Teaching Episode #3: Teaching A Musical Idea or Concept

Professional Development Activity Reflection

This semester, I had the opportunity to attend an Arizona Orff’s Association Workshop on February 25th, 2017. This workshop was under the direction of Jim Solomon, who put on a remarkable workshop about music education with children. Jim Solomon was absolutely intriguing, as he not only offered valuable information, personal experiences, and tools to use as future educators, but allowed many hands-on opportunities throughout the session to help us experience what a lesson plan might look like in an elementary classroom setting. This workshop was neat to also see the interaction and engagement that occurred between the several music teachers that were in attendance. Everyones’ input and questions were valued by Jim, as he applied them to real life situations. One concept that really intrigued my interest was the idea of directive listening. In a classroom setting, the ability to listening and validating a child’s learning through directive commands and responses is something that I did not recognize or give a label to before this conference! When working with children, and as a future music educator, we have the ability to open their minds and the expand the horizons of learning. Although I do not plan on working in an elementary setting, after attending this  workshop, I have several new tools and activities under my belt that I will utilize in the future!

Whitney

Digital Hybrid Lab Week #13 Blog

As we wrap up on our Build Your Chops Project, I came across one more article that intrigued my interest, in relation to music and technology. What is crazy to me is this article, “Technology and the Future of Music,” published back in October of 1999 by Tod Machover, was spot on in the direction that music and technology were and are headed in today. Machover, an international composer and director of the Hyperinstruments/Opera-of-the-Future Group in Cambridge MA, recognizes the exponential potential that music and technology had over the course of the next 25 years. He stated how “In fact, the technology themselves have never grown faster, and it is more important than ever to make sure that expression stays ahead of technical constraint or imperative. And the potential of emerging technologies is enormous.” To think if he was discovering these connections with music and technology almost 20 years ago, where CD’s and soundtracks were a huge hit, and then to realize the leaps of discovery that we’ve made as a society is incredible. There is a bright future in the relationship of music and technology, and its only going to expand more and more!

http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/Technology-and-the-Future-of-Music/

Whitney

 

Digital Hybrid Lab Week #12 Blog

For my PLN project, another music teacher that I found online talking about using technology in the classroom is Amy M Burns. As an elementary music educator, author, clinician, and musician, Burns currently works at Far Hills Country Day School. She has been recognized and has received several awards for her role and work in helping integrate technology into the classrooms. I came across a blog post that she recently posted called “Using Technology to Assist With Assessment in the Elementary General Music Classroom,” that draws on ideas put out by the most recent issue of NAfME’s “Teaching Music.” This read was very insightful, as it brought to my attention the benefits of incorporating technological tools into the classroom. While she goes into detail about these programs, such as Socrative and SMART technologies, she drive her point back in at the end while discussing the positives of specifically using technology in music classrooms. She states how technology can “be a great assessment tool to enhance vocal assessments, concert evaluations,” “assist students in finding fingering charts for instruments,” and ultimately is a great way to “assist with assessing numerous students.” In the direction today’s society is headed, we need to utilize the technology we have to our greatest capabilities, in all settings! A music classroom is not exempt from this need, as the possibilities of learning can are are being expanded through the use of technology in the classroom.

http://mustech.net/2017/03/using-technology-assist-assessment-elementary-general-music-classroom/

Whitney

Digital Hybrid Lab Week #11 Blog

The invisible line between tradition and innovative practices is quickly being erased and merged, as technology is becoming a critical aspect in today’s educational settings. Music education is not exempt from this fact, but rather is experiencing confusion regarding the level of balance that should be maintained with with traditional teaching and incorporating technology. I came across the article put out by The National Association for Music Education, that stated several interesting statistics about how technology is being used in the classroom. A couple of these statements that intrigued me most were that “74% of teachers feel that technology supports and expands curriculum,” “48% of teachers make online lessons plans,” and “74% says technology motivates students to learn.”  It fascinates me to think about how much the world of music in an educational setting could shift with the integration of technology. I question if its for the better, or if its better to stick to the traditional ways of teaching, but am excited as a future educator to see what ways I can make music with students! This generation is equipped with some incredible programs and devices, and therefore instead of fighting this technology movement, I think its wise for music educators to use it to our benefit!

http://www.nafme.org/how-technology-is-being-used-in-music-classrooms/

Whitney

Digital Hybrid Lab Week #10 Blog

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This past week, my Digital Hybrid Lab class finished up our second rounds of the Build Your Chops Project. I was apart of the Audio Interface group, which focused on tasks such as using audio interface with several DAW stations, learning the proper use of microphones and xlr chords, and recording and processing sounds. In my personal opinion, I found this project very rewarding; the information and skills that I learned were things I have been exposed to over the years, but now I have them in my own belt of tools as a future teacher. With the direction that our society is headed, being technologically savage is very useful. In a music classroom setting, this doesn’t just mean knowing how to use a computer, but all the unique devices and programs such as DAWs that can be used to make music. One of the biggest take aways that I had from this project was the proper technique with handling microphones and xlr chords. As a hopeful future choral teacher, I would ideally love to have jazz groups that use these things. Therefore, having a background knowledge of how to use them efficiently is key!

Whitney

Teaching Episode #2: Facilitating Musical Creating