Why I love it: If you are a first year STEM teacher and overwhelmed with what to buy, well this should be on your must-have list.

What is it? MakeyMakey is a circuit board that allows you to turn your environment into a keyboard! By connecting the alligator clips to a conductive object, the Makey Makey allows electricity to flow from a laptop or Chromebook to the object, turning it into a button on your keyboard. In both Specdrum apps, you can download different sound packs to change the genre of music from hip-hop to classical or jazz. There is also the Specdrum Music app that is specifically for the classroom and music education.

This was a perfect activity for an independent station, early finishers, or as a reward. They loved the free-play aspect of being able to experiment with the different beats to create their own music in the Specdrum Mix app. Why I love it: I tested Specdrums this summer with students in grades K through 5th.

The rings can even be used beyond the provided color mat with any colored object! From a red pencil box to blue chairs, transform your classroom into an interactive music studio! What is it? Specdrums are rings that connect through Bluetooth to your iPhone or iPad and allow students to create music without any instruments! The rings have a color sensor on the bottom, so when it detects a color, your device plays a corresponding sound.

Stem websites for elementary students