Module 4 Blog Reflection

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 ribbon program in my classroom, much like “Recorder Karate)

and then eventually, that extrinsic motivation will become intrinsic motivation.  There are many programs, such as Smart

Music, though, that can serve as a motivator.  In Smart Music, students can choose from many different styles of music to

play and can practice with accompaniment and a metronome. As Dr. Bauer points out, “the feeling of accomplishment from

being able to play a piece of music at increasing tempos, eventually reaching the performance tempo, may increase a

musician’s self-efficacy and lead to increased motivation for musical success” (2014, p. 82).

Modeling is another important key to success that Dr. Bauer points out (2014).  Modeling is also something that I feel very

strongly about in my own classroom.  When a student sees and hears what good posture and tone production are

supposed to look and sound like, a student will pick up those skills far more quickly than a student who is only being told

what good posture looks like and how to make a good tone on an instrument.  While teacher modeling is always ideal, the

teacher cannot be with the student at every practice session.  That is where websites like YouTube,SchoolTube, and

TeacherTube come into play (Bauer, 2014).  A teacher can easily post links to researched performances for students to

watch and model their own playing after.  

Lastly, feedback of a performance is the other main topic discussed in this week’s readings.  Students should be taking

part in intrinsic feedback as they play and teachers should be giving extrinsic feedback to students in order to help develop

the student’s ability to keep getting better at intrinsic feedback (Bauer, 2014).  There are several forms of technology that

can help with the feedback process.  Smart Music gives students immediate feedback on their intonation and note and

rhythm accuracy.  The teacher can also record students with an iPad or other recording device so that students can see

and hear their own performance and then the teacher or student can provide feedback.  In my own classroom, I often

record my performing ensemble and ask them to be the ones to critique their performance.  I find that students are much

more likely to make changes in their playing when they are the ones who notice what changes need to be made. 

The affordances to incorporating these technologies into the performing ensemble classroom are many.  In some ways, I

wonder how a performing ensemble instructor managed to conduct her classes before all of this technology was at our

fingertips.  The constraints are, of course, monetary and district budgetary constraints.  The other constraint that I see in

my classroom is that not all students have computers, iPhones, or even internet access at home.  I find that sometimes

students who don't have these things feel uncomfortable when it is an expectation to use technology in at-home practice. 

It is important for the teacher to always be cognizant of students in these situations.           

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