Music Tech Blog Reflections

This week’s readings pointed out many helpful ideas about assessment.  I really appreciated four main purposes for assessment as stated by Marazano (2006).  The first two points, dealing with validity, were that “feedback from classroom assessments should give students a clear picture of their progress on learning goals and how they might improve” and that “feedback on classroom assessments should encourage students to improve” (Bauer, 2014, p. 132).  The second two principles, dealing with formative assessment, were that “classroom assessment should be formative in nature” and that “formative classroom assessments should be frequent” (Bauer, 2014, p. 132).  It seems that if a teacher follows all of these principles for assessment, then students would be able to achieve the most learning.   Technology can help to assist with all aspects of assessment.  Google Forms can help to create online assessments that give students immediate fee...

There was quite a bit of information to be unpacked in Module 6!  This week’s module focused on using technology in instructional design.  We learned that learning can be contextual, active, social, and reflective.  Learning is contextual when students are making new meaning out of what they are already familiar with.  Technology can help to facilitate this style of learning by helping students to become familiar with new contexts through watching YouTube videos of a famous performance rather than simply being told about it (Bauer, 2014).  Learning is active when students are participating in learning in ways that are relevant to what the student does outside of the classroom.  Technology can help to facilitate this style of learning through the use of recording software.  Students can learn to improvise to changing chord progressions (Bauer, 2014).  Learning is social when students engage in conversation with their peers and/or t...