Module 7 Reflection

Before I used technology to enhance my teaching, I fully embraced its ability to enhance my personal productivity and organization. I have since been able to apply that knowledge to my classrooms and administrative duties, and I still believe that technology can do wonders for simplifying the massive amount of behind-the-scenes work that is required of music teachers.

I oftentimes think of this poster that I've seen in many choir rehearsal rooms that was created by a company called Tone Deaf Comics. As music teachers, we strive to create the best quality opportunities and education for students, but being a team of one makes the workload daunting. Technology can help ease the burden. Dr. Bauer (2014, p. 169) states that utilizing technology can help in "completing [duties] in an efficient and expedient matter [which] reduces stress and leaves time to concentrate on what's really important: teaching music." Technology can help teachers get bak to what really counts. This week's reading and assignments realigned me with just how much technology can make our teacher lives easier.

For one, Google's extensive technology is lifesaving, and it has great capabilities to assist in assessing student work. In a data-driven society, there is great need for students to receive a variety of assessments while also providing documented evidence that "give[s] students a clear picture of their progress ... [and] how they might improve" (Bauer, 2014, p. 132). Electronic based surveys such as Google Forms can create summative assessments in the forms of quizzes that can formally assess student learning. It can also assist in conducting authentic or performance-based assessments, where teachers can input a specific checklist, rating scale, or rubric and quickly assess students with the push of a button, eliminating the need for stacks of paper and tired hands.

Google Sites helps with developing student learning portfolios, and electronic compilation of work that allows students the "opportunity to show what they can do" (Bauer, 2014, p. 141). This easy-to-use interface allows website construction at a basic level while still looking professional and put-together. Google Sites is also an excellent path to creating interactive web-based assignments, such as a web scavenger hunt or a Webquest, to aid in fun and engaging student learning.

On a practical level, Google Calendar has kept my life in order for years, and I employ its use in the office to keep our staff's calendars in sync and broadcasting our organizational calendar to our community and parents. I enjoyed learning about tools like Google Hangout from my colleagues in the discussion forum, as well as sharing many resources I've picked up along the way.

This week also focused on professional development. My mentor as a high school student always lived by the mantra "when you stop being better, you stop being good." I too strive to live into that way of being, and I think the path I need to take is developing my TPACK, as well as finding more ways for technology to streamline administrative processes in my work and home life. One thing I have enjoyed is developing a "personal learning network" (Bauer, 2014, p. 175) and being able to interact with my colleagues from across the country to share ideas and learn from each other. My eyes have been opened to new possibilities as a result of our interactions, and I am excited to see what will come during the next school year!

Overall, technology has the ability to make a huge difference in our life. The title of this course is Technology-ASSISTED Music Learning. While I do not believe it is wise to lean on technology and expect effective teaching, but with careful planning, a strong TPACK, and a strong will, technology has the ability to transform our classrooms, lighten the workload, and expose students to broader experiences in music learning and personal success.

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Bauer, W.I. (2014). Music learning today: digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Bogenschutz, John. (2012). The many hats of a choir director [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.tonedeafcomics.com.

Module 6 Reflection

From how people learn to copyright laws, this week's reading was full of information that is applicable to the everyday music teacher. Not relegated to textbooks, music teachers, especially ensemble teachers, have great freedom in designing instruction for their students. With that level of freedom comes great responsibility, and this week's reading from Dr. Bauer's Music Learning Today (2014) equips teachers with the foundations and tools needed to create effective (and legal) high quality instruction.

Music teachers have a wealth of resources at their fingertips to help inform and design effective instruction. In addition to national and state standards, initiatives such as the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (Bauer, 2014, p. 153) and National Education Technology Standards for Students (p. 153-154) give teachers tools, terms, and benchmarks that can help aid in developing strong learning outcomes. I was particularly enlightened by the 21st Century Skills model and their central 4C components: "creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration" (p. 153). These four components have great ties to music instruction, since they are all at the core of "creating, performing, and responding to music" (p. 153). The chapter also discusses the concept of "backward design" (p. 152), which is an instructional design model that centers first on the learning outcomes and then extrapolates the learning process and assessment, not the other way around. In this instance and in the others already described, I felt this chapter is illuminated with scholarly writing that discusses what are commonly referred to as "best practices," and it served as an eye-opening read as well as a needed reminder of just how much thoughtfulness is required to create effective, lasting, and truly educational instruction.

In this same light, I was introduced to Driscoll's model of learning (p. 147). Driscoll describes learning as "contextual, active, social, and reflective" (p. 147), and I immediately made connections to music instruction. Contextual learning surrounds the concept of "prior knowledge" (p. 147), meaning learners compare new concepts to that which they already know. In this light, I am reminded of the big transition from middle school choir to high school choir, and how frequently my colleagues remark that they have to "reteach" musical concepts or "get everyone on a level playing field." It's important for music teachers to understand prior knowledge and have a good idea of how to adapt instruction to build upon or even at times rise above that which was taught before.

Continuing with Driscoll's model, active, social, and reflective learning play a large role in the music classroom. "People learn by doing" (Bauer, 2014, p. 148), and a lot of instruction in the music classroom is surrounded by guiding students to play or sing a particular passage correctly consistently--a very active process. Students also learn socially by comparing their performance by that of the teacher or by those around them, which is supported by the social constructivist approach to learning, which states that "learners evaluate their own understanding...by comparing it to that of others" (p. 148). This process also involves reflective learning, or one's ability to "set learning goals, plan learning strategies, monitor one's progress and adjust the approach to learning as necessary" (p. 149). In order to help guide students toward mastery of a musical instrument or concept, we must adopt a version of Driscoll's model in order to reach all levels of the learner. I liken this to the oft utilized learning approach that caters to the visual, aural, and kinesthetic learner. Driscoll's model is also one that I will strive to carefully incorporate into my future instruction.

With these learning processes in mind, I was excited to get started on our WebQuest project. I chose to center my project around performance practices, and as I designed the outline I tried to incorporate all aspects of Driscoll's learning model, as well as aspects that appeal to the visual, aural, and kinesthetic learner. Google Sites seems to be an excellent mode to piece this complex project together, and I am excited to spread my reach and incorporate many of the technologies that we have experienced in the class thus far.

One consideration I was pleased to see in the limelight was the issue of copyright. I have been sensitive to this issue as an educator for quite some time, and I am glad the text addressed it in such depth. It's important for educators to know the in's and out's of copyright law, since in today's age it is hard to tell what one is able to get away with. As a composer myself, I do appreciate with people purchase the music instead of photocopying, since the latter affects my livelihood. The Creative Commons organization (Bauer, 2014, p. 163) was an entirely new discovery for me. I think it's a brilliant concept that individuals can license their works freely as well as provide conditions that are clear and to-the-point (unlike copyright legislation). I am hoping to incorporate Creative Commons into my WebQuest project.

This week was in some ways a strong reminder and in other ways an eye-opening revelation which focuses on the importance of thoughtful, well-designed instruction. As educators, if we are to truly guide young musicians toward a deeper understand of music, then we owe them the best quality instruction that will set them up not only to succeed, but to have a lasting effect on their minds and lives.

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Bauer, W.I. (2014). Music learning today: digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York: Oxford.