Chapter 4 in Music Learning Today covered quite a range of technologies, but the thing I appreciated most was covering the imperative of considering the need for psychomotor development of our students through practice in order to improve their ultimate performance. We have all been taught the importance of slow practice but it was helpful to read of the research that backs that up. Once that is firmly understood, we can then move on to find technology solutions that can help develop those psychomotor skills in appropriate ways. Specific technologies such as digital metronomes and tuners can help in keeping slow practice consistent and helping develop the muscle memory needed to perform at high levels once things are worked up to proper speed. Smartmusic's looping feature can enable us to help students to learn how to focus on difficult passages repeatedly for more efficiency. Digital recording can make it easier to record student practices and performances so that they can better hear themselves and begin to learn how to better evaluate and improve their own performances. The multi-page chart provided by Dr. Bauer makes for a great reference tool to keep on hand to find suggestions for solutions to a number of different problem areas. The discussion posts relating to these issues also helped provide a number of other possibilities beyond what are listed in the book.
The Audacity project was quite a challenge for those of us who are not the most tech oriented like myself. The tutorials on lynda.com were tremendously helpful in learning the basics of how to work within the program and accomplish the assigned tasks. The combination of being able to see the soundwaves did make it much easier to work with the sound files than it would have been with just the sounds alone. Realizing that Finale compositions can be exported as .wav files, it would be fairly easy to create our own files for use in these type of exercises. These type of assignments could be used with students to help them learn
the program as well. Being a free cloud based program makes Audacity
practical for this type of use - even for schools with limited budgets.
Listening to the various compositions by other members of the class was quite interesting. It is amazing how so many different pieces can be constructed out of basically the same raw material. I know that this is true in a general sense of all composition, but with a finite number of preprogrammed loops in Soundation it is truly amazing to see the wide variety of ideas contained in those compositions.
I am also enjoying the wide variety of information coming in through the PLN. I wasn't sure how this would work at the beginning, but I have come to appreciate it more and more as time goes on and others share different bits of information about new things they have discovered.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Week 3
I continue to be amazed at the wide range of new technology we are encountering during this class. I shouldn't be, but I am. I know that technology in general tends to increase at an exponential rate and there is no reason why music instructional technology should be any different. Dr. Bauer's brief explanation in Music Learning Today (2014) of the concept of DAWs was a good short summary, but it was really helpful to have the much more detailed explanations in the lynda.com video segments. Those segments certainly cover the material in great detail - at times it almost seemed too much - but when one stops to realize it is geared to the person with no prior knowledge of such systems, it makes more sense.
The process of learning to use Soundation was a lot of fun. Although it took a little bit of time to figure out how everything worked, once I got going it really became enjoyable. I have wanted to make use of GarageBand for some time now but have been prevented by not having Apple machines available in my classroom. A cloud based program like Soundation opens a lot of new possibilities to give students more chances to explore their musical creativity. In fact, tomorrow we are starting a program we call Spring Break Music Camp. We will have 30-35 students ranging from 8 to 16 involved in a variety of musical activities. I loaded links for Soundation on our computers this afternoon and that will be one of the fun musical activities for the week.
I am finding the PLN to really be a source of a lot of interesting information. As we all share the various new things we are finding, it is becoming obvious that we are a lot more knowledgeable together than any of us could ever be on our own. While there is some duplication as more than one person will post the same things at different times, overall it is helping make us aware of many new apps and websites that we hadn't known about before. My phone is constantly beeping with new incoming messages from Google+ as I have the chance to learn about something new. It makes for interesting days.
Bauer, W.I., (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing and responding to music. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press.
The process of learning to use Soundation was a lot of fun. Although it took a little bit of time to figure out how everything worked, once I got going it really became enjoyable. I have wanted to make use of GarageBand for some time now but have been prevented by not having Apple machines available in my classroom. A cloud based program like Soundation opens a lot of new possibilities to give students more chances to explore their musical creativity. In fact, tomorrow we are starting a program we call Spring Break Music Camp. We will have 30-35 students ranging from 8 to 16 involved in a variety of musical activities. I loaded links for Soundation on our computers this afternoon and that will be one of the fun musical activities for the week.
I am finding the PLN to really be a source of a lot of interesting information. As we all share the various new things we are finding, it is becoming obvious that we are a lot more knowledgeable together than any of us could ever be on our own. While there is some duplication as more than one person will post the same things at different times, overall it is helping make us aware of many new apps and websites that we hadn't known about before. My phone is constantly beeping with new incoming messages from Google+ as I have the chance to learn about something new. It makes for interesting days.
Bauer, W.I., (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing and responding to music. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Week 2
This week has certainly opened some new doors in the realm of music technology. Musescore and Noteflight are both programs that have made me aware of possibilities for use with students. I myself have been a long time Finale user, but it can be quite expensive to purchase. I just upgraded to the newest version at the cost of $360 (at the reduced teacher price). For the students I work with, this is completely out of the reach of their family budgets. However, free programs such as Musescore and Noteflight would make it possible for them to engage in the basics of composition without that heavy expenditure.
In working with these two programs, I experienced a little bit of frustration, but it was mainly because of my long experience with Finale. I kept falling into the trap of trying to use familiar shortcuts from Finale and then realizing that they are not the same in these other programs. I noted that several others in the class had pointed out that the exercises could be done in Finale and exported but I chose to keep working in the other programs. Despite the occasional frustration, I see real value in working through the exercises as close to possible as the way that the students will experience it. This gives us as teachers a better perspective on what those challenges are likely to be and a better handle on how to help them when they encounter problems.
The PLN is starting to really be a source of a lot of new information - it is almost overwhelming at times. But as the others in the group post the different articles they have discovered, it does broaden the perspective on a whole host of issues. The combination of what others post and what comes in on its own through Feedly has helped make me aware of quite a number of possibilities that I had not known about prior to this. It is slightly humorous that a number of the postings of different people in the class start to duplicate one another as time goes on.
The discussion about creativity and improvisation is somewhat similar to one that we had in Dr. Webster's Creativity class last Fall. However, the main difference is the addition of the possibilities opened up by Kratos' 7 stage model for teaching improvisation. It outlines practical steps for taking students through developmentally appropriate processes to gain the audiation skills that will begin them on the road to becoming effective improvisors. Far too many teachers are intimidated to begin to teach the process because they aren't really sure how. By having a logical stepwise procedure to follow, hopefully that hesitancy can be overcome.
In working with these two programs, I experienced a little bit of frustration, but it was mainly because of my long experience with Finale. I kept falling into the trap of trying to use familiar shortcuts from Finale and then realizing that they are not the same in these other programs. I noted that several others in the class had pointed out that the exercises could be done in Finale and exported but I chose to keep working in the other programs. Despite the occasional frustration, I see real value in working through the exercises as close to possible as the way that the students will experience it. This gives us as teachers a better perspective on what those challenges are likely to be and a better handle on how to help them when they encounter problems.
The PLN is starting to really be a source of a lot of new information - it is almost overwhelming at times. But as the others in the group post the different articles they have discovered, it does broaden the perspective on a whole host of issues. The combination of what others post and what comes in on its own through Feedly has helped make me aware of quite a number of possibilities that I had not known about prior to this. It is slightly humorous that a number of the postings of different people in the class start to duplicate one another as time goes on.
The discussion about creativity and improvisation is somewhat similar to one that we had in Dr. Webster's Creativity class last Fall. However, the main difference is the addition of the possibilities opened up by Kratos' 7 stage model for teaching improvisation. It outlines practical steps for taking students through developmentally appropriate processes to gain the audiation skills that will begin them on the road to becoming effective improvisors. Far too many teachers are intimidated to begin to teach the process because they aren't really sure how. By having a logical stepwise procedure to follow, hopefully that hesitancy can be overcome.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Noteflight assignment
http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/64d10d817177d3c4076bb61c195d9ccfe26e3354
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Once more into the breach....
... on behalf of the Masters in Music Education program at University of Florida!
This is certainly a topic with a steep learning curve for an older person like myself. In reading Dr. Bauer's book I had to smile when I came across the paragraph describing the difference between digital natives (younger people) and digital immigrants (older folks like me). I first heard this formulation at the Florida Music Educator's Association conference in Tampa about 6 years ago as part of a speech by Sir Ken Robinson. It struck a chord with me then and I have never forgotten it because it so perfectly encapsulates the contrasting relationships to technology between my generation and that of my adult children. I can function reasonably well in using technology once I learn it, but my children seem to have an innate sense of how just about any technology functions - even if it is brand new! For them it is their native tongue, but for me it is a second language that requires extra focus and concentration to be able to navigate.
I have made use of some very basic technology but it would be along the lines of what is described in the text as primarily being geared to administrative tasks rather than instruction. I have used Finale for composition and arranging for more than a decade, but that has been more for myself than my students - although I have used it to create arrangements for them to play. In the last couple of years I have made use of Youtube on the computer in my room to quickly bring up examples of various types of music that come up in discussions with my students - particularly when something comes up unexpectedly and it is clear they are not familiar with the person or style. I did this as recently as last Thursday when my piano students came to a new piece called "Promenade". I quickly brought up the Introduction of Pictures at an Exhibition to help them understand what a promenade was and they seemed to appreciate it.
I make use of computers and the Internet for communication and various administrative functions as do most people today. I have used some of the programs recommended for the PLN, but for personal rather than instructional purposes. For example, I already had a Feedly account, but have used it primarily for keeping up with a number of political commentary sites that I read regularly. I had previously used Google Reader for that until Google phased it out last November. I have blogged off and on for about 10 years now, but mostly on a personal or opinion basis rather than anything specifically geared to music education until required to do so for the courses in this MME program. I have used Facebook as a means of staying in touch with my friends and family who are spread out all over the globe, but I have long resisted joining Twitter because it seemed to me to be a duplication of effort in relation to Facebook. Being required to start a Twitter account has led me to decide that I will keep it exclusively focused on music education issues for the time being. I had much the same feeling about Google+. Prior to this I had not really seen any point to it. However, the interactions with the other students in the class this week has helped me to realize the potential in using that platform as a means to stay in touch with many other articles and innovations that I wouldn't have been aware of otherwise. Being "forced" to explore these other avenues has in fact turned out to not be such a bad thing!
One other "big idea" that resonated with me from Dr. Bauer's book is the explanation of the TPACK concept. In particular, the VENN diagram really helps to put the concept in focus and points the importance of looking for where all three areas overlap. Any teacher with a reasonable level of experience should have a good grasp of musical content and pedagogical issues. However, when technology gets added into the mix, things can get complicated in a hurry for us "digital immigrants". I completely agree with Bauer's statement on p. 10: "Technological approaches shouldn't be used for technology's sake. They should only be incorporated when there is a clear benefit to learning." That definitely is an ongoing temptation. To avoid that, we can't begin with the technology itself, but rather with sound pedagogical considerations that can clearly be supported by technological approaches. Just because some gadget or "cool app" comes out doesn't necessarily mean it will be useful in facilitating genuine learning. By addressing the content and pedagogical issues first and then working into the technology, things can be kept in the proper perspective.
This is certainly a topic with a steep learning curve for an older person like myself. In reading Dr. Bauer's book I had to smile when I came across the paragraph describing the difference between digital natives (younger people) and digital immigrants (older folks like me). I first heard this formulation at the Florida Music Educator's Association conference in Tampa about 6 years ago as part of a speech by Sir Ken Robinson. It struck a chord with me then and I have never forgotten it because it so perfectly encapsulates the contrasting relationships to technology between my generation and that of my adult children. I can function reasonably well in using technology once I learn it, but my children seem to have an innate sense of how just about any technology functions - even if it is brand new! For them it is their native tongue, but for me it is a second language that requires extra focus and concentration to be able to navigate.
I have made use of some very basic technology but it would be along the lines of what is described in the text as primarily being geared to administrative tasks rather than instruction. I have used Finale for composition and arranging for more than a decade, but that has been more for myself than my students - although I have used it to create arrangements for them to play. In the last couple of years I have made use of Youtube on the computer in my room to quickly bring up examples of various types of music that come up in discussions with my students - particularly when something comes up unexpectedly and it is clear they are not familiar with the person or style. I did this as recently as last Thursday when my piano students came to a new piece called "Promenade". I quickly brought up the Introduction of Pictures at an Exhibition to help them understand what a promenade was and they seemed to appreciate it.
I make use of computers and the Internet for communication and various administrative functions as do most people today. I have used some of the programs recommended for the PLN, but for personal rather than instructional purposes. For example, I already had a Feedly account, but have used it primarily for keeping up with a number of political commentary sites that I read regularly. I had previously used Google Reader for that until Google phased it out last November. I have blogged off and on for about 10 years now, but mostly on a personal or opinion basis rather than anything specifically geared to music education until required to do so for the courses in this MME program. I have used Facebook as a means of staying in touch with my friends and family who are spread out all over the globe, but I have long resisted joining Twitter because it seemed to me to be a duplication of effort in relation to Facebook. Being required to start a Twitter account has led me to decide that I will keep it exclusively focused on music education issues for the time being. I had much the same feeling about Google+. Prior to this I had not really seen any point to it. However, the interactions with the other students in the class this week has helped me to realize the potential in using that platform as a means to stay in touch with many other articles and innovations that I wouldn't have been aware of otherwise. Being "forced" to explore these other avenues has in fact turned out to not be such a bad thing!
One other "big idea" that resonated with me from Dr. Bauer's book is the explanation of the TPACK concept. In particular, the VENN diagram really helps to put the concept in focus and points the importance of looking for where all three areas overlap. Any teacher with a reasonable level of experience should have a good grasp of musical content and pedagogical issues. However, when technology gets added into the mix, things can get complicated in a hurry for us "digital immigrants". I completely agree with Bauer's statement on p. 10: "Technological approaches shouldn't be used for technology's sake. They should only be incorporated when there is a clear benefit to learning." That definitely is an ongoing temptation. To avoid that, we can't begin with the technology itself, but rather with sound pedagogical considerations that can clearly be supported by technological approaches. Just because some gadget or "cool app" comes out doesn't necessarily mean it will be useful in facilitating genuine learning. By addressing the content and pedagogical issues first and then working into the technology, things can be kept in the proper perspective.
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