Written Response 8

“Being an iPadist” by Clint Randles, explores the place of technology with in the music classroom. His own use of the iPad as a musical instrument was met by criticism from many of his colleagues. They argued that because the iPad does not have established traditions and repertoire that it is not a valid means of music making. Yet, many parents and students are deterred from the traditional means of music making in classes such as band and orchestra because instrument rentals are expensive or because the music they play may seem outdated and irrelevant. Many music educators advocate that music is for all yet they fail to make music accessible and relevant to their students.

In some areas however, the schools provide iPads for every students. Randles sees this as the perfect opportunity to expand music education in schools. If every student has access to an iPad then every student also has access to musical apps and can be part of an iPad ensemble. Parents would not have to supply their children with an expensive instrument because their instrument has already been provided by the school.

Not every school district is fortunate enough to have an iPad for every student, however the idea of using the technology available is an important one. Randles himself “recognized the iPad would not be ‘the big thing’ forever. New technologies will be invented and will create a musical performance and creativity possibilities not yet been imagined.” Music educators should ask themselves what tools and technology they have available to make music accessible for their students. The answer may be different for each school, but if educators are willing to think outside the box then we can bring music to the world in a way that has never been done before.

Written Response 7

Technology is amazing and should be used in schools to its full potential, right? Perhaps this is easier said than done. The Collins and Halverson Chapter 3 reading discusses the skeptic’s approach to technology. It’s points out that while technology has many benefits it also has many practical challenges when incorporated into the educational system.

So what are some of the barriers that prevent technology from being used in schools? One big issue is cost. Providing a computer lab that the entire school shares is much more affordable than providing a personal device for each student. However, if the entire school shares the computer lab they are not able to spend much time with technology. To really incorporate technology into the daily classroom there have to be enough materials for each individual student, and this can become costly. Technology also requires more education on the part of the instructors, and it can become expensive and difficult to ensure that the instructors have proper training necessary to use new technology effectively.

Secondly, technology can be at odds with the teaching methods that are common practice in today’s schools. For instance, technology lends itself to personalized pacing and learning. However, today’s schools are based on standards, often resulting in the same instruction for every student in the classroom. All students are expected to meet a common benchmark rather than receiving personalized instruction and evaluation based on their unique needs. Furthermore, administrators expect students to be still, quiet, and well behaved and the teacher is considered to be the authority with all knowledge. Technology can challenge both of these believes because it can make it more difficult to monitor behavior and because it helps students to realize that answers to questions can come from a variety of sources, not just their teacher.

I have mentioned only a few of the challenges that are encountered in integrating technology into the classroom. The use of technology, whether computers or any other device which furthers learning, challenges old methods of teaching and opens up a new world of possibilities. This can be a very exciting but it can also be challenging to change the ideas and procedures that have become such a big part of education. Thus, it is more common for individual teachers and schools to incorporate technology as their resources and training allow them than to change the entire educational system in the United States.

Written Response 6

Imagine a secondary music classroom where students are given an assignment to choose a musical recording, listen to it, and then learn how to play the song as a group. Are you worried about how successful this project will be? Is there too little structure? Should there be more formal learning? Should there be more teacher involvement? Will the students be able to successfully play the song on their own? Will the students be motivated and stay on task? The chapter by Green titled “Making Music” explores a study where dozens of groups were asked to perform the task mentioned above. It’s findings provide some interesting insight into music education.

While there were certainly times when the students had trouble matching pitch or figuring out the melody on their instruments, the students were able to work through these roadblocks. At times they would have to repeat a small segment over and over again, but rather than becoming bored by this repetition they were motivated because of their attachment to the chosen song. This helped them to work through the difficult segments until they could successfully play the song. Contrast this to your typical band, choir, or orchestra classroom where the repetition of a short section often leads to boredom, distraction, and behavior issues. What is the difference? The students had chosen this song. Thus, they were invested in their learning which helped them to remain motivated even in the face of difficulty and failure.

Another interesting occurrence is that as students attempted to play along with the recordings, there would be times when they would only be able to play a few correct notes. Rather than feeling the need to stop and start over, as many of my piano students do, they just continued forward, jumping back in when they could and getting even more correct notes the next time they listened to the recording. The process seemed very similar to learning language; The recording is like listening to a fluent speaker, and as the students hear the musical language more and more they increase their musical vocabulary until they could speak musically on their own.

When I first read the procedures of the study I was skeptical that it would be able to work. It was so different from what is normally done in the classroom and it seemed so challenging I did not think it would be successful. These students may not have performed these pieces perfectly, but they were able to increase their understanding and attain an achievement level that their instructors did not expect. They were also able to be immersed in music and find enjoyment in the process. Perhaps it is the average educator who has it wrong and if we strive to immerse students in the musical language, take risks, and let students have a voice in what they do, they can achieve far more than if we hold their hands through the music learning process.

Field Work Reflection 5

One thing that struck me about my time at the community center this week is the usefulness of individual time with the students. During the ukulele section of the class each student had such differing levels of skill, focus, and ability. Some students could easily switch between F & C chords, others had a hard time focusing long enough to even hold the ukulele correctly, and some had difficulty with the fine motor skills of holding down a fret without covering the other strings. Having a ratio of one student to one teacher was helpful so that the pacing was correct for each individual student according to their needs and abilities.

While it is rarely possible to have significant individual time with students in the public schools there is a valuable lesson that can be learned from this experience: It is important to meet students at their level. Each student has vastly different abilities and experiences and so educators should strive to make assignments adaptable so that all can accomplish what they are asked to do but can also be challenged. It is very important to strive for balance and reflect often on whether we are gearing teaching to the average or the individual. Ultimately, we want to get to the point where we are teaching individuals and helping them to have meaningful musical experiences in their own way.