Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Interactivity #5
The teacher I interviewed is from the Madison School District and teaches K-5 music. The teacher mentioned that before today, she was not aware of these standards.
When I showed her the standards she was happy to know that she incorporates many of these already. Just the other day she used a website to show children the difference between the sounds of different instruments. Her district has not begun to implement the NET-S or NET-T standards. She attends Staff Meetings and workshops where the importance of media literacy and integrating technology are expressed. She mentioned that the standard that expects students to "Use digital imaging technology to modify or create works of art for use in a digital presentation (1,2,6)" would be perfect in her music classroom if it asked students to create musical compositions. However, it may be hard for students to really do this. How can students all accomplish this? Do they all need their own computer? A music lab would be a nice resource to have.
She also responded to the Teacher standard about modeling digital citizenship. She expressed to me the importance, as a future teacher, to do this. She sees some of her friends on Facebook that are teachers say things that they really shouldn't say. She said it was imperative to have good digital citizenship and to not post anything unprofessional. She said she has seen people get fired over this. This didn't surprise me.
I would personally promote these standards to my peers. I think it is very important that we teach our students how to be users of technology. Students need to have skills and strategies to learn how to respect technology but also need to understand that technology can also be a distraction. These standards provide plenty of ways to get students involved on a higher level than just games and social networking. At first, one might be thinking: "Oh great! MORE standards?" We are in an age where more has to be covered in shorter amounts of time. Educators are pressured to follow State mandated standards. The standards seem to be getting higher in expectation AND number. Considering real-life constraints like lack of funding, lack of sufficient class time, and the fact that everyone learns differently, these standards may not (and in many, MANY cases they do not) reflect reality. In my opinion, students should grasp a few things well rather than a bunch of things not so well. The teacher I interviewed makes sure that students grasp everything before moving on to more material, regardless of what the State says everyone should know. Fortunately, the NET standards may help us aid our students. I believe incorporating NET is worthwhile.
Lesson Plan Analysis Map
When I showed her the standards she was happy to know that she incorporates many of these already. Just the other day she used a website to show children the difference between the sounds of different instruments. Her district has not begun to implement the NET-S or NET-T standards. She attends Staff Meetings and workshops where the importance of media literacy and integrating technology are expressed. She mentioned that the standard that expects students to "Use digital imaging technology to modify or create works of art for use in a digital presentation (1,2,6)" would be perfect in her music classroom if it asked students to create musical compositions. However, it may be hard for students to really do this. How can students all accomplish this? Do they all need their own computer? A music lab would be a nice resource to have.
She also responded to the Teacher standard about modeling digital citizenship. She expressed to me the importance, as a future teacher, to do this. She sees some of her friends on Facebook that are teachers say things that they really shouldn't say. She said it was imperative to have good digital citizenship and to not post anything unprofessional. She said she has seen people get fired over this. This didn't surprise me.
I would personally promote these standards to my peers. I think it is very important that we teach our students how to be users of technology. Students need to have skills and strategies to learn how to respect technology but also need to understand that technology can also be a distraction. These standards provide plenty of ways to get students involved on a higher level than just games and social networking. At first, one might be thinking: "Oh great! MORE standards?" We are in an age where more has to be covered in shorter amounts of time. Educators are pressured to follow State mandated standards. The standards seem to be getting higher in expectation AND number. Considering real-life constraints like lack of funding, lack of sufficient class time, and the fact that everyone learns differently, these standards may not (and in many, MANY cases they do not) reflect reality. In my opinion, students should grasp a few things well rather than a bunch of things not so well. The teacher I interviewed makes sure that students grasp everything before moving on to more material, regardless of what the State says everyone should know. Fortunately, the NET standards may help us aid our students. I believe incorporating NET is worthwhile.
Lesson Plan Analysis Map
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Interactivity #4
I chose this lesson because one of my favorite things about music is how it can tell a story. I think this aspect of music is often ignored in favor of teaching "musical" elements (i.e. rhythm, melody, harmony). Some people refer to the story-telling aspects of music and backstory as "non-musical" elements. I believe these components of composition are just as important. To call them "non-musical" is to not understand that music is made in specific contexts by different people living in different contexts. A dispassionate analysis is only a part of the picture. In order to implement this value of music, this lesson plan not only utilizes musical instruments, but technological instruments as well.
It uses specific programs and perfectly ties together music and technology within a classroom setting.
There's also literacy involved. Students develop a key understanding of music literacy. They are not just knowing what the musical words are and how to read them, but knowing what these words mean and how to speak them. They can then use this knowledge and draw parallels to traditional english language literacy.
Technology is necessary for this lesson, unless in the off chance you had the money to pay a bunch of live musicians to create the same effect as Bandleader. The interactivity of bandleader is the important part though. Students get to discover by themselves what putting different instruments in different roles will do to the ensemble. They have their own choice. This is an excellent example of using technology in the classroom because it doesn't just use a projector, calculator or another basic technology to help the lesson. This lesson wouldn't be possible or as meaningful without this technology. It is great "as is" and does not need to be modified.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Interactivity #3
What about the final inventory that emerged? Do you have any thoughts on these technologies as a collective for your particular content area?
I think our final inventory is a good list of technologies that can be used to aid our teaching of music. I have discovered many new technologies from my peers and this list. Some of these are obvious (I contributed the metronome, tuner, guitar amp) and some of them are things I have never heard of. I just read Matt Pietrucha's post before writing this. I think of Matt as the "Music Tech" guy of the music building here at MSU. His post challenged the paradigm of "band/orchestra/chorus" in the music education world. To many of us students and to many of our teachers, music education is about music performance done on acoustic instruments in one of these three classes. There is general music in Elementary School but...that is usually only to prepare students for the ensembles they will be in in middle and high school.
A majority of our musical experiences in school before college followed this model. We were lucky if we came from a school that utilized state of the art music technology. I know that Millburn HS and Roxbury HS both have Music Tech classes and equipment. We were also lucky if we talked in-depth about music history, music philosophy, and the cultural implications of music. Most of us learned how to execute note-reading, rhythm reading, and dynamic (louds, softs, different articulations) reading. Not many of us learned what was so important about that. We stuck with it because we enjoyed it but we didn't get opportunities to think about what we were doing. Many of the technologies in our inventory serve the "band/orchestra/chorus" model.
Matt raises an interesting point. Music Ed doesn't have to be that way. We don't have to be put into boxes of "band kids" or "string players" or "singers." All of these titles come with really unnecessary negative baggage and stigma. YES, we can use technology to aid "band/orchestra/chorus/acoustic performance" BUT we can't be afraid of the technologies that don't aid these traditional models of music education. Utilizing new and outside-the-box technologies gives us the opportunity to talk about what music really is, challenge world views, and break down these divisive barriers and paradigms of genre.
I think our final inventory is a good list of technologies that can be used to aid our teaching of music. I have discovered many new technologies from my peers and this list. Some of these are obvious (I contributed the metronome, tuner, guitar amp) and some of them are things I have never heard of. I just read Matt Pietrucha's post before writing this. I think of Matt as the "Music Tech" guy of the music building here at MSU. His post challenged the paradigm of "band/orchestra/chorus" in the music education world. To many of us students and to many of our teachers, music education is about music performance done on acoustic instruments in one of these three classes. There is general music in Elementary School but...that is usually only to prepare students for the ensembles they will be in in middle and high school.
A majority of our musical experiences in school before college followed this model. We were lucky if we came from a school that utilized state of the art music technology. I know that Millburn HS and Roxbury HS both have Music Tech classes and equipment. We were also lucky if we talked in-depth about music history, music philosophy, and the cultural implications of music. Most of us learned how to execute note-reading, rhythm reading, and dynamic (louds, softs, different articulations) reading. Not many of us learned what was so important about that. We stuck with it because we enjoyed it but we didn't get opportunities to think about what we were doing. Many of the technologies in our inventory serve the "band/orchestra/chorus" model.
Matt raises an interesting point. Music Ed doesn't have to be that way. We don't have to be put into boxes of "band kids" or "string players" or "singers." All of these titles come with really unnecessary negative baggage and stigma. YES, we can use technology to aid "band/orchestra/chorus/acoustic performance" BUT we can't be afraid of the technologies that don't aid these traditional models of music education. Utilizing new and outside-the-box technologies gives us the opportunity to talk about what music really is, challenge world views, and break down these divisive barriers and paradigms of genre.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
#2
Putting Music On Your Stands Since 1959
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Interactivity 1
1. Computer 2. Iphone 3. Radio
As a teacher, what I learned from this video is that Olivia's connection to technology is a long way from helping her. In fact, I think it's doing her more harm than good. I think our generation spends too much time on social networking sites such as myspace, facebook, and twitter. As someone who has spent way too much time in front of screens (funny that they are called screens), I can say that it hasn't helped me nearly as much as it hurt me. These websites take the place of human interaction. One easily gets addicted to reading more and more about people they barely would know otherwise. You get so interested in other people's lives that you lose your own. Okay, they allow you to express yourself. Sure, you can write your thoughts and publicly state them. There's value in that...but not much. How gratifying is it to really relate to someone and "like" their comment or get your comment "liked?" I'm not saying that people can't use these websites for good and that everyone is addicted to them...but many don't use these websites to help them in any way and many are addicted (whether they realize it or not).
In an educational setting, technology is a great tool to research. There are also many programs that can help produce and make doing regular tasks easier (microsoft word, etc.) What does knowing how to use myspace have anything to do with that? What do video games or cell phones have anything to do with education. Was it ever a question whether or not kids understand computers and phones? I think putting any sort of value on that is dangerous.
The kids in the 2nd video made good points about how it helps them complete projects easier (using cell phones to take pictures for projects, learning to pick and choose what information is helpful or not, etc.) However, these kids were chosen to do this video. They use technology to advance their education but what about the rest of the kids in the school? I just find it hard to believe that everyone in the school is using it to learn more. One of the kids compared online gaming with working in groups at school. I mean...I guess...You could have said the same thing about playing any team based game 50 years ago. Not everyone is going to transfer the knowledge to their education.
Honestly, I'd like to see kids talk in person more and read more books before resorting to technology. Too often, for our generation it's the only way of accomplishing a goal. That just doesn't agree with me. I don't want to validate things that miss the mark. I suppose I'm taking a stance against technology in the classroom because I see so much of it abused. I think it'd be really hard as an educator to try and take technology and almost insincerely force kids to use it to help them learn. I say force because computers, phones, and other devices are typically seen (particularly by children) as recreational devices. I'd much rather "force" them to use old-fashioned methods that won't ruin their eyes later on.
In my experience, I use my devices to help me learn. I use the computer to research and listen to music from across the world. Through social networking, I discover what musicians are doing and how they are pushing the boundaries of the musical world. I am always up on the latest thing or my favorite artist's newest recordings. I am able to learn about many different ideas and concepts. I see this as a great thing but also a curse. I spend so much time discovering that I am not REALLY learning. I'm not getting any better at discovering who I am. It can be a venue to promote myself later on and show the world who I am but I just get caught up in what other's are doing. I have programs that aid musical composition and make it easier (allowing me to hear the music i'm writing instantaneously, removing the need for live musicians). The only communication technology I don't have a problem with is radio, simply because I only listen to it while driving. I don't get consumed with it and only listen to it while doing a necessary task. I don't want to blame technology with my problems with focusing, but I've noticed that many other people, especially in my generation, share this lack of focus (i.e. checking facebook every 5 minutes...or even more frequently). I just DON'T want it to take over our world, because I sincerely value physical contact and learning from a mentor. I know that people use their "screen" to say things they wouldn't normally say in person (this can be good, but it's usually bad). I know that people use technology as a way of demeaning others and putting each other down. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned and behind the times.
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