

And here’s the best part – you can even write or draw on the student’s assignment to provide examples if they need extra help. Everything happens instantly online, so your students can complete their assignments well before their next lesson.

Staying engaged during the week

I’ve got to share this with you – I have this amazing 9-year-old student who sends me notes about his assignments, and it just warms my heart. It’s incredible to see how this tool is making learning so much more interactive and engaging for everyone involved!

Watch Tutorial Video here:

Sidebar Part 4 of 11: Groups

Dec 24, 2023 | App Features

In this series of articles, we’re highlighting the different options found in the SproutBeat Navigation Sidebar. Part 3 covers the fourth icon: Groups.

Creating groups in SproutBeat is a fantastic way to organize your students efficiently. Whether you want to group them by class, level, or lesson day, it’s a handy tool for streamlined teaching. Here’s how you can create and manage groups.

Create a New Group:

Click on the “+” sign in the top right corner to create a group.
Name your group, making sure it’s something descriptive and easy to remember.
Choose a color for the group, allowing for quick visual identification.
Assign the group to an employee teacher, if necessary, or leave it as “None” if you’re the teacher.
Click “Add” to create the group.

Adding Students to a Group:

Once the group is created, click on the number under the “Students” column.
In the Manage Students window, click the “+” sign.
Tap to select or deselect students to add to your group.

Sorting Groups:

Click and drag the “≡” icon to rearrange the order of your groups. This will automatically update the order of the groups on the List of Students page as well.

With these easy steps, you can group your students based on various criteria, making it a breeze to assign the same homework or activities to specific sets of students. This feature proves invaluable, especially in group class settings, as it simplifies the teaching process and ensures a fair and consistent learning experience for all students within a group.

Additionally, SproutBeat’s group functionality opens up creative possibilities, such as hosting competitions during breaks. By assigning the same content to grouped students, you can foster healthy competition and maintain the learning momentum even during downtime.

So, whether you’re organizing classes, assigning homework, or hosting engaging competitions, SproutBeat’s group feature is your key to simplified, organized, and exciting teaching experiences! Happy teaching and competing!

Watch the tutorial video here:

Sidebar Part 3 of 11: Employee Teachers

Dec 22, 2023 | App Features

In this series of articles, we’re highlighting the different options found in the SproutBeat Navigation Sidebar. Part 3 covers the third icon: Employee Teachers. (If you missed our in-depth article on the SproutBeat Library, click here to read Part 1.)

If you run a multi-teacher music school and want to integrate SproutBeat into your teaching methods, we’ve got you covered. For every 10 student accounts, you’ll be able to create an employee teacher account.

Here’s how it works:

Studio 10: Includes 10 student accounts, one admin account (that’s you!), and 1 employee teacher.
Studio 20: Consists of 20 student accounts, one admin account, and 2 employee teachers.
Studio 30: Features 30 student accounts, one admin account, and 3 employee teachers, and so on.

What can the administrator do?

As the admin, you have the power to handle all the administrative tasks, such as creating student and teacher accounts, organizing groups, managing student and teacher accounts, and updating plan/payment information. Plus, you have full access to the SproutBeat library, making it a comprehensive tool for both teaching and administration.

What can employee teachers do in SproutBeat?

Employee teachers, while not having access to account management functions, get to enjoy the SproutBeat library and have access to their connected students. This setup equips them with all they need to be effective teachers in your music school.

Getting Started

Creating a teacher account is a straightforward process, similar to setting up a student account. Once the account is ready, you can easily connect students to the respective teacher. For a step-by-step guide, be sure to watch this tutorial video.

Happy teaching and managing your multi-teacher music school with SproutBeat!

Sidebar Part 2 of 11: Students List

Dec 20, 2023 | App Features

In this series of articles, we’re highlighting the different options found in the SproutBeat Navigation Sidebar. Part 2 covers the second icon: the List of Students. (If you missed our in-depth article on the SproutBeat Library, click here to read Part 1.)

Have you ever wished you had psychic powers? Well, with SproutBeat, you can! Imagine having the ability to see exactly how much homework your students have completed and how well they did on each assignment before they even show up for their lessons. Sounds amazing, right?

That’s where this student tab comes in – it’s your gateway to your students’ homework stats. Here you can effortlessly track how much homework is being completed and get a clear view of the average scores achieved by your students.

But that’s not all! This is also the place where you can create new student accounts, manage their online homework activities, and handle various other student-related tasks. It’s like your control center for everything related to your students’ progress and engagement.

1. Create a new student account

Creating a new student account in SproutBeat is a breeze! Just look for the “+” sign, give it a click, and enter your student’s first and last name. If you’re the teacher, no need to worry about the “Teacher” field – leave it as “None.” If you run a multi-teacher studio, this is where you can connect students to those teachers who work for you. That way, each teacher can efficiently manage their respective students.

Once the student account is set up, consider changing the password to something more memorable. We all know how important it is to have an easy-to-remember password!

For more handy tips and a step-by-step guide, be sure to check out this tutorial video.

2. View Homework and Points

You’ll discover a wealth of information about each student when you click on their name. The “Homework and Points” area has five buttons to choose from:

Assigned: This is where you can see which assignments your student hasn’t completed yet. You can also manage and delete assignments here, ensuring everything is organized and up to date.
Turned In: When a student completes their worksheets, they will appear here so you can look over their work and give them any feedback.
Completed: Here you’ll find a detailed list of assignments that are finished. It provides you with essential information such as the date of completion, the grade, and the points earned. (Make sure to customize the date range at the top so it displays the stats you are interested in.)
Total Points: Clicking on this button takes you to the leaderboard, where you can see how many points each student has earned. You have the flexibility to set up the calendar for monthly or semesterly studio contests, adding an element of friendly competition to your teaching studio.
Point Balance: If you have a reward system in place, this button helps you keep track of the points redeemed by your students. It’s a handy feature to manage incentives and encourage student engagement.

3. Manage student accounts

In addition to managing assignments, SproutBeat provides convenient options for handling various aspects of student accounts.

Groups: You can create specific groups to organize your students based on their level, age, or any other category that suits your teaching approach. (This can also save a lot of time when you’re deciding which assignments to send to your students.)
Password Reset: If a student forgets their password or needs it reset for any reason, you can easily initiate a password reset from here.
Student Details: This option allows you to edit crucial student information, fix spelling mistakes, or change their username and email address.
Drop or Delete: If a student needs to take a break from lessons, you can pause their account temporarily. Alternatively, if a student is leaving your studio permanently, you have the option to delete their account completely. These features give you control over your student roster, adapting it to your studio’s changing needs.

With these editing options, managing student accounts becomes straightforward, allowing you to tailor each student’s experience and provide a personalized learning journey for every student.

Want to read the next article in this series? Go to The Navigation Bar, Part 3 – Employee Teachers

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