Module 6

PART I: Learning

As a teacher, it is extremely important to be educated about learning styles and the process of learning. Bauer (2014) addresses how learning is contextual, active, social, and reflective. I want share a few quotes from the text which coincide with each of these attributes.

Learning is CONTEXTUAL: 

 

Students make sense of new material in terms of the context within which it is presented, which is informed by their prior knowledge of the topic. 

(Bauer, p. 147)

Meeting your students where they are is important as an educator. The teacher must consider that each student’s learning and knowledge is different and may have gaps. Once a teacher begins to understand the prior knowledge a student possesses, real learning can begin as that knowledge is activated, connected to new knowledge, and transformed to a create a new learning experience and a gain in knowledge.  Technology may be incorporated here by using music recordings or videos to activate prior knowledge.

Learning is ACTIVE:

Educators who embrace active learning for students will help to facilitate experiential learning, learning that takes place in ways that are authentic to culture and society outside of education.

 (Bauer, p. 148)

Students actively engaging in the use of any music software, include many of the software we’ve explored in this class, present students with active learning. Outside of technology, playing an instrument is probably the best example of active learning in music. I believe it is very important for the teacher to remain as a facilitator in this part of the learning process. Students must explore.

Learning is SOCIAL:

Social cognitive learning theories emphasize that observation, imitation, and modeling are important modes of learning.

(Bauer, p. 148)

Bauer (2014) suggests the use of composing in groups as a social approach to music learning. I saw this in action in my classroom when I introduced incredibox to the students are exploring it in this course first. The students relied on each other to provide feedback and made musical changes to their own work as well as collaborating on some group compositions. Rehearsing in an ensemble is a social activity and without developing that social aspect, the performance of such groups would not be polished.

Learning is REFLECTIVE: 

[Reflecting on learning] requires students to be metacognitive, demonstrating and awareness of their own thinking and learning processes.

(Bauer, p. 149)

One of the best ways for a musician to reflect on their learning is to listen to a recording of their performance. This can be done in an ensemble setting but most effectively in a soloistic setting. I encourage my students to listen to their recordings on smartmusic before submitting it so they are making observations about their performances and then reflecting on it, hopefully making changes as needed to continue improving.

Project Based Learning (PBL) which engages students in real-world activities to solve problems (Bauer, p. 150) can utilize technology in many ways. From planning to creating a final product, and everything in between, technology resources can find a place in PBL. Along the more creative route of including technology in this process, Bauer (2014) suggests video chats and webquests (p. 150). These two uses of technology could introduce students to new technology they haven’t yet explored and help them to collect or organize data and then produce a unique result at the end.

Using backward design to plan makes the planning process easy to follow for the teacher while guaranteeing high learning outcomes for the students. Having the end result in mind at the onset is important. This allows the teacher to compile resources to get the students to this point of knowledge and skill acquisition. Tying the learning outcomes to national or state music standards provides consistency for students and holds the teach accountable to ensuring each student is receiving a high quality music education. Technology again can be utilized abundantly in through backward design as the curriculum in this process should be incorporating composing, listening, and performing. There are countless technologies at our fingertips to help the students learn.

PART II: Differentiation and Assistive Technologies

This technology also allows teachers to differentiate instruction for students to meet their individual needs. I think that the word differentiation is a confusing term in education and I know that if I asked several teachers to define it, the answers would be quite different. Bauer (2014) describes differentiation as “providing different paths for students to achieve learning outcomes” (p. 159). Technology can be set to help students meet their learning outcomes. Several websites with “games” for learning have multiple levels. Programs such as Practice First and SmartMusic allow students to loop sections of the music so they can work to mastery. Teachers should invest time to find technologies which allow for differentiation before implementing them. Using iPads in classrooms is a wonderful way to differentiate and provide assistive technologies.

PART III: Copyright

The resources in this module helped to clarify for me some of the laws and practices with copyright, however, I feel that copyright laws are in general difficult to navigate, and still somewhat vague. It seems that through reading articles and watching videos about the topic, I am not the only one who feels this way. I have for many years now known about and utilized imslp.org, a website with an astronomical amount of music in the public domain. I think it is wise that any musician who has a question about copyright law investigates the situation before using any materials. I would like to continue learning more about creative commons and fair use.

Resources:

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