Music Tech Blog Reflections

Module four focused on how technology can be used to improve  performance.   This module was particularly intriguing to me because I  teach three grade levels (fourth, fifth and sixth grade) of performing  ensembles.   The reading for this week from Dr. Bauer’s book brought up  many important aspects performing music such as the “psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains” of learning to play an instrument (2014, p  79).   He also brought up the necessity of practice and the importance of  having the motivation to practice, modeling, and the power of feedback (Bauer, 2014).   Developing good practice habits is one of the main jobs as a music teacher,  especially a music teacher of beginner instrumentalists.   The key to  developing good practice habits in students is finding ways to motivate.   I  have found that motivation often must begin with extrinsic rewards (I use a r ibbon progr...

The focus for Module 5 was on responding to music through technology.  The word musicking , as pointed out by Bauer stuck out in this week’s reading.  The word was coined by Christopher Small and is defined by “the intersection of music and the human experience” (Bauer, 2014, p. 106).  This idea is at the center of what most music teachers do on a daily basis.  Ultimately, our goal is to help students understand their interactions with music that they already have on a daily basis.  When a student can be more educated about what they are hearing and be able to put words to what the music they already listen to is sounding like to them, then we, as music teachers, know that we have done a large part of our job.   The readings from this week suggested several excellent ways in which technology can help with developing student response to music.  I thought that several of the ideas presented would be excellent for use in my own classroom.  The f...

The focus of Module 3 was using technology for creativity through composing.  We had the opportunity to explore composing using the program, Soundtrap, a program consisting of thousands of pre-recorded loops as well as capability for using MIDI  and digital audio (MIDI being instruments using electronic messages to create sound and digital audio being the digital recording of live sound).  Through using this program, I realized that although this program is generally very user friendly, it is very complex and would require quite a bit of class time devoted to teaching students the ins and outs of how to use the program.  This fact would make using something such as this difficult to implement into a classroom like mine where I have limited time with students and an already very saturated curriculum to teach.  I do, however, think that this type of program would be a great way to reach those students in a middle school or high scho...

The website, Noteflight, seems to me like it would be a really great educational tool to use in the classroom. It is very easy to sign up for and just as easy to use. There aren't too many features to the program (in comparison to similar programs that one might have to pay for) that would make it difficult for students to navigate through composing music. The only difficulty that using an online program such as this for an assignment, in particular a homework assignment, might cause is for students who do not have internet access at home. It might be something that needs to be used in class instead of at home. I think that a couple of ideas that would be good to use the Noteflight website for include: composition projects for students, playing music along with accompaniment during practice time, and improvising a musical line along with accompaniment composed by the teacher.

The focus for Module two was on using technology with creativity, including composing and improvisation.  The use of creativity in the music classroom is often overlooked by educators.  In many music classrooms, time constraints and pressures to meet other expectations get in the way of incorporating creativity.   Composing and improvising, though, are important ways of interacting with music for all music students.  Not only are they important to teach in their own rights, they are both ways in which to help solidify concepts that music teachers would already be incorporating into the classroom anyway.  Composing and improvising, especially through technology, are also ways in which music educators can reach those students who would otherwise have no interest in being part of an instrumental ensemble or theory class (Bauer, 2014). This week, we were introduced to many programs and websites that are free of charge to a school district or classroom....