So, I passed Tech. With an A. Don't know that I truly deserved the A, but, I'll take it. Thanks to everyone who followed / commented during that class.
I'd like to keep this blog going, because it seems like a good place to download (for lack of a better term) some of my ideas and experiences, as well as interact with other teachers and musicians. I'm not sure how much of an audience I have at the moment, but hopefully I can expand it out. I'm not too worried about 'branding' my blog, but maybe I've got some things to say that others will find helpful at some point in the future. I'd love to hear others' ideas. My current class (Advanced Topics in Instrumental Music) is the beginning of the 2nd half of this program, so I'm now closer to not having the academic-level discussions that was part of what prompted me to sign up for and do this in the first place.
My big thing for this summer is going to be setting up Interactive Student Notebooks for student use in the fall. I have some neat ideas, and I think it has great potential to help my students really understand what we're covering. I noticed this year that even if we talked about key and finger patterns before playing a piece, they didn't actually internalize and utilize that information -- if we'd been playing with C-naturals a lot, they played low 2, if we'd been playing with C-sharps a lot, they played high two, regardless of what the key signature or accidentals said to do. So, I want to change that.
In any case, I'll likely keep posting some of my class thoughts on here, as well as my future plans and development of my course and materials. It should be fun!
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Saturday, May 2, 2015
OneNote
I'll be honest -- I *love* One Note! Perhaps I need to disclose that I have a close family member who works for Microsoft... and is actually the reason I use OneNote. Over winter break this past year, my brother was commenting on his budgeting method, which uses a synced OneNote notebook shared between him and his fiance, with spreadsheets and other information pasted in, then a new section started for every new month.
Before I'd ever even opened a copy of the program, I was hooked. I used OneNote extensively during the Analysis class to take notes, and I have been using it to get my curriculum notes organized as I've been working on redoing the strings curriculum. Students at our school don't have access to OneDrive, which limits the functionality of the sharing functions, but I love OneNote for my own use. I'm trying to figure out if there's a way I can use OneNote to set up my lesson plans in a way that makes sense for me but fits the template that we have to use when uploading them to the district CMS. So far, no dice, but I have a feeling over the summer I'll be spending more time with it.
One thing that I do plan on using OneNote for in the future is as a practice journal / forum once I have serious private students again. I think OneNote's sharability and flexibility makes for a great opportunity for students to keep a reflective practice journal where the instructor can simply write a reply back.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Organization!
This last chapter was a little ironic, talking about how technology can be used to improve teacher processes and organization by using technology to manage calendars, to-do lists, and other miscellany that are required and tedious (paperwork, accounting, etc), along with using technology to participate in professional development and teacher training, such as graduate studies. Seeing as how this is an online Masters degree program, I chuckled a little under my breath -- I would have to say that all of us in this program are already doing a wonderful job of incorporating tech into our personal and professional development plans!
Going back to the organization strategies suggested in the reading, these are all wonderful suggestions. Organization is one of my key areas for improvement next year -- this year has gone pretty smoothly all things considered, but I felt like I spent a lot of time chasing my own tail and sending myself on wild goose chases that could have been avoided simply by having a better organization system. A lot of things that could have been delegated simply couldn't be because I knew where things were, but couldn't tell other people or my TAs "it's in the main pile of my high school office desk, in the same layer as the scores for the middle school concert from the beginning of the year and not as deep as the notes for next week's meeting." That makes sense to my own brain, but pretty much anyone else would have no idea what I'm talking about. Part of it is being in three buildings most days, part of it is being in a new-to-me position, part of it is trying to tranisition from a not-at-all digitized organization system to my own computer-centric approach. While I have no intention of leaving this position (I love my job!), I have been trying to think about what would make transitioning easier if I ever had to leave things for somebody else -- for example, if I was to go on maternity leave at some point in the future, or if I was to grow the program enough to require an extra person to take either the middle school or high school classes (probably wishful thinking in the current economical and political climate).
I've started using a daily to-do list in a notebook this year, after two different tries using technology for that same task. I started the year using Google Tasks, which integrates with the Gmail I already use and has an app for Android phones. I used it somewhat regularly, but found that things were getting away from me. I then switched to a non-integrated task program that was mostly on my phone with a website interface for additional entries, as my phone is frequently what I end up using for instant information or email. It worked well for a few days, and then again I found myself not checking and not following up on it. My notebook, on the other hand, is something that I use every day. It's big enough to be a reminder in and of itself, and the physical act of writing things down helps me remember what it is that I need to accomplish that day -- or what things need to be addressed because they are left over from yesterday. It really seems to be common sense, but the best technology lives at the intersection of what works and what gets used. Technology just for the sake of technology that doesn't ever get used really doesn't do anything to help teachers or students. Likewise, avoiding technology because current systems work 'just fine' doesn't explore the possibility that technology could be used to improve performance or effectiveness or any other aspect of teaching or learning.
Going back to the organization strategies suggested in the reading, these are all wonderful suggestions. Organization is one of my key areas for improvement next year -- this year has gone pretty smoothly all things considered, but I felt like I spent a lot of time chasing my own tail and sending myself on wild goose chases that could have been avoided simply by having a better organization system. A lot of things that could have been delegated simply couldn't be because I knew where things were, but couldn't tell other people or my TAs "it's in the main pile of my high school office desk, in the same layer as the scores for the middle school concert from the beginning of the year and not as deep as the notes for next week's meeting." That makes sense to my own brain, but pretty much anyone else would have no idea what I'm talking about. Part of it is being in three buildings most days, part of it is being in a new-to-me position, part of it is trying to tranisition from a not-at-all digitized organization system to my own computer-centric approach. While I have no intention of leaving this position (I love my job!), I have been trying to think about what would make transitioning easier if I ever had to leave things for somebody else -- for example, if I was to go on maternity leave at some point in the future, or if I was to grow the program enough to require an extra person to take either the middle school or high school classes (probably wishful thinking in the current economical and political climate).
I've started using a daily to-do list in a notebook this year, after two different tries using technology for that same task. I started the year using Google Tasks, which integrates with the Gmail I already use and has an app for Android phones. I used it somewhat regularly, but found that things were getting away from me. I then switched to a non-integrated task program that was mostly on my phone with a website interface for additional entries, as my phone is frequently what I end up using for instant information or email. It worked well for a few days, and then again I found myself not checking and not following up on it. My notebook, on the other hand, is something that I use every day. It's big enough to be a reminder in and of itself, and the physical act of writing things down helps me remember what it is that I need to accomplish that day -- or what things need to be addressed because they are left over from yesterday. It really seems to be common sense, but the best technology lives at the intersection of what works and what gets used. Technology just for the sake of technology that doesn't ever get used really doesn't do anything to help teachers or students. Likewise, avoiding technology because current systems work 'just fine' doesn't explore the possibility that technology could be used to improve performance or effectiveness or any other aspect of teaching or learning.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Instrumental Flipping -- Possibilities and Problems
I was happy to see that Bauer wrote about flipped classrooms in this week's readings. I first became aware of flipped classroom teaching when I was working with a charter school -- the 7th & 8th grade math teacher decided to try flipping, and found it worked quite well for her purposes and the purposes of her students.
I have long thought about how flipping might work for an instrumental music classroom. At first glance, it seems pretty counter-intuitive - for instrumental music, all students need to have access to the instructor on a regular basis, and the instructor needs to have direct access to the student to assess proper executive and musical skills. Giving students instruction via video can be risky for instrumental instruction, especially when new techniques and concepts are being introduced. At the same time, how many students are looking up new techniques and ideas on YouTube and Vimeo and other video sites? I was impressed at the beginning of this school year when several of my middle-school violinists came in telling me about how they'd gotten together over the weekend and looked up how to do that 'shaky-hand thing' -- vibrato. Their technique wasn't solid, but they'd taken the initiative to investigate and experiment, which really impressed me.
Instead of 'conventional' flipping where the teacher creates or finds video to teach the concept in question and then has student practice that skill independently or in small groups in the classroom with the teacher available for assistance, I think that flipping the instrumental music classroom needs to look and work more along the lines of creating centers and generating space for lesson time with students, even if only on a group basis. When I did my student teaching, I was in one of the more affluent Pittsburgh (PA) suburbs. 75-80% of my students took private lessons, and all of the cellists (and most of the bassists) had instruments at home to practice with. My students where I am now are not as well-off, and only three of my hundred-or-so students take private lessons with any regularity, while only one or two of my students who play the larger instruments have those instruments available to practice on at home. Only my high school students don't have to share their large instruments, so my middle school and elementary students don't even have the opportunity to take an instrument home to practice over the evening or weekends without making special arrangements. While I'm working on changing this, it's a slow and expensive process -- do I buy strings, accessories, new music, and get some repairs done this summer, or do I blow my entire budget on buying one new instrument of questionable quality? It's not a fun choice to make.
One of my goals for the upcoming year is to give each student SOME kind of lesson on a regular basis. Most likely it will be rotating small group lessons where I get to see kids every few weeks. While this might not be flipping in a traditional sense, I do see it as a type of flip -- generally lessons would be conducted outside of class time, and instead I'm burning class time to make it happen. Students not involved in lessons will get time to work on independent projects -- small ensembles, composition and theory projects, and other exploratory-type activities where I can set up things ahead of time and let them go with minimal intervention. Web quests will also likely feature prominently in these centers, or possibly even 'practice-quests' where I give students a list of tasks to complete to ensure they are practicing the assigned material in various ways. I will then put the practicing as an ensemble that would have happened that day on the student as a responsibility. I know I'll need to support at-home practice more -- I'm thinking of ways that I can make practicing easier and more fun, so it'll be more likely to be accomplished. I'm already planning on setting up a website over the summer so I can link to recordings of the full ensemble for our pieces as well as each individual part (my high schoolers will be helping me make recordings for my middle schoolers, so that will take some of the responsibility - and stress -- off of me!). There's lots of potential for expanding the classroom and making space to spend more time with each kid individually. I'm nervous that our ensemble skills will suffer from reduced rehearsal time, but I'm hoping that the payoffs will make up for that through improved executive skills and improved awareness of the music, plus getting myself better acquainted with each student's strengths and weaknesses. It's going to be an interesting experiment, to be sure, and I'm looking forward to seeing how many different ways I can incorporate technology into these lesson/centers days next year.
I have long thought about how flipping might work for an instrumental music classroom. At first glance, it seems pretty counter-intuitive - for instrumental music, all students need to have access to the instructor on a regular basis, and the instructor needs to have direct access to the student to assess proper executive and musical skills. Giving students instruction via video can be risky for instrumental instruction, especially when new techniques and concepts are being introduced. At the same time, how many students are looking up new techniques and ideas on YouTube and Vimeo and other video sites? I was impressed at the beginning of this school year when several of my middle-school violinists came in telling me about how they'd gotten together over the weekend and looked up how to do that 'shaky-hand thing' -- vibrato. Their technique wasn't solid, but they'd taken the initiative to investigate and experiment, which really impressed me.
Instead of 'conventional' flipping where the teacher creates or finds video to teach the concept in question and then has student practice that skill independently or in small groups in the classroom with the teacher available for assistance, I think that flipping the instrumental music classroom needs to look and work more along the lines of creating centers and generating space for lesson time with students, even if only on a group basis. When I did my student teaching, I was in one of the more affluent Pittsburgh (PA) suburbs. 75-80% of my students took private lessons, and all of the cellists (and most of the bassists) had instruments at home to practice with. My students where I am now are not as well-off, and only three of my hundred-or-so students take private lessons with any regularity, while only one or two of my students who play the larger instruments have those instruments available to practice on at home. Only my high school students don't have to share their large instruments, so my middle school and elementary students don't even have the opportunity to take an instrument home to practice over the evening or weekends without making special arrangements. While I'm working on changing this, it's a slow and expensive process -- do I buy strings, accessories, new music, and get some repairs done this summer, or do I blow my entire budget on buying one new instrument of questionable quality? It's not a fun choice to make.
One of my goals for the upcoming year is to give each student SOME kind of lesson on a regular basis. Most likely it will be rotating small group lessons where I get to see kids every few weeks. While this might not be flipping in a traditional sense, I do see it as a type of flip -- generally lessons would be conducted outside of class time, and instead I'm burning class time to make it happen. Students not involved in lessons will get time to work on independent projects -- small ensembles, composition and theory projects, and other exploratory-type activities where I can set up things ahead of time and let them go with minimal intervention. Web quests will also likely feature prominently in these centers, or possibly even 'practice-quests' where I give students a list of tasks to complete to ensure they are practicing the assigned material in various ways. I will then put the practicing as an ensemble that would have happened that day on the student as a responsibility. I know I'll need to support at-home practice more -- I'm thinking of ways that I can make practicing easier and more fun, so it'll be more likely to be accomplished. I'm already planning on setting up a website over the summer so I can link to recordings of the full ensemble for our pieces as well as each individual part (my high schoolers will be helping me make recordings for my middle schoolers, so that will take some of the responsibility - and stress -- off of me!). There's lots of potential for expanding the classroom and making space to spend more time with each kid individually. I'm nervous that our ensemble skills will suffer from reduced rehearsal time, but I'm hoping that the payoffs will make up for that through improved executive skills and improved awareness of the music, plus getting myself better acquainted with each student's strengths and weaknesses. It's going to be an interesting experiment, to be sure, and I'm looking forward to seeing how many different ways I can incorporate technology into these lesson/centers days next year.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Assessment and Instructional Design, or, Why Every Student Needs an IEP
This weeks readings and lecture discussed instructional design and assessment. As much as many teachers dislike these topics, they are among my favorites. I don't think that there is ever a 'best' way to provide or design instruction -- there are certainly ways that work better than others in many situations, but there is never only one way of doing things. I believe that the 'best' way to design instruction is whatever way your students will truly learn and understand the material you are covering.
But that brings up an interesting conundrum -- how can you best instruct your class of diverse learners, with each student in their appropriate place on the learning spectrum? Maybe I'm being a bit naive, or maybe I'm showing my inexperience, but it's always seemed silly to me to expect a class of 20 or so younglings to move at the same pace and make the same progress on ANY subject, let alone something so uniquely experiential as music. For instrumentalists and vocalists, the spread of ability and skill is even wider, plus you add in the added challenge for instrumentalists of every student needing to be taught their own part and instrument. One of my biggest frustrations in my four years of teaching as well as my teacher training programs has been the nearly ubiquitous approach to lesson design of teaching to the 'middle' and differentiating for the extreme outliers. College instructors, principals, and other teachers have come up with all kinds of justifications for this approach, but... I question why. We know that students don't neatly sort into boxes but fall somewhere along a flexible continuum of understanding and ability. We know that students all learn differently, uniquely, and on their own time frame. So why are we still planning and assessing and designing lessons as if it was drill for the continental army?
I know it takes extra time to plan and execute, but I really think that every student needs to have their own plan through the curriculum that will be covered. It could be student-directed for those kids that have the maturity level and knowledge to understand how they learn best (for example, providing students a list of possible assessment tasks and allowing them to choose the assessment they will be measured with, same with instructional materials or experiences), or it can be teacher-directed (such as breaking students into groups of roughly the same ability level with roughly the same needs for mini-lesson time and group support). With the number of demands that are placed on teachers, this isn't going to be de rigeur anytime soon (or possibly ever), but I really think that it's a discussion that needs to be had. Especially for instrumental music teachers at the beginning and intermediate level, where we are teaching not just ensemble pieces to the whole class but also technique and musicianship to each individual, I don't see how we can't approach planning in this manner!
But that brings up an interesting conundrum -- how can you best instruct your class of diverse learners, with each student in their appropriate place on the learning spectrum? Maybe I'm being a bit naive, or maybe I'm showing my inexperience, but it's always seemed silly to me to expect a class of 20 or so younglings to move at the same pace and make the same progress on ANY subject, let alone something so uniquely experiential as music. For instrumentalists and vocalists, the spread of ability and skill is even wider, plus you add in the added challenge for instrumentalists of every student needing to be taught their own part and instrument. One of my biggest frustrations in my four years of teaching as well as my teacher training programs has been the nearly ubiquitous approach to lesson design of teaching to the 'middle' and differentiating for the extreme outliers. College instructors, principals, and other teachers have come up with all kinds of justifications for this approach, but... I question why. We know that students don't neatly sort into boxes but fall somewhere along a flexible continuum of understanding and ability. We know that students all learn differently, uniquely, and on their own time frame. So why are we still planning and assessing and designing lessons as if it was drill for the continental army?
I know it takes extra time to plan and execute, but I really think that every student needs to have their own plan through the curriculum that will be covered. It could be student-directed for those kids that have the maturity level and knowledge to understand how they learn best (for example, providing students a list of possible assessment tasks and allowing them to choose the assessment they will be measured with, same with instructional materials or experiences), or it can be teacher-directed (such as breaking students into groups of roughly the same ability level with roughly the same needs for mini-lesson time and group support). With the number of demands that are placed on teachers, this isn't going to be de rigeur anytime soon (or possibly ever), but I really think that it's a discussion that needs to be had. Especially for instrumental music teachers at the beginning and intermediate level, where we are teaching not just ensemble pieces to the whole class but also technique and musicianship to each individual, I don't see how we can't approach planning in this manner!
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Chromatik and SmartMusic
Chromatik and SmartMusic are both programs that offer students the ability to play along with music, providing the notation in-time with the accompaniment (and in the case of Chromatik, the lyrics are included even for instrumental parts). SmartMusic is marketed as an educational package with additional features to assist teachers in evaluating students, additional material for students including metronome and fingerings and modelling options, and integration with many popular beginning methods.
Chromtik is a fairly simple site focused on providing a connection between popular music of many genres and the instrumentalists or vocalists who want to play or sing those pieces. The site provides notation for a selection of popular tunes, as well as an 'official' play-along track (which seems to generally be a track of the recording artist for the pop genres). There are no print options, although computer-savvy individuals would have little trouble creating screen captures to print (note that this would be copyright infringement, which is NOT ok!) The navigation and tools in Chromatik are very intuitive, and are on par to contemporary web sites -- slick images, smooth transitions, and clear control clusters are reminiscent of Pandora, iHeartRadio, and other popular websites.
My biggest complaint (I always seem to have those!) about Chromatik is that it's not well-edited. The songs are closely realized, or about as close as pop tunes can be realized for instrumental performance, but there are some basic editing choices that baffled my mind. As a violist, I was very interested in just what the viola options were going to be. Viola was completely absent from the classical selections, even those where the viola has transcriptions and would make sense (such as Elgar's Salut d'Amour, one of my favorite pieces to play on any stringed instrument!). I will admit to not being real surprised (violists understand these things happen), and it wouldn't be a big deal for me or others at our level of performance, but kids and young adults and adult amateurs that get interested in classical music will certainly be disappointed if they go to find a piece that they particularly enjoy that isn't there. I think that's especially unfortunate because many of the classical works on the site seem to be public domain, and therefore realistically can be arranged or transcribed or whatever to be workable for any of a number of different instruments other than the original. When I went in to check out some of the pop tunes that were available, I checked out Owl City's 'Fireflies'. I was again struck by 'violist syndrome' -- while the piece was rhythmically and melodically accurate, no violist would ever write the piece up in the stratosphere of the viola the way how this transcription has suggested! I think the problem comes from a low Bb that occurs in a few times, and the overall large range this requires to reproduce faithfully. But even if this displacement couldn't be avoided by moving the key of the piece (again, would have taken a little human effort, but not challenging in the least with modern technology), the high stuff could have been rewritten in treble clef -- MUCH more friendly for reading prolonged areas above the staff (and this is coming from someone who plays flute on a regular basis too!). Also disheartening were seeing all of the collisions in the parts where the 2nd voice was notated -- in some cases the note heads were completely obliterated by rests. Chromatik really seems more as a 'fun' exercise to keep kids playing, but the inclusion of the lyrics makes me less likely to use it in the classroom or even as an alternate option for students playing outside of class. Too many popular songs today have language, metaphors, and concepts that are not welcome in the education spheres, and while Chromatik would be a wonderful way to get reluctant practicers to play more at home, I worry that parents would be less than enthusiastic about their child having access to explicit content (I'll leave the discussion of parental involvement in practicing, internet usage, and mature content for another time).
SmartMusic is intended for use in educational settings, and so has none of the issues with lyrics or content that Chromatik has. However, SmartMusic charges for everything. Subscriptions start at $40 per year for student access, or teachers can set up practice room subscriptions for ten percent more. With more and more schools moving to a 1:1 technology model, SmartMusic becomes a very attractive software suite for music teachers -- especially instrumental music instructors, who frequently have to juggle differentiated instruction by ability as well as by instrument, a situation where SmartMusic provides a great benefit and support system. The ability to assign etudes or method book assignments on a per-student instead of per-class basis is a genius move in today's age of portfolio-based evaluation in the arts and with the increasing expectations for teachers to be evaluated on student products as well as in-classroom observation and evaluation. SmartMusic can be a very smart investment for program justification, if a school district is willing to put the money out for it. And perhaps that's one of the bigger draw backs to SmartMusic. If the district isn't supportive of the cost, and the students can't afford to buy their own subscriptions, SmartMusic is basically dead in the water before a teacher even starts using it. SmartMusic requires that students have a compatible device and internet access even before the subscription piece enters. While this is a great option for schools with large budgets or affluent families, urban and/or rural districts with budget woes and a high number of students in the lower socio-economic strata will struggle when trying to implement SmartMusic without outside help from fundraising, donor/sponsors, or grants. Additionally, using SmartMusic as a classroom tool requires space to put the computer or device, recording rig, and the student(s) that will be using the system. In some schools, especially those where music facilities are shared with other classes, the space for SmartMusic may be hard to come by. For my situation, SmartMusic would require funding assistance both to get started at the school as well as to get student access. I would love to have the ability to listen to my students' assessments outside of class time, so I will be spending some time brainstorming how to make it work, but I'm not sure where I would have students working in SmartMusic while at school if I am able to purchase a subscription. One of the best benefits with SmartMusic would be solo repertoire access. My students do not have many opportunities to study privately, so having a semi-autonomous feedback system for solo repertoire practice would be a wonderful boon when preparing for solo & ensemble contests.
Both SmartMusic and Chromatik can be wonderful tools, but SmartMusic shows through it's many features that it was truly designed with the music educator in mind. Chromatik, with it's easy access to pop tunes, really seems to be aimed more at music consumers and could potentially help students enjoy playing at home (and practicing, although not necessarily what their teachers would hope they would be practicing) more than the material given to them by their teachers, but the content may not be entirely suitable for many students. Neither are a perfect fit for all music programs, but both may be useful to some educators for specific purposes in the classroom and beyond.
Chromtik is a fairly simple site focused on providing a connection between popular music of many genres and the instrumentalists or vocalists who want to play or sing those pieces. The site provides notation for a selection of popular tunes, as well as an 'official' play-along track (which seems to generally be a track of the recording artist for the pop genres). There are no print options, although computer-savvy individuals would have little trouble creating screen captures to print (note that this would be copyright infringement, which is NOT ok!) The navigation and tools in Chromatik are very intuitive, and are on par to contemporary web sites -- slick images, smooth transitions, and clear control clusters are reminiscent of Pandora, iHeartRadio, and other popular websites.
My biggest complaint (I always seem to have those!) about Chromatik is that it's not well-edited. The songs are closely realized, or about as close as pop tunes can be realized for instrumental performance, but there are some basic editing choices that baffled my mind. As a violist, I was very interested in just what the viola options were going to be. Viola was completely absent from the classical selections, even those where the viola has transcriptions and would make sense (such as Elgar's Salut d'Amour, one of my favorite pieces to play on any stringed instrument!). I will admit to not being real surprised (violists understand these things happen), and it wouldn't be a big deal for me or others at our level of performance, but kids and young adults and adult amateurs that get interested in classical music will certainly be disappointed if they go to find a piece that they particularly enjoy that isn't there. I think that's especially unfortunate because many of the classical works on the site seem to be public domain, and therefore realistically can be arranged or transcribed or whatever to be workable for any of a number of different instruments other than the original. When I went in to check out some of the pop tunes that were available, I checked out Owl City's 'Fireflies'. I was again struck by 'violist syndrome' -- while the piece was rhythmically and melodically accurate, no violist would ever write the piece up in the stratosphere of the viola the way how this transcription has suggested! I think the problem comes from a low Bb that occurs in a few times, and the overall large range this requires to reproduce faithfully. But even if this displacement couldn't be avoided by moving the key of the piece (again, would have taken a little human effort, but not challenging in the least with modern technology), the high stuff could have been rewritten in treble clef -- MUCH more friendly for reading prolonged areas above the staff (and this is coming from someone who plays flute on a regular basis too!). Also disheartening were seeing all of the collisions in the parts where the 2nd voice was notated -- in some cases the note heads were completely obliterated by rests. Chromatik really seems more as a 'fun' exercise to keep kids playing, but the inclusion of the lyrics makes me less likely to use it in the classroom or even as an alternate option for students playing outside of class. Too many popular songs today have language, metaphors, and concepts that are not welcome in the education spheres, and while Chromatik would be a wonderful way to get reluctant practicers to play more at home, I worry that parents would be less than enthusiastic about their child having access to explicit content (I'll leave the discussion of parental involvement in practicing, internet usage, and mature content for another time).
SmartMusic is intended for use in educational settings, and so has none of the issues with lyrics or content that Chromatik has. However, SmartMusic charges for everything. Subscriptions start at $40 per year for student access, or teachers can set up practice room subscriptions for ten percent more. With more and more schools moving to a 1:1 technology model, SmartMusic becomes a very attractive software suite for music teachers -- especially instrumental music instructors, who frequently have to juggle differentiated instruction by ability as well as by instrument, a situation where SmartMusic provides a great benefit and support system. The ability to assign etudes or method book assignments on a per-student instead of per-class basis is a genius move in today's age of portfolio-based evaluation in the arts and with the increasing expectations for teachers to be evaluated on student products as well as in-classroom observation and evaluation. SmartMusic can be a very smart investment for program justification, if a school district is willing to put the money out for it. And perhaps that's one of the bigger draw backs to SmartMusic. If the district isn't supportive of the cost, and the students can't afford to buy their own subscriptions, SmartMusic is basically dead in the water before a teacher even starts using it. SmartMusic requires that students have a compatible device and internet access even before the subscription piece enters. While this is a great option for schools with large budgets or affluent families, urban and/or rural districts with budget woes and a high number of students in the lower socio-economic strata will struggle when trying to implement SmartMusic without outside help from fundraising, donor/sponsors, or grants. Additionally, using SmartMusic as a classroom tool requires space to put the computer or device, recording rig, and the student(s) that will be using the system. In some schools, especially those where music facilities are shared with other classes, the space for SmartMusic may be hard to come by. For my situation, SmartMusic would require funding assistance both to get started at the school as well as to get student access. I would love to have the ability to listen to my students' assessments outside of class time, so I will be spending some time brainstorming how to make it work, but I'm not sure where I would have students working in SmartMusic while at school if I am able to purchase a subscription. One of the best benefits with SmartMusic would be solo repertoire access. My students do not have many opportunities to study privately, so having a semi-autonomous feedback system for solo repertoire practice would be a wonderful boon when preparing for solo & ensemble contests.
Both SmartMusic and Chromatik can be wonderful tools, but SmartMusic shows through it's many features that it was truly designed with the music educator in mind. Chromatik, with it's easy access to pop tunes, really seems to be aimed more at music consumers and could potentially help students enjoy playing at home (and practicing, although not necessarily what their teachers would hope they would be practicing) more than the material given to them by their teachers, but the content may not be entirely suitable for many students. Neither are a perfect fit for all music programs, but both may be useful to some educators for specific purposes in the classroom and beyond.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Recording Classroom Technology (Week 4 Reading/Video Response)
This week's reading covered the use of using technology to record and (re)play music in and for classroom settings. The author discusses how recordings contribute to learning and retention of material, helps educators with self assessment and improvement, and provides an opportunity for student assessment in addition to benefits listed above.
I can't argue with the efficacy of recording technology in the classroom. It's one of those best practices that research shows time and time again is useful. SmartMusic, one of the programs covered in the reading, is certainly considered industry standard when it comes to interactive student software and recording software. With the increase of 1:1 initiatives getting more technology into the hands of more students, SmartMusic certainly seems like a great investment and resource. But what about for those of us in districts that can't afford / won't invest in SmartMusic, or the arrangments (technology-based and logistics-based) necessary to use it effectively? I'm sure I'm not the only teacher that has to make some tough choices between purchasing classroom supplies like music, strings, instruments (and repairs), and tech-based toys (yeah, I went there) like software. The building I teach my middle schoolers in is an historic one, recently renovated, but lacking dedicated practice rooms. My fellow teachers are extremely generous and understanding, but I doubt they'd be enthusiastic about letting me take over their classroom(s) to allow students school-day opportunities to use SmartMusic -- assuming that we could find an available computer rig to operate the software! I'm not as familiar with SmartMusic as I'd like to be, but there's also that network resources piece that is concerning. We've been hearing a LOT about network resources now that testing season is upon us. Our students take their standardized tests via internet, so woe befall any teacher who is hogging network resources for something like video or audio streaming. I'm sure that SmartMusic has options for downloading and playing/replaying music and accompaniments from the physical disk, but that then begets other concerns from the tech gurus regarding available space and allocation of resources.
So, I've been looking at alternatives to SmartMusic. I know it's a wonderful program, but it's not something that's going to work in my room (and I really hope that you all realize that I'm not automatically opposed to everything out there!). I have been brainstorming how I might be able to get the ability to hear my students perform in a way similar to how SmartMusic can record assessments. I might have to do a bit more work in the way of grading my assessments on my own, but here are some things I've thought of to try to make it as easy and streamlined as possible:
- Have students use their (smart)phones to video-record themselves, then upload to google drive (assuming they have the ability to do so from their phones) and share with me. That way everything is in google, and students will appreciate the opportunity to use their phones on 'official' school business. PROS: Students can use their own technology, assignments hit several media arts standards in addition to music standards, and playing assessments can be done outside of class time. Video and audio recording allows for better assesment. CONS: Time consuming to resolve issues with format, students may not be familiar with process and may require additional assistance to complete assignment. Time needs to be found to watch and assess videos. Not all students have video device access.
- Have students use their (landline, cell, or smart) phone to call in to a dedicated number set up through GoogleVoice. PROS: Anyone with access to a phone can access submission number; GoogleVoice service allows for great differentiation of numbers, mailboxes, and other features -- most for free. CONS: No video for assessment of playing position / technique, audio less clear than live or many video options, possibility for cheating based on lack of video (no way to see to confirm who is actually playing).
- Collaborate with school video classes to record performance assessments -- make arrangments to have student videographers available for recording assessments either during class time or during open periods or before/after school. PROS: Collaborative projects generally encouraged within school settings, video assessment that doesn't require director take individual time to record. CONS: Additional people involved with assessment process means additional opportunities for mistakes or issues to occur. Student-managed video recording may result in more videography issues/errors.
In addition to recording student performance (whether as an assessment or as a check-in to see how the ensemble is performing overall as a group), video can be used as a way to instruct students. In ELA, math, science, and social studies classes, the use of video in this manner is frequently referred to as a flipped class. Students are assigned video clips of the instructor teaching a concept, and class time is then devoted to working on whatever the object of the lesson was -- basically class time becomes dedicated homework time with built-in teacher tutoring. While this may seem challenging to implement in the instrumental music classroom, I think it is totally possible to implement. There are so many good videos out there for instrumental instruction! The DVDs included with most contemporary method books is a great place to start. YouTube and individual sites for ensembles and performers also have instrument tips and tricks videos that could easily be assigned. This approach might work especially well as a plan for days when small ensembles are going to be rehearsing, allowing an endless reconfiguration of groups as various assigned videos are worked through, discussed, and demonstrated with and by the students.
Perhaps the biggest limitation to all of this is something I alluded to earlier -- accessibility of recording equiment. Not all students have access to a recording device, and even if they have a recording device not all ensembles have access to appropriate space to utilize that equipment during the day. Assigning video recordings can be tough in a situation where some, but not all, students have access to mobile recording devices -- instead of being able to be responsible for their own recordings, students without have to make choices about asking for a modified assignment, asking for help from a peer, or taking the loss of points by not turning it in. It's unfortunate that some students have to make these choices, but it's also a fact increasing in frequency as more and more students are growing up in poverty. I don't have any realistic solutions to offer -- each school and truly each student, are unique cases and unique situations. Ideally, we would all have practice rooms with dedicated Macs and SmartMusic for our students to use and explore. For those of us for whom that isn't an option, we'll just have to find other ways for making this type of technology work for us.
Friday, April 3, 2015
If a pitch is played without a note, will it still sound? (Week 3 reading/video response)
This week's reading discussed composition, and what really struck me was the encouragement to use software such as Soundation or Garage Band to create opportunities for music-illiterate students to produce their own works.
Yes, music-illiterate. I went there.
This is something that I've struggled with while trying to learn to use Soundation the past two weeks for a 'composition' project. I feel pretty strongly that using programs like Garage Band and Soundation to 'make tracks' isn't composition, unless you're using a MIDI entry tool and recording digital audio (which has crashed my setup every time I've tried to do it - quite frustrating). A lot of my view on this likely comes from my experiences with using MTV Music Generator for Playstation back in the early 2000s. I had a wonderful time creating some interesting arrangements of sounds and effects, and came up with some pretty danceable tunes, but it was never composition. I put very few original elements into the pieces I worked on. It was more like creating a collage than envisioning and creating a brand new work of art -- I took bits and pieces that somebody else created, took the parts that I liked, and arranged them in a way that was pleasing to me.
Now, I'm not saying that Soundation and GarageBand aren't musical, or that the product of these programs isn't music. They are, and it sure as heck does create a music product. But I hesitate before saying that a student can write music with these types of sequencers, or that creating sound projects with sequencers is an acceptable alternative composition task for students who are illiterate in music.
Illiterate. There's that word again. Especially in today's high-pressure, high-stakes, 'failing' schools environment, literacy and illiteracy are highly loaded terms. Illiterate means 'unable to read or write', which exactly describes many students when it comes to music. The situation described at the beginning of this week's reading features a musically illiterate student. I bristle at the idea that students MUST learn to read and write language in addition to being able to speak it, yet we are willing to allow them to squeak by and 'compose' without having to learn to read and write music if they are 'musically gifted'. I'm sorry, but I can't just imagine that's a good idea and post as if I agree with it. There's no reason that 'musically talented' individuals should be encouraged to NOT take the time to read and write music. This is bleeding over a little bit into advocacy, so I apologize for wandering away from the tech focus of the class, but as professional musicians we have to teach our students to perform to the highest possible standards. That doesn't mean we shouldn't teach students who can't read or write music notation -- it means we need to increase the rigor of our programs and help those students who are musically talented yet musically illiterate to develop the notation skills to express themselves as well as study how others express themselves through composition.
Sequencing programs like Soundation and Garage Band, especially when combined with a composition class or an exploration of sound project, can help bridge that music literacy gap. The clips in Soundation have graphical components that appear to be representations of the acoustical properties of the clips. For someone who is musically illiterate at the high school level, the sound file itself combined with the graphic representation can lead to a discussion of what the sound is actually doing and why the soundwave graphic appears that way, which can lead on to relative pitch and/or dynamics and/or any of a number of different musical attributes in traditional notation, providing an opportunity to scaffold knowledge of notation off of observable and audible features of the music. Using sketching as part of the composition process can be a useful tool in transitioning to reading notation, especially if contour is introduced with the same pitch orientation as found on any staff. Yes, this is harder than pointing a student at a digital workstation and turning them loose, but in the long run, the student will have learned both how to create a looped, sequenced, piece and also worked towards developing better musicianship skills.
Yes, music-illiterate. I went there.
This is something that I've struggled with while trying to learn to use Soundation the past two weeks for a 'composition' project. I feel pretty strongly that using programs like Garage Band and Soundation to 'make tracks' isn't composition, unless you're using a MIDI entry tool and recording digital audio (which has crashed my setup every time I've tried to do it - quite frustrating). A lot of my view on this likely comes from my experiences with using MTV Music Generator for Playstation back in the early 2000s. I had a wonderful time creating some interesting arrangements of sounds and effects, and came up with some pretty danceable tunes, but it was never composition. I put very few original elements into the pieces I worked on. It was more like creating a collage than envisioning and creating a brand new work of art -- I took bits and pieces that somebody else created, took the parts that I liked, and arranged them in a way that was pleasing to me.
Now, I'm not saying that Soundation and GarageBand aren't musical, or that the product of these programs isn't music. They are, and it sure as heck does create a music product. But I hesitate before saying that a student can write music with these types of sequencers, or that creating sound projects with sequencers is an acceptable alternative composition task for students who are illiterate in music.
Illiterate. There's that word again. Especially in today's high-pressure, high-stakes, 'failing' schools environment, literacy and illiteracy are highly loaded terms. Illiterate means 'unable to read or write', which exactly describes many students when it comes to music. The situation described at the beginning of this week's reading features a musically illiterate student. I bristle at the idea that students MUST learn to read and write language in addition to being able to speak it, yet we are willing to allow them to squeak by and 'compose' without having to learn to read and write music if they are 'musically gifted'. I'm sorry, but I can't just imagine that's a good idea and post as if I agree with it. There's no reason that 'musically talented' individuals should be encouraged to NOT take the time to read and write music. This is bleeding over a little bit into advocacy, so I apologize for wandering away from the tech focus of the class, but as professional musicians we have to teach our students to perform to the highest possible standards. That doesn't mean we shouldn't teach students who can't read or write music notation -- it means we need to increase the rigor of our programs and help those students who are musically talented yet musically illiterate to develop the notation skills to express themselves as well as study how others express themselves through composition.
Sequencing programs like Soundation and Garage Band, especially when combined with a composition class or an exploration of sound project, can help bridge that music literacy gap. The clips in Soundation have graphical components that appear to be representations of the acoustical properties of the clips. For someone who is musically illiterate at the high school level, the sound file itself combined with the graphic representation can lead to a discussion of what the sound is actually doing and why the soundwave graphic appears that way, which can lead on to relative pitch and/or dynamics and/or any of a number of different musical attributes in traditional notation, providing an opportunity to scaffold knowledge of notation off of observable and audible features of the music. Using sketching as part of the composition process can be a useful tool in transitioning to reading notation, especially if contour is introduced with the same pitch orientation as found on any staff. Yes, this is harder than pointing a student at a digital workstation and turning them loose, but in the long run, the student will have learned both how to create a looped, sequenced, piece and also worked towards developing better musicianship skills.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Composition, Improvisation, and the NCAS (Week 2 - Reading/Video Response)
Composing, the act of creating music, along with the complementary act of improvising music, has always been a part of the national standards for music education. The 2014 revision of those standards, also known as the National Core Arts Standards, emphasizes creation as a key component of music instruction. This week's lecture and reading looked at tools for supporting student composition and improvisation, as well as processes to put into place to help students reach these goals. These align with the new standards mentioned above, but can standards alone ensure that students are adequately supported and encouraged in developing creativity and compositional skills?
The National Core Arts Standards explains the Creating pillar as '[c]onceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work,' with the following anchor standards (NCAS):
Composition and improvisation do fit into these standards, but I hesitate to commit to the idea that creativity must be taught through composition (and notation by extension) and improvisation. I think in many cases, introducing notation software and composition tasks may be overwhelming and turn students away from music! At the same time, watering down composition instruction to include it without actually working on it doesn't actually help students grow and develop creatively. That's not to say that I'm opposed to the inclusion of composition and improvisation in any music classroom, just that I think that it requires specific and sequential preparation and support from the entire curriculum.
Thinking back to my undergrad experiences, I had limited opportunities to compose in any of my classes. Notation in undergrad classes seemed to primarily center on the class that focused on arranging and orchestrating, followed by classes requiring specific warm-up exercises or companion exercises to literature being taught in the class. These tasks were viewed with trepidation and anxiety. Few to none of my classmates in either of my undergraduate programs had much experience composing or working with notation software -- especially my classmates in my first undergrad program, as most of us graduated in 1997! The inclusion of composition standards in the NCAS certainly seems like one way to ensure students are exposed to and supported in composition experiences before they reach high school or even collegiate level classes. But does including the material or giving the students the assessment really teach them creativity?
I think that composition instruction and support needs to be integrated into music instruction at all stages. Even in kindergarten and first grade, students are capable of improvising and creating rhythms and simple melodies given support -- or, in another way of thinking about it, restrictions. While restrictions might sound limiting, in composition they can be freeing: either freeing younger and less experienced students to be able to compose based on their abilities. But restrictions are also good because they make the project feel safe - rather than thrusting themselves out there with no support structures, providing a structure, rules, limited ranges or rhythms or options of some kind makes composition seem much more accessible to young musicians. The use of music notation software can make those rules and restrictions more convenient to put into place and teach with. Similarly, I think that composition assignments could benefit from sequencing and positioning within the curriculum similar to how other creative tasks are presented and supported, specifically ELA composition tasks. While I haven't had the time to sit down and review the common core standards for ELA writing, I have a hunch that many if not most of the standards relating to creating, revising, and presenting written work would align with the composition standards in the NCAS.
Over time, and with repeated exposure and opportunities to experience composition-related tasks, I think that creativity in music can be more than just something that the highest-achieving students in K-12 programs excel in. I also think that success in music composition can help students with developing that key self esteem that figures so highly into performance in other academic areas.
Resources and further reading:
NAfME (n.d.) Student Assessment using Model Cornerstone Assessments. Retrieved from http://www.nafme.org/my-classroom/standards/mcas-information-on-taking-part-in-the-field-testing/
NCAS (n.d.). National Core Arts Standards Anchor Standards. Retrieved from http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/content/national-core-arts-standards-anchor-standards#creating
The National Core Arts Standards explains the Creating pillar as '[c]onceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work,' with the following anchor standards (NCAS):
- Anchor Standard #1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
- Anchor Standard #2. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
- Anchor Standard #3. Refine and complete artistic work.
Composition and improvisation do fit into these standards, but I hesitate to commit to the idea that creativity must be taught through composition (and notation by extension) and improvisation. I think in many cases, introducing notation software and composition tasks may be overwhelming and turn students away from music! At the same time, watering down composition instruction to include it without actually working on it doesn't actually help students grow and develop creatively. That's not to say that I'm opposed to the inclusion of composition and improvisation in any music classroom, just that I think that it requires specific and sequential preparation and support from the entire curriculum.
Thinking back to my undergrad experiences, I had limited opportunities to compose in any of my classes. Notation in undergrad classes seemed to primarily center on the class that focused on arranging and orchestrating, followed by classes requiring specific warm-up exercises or companion exercises to literature being taught in the class. These tasks were viewed with trepidation and anxiety. Few to none of my classmates in either of my undergraduate programs had much experience composing or working with notation software -- especially my classmates in my first undergrad program, as most of us graduated in 1997! The inclusion of composition standards in the NCAS certainly seems like one way to ensure students are exposed to and supported in composition experiences before they reach high school or even collegiate level classes. But does including the material or giving the students the assessment really teach them creativity?
I think that composition instruction and support needs to be integrated into music instruction at all stages. Even in kindergarten and first grade, students are capable of improvising and creating rhythms and simple melodies given support -- or, in another way of thinking about it, restrictions. While restrictions might sound limiting, in composition they can be freeing: either freeing younger and less experienced students to be able to compose based on their abilities. But restrictions are also good because they make the project feel safe - rather than thrusting themselves out there with no support structures, providing a structure, rules, limited ranges or rhythms or options of some kind makes composition seem much more accessible to young musicians. The use of music notation software can make those rules and restrictions more convenient to put into place and teach with. Similarly, I think that composition assignments could benefit from sequencing and positioning within the curriculum similar to how other creative tasks are presented and supported, specifically ELA composition tasks. While I haven't had the time to sit down and review the common core standards for ELA writing, I have a hunch that many if not most of the standards relating to creating, revising, and presenting written work would align with the composition standards in the NCAS.
Over time, and with repeated exposure and opportunities to experience composition-related tasks, I think that creativity in music can be more than just something that the highest-achieving students in K-12 programs excel in. I also think that success in music composition can help students with developing that key self esteem that figures so highly into performance in other academic areas.
Resources and further reading:
NAfME (n.d.) Student Assessment using Model Cornerstone Assessments. Retrieved from http://www.nafme.org/my-classroom/standards/mcas-information-on-taking-part-in-the-field-testing/
NCAS (n.d.). National Core Arts Standards Anchor Standards. Retrieved from http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/content/national-core-arts-standards-anchor-standards#creating
NoteFlight and MuseScore
This week's assignment centered around two composition tools for the classroom, NoteFlight and MuseScore. I've been writing music using computer software since middle school - first intermittently on Finale when I had access to others' computers with it or computer labs at school, and more recently using my own copy of Sibelius. I've tried multiple notation software packages, including text-based programs like freeware LilyPond and the VexTab add-on available for Google Docs. MuseScore and NoteFlight both are solid programs that could serve multiple educational purposes.
NoteFlight is a freemium-model browser-based notation and playback package. An account is required to access and use the service, but the only requirement to initiate an account is an email address (which needs to be accessed to then activate the account). Free accounts are limited to 10 scores, a limitation that can be worked around if you are willing to register multiple accounts with multiple email addresses (gmail and yahoo accounts work great for this).
NoteFlight is a freemium-model browser-based notation and playback package. An account is required to access and use the service, but the only requirement to initiate an account is an email address (which needs to be accessed to then activate the account). Free accounts are limited to 10 scores, a limitation that can be worked around if you are willing to register multiple accounts with multiple email addresses (gmail and yahoo accounts work great for this).
NoteFlight primarily uses point-and-click entry although there are keyboard shortcuts that can be used in addition to the mouse. Simple note entry is fairly straight forward, but finding articulations, expressions, and other more nuanced detail requires opening up menus that are not obvious at first glance. The layout settings are somewhat challenging, as the sliders have no markings and you have to actually drag the pointer along the various sliders to find out what each parameter is set to. Scores in NoteFlight cannot be broken out into parts with just the free version (although this limitation could probably be overcome by judicious use of copy, paste, and keeping multiple instances of the program up in multiple tabs).
NoteFlight seems like it would be best suited to using in the classroom with students who are familiar with the basics of music notation, but who might not be completely sure of all of the requirements of arranging or composing a piece of music. The limited palettes (when compared to larger notation software packages) remove complexity that could be challenging for novice composers. The point-and-click entry would be easy to navigate when using an interactive whiteboard, making NoteFlight a good choice for guided practice or modeling in the classroom.
NoteFlight seems like it would be best suited to using in the classroom with students who are familiar with the basics of music notation, but who might not be completely sure of all of the requirements of arranging or composing a piece of music. The limited palettes (when compared to larger notation software packages) remove complexity that could be challenging for novice composers. The point-and-click entry would be easy to navigate when using an interactive whiteboard, making NoteFlight a good choice for guided practice or modeling in the classroom.
Student composition assignments would also benefit from the sharing options. Users can select to allow others to view, view and comment, or directly edit work on a score-by-score basis. Older students may benefit from sharing work with their instructor and receiving comments back without ever printing the work out, which also saves the instructor from having to lug stacks of in-progress scores back and forth for grading purposes.
NoteFlight's limitations as freemium software really turn into annoyances more than anything.
MuseScore is a full notation program for download and installation. I found it to be very intuitive, other that creating a new percussion score separate from the primary score. For those with Finale and Sibelius experience already, MuseScore will be second nature. Conversely, MuseScore will make a great entry point for secondary students studying more advanced composition and theory. Being freeware, MuseScore is not as visually appealing or highly supported as the more commercial Sibelius or Finale, but it does fill a needed niche for low/no cost notation software free from ads or freemium pricing structures for advanced features.
NoteFlight's limitations as freemium software really turn into annoyances more than anything.
MuseScore is a full notation program for download and installation. I found it to be very intuitive, other that creating a new percussion score separate from the primary score. For those with Finale and Sibelius experience already, MuseScore will be second nature. Conversely, MuseScore will make a great entry point for secondary students studying more advanced composition and theory. Being freeware, MuseScore is not as visually appealing or highly supported as the more commercial Sibelius or Finale, but it does fill a needed niche for low/no cost notation software free from ads or freemium pricing structures for advanced features.
All things considered, both NoteFlight and MuseScore can be valuable notation programs in the classroom. I'm looking forward to introducing some of my students to these programs in the near future.
Friday, March 13, 2015
At the Intersection of Technology and Pedagogy (Week 1 - Reading/Video response)
Technology and education both share many similarities. Both change frequently, both can be tricky and intimidating to navigate, both seem overwhelming to many adults and underwhelming to many kids.
In a perfect situation, technology would fit in seamlessly and effortlessly with any given day's lesson, but sadly it never seems to work that way. I remember hearing from almost day 1 of my undergrad program to keep extra back-up plans when working with technology, just in case the technology had a glitch or wouldn't work. In a lot of ways, that advice seems sound -- downtime in a classroom can spell doom for the day's lesson and any sort of hopes for a well-managed classroom -- and speaks to previous experiences with similar issues. But at the same time, I wonder if this is one of the reasons why we 'digital immigrants' struggle so frequently with technology. Just as our students will react to our expectations, most often rising or falling to meet them, our own experiences have to be colored by what we expect to happen. Now, I'm not advocating that any teacher not have a back-up plan, but what if we approached it as if the technology was definitely going to work, and the back-up plan was for if our administrator walked in the door five minutes before class started to let us know we would be getting an extra prep period today because we won some arbitrary student-selected popularity contest? Which now becomes more likely, that the technology will work or that we will need our backup plan? While it may seem to verge on the ludicrous, taking a silly approach such as this helps develop a positive attitude toward technology because it takes away that reinforcing thought pattern that focuses on the breakdown of the tools.
Stepping away from personal paradigms, the idea of TPACK - Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge - as discussed in Chapter 1 of the Music Learning Today text by William Bauer really reinforced for me that technology shouldn't be used for everything. The desire to meet school, district, and state goals for technology integration can lead to educators feeling highly pressured to include technology in every possible way. As budgets tighten and standards increasingly refer to terms like 'digital', 'media arts', '21st century skills', and 'technology' itself, many educators that I have worked with or talked to feel pressure to try to do more in their classrooms. Like so many other things, however, quantity does not equate quality. As an orchestra teacher, integrating technology can be challenging! I have 20 or more kids at a time, all with a pointy stick in one hand and a hollow wooden box worth several hundreds to several thousands of dollars in the other, and you want me to get them using computers and technology in the classroom? I've developed some litmus tests to determine whether or not technology works as the best way for my kids to learn:
Technology isn't perfect, but taking a realistic and growth-minded approach to implementation of technology in the classroom goes a long way towards healthy implementation.
In a perfect situation, technology would fit in seamlessly and effortlessly with any given day's lesson, but sadly it never seems to work that way. I remember hearing from almost day 1 of my undergrad program to keep extra back-up plans when working with technology, just in case the technology had a glitch or wouldn't work. In a lot of ways, that advice seems sound -- downtime in a classroom can spell doom for the day's lesson and any sort of hopes for a well-managed classroom -- and speaks to previous experiences with similar issues. But at the same time, I wonder if this is one of the reasons why we 'digital immigrants' struggle so frequently with technology. Just as our students will react to our expectations, most often rising or falling to meet them, our own experiences have to be colored by what we expect to happen. Now, I'm not advocating that any teacher not have a back-up plan, but what if we approached it as if the technology was definitely going to work, and the back-up plan was for if our administrator walked in the door five minutes before class started to let us know we would be getting an extra prep period today because we won some arbitrary student-selected popularity contest? Which now becomes more likely, that the technology will work or that we will need our backup plan? While it may seem to verge on the ludicrous, taking a silly approach such as this helps develop a positive attitude toward technology because it takes away that reinforcing thought pattern that focuses on the breakdown of the tools.
Stepping away from personal paradigms, the idea of TPACK - Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge - as discussed in Chapter 1 of the Music Learning Today text by William Bauer really reinforced for me that technology shouldn't be used for everything. The desire to meet school, district, and state goals for technology integration can lead to educators feeling highly pressured to include technology in every possible way. As budgets tighten and standards increasingly refer to terms like 'digital', 'media arts', '21st century skills', and 'technology' itself, many educators that I have worked with or talked to feel pressure to try to do more in their classrooms. Like so many other things, however, quantity does not equate quality. As an orchestra teacher, integrating technology can be challenging! I have 20 or more kids at a time, all with a pointy stick in one hand and a hollow wooden box worth several hundreds to several thousands of dollars in the other, and you want me to get them using computers and technology in the classroom? I've developed some litmus tests to determine whether or not technology works as the best way for my kids to learn:
- Is it something that engages another mode of learning that hasn't been addressed in class for that topic?
- Is it something that would be artificial in the ensemble classroom?
- Is it something that will benefit more than one student?
- Is it something that is reusable from year to year?
- Is it something that is more difficult / more challenging / impossible to accomplish without technology?
- Is it something the students can use without too much teacher direction?
Technology isn't perfect, but taking a realistic and growth-minded approach to implementation of technology in the classroom goes a long way towards healthy implementation.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Four Wires and a Stick?
I am starting this blog to fufill class requirements for my Technology for Music Teaching class at Kent State University. I've wanted to run a music ed-themed blog for a while, though, so it's hopefully something that will continue after the class is completed.
If you're not familiar with string instruments, the blog title might not make too much sense to you (and I might change it if I can find something clever-er). I have been talking to my students recently about the importance of singing and vocalizing, especially when learning pitch and rhythm. I asked my middle school orchestras what the difference was between singing something and playing it on their instruments. They tried a few silly guesses, so when one kid finally admitted they didn't know I pointed out that the voice and the violin family share the same way to monitor and change pitch -- the ear has to drive the brain's decision-making skill and effect change in the pitch-generator, whether that's the vocal cords or the fingers on the string. I told them that singing their part "makes it easier to hear pitches and understand the pitches because you don't have to deal with the machine that makes sound."
They were all a little confused when I referred to their instruments as a 'machine' that makes sound, so I elaborated... "You know, that box with four wires and a stick we all play? That's all it is -- a machine. A tool. Something that we can use and manipulate, but pretty useless on it's own -- it needs our brain in order to work. And our brain sometimes needs to work on it's own before we add the machine in."
As I was trying to come up with something interesting/funny/thoughtful to title the blog, 'four wires and a stick' stuck with me. I guess that most premium strings would be better referred to as strings or ropes instead of wires, but wires are exactly what student instrument have running on them. So much of what I teach revolves around that stringed instrument machine, both how to manipulate it to make beautiful music as well as how to not let it get in the way of musicianship and musicality.
So, welcome to my blog, and I hope you find something of interest within!
If you're not familiar with string instruments, the blog title might not make too much sense to you (and I might change it if I can find something clever-er). I have been talking to my students recently about the importance of singing and vocalizing, especially when learning pitch and rhythm. I asked my middle school orchestras what the difference was between singing something and playing it on their instruments. They tried a few silly guesses, so when one kid finally admitted they didn't know I pointed out that the voice and the violin family share the same way to monitor and change pitch -- the ear has to drive the brain's decision-making skill and effect change in the pitch-generator, whether that's the vocal cords or the fingers on the string. I told them that singing their part "makes it easier to hear pitches and understand the pitches because you don't have to deal with the machine that makes sound."
They were all a little confused when I referred to their instruments as a 'machine' that makes sound, so I elaborated... "You know, that box with four wires and a stick we all play? That's all it is -- a machine. A tool. Something that we can use and manipulate, but pretty useless on it's own -- it needs our brain in order to work. And our brain sometimes needs to work on it's own before we add the machine in."
As I was trying to come up with something interesting/funny/thoughtful to title the blog, 'four wires and a stick' stuck with me. I guess that most premium strings would be better referred to as strings or ropes instead of wires, but wires are exactly what student instrument have running on them. So much of what I teach revolves around that stringed instrument machine, both how to manipulate it to make beautiful music as well as how to not let it get in the way of musicianship and musicality.
So, welcome to my blog, and I hope you find something of interest within!
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