Apply and Discover 11.1

What have I learned this term?

I came into this class with several years’ experience volunteering in elementary computer labs, and having had a computer support and training job for several years. As a musician, I use computers in many ways, but I had never thought of ways to use technology as a music educator. What this class really did for me was to help me connect the dots.

Many of the music classrooms I have visited make limited use of technology beyond using equipment to play recordings. Teachers are beginning to use programs that display exercises or pieces and record and assess the student’s performance, to help individual students improve during practice. Many music-specific programs are becoming part of music education. Something I haven't seen in classrooms, but now have more of a vision of how to implement, are music technologies that give students a way to make music without learning an instrument.

What was very helpful in this class was to see how other technology that is not music-specific can be used to support music education. One of the ways I did this during the course was in the creation of my research webquest. As I indicated in my video description of it, research is uncommon in general music classes, especially at the elementary level. Integrating technology offers music teachers a way to expand their educational goals. The most powerful thing about the internet is how many resources it offers teachers and students.

In finding general educational technology tools, I have also found more ways to address some music standards that are sometimes get short shrift, for example, the last two (national and state) standards:

8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts, and

9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

 Perfomance-based standards of playing and singing, or more passive listening activities, are obvious to music educators; these last two, less so. Encouraging research, higher-order thinking, and interdisciplinary work is easier to do, I believe, when one integrates technology in the music classroom.

Another important reason for technology integration is that it helps teachers move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to education. In “Tech’s ‘greatest potential’: Personalizing instruction,” Dennis Pierce (2007), encouraged teachers to use technology to personalize instruction. Websites such as that of the Center for Applied Special Technology and course material about universal design also stressed the importance of allowing students choice and making curricula accessible and engaging for everyone. This also means moving from instruction based on teacher expertise to allowing students to direct their own learning. It can be intimidating for teachers to do this! These objectives of personalized instruction are more easily achieved through integrating technology.

This week’s final discussion board asked us to select one digital tool that we liked best. I picked SchoolTube, but I might add that any tool that allows students to explore resources independently and create their own content to share with others is my favourite.

Did I say earlier that unlimited resources are the most powerful thing about the internet? It's a two-way street! Perhaps even more powerful is the possibility of students becoming the resource-makers on the internet. The most important message I took away from this course was that Web 2.0 tools are empowering to students. I hope by using them in music education I can engage more students, and offer students more opportunities to learn, create, and share.