I began this MOOC wanting to see how the pedagogy and use of technology at our school measured up. I’m pleased to find that we do pretty well on limited resources. We use a range of sequencing, recording and notation software and set our students real-life projects to complete using this technology.
Technology-based music has always been an important topic in all of our music programs and the musical skills and the multiple roles of the contemporary DJ are examples that we study. This topic is one where the “Open” nature of learning and information is evident. The range of music that my students bring to share in these lessons is testament to this, and their ability to “discover” the up and coming names in these genres is testament to their discernment. Certainly my better students are taking advantage of open learning but I sense that this is not as widespread as researchers such as David Price suggest – or perhaps it is that my definition of learning is too narrow. There is a fair degree of online interaction but the emphasis appears to be on the social rather than study, from the evidence available in class.
It also needs to be acknowledged that the “Information Super-highway” is a dangerous place to play. I came across one tutorial last year where the author spent a large percentage of time belittling viewers for even needing to ask for help with what he obviously considered was a simple task.
I think that there are still significant issues that have not been addressed in this MOOC. There is space here only to mention two of these. The first is money. Our storeroom contains the evidence of the pace at which Technology changes: sound modules and midi interfaces that are no longer required, boxes of pre-and post Mac OSX software are just two examples. Even the so-called Open-Source software such as Soundtrap is quick to offer you their Premium package – for a fee of course. The attraction of BYO, BAB and Open Source software is that this cost transfers from the school to the family.
In a recent article on improvements to student outcomes, School smarts push students on path to uni, the identified factors correlate strongly with those of John Hattie: parent involvement, goal setting, environment and the relationship between teacher and student. There is no specific mention of the BLs or any other pedagogical approaches.
I am affirmed by this MOOC in the approaches that I have taken in teaching Music and other subjects using technology and pedagogical approaches such as Problem-Based and Inquiry-Based Learning. I have found Lucy Green’s approach to informal learning one worth investigating and pursuing. I am challenged to be more deliberate in modelling and identifying open learning amongst my students.
The false distinction between vocation, academic and personal interest subjects that has long prevailed has lost sight of the educational as well as the individual and societal benefits of studying the Arts. The leading role of music teachers in embracing technology in learning and making a meaningful connection between the students’ culture and school should be celebrated and shared.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
An ABC of Technology
In the MOOC, Music in the Twenty-First Century Classroom, we have been set a challenge to share our thoughts about the place of media in the music classroom. I think that I would have been happier presenting a list of pros and cons but we have been asked to be creative. I thought of writing a song or a rap but somehow a line such as, "When it comes to synthesizers, midi and technology, I am the very model of modern music pedagogue" is possibly too embarrassing on many levels. Anyway, I hope that the following contains some of my thoughts about technology in an entertaining and creative way. As well as my own thoughts, I've included some comments from speakers featured in the MOOC videos and some other reading that I've done. I've updated this since the original posting.
The ABC of Technology in Education
A is for app., appealing and accurate.
No matter how appealing an app may be, if the content is not accurate it is of no educational value.
B is for brain, baby and behaviour.
Ban all screen time for children under the age of two to prevent poor brain development and disrupted learning behaviour.
C is for creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.
These are three essential twenty-first century skills that are supported by using technology in the music classroom.
D is for digital natives.
Digital natives live in an instant world where technology is the status quo (Prensky, 2001). However, sometimes they forget that they are also explorers and will stare forlornly at the screen wondering where to go next.Cue teacher.
E is for encouragement, enquiry and epistemic games.
Encouragement and enquiry (“Wow, how did you do that?”) are grandmotherly methods that promote perseverance and understanding in digital learners. Epistemic games immerse children in real-life situations and ask them to solve real-world problems.
F is for Flipped Learning
Flipped Learning is no guarantee that homework won’t be boring.
G is for GarageBand.
GarageBand turns bedrooms into studios and classrooms into hit factories. However this is not a guaranteed formula. The real equation is: musician+GarageBand≠guaranteed instant hit. The secret for success remains as mysterious as ever.
H is for Hybrid Learning.
Hybrid or blended learning combines, or blends, classroom and online learning. This is a familiar practice in many schools. It provides for balance.
I is for individualised, informal and idiosyncratic.
Three important pedagogical approaches supported by technology in the music classroom.
J is for JITT (just-in-time technology).
To make better use of limited devices, schools have adapted the industry just-in-time model, preferring to manage limited resources rather than overstock with technology that may not meet their needs (McKenzie, 2003).
K is for know, knowledge and know-how.
Is knowledge obsolete? We no longer need to know, we just need to have the know-how to locate, evaluate and apply the knowledge available online. However, knowledge comes in handy for a dad to beat his daughters in online trivia games.
L is for loops.
Loops are counter-intuitive. Despite the potential to create monotony and homogeny, musical loops seem to be the wellspring for endless variety.
M is for Mobile learning.
Mobile learning means learning where you want and when you want using technology. However, learning in the physical presence of others and hearing an effective speaker live are still powerful modes of learning.
N is network.
Technology allows students and teachers alike to create their own network of peers, mentors and instructors.
O is for Open Source Software
Offering an alternative to proprietary software, Open Source Software builds equity into digital access ahead of equity on the NASDAQ.For the music classroom, these include Soundtrap and Noteflight.
P is for personalised.
Personalised learning offers the opportunity for differentiation and tailoring learning to individual needs. But education is more than an individual pursuit. Emphasising a personalised approach can lose sight of the benefit the community or society also receives.
Q is for questions.
Learning should be about the big questions.
R is for remote
“In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language, even in a remote Indian village, will reach the same standard as an office secretary in the West.” – Sugata Mitra.
S is for SOLE
Self-organised learning environments combine Broadband, collaboration and encouragement.
T is for teacher.
Technology is no substitute for the relationship between teacher and pupil. What technology does mean is that these roles are continually interchangeable.
U is for unknown.
Much is unknown about the future but technology will have a major role to play in jobs of the future.
V is for virtual.
Virtual manipulation allow learners to play around with ideas, adjust small variables and view or hear the effect.
W is for wonder.
“We need to design a future of learning by supporting children to tap into their wonder and their ability to work together.” – Sugata Mitra
X is for Xavier.
Francis Xavier, Sydney based DJ/Producer/Engineer/Musician/Party promoter/Label owner/Synth hoarder, is testament to the fact that there is more than one way to get into music.
Y is for YouTube.
Forget Wikipedia, YouTube is the “go to” information site for twenty-first century learners in Australia,
Z is for zero.
Technology promises zero boredom in classrooms but there is no guarantee.
References not mentioned in the MOOC
McKenzie, J.(2003, January). Just in time technology. In From Now On: The Educational Technology Journal 12(5), January Retrieved 21/01/2017 from http://fno.org/jan03/jitt.html
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the horizon, 9(5)October. NCB University Press. Retrieved 20/01/2017 from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
The ABC of Technology in Education
A is for app., appealing and accurate.
No matter how appealing an app may be, if the content is not accurate it is of no educational value.
B is for brain, baby and behaviour.
Ban all screen time for children under the age of two to prevent poor brain development and disrupted learning behaviour.
C is for creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.
These are three essential twenty-first century skills that are supported by using technology in the music classroom.
D is for digital natives.
Digital natives live in an instant world where technology is the status quo (Prensky, 2001). However, sometimes they forget that they are also explorers and will stare forlornly at the screen wondering where to go next.Cue teacher.
E is for encouragement, enquiry and epistemic games.
Encouragement and enquiry (“Wow, how did you do that?”) are grandmotherly methods that promote perseverance and understanding in digital learners. Epistemic games immerse children in real-life situations and ask them to solve real-world problems.
F is for Flipped Learning
Flipped Learning is no guarantee that homework won’t be boring.
G is for GarageBand.
GarageBand turns bedrooms into studios and classrooms into hit factories. However this is not a guaranteed formula. The real equation is: musician+GarageBand≠guaranteed instant hit. The secret for success remains as mysterious as ever.
H is for Hybrid Learning.
Hybrid or blended learning combines, or blends, classroom and online learning. This is a familiar practice in many schools. It provides for balance.
I is for individualised, informal and idiosyncratic.
Three important pedagogical approaches supported by technology in the music classroom.
J is for JITT (just-in-time technology).
To make better use of limited devices, schools have adapted the industry just-in-time model, preferring to manage limited resources rather than overstock with technology that may not meet their needs (McKenzie, 2003).
K is for know, knowledge and know-how.
Is knowledge obsolete? We no longer need to know, we just need to have the know-how to locate, evaluate and apply the knowledge available online. However, knowledge comes in handy for a dad to beat his daughters in online trivia games.
L is for loops.
Loops are counter-intuitive. Despite the potential to create monotony and homogeny, musical loops seem to be the wellspring for endless variety.
M is for Mobile learning.
Mobile learning means learning where you want and when you want using technology. However, learning in the physical presence of others and hearing an effective speaker live are still powerful modes of learning.
N is network.
Technology allows students and teachers alike to create their own network of peers, mentors and instructors.
O is for Open Source Software
Offering an alternative to proprietary software, Open Source Software builds equity into digital access ahead of equity on the NASDAQ.For the music classroom, these include Soundtrap and Noteflight.
P is for personalised.
Personalised learning offers the opportunity for differentiation and tailoring learning to individual needs. But education is more than an individual pursuit. Emphasising a personalised approach can lose sight of the benefit the community or society also receives.
Q is for questions.
Learning should be about the big questions.
R is for remote
“In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language, even in a remote Indian village, will reach the same standard as an office secretary in the West.” – Sugata Mitra.
S is for SOLE
Self-organised learning environments combine Broadband, collaboration and encouragement.
T is for teacher.
Technology is no substitute for the relationship between teacher and pupil. What technology does mean is that these roles are continually interchangeable.
U is for unknown.
Much is unknown about the future but technology will have a major role to play in jobs of the future.
V is for virtual.
Virtual manipulation allow learners to play around with ideas, adjust small variables and view or hear the effect.
W is for wonder.
“We need to design a future of learning by supporting children to tap into their wonder and their ability to work together.” – Sugata Mitra
X is for Xavier.
Francis Xavier, Sydney based DJ/Producer/Engineer/Musician/Party promoter/Label owner/Synth hoarder, is testament to the fact that there is more than one way to get into music.
Y is for YouTube.
Forget Wikipedia, YouTube is the “go to” information site for twenty-first century learners in Australia,
Z is for zero.
Technology promises zero boredom in classrooms but there is no guarantee.
References not mentioned in the MOOC
McKenzie, J.(2003, January). Just in time technology. In From Now On: The Educational Technology Journal 12(5), January Retrieved 21/01/2017 from http://fno.org/jan03/jitt.html
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the horizon, 9(5)October. NCB University Press. Retrieved 20/01/2017 from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Popular music in the classroom
Popular Music in the Classroom
The programming of popular music in secondary classrooms is not new. However, the MOOC, Music in the Twenty-first Century Classroom presents a research-based approach to the use of popular music to improve the interest and engagement of students in the classroom. But does this mean a total re-writing of the music curriculum?
In the course, Richard Gill presented the useful analogy of a balanced diet when it comes to classroom repertoire. The NSW BOSTES syllabuses provide for such a balance in every stage. It is an important foundation for the wide listening approach that students need to have to succeed in the HSC aural skills exam. The ability to appreciate and learn from a variety of music also promotes deeper musical and cultural understanding.
Popular music has a place in the music curriculum, not just to promote engagement with the musical material but because its interest for the listener derives, in part, from the effective employment of musical concepts. However, even using examples from the students’ own musical culture is not a guarantee of successful learning. As Professor Lucy Green observes, teenagers often focus on the words of their favourite songs and it takes a skilled teacher to introduce students to the techniques and terms that will allow them to identify, analyse and employ the musical features of the repertoire.
It’s also important that the use of repertoire from students' own musical culture is authentic. The music should be recognised for its musical merit, not just seen as a sugar coating for the theory pill or a stepping-stone to the study of “real” music. I think this is entirely in keeping with the philosophy outlined by Richard Gill, as well as the approach advocated by Francis Xavier and Adam Maggs in the course videos and the LiveStudio syllabus. Having the students choose their own music, as suggested by Lucy Green, helps in recognising the authenticity of the music.
My final comment is that a balance of established and new material that represents contemporary culture, is also required to save over-burdening teachers. The present system that requires teachers to document, in detail, every curriculum decision and teaching practice is a disincentive to innovation. Managing the “new” by balancing it with the established curriculum and repertoire makes innovation possible.
The programming of popular music in secondary classrooms is not new. However, the MOOC, Music in the Twenty-first Century Classroom presents a research-based approach to the use of popular music to improve the interest and engagement of students in the classroom. But does this mean a total re-writing of the music curriculum?
In the course, Richard Gill presented the useful analogy of a balanced diet when it comes to classroom repertoire. The NSW BOSTES syllabuses provide for such a balance in every stage. It is an important foundation for the wide listening approach that students need to have to succeed in the HSC aural skills exam. The ability to appreciate and learn from a variety of music also promotes deeper musical and cultural understanding.
Popular music has a place in the music curriculum, not just to promote engagement with the musical material but because its interest for the listener derives, in part, from the effective employment of musical concepts. However, even using examples from the students’ own musical culture is not a guarantee of successful learning. As Professor Lucy Green observes, teenagers often focus on the words of their favourite songs and it takes a skilled teacher to introduce students to the techniques and terms that will allow them to identify, analyse and employ the musical features of the repertoire.
It’s also important that the use of repertoire from students' own musical culture is authentic. The music should be recognised for its musical merit, not just seen as a sugar coating for the theory pill or a stepping-stone to the study of “real” music. I think this is entirely in keeping with the philosophy outlined by Richard Gill, as well as the approach advocated by Francis Xavier and Adam Maggs in the course videos and the LiveStudio syllabus. Having the students choose their own music, as suggested by Lucy Green, helps in recognising the authenticity of the music.
My final comment is that a balance of established and new material that represents contemporary culture, is also required to save over-burdening teachers. The present system that requires teachers to document, in detail, every curriculum decision and teaching practice is a disincentive to innovation. Managing the “new” by balancing it with the established curriculum and repertoire makes innovation possible.
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