As educators, I think that it is important to recognize that nearly
all of your students probably use technology in most of their daily life.
Because of this, teachers should strive to find ways to incorporate technology
in the classroom as a way of meeting students where they are and finding ways
to relate to them. One of the ways students use technology is as a main source
of communication. One way to capitalize on this is by choosing to use some
form of technology to remind students of assignments or to supplement class
materials. This can help you greatly in communicating with students outside the
classroom and in keeping them in touch with what they are studying.
Another way to use technology specifically in the music classroom is
in composition. When I was in high school, I did a lot of work using
GarageBand, as well as doing some studio work on my own using a Yamaha MO8
Keyboard/Workstation. I used GarageBand and Finale to notate my music, and the
MO8 to either make recordings of music I had already studied or to work on
compositions for specific instruments or projects. I have observed several
music classrooms where they used either GarageBand or Mixcraft as part of a
lesson, and taught students how to use these programs to create their own
pieces. I think this is a great way to encourage students to use technology in
their music making. It is great to see students playing around on their
instrument either on their own or with others, but with technology students can
also learn how to record the songs they make or notate them so that they are
preserved.
Teachers can also use music technologies to encourage students to
experiment with different sounds and ideas without the restrictions of Western
notation and the previous knowledge it requires. In the traditional Western
form of music, the emphasis is on notation and composing for a specific instrument.
But with some of the new technology that is out there, such as touch pads or
keyboards that light up and use other visual cues other than music notation,
music can be more accessible for all students, not just those well-versed in
notation and theory.
I like what you said about allowing the students to experiment with different pitches and not stay within the boundaries of Western culture notation. It is important for students to be able to experiement and figure out what kind of music they relate to. Experiencing new sounds can be fascinating! I really enjoyed reading your post and hearing your views.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense to begin integrating technology into the music world especially because in the last decade music technology really is becoming so easily accessible. I mean there are free composition websites, recording programs like garageband come with any mac product with preset loops. music making has really never been so easy. Youtube, Google other tools that help with research and having a musical experience are all readily available for any student with internet access. Having students be aware of what they have in their hand already is just the next logical step.This will further open their eyes to the capabilities of the technologies at hand. This will open the door for many musical experience, experimentation, and hopefully new creative musical idea's, remember we are teaching the future.
ReplyDeleteYour right, student' in general are attached to their various forms of technology, why not utilize it. Podcastings, for example, is a great tool in making education efficient. It has and will continue to change the future of education. Weather related school closures such as snow days will be a thing of the past. Instead of losing that valuable school day, you can stream the class online. This will be particularly useful in areas up north where students have to stay late into the summer because of many snow related school closures. Also, if a student is sick for a few days, you can still get the student involved, as if they were in class. Podcasting can really change the future of education, it just needs to be done correctly. Students and teachers should be able to communicate with each other, as well as the students amongst themselves. In a subject area such as music podcasting can be used as a constructive practice tool. Students can play for each other and critique one another. They could also play together, and I the teacher can watch and give comments and other constructive feedback. With all this practice and constructive feedback the band will surely sound phenomenal. This type of experience can be duplicated in all subject areas and fortunately is not too complicated for the teacher to set up. It's even easier for the students to use and I feel that they will enjoy using this very versatile and educational tool.
ReplyDelete