5/1

The biggest "aha" moment was at the very beginning of class. There was a discussion of how Blogging can help to bring parents into the classroom a little bit easier. What got me was how easy it was to let parents know what is going on. Within just a few minutes of my time I can enter in some information and link in assignments and parents can keep track very easily of what the kids are learning. Blogs can even allow the parents the ability to ask questions or make comments with me as well.

I don't plan on continuing this blog. However, I fully intend to start a blog along with a website for the band program at my school. I have already gotten in touch with different staff personnel to make sure that I don't break any district policies and to make sure that the school will link the sight. I think I will even ask the Booster Club if they will sponsor it so that we could get even more space for picture files and portrait slide show programs.

Every discussion topic in this course has been beneficial to me. Each time it has given me new ideas. For sure, if I had not taken this course I would not have thought of the many ways in which to approach the music education the way I have now. This course has helped me to understand what materials and resources I need to capture the attention of the student better and the get musical concepts across easier.

Blog 4/24

Personally, I like his vision for technology education and how it can change the life of the student and teacher. In my opinion though he paints a rather rosy if not somewhat idealistic picture.

In chapter 7, he list four possible ways to implement the technology program and make funds available. To me none of them are really that great.He is forgetting a major factor in his equations. The local tax base. The mom, dad and random citizen already paying funds on their property each year to the schools. How would you justify to local citizens that there is a national standard when it has traditionally been at the state level. We can't even get the state level standards and assessments figured out. To think that the Federal Government would be able to justify spending more than they have ever budgeted to technology education on the success of the "best" school district is ridiculous. First, there has to be more funds than he is accounting for appropriated for the added bureaucracy to manage this national standard. Second, I think we can all agree that the best thing the Federal Government can do in a majority of the cases is to stay out of the way so they don't mess it up. Also, how do you get the software companies involved. Who decides the curriculum? Will it be a no bid contract for putting the hardware and software materials into the school? He leaves just too many unanswered and serious questions without thought.

To me I think it would be best to throw standardization to the wind somewhat. Create an outline at the National level of what the States should attempt to achieve in regards to meeting standardization at each of its districts. Lets face facts, some districts are well ahead of others. Put grants in place to each State and allow the state to allocate out to the districts the dollar amount in which to give. This will keep the logistical nightmare out of the Federal hands. From a Federal level appeal to Software and hardware manufactures what is being looked for in curriculum material on a variety of competency levels. Leave it up to the local districts to "shop" what will suit their needs for their students best to help move forward from where they are currently without holding kids back or putting unrealistic pressure on students and faculty. This will also create a competition in the business environment that should help keep cost low, feedback from the education world regular, and constantly improving material and products for education. Putting this into the hands of the State and local districts is best since we are "teaching to the Test" in most states. This will help make sure the proper software and curriculum packages are available. This also allows the local population to feel a part of the decision making process in their kids education.

Blog 4/17

In regards to online education in general to Public or Private School education, I think this would make an excellent alternative for situations where parents want to home school. This would allow parents to be a part of an active pre-planned lesson plan that keeps their child at a reasonable education level with other students their age. Also, this makes a great alternative to Counselors and Alternative School teachers that work with students that have suffered pregnancy, legal or general life issues that have kept them out of the traditional classroom setting.

In regards to the Second Life application, at first glance I thought "Oh wow. So the Universities have finally figured out that Online simulated environments exist and on top of that they chose a poor graphics engine to play with." I know, sarcasm. In all honesty I didn't see what was so great or different from what I am familiar with and use all the time in my personal life just to keep in touch with friends and family and in some cases even use to discuss business through a game. It's true... play and work. But when I saw how other applications such as PowerPoint and Movie programs etc. could be imported into the environment was when I realized just how cool this particular program was. It got me thinking that this might be the program that sets the future experience in distance business, education and military communication. Imagine a General able to enter an online environment and see his troops in action and able to communicate with them in real time as they move, as though it were a computer game. Why not have business salesmen make presentations through this environment without the expense of air travel and time delay? It would be neat if eventually people entered the environment able to look like real humans or themselves... not some cartoonish character. An entire new medium of telephone conferencing for instance.

In the meantime though, it is common practice for Directors to visit each others neighboring schools and clinic each others bands to provide a well rounded opinion or view of the students progress. It would be cool to be able to see the other class in rehearsal from Rockwall or Wylie live for my students to view how they conduct themselves and practice. Also, I am already in the process of using the online world to communicate and study with other directors for professional development reasons. Me and 2 others are also reviewing each others marching programs for next year and offering advice through emails and application file transfers so that we do not have to travel miles and miles just to look at each others computer screens.

Blog 4/10

I would have the students search out primary resources on their favorite musician. For instance, find and track down not just bibliography information but find the multimedia resources of many numerous performances and see just how their musician performed. Where did they like to play? What did they like to play? Why? How does watching them change or inspire your performance?

Track down primary resources on actual music publication. Find images of the original pieces and movements written by Bach and Beethoven.

Look at music and historical events. How did music play a role in major social movements like the 60's. Did music really improve? For instance evaluate the lyrics of Don McLean's "American Pie". Look for responses to his words in songs like "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta Flack. How does the knowledge that musicians talk to one another and the world through music change or effect your approach to music?

4/3 Blog

All too frequently I walk past classrooms with computers lining the walls and plastic bags sitting over them for dust protection. The teachers continuing their classroom lessons from books and dry erase boards. When I do see them used it is for online test taking purposes or to teach typing techniques from another text book. T.V.s sit in each room with a DVD and VHS player attached and I still have yet to see a teacher use one. As for myself, I have already used my T.V. for various purposes, from a teaching tool on proper care for an instrument with younger students to performances by professional bands with the older students. All of which has helped to encourage and improve on the knowledge and will to do well from the students. I plan to use the T.V. to show the students their own performance and use it to show where improvements can be made. If I had access to the computers in my classroom I would use it as a sound studio and interactive study tool for the students.

• Television's fundamental role in the classroom is to allow teachers to eliminate the compromise of using verbal descriptions of anything that can be seen, thus enhancing the quality of the information they make available to learners, enhancing the outcome of the teaching-learning process.

A prime example in my case would be marching preparations for band. It is near impossible to explain what the students are supposed to look like without having a video tape recording to actually show them what went right and what went wrong. Recording their performances on stage can also help so they may see where they can better improve. Also, watching other bands perform is invaluable for new ideas and evaluation studies.

• The use of television in education can be either a passive or an active experience for learners. The outcome depends solely upon the teacher's understanding of television's versatility.

Very true indeed. I could simply use it and let it role and not engage my students to show them areas of improvement or where they did well. However, using is actively and drawing in outside performances with active interaction will dramatically improve the speed of understanding from my students.

• Ironically, television, the global master medium that daily impacts human psyches and emotions in homes, is only an occasional visitor in the classroom- the place where young minds are being nurtured and cultivated. This is because we have not yet devised the best way to harness this extraordinary power in a manner compatible with the system in place.

This is very true. I think can even be extended to computer use in the classroom. Perhaps teachers do not use these mediums as often because the students attentions will begin to drift. Of course that could also be that many teachers use them passively. I have noticed that when I pull out the T.V. students go into "watch" mode. This frequently means changing seats and making request like candy and drinks. It takes a strong initiative to keep the student in a learner mode when using these mediums. It is this battle that perhaps prevents teachers from using them more often.

• The mind coupled with a computer infinitely amplifies its capacity to perform the basic cognitive functions. Yet, there is no configuration of microchips that replicates the intricate, vital interface between mind and emotions-a basic limitation of computers.

Very true in music education. A student can have access to all sorts of technology and high quality equipment to insure the greatest of sounds and access to near unlimited performance and editing options. But if they go untaught on basic music principles. If they are allowed to ignore the very thing that makes music great. You will end up with a student making pointless and emotionless music and a failed product. Too often we hear "manufactured" music on the radio and not enough truly inspired music. The music student cannot be allowed to forget that technology is not the cure for poor music. Great music comes from inside the human soul and technology is available to harness that creation. Students cannot be allowed to forget that Beethoven not only wrote great music when the technology was only paper and pen, but also did it deaf and unable to even hear what he was creating. The point is that no technology would have created what he made. It would however possibly help him hear what he wrote.

• Computers actively engage the human mind and create a synergism. However, nothing transpires unless the human takes the initiative to interact; and then the mind is locked into an active, progressive, collaborative thinking mode. Thus, in a sense, using a computer can be considered aerobics for the mind.

Back to my original points in this post. Too often I see computers with dust protectors on them and not actively being used. Therefore helping the student think that computers are for fun only and very few other uses. With music education it can be used to help stimulate the mind of the student in such a way that they can actually visualize what they are practicing. Play back and edit what they performed. Save it into a computer for other listeners to critique. A performance could now be heard world wide. A student could get feed back from a major university or educator in another part of the world.

• Because computers store multimedia information interactively utilizing software that is course-specific, they allow teachers to provide each member of the class an increased number of individualized learning experiences based on the learner's needs rather than the teacher's availability.

I have touched on this many times before. To keep from being too repetitive I will focus this more towards keeping the student responsible and engaged in their own improvement. The ability to use a computer directly with instrumentation practice is not that common for a secondary education student. This would allow them to be more responsible for their own improvement. Once a student can actually "grade" themselves in a fair and uncompromising way (that only a non-thinking computer could do) can they become truly inspired about improvement.

3/27 Perceptions

• Teachers plan, communicate, guide, and evaluate. Information technology can be adapted to allow the teacher to do these better and, thus, impact positively the efficiency of the teaching-learning process.

I believe that this is the primary role in what I do. As a director of music and a band it seems I am more of a manager and coach than a teacher. Constantly choosing material and putting students into the roles that best suite them and the band. Technology has helped to ease that process. Something as simple as a crude cassette tape recording can validate what I discuss with them. Software programs allow me to continue to put music in front of the student without the expense of having to purchase new music when only a few pages are missing.

• In great part, the effectiveness of the communication phase of the teaching-learning process determines the outcome.

Absolutely. It only takes the slightest bit of miscommunication or misunderstanding to undermine an entire rehearsal. Jeopardizing future performances and the fun the student could have. Making it clear up front what is expected from behavior to performances of the music itself will only make the education process easier on me and the students. This also helps to put me in a position of not defending what I choose to do with them but rather guide them through it since they will already understand the "why".

• Information technology skillfully integrated into the curriculum will allow teachers to improve the fidelity, relevancy, and accessibility of the information they make available to learners. It is proposed that this empowers teachers so that they might do what they do- better.

Again I have discussed my intentions here in the past. Even in the journal article recently submitted I have already began planning my integrations into the classroom a new approach to teaching music. To older and more seasoned students this technology integration will allow for more precise individual practicing and faster understanding of music concepts and expectations in the classroom/ band setting as a whole. With my younger students this will be invaluable. The ability to show a student instead of writing on a board or verbally describing music concepts is invaluable. I have hopes that this can increase the music education at my school by 50% over the course of a year. By the time a 6th grader had entered 8th grade, instead of being an 8th grade level student, it is possible to have them at a 9th or 10th grade performance level and understanding of music theory. Exciting!

• A verbal description alone of anything that can be seen must be considered a compromise; a compromise made every day in classrooms in an age when technology makes it unnecessary.

I do relate to this. The ability to use software and projection hardware to visibly show what is taking place in a piece is extremely helpful. For our visual students that is often times the thing that helps make it "click" for them. But I take this perception one step further to also being able to hear things as well. Frequently, I make comparisons to help them benchmark themselves. Being able to have colleagues from around the area to provide recordings of their students/ bands for mine to hear by email or other media means is very helpful. Also, to send our recordings out for feedback is very useful. My students can hear what another director has to say about us. It puts another audience before them in a unique way.

• All human activity is driven by information; the more demanding the activity-the greater the need for information. Thus, information can be termed the fuel that powers the teaching-learning process.

Without information, we don't have much to teach. However, I am going to take this and consider information more in terms of feedback. It is the feedback that my students will thrive on the most. Not so much how to do it, but rather, how well did I do it and where can I improve. Just like in football. The game on Sunday is important, but the game film review on Monday morning is what truly helps a player to improve before his next game. Technology gives our students this ability to provide feedback in various forms. This is something I have taken to doing with my students. Get them feedback in visual and verbal forms rather than just marking the grade book and a paper with a letter grade.

• How teachers manage information has a major impact on the outcome of the teaching-learning process. Technology facilitates and amplifies the teacher's capacity to provide learners with information of higher fidelity in an individualized, interactive mode.

Specifically in my case, I could have students get materials and have it on hand. Without me managing that use of material with them then it is useless. Just because a student has access to a computer does not mean they will suddenly use it the best way they can. I can help engage students to use technology to further improve themselves and to help facilitate their understanding of difficult concepts. Holding a student responsible to certain expectations will cause the student to eventually use this resource to its greatest potential. In turn, a better student and a happier teacher.

3/6 Hopes and Fears

As my vision has changed and focused more on how educational technology can be better implemented into the musical classroom, I have also began to feel some fears and imagine wonderful outcomes.

The fears I have in regards to this:

• Student dependancy: What I hope to use the technology for is intended to assist and revolutionize how the student learns to perform. I am affraid however that students will become dependent on the technology and forget to trust thier instincts as a performer.
• Convincing administrators to financially commit: I have already submitted a report to my administrators that justifies and shows why the technology aquisition is good. However, I am affraid that they will not see it my way. I may have to battle and fight for this. It can be difficult to convince an administrator that technology can help the student learn faster and gain greater exposure to future interactions with techonology such as recording studios and such.
• Parent participation: Part of my plans does involve the student and their ability to use a home computer or other media device. This can also lead to extra financial considerations from a parent and of course, the parent is not always fond of the struggling sounds of a new beginner and having to give up the computer for an hour a week.

My hopes:

• Student excitement: I have noticed a trend with some students that they seem to think music is boring. Perhaps when exposed to the opportunities to actually practice as though at a real sound recording studio and able to mix their own practice sessions for assignments, they will find a new vigor and interest in music.
• Parent and student encouragement: By using techonolgy along with the practice studies the student and parent will have recorded history of the improvement of their performance.
• Accelerated classroom and theory understanding: I believe if I can actually SHOW how it works, the student will understand it even faster.
• Improved performance

I believe that I have overcome many barriers to technology in the classroom in the regard that I can visual how it will empower the students and myself, I have a process and plan in place for its implementation into the classroom, and that although my knowledge on the latest software applications is admittedly novice at best, I am quickly pacing myself to be more than proficient to make the most of it.

In fact if it were not for this class I may never have fully realized or even envisioned the potential for certain mediums of education. Also, the studies to this point have even inspired me to pursue other enhancements to meet and improve certain fears and concerns I have overall in the music program. For instance, utilizing the Publisher application to find more eye catching and fun ways to deliver relevant information to parents and students.

My plan with the changes is to completely change private practices and rehearsals by empowering the student using the technology as an interactive study tool and also using the technology to allow me and the student to monitor their progress. This will shift a majority of control to the student. I will also allow the students to bring in more modern and fun aspects to the course once the technology is in place to accept it. Most importantly I can use this technology to share recordings by email and other means with students and directors at other schools so that not only the student but myself can analyze constructive feedback on performances. Interestingly enough, this will more than likely encourage more professional collaboration between myself and other local school district directors.