Technology Integration Plan

Starting my Technology Integration project, I took my past integration plan into action and worked through this lesson in hopes to include technology in a way that is transformative. In order to align the lesson with each step of learning (i.e. Access, Analysis, Evaluate, Communicate, and Produce) the lesson itself had to be reworked for proper integration of technologies. Organizing the information through the use of a matrix, the process of integration was done systematically. Overall, the lesson was generally enhanced by the addition of technologies and I would prefer to use this lesson than my previous one.

The lesson was expanded by added more assignments for creativity and reflection. The students would listen to a piece of music and create stories based on what they think the story of the music is. After each group presented their stories the video that accompanies the music would be watched. As a class we would discuss the similarities and differences in stories. At home, the students would write in their blogs (the students would have an account on Blogger/Blogspot) a reflection of how the lesson went. They would explain their project and justify their decisions in the story-making process. Then, the students would be required to comment on at least 2 other students’ posts. When the students come into the next class they will record themselves performing their story and embedding the video on each of their posts.

The whole process starts with the simple technology of using an Mp3 player but continues on to some higher level computer processing – writing a blog post, uploading a video, and embedding it to the post. The overall instructional goals are to help students think analytically about the subjective nature of sound and help them create meaning, through listening to music. The technological goals listed are to help students work collaboratively and communicatively using technology, among other standards.

Each step of the lesson was processed using each step of the learning process. Access to the material is provided by the Mp3 player and the internet. The students then analyze the piece of music with their own thoughts on what they piece sounds like. As a class, we evaluate what everyone did and debate how the story and music do or do not elicit the proper emotions. The students produce their answers, justify them in a blog post, and create a video to embody the whole lesson. The students finally communicate to other students in order to peer review, using their blogs.

The concept driving this lesson is that each step can include a technology in a meaningful way, if there is a desire to. Instead of writing a paper, the students write using a technology they might be familiar with already. Having the students perform their work is great, but recording it and embedding it into their post makes their process much more tangible and meaningful. By doing this project I have not just added technologies in, but integrated them so that the lesson has taken a completely different shape. The way this lesson is designed, it allows students to do all the great things that the lesson itself had, only now it includes technologies that would never have been used before. Now, the lesson is beginning to prepare students for the technological age they live in. It is vital to teach these technologies and since a computer class is the only way students are going to acquire this education, teaching a lesson for the sake of your content area is not good enough anymore. This lesson has not only become more comprehensive, but it is now completely better off. It offers the more time for reflection, more opportunities to create meaning with the subject material, and even creates a community within the classroom. Just by the integration of technology, lessons can become cutting edge and meaningful to students and teachers.

Technology Integration Matrix

Lesson Used

Class Blogging

Being a person who has a reflection journal and a blog, I find comfort in having a space where I can write my ideas down and post things that I find funny, interesting, or insightful. Though my own blog  is certainly not a professional blog, I think that there is a lot of merit in having one. The concept of blogging is gaining in popularity and put in an academic situation, there could be a lot of gains. Just as I am writing posts for a class, students could post their work online for the teacher and fellow students to look at and reflect. In the music classroom, there could be reflections on pieces of music for the students to write about. There would have to be guidelines as to what a good blog and blog-post constitutes as, but that work would go in to any assessments given to students. The pros of using this format for assessment is that it gets students more accustomed to what the world expects a younger generation to do (type, write well, research on the internet, etc.), it is congruent to what students themselves might be interested in, and it gives students the chance to explore writing in a way that might not be perceived as academic. If you think there might be a problem implementing this, please let me know!

Importance of Recording

As a performer, it is vital that you not only play the part, but also look the part. My colleague Kyle Cosman wrote in a blogpost about the importance of looking the part and I agree with him wholeheartedly. He argued that he saw this amazing marching band perform and was blown away by their sound. But, when he watched them, suddenly the sound was not as good. This is because the performers were stiff and didn’t look like the sound that they were creating. As soon as he closed his eyes the sound was back to being as beautiful as he remembered. This is remarkable because it supports the fact that humans process information in a variety of different ways in order to construct meaning. As vehicles of non-language meaning makers, musicians need to be acutely aware of how we present our meaning both in an auditory sense and a visual sense.

It is for that reason that it is vital for musicians to record themselves to hear what they sound like and see what they look like. If I have a habit of crunching my face up in a frown when I perform, the meaning of Happy Birthday is certainly going to be lost. This in the classroom would be a fantastic form of assessment. There could be mock video auditions where the students record themselves in hope that they will be accepted for some major ensemble. Not only are they getting the practice, the teacher is assessing performance skills (sound and sight), and the students are learning about the uses of modern technology.

Spotify Uses in the Classroom

Looking at a couple of different blogs, I have found a couple posts about Spotify and I feel as though I should weigh in on the conversation. Personally, I use Spotify all the time. They have a great selection of music and I make a lot of cool playlists through discovering new artists on it. In the classroom, it could be a lot of fun to have students add your profile on their account and share playlist they have made or show them interesting artists. This technology would not be used as a key technology of a unit plan but more as one that enhances the lessons. Since the format is easily accessible (free) and user friendly, I think it would be a great tool to use in the classroom.

A simple project could be constructed where students go on the application and find three new artists that they like. They could make a playlist using some of their favorite songs with the new artists and share that with fellow students; sharing playlists on the site is simple using your own profile. A reflection paper could then be written on the whole experience. Was it fun, educational, boring?

Of course, the main problem might be how easily accessible inappropriate material will be. But, I like to think that children are capable of making the right decisions when presented the opportunity. So, I never want to inhibit a child from that chance. Though there is a lot of adult material on Spotify, there is even more on the internet.

Guitar Tech - Worthwhile?

Guitars have a wide array of different technologies associated with them, i.e. tuners, capos, humidifiers, etc. But, one thing that is usually overlooked is the instrument itself. In the age of technology, it was a matter of time before the instruments themselves made the leap. There are a wide array of different styles of guitars ranging from non-technological (acoustic guitars) to completely technology based (electric guitars). But, is it worth talking about in a classroom where we are just learning how to play the instrument?

I tend to think so. I believe that some music teachers believe that to prove that a proper music education has occurred, they have to play well. This is a misguided approach to education that relies on the assumption that to be musically literate means that you play well. This false assumption does not align itself with the values of a proper education because it does not encompass what music education is. Sure we want our students to play at a high level (who doesn't), but there are far more concepts to education than performance. Looking at the standards, I think that message is clear.

In my class, the different styles of guitar would be gone over and the variety of different technologies to make it up. Different pickups, strings, wood, hollow-body/semi-hollow/solid and tuning heads. Doing this lends itself to a more comprehensive study of the guitar and helps students focus on more than their playing for an education.

Remix Reflection

I decided to remix the "Storytelling Through Photography" canvas. When I looked through the post I thought to myself that music in films is a trade that is seldom looked into. I thought of all the melodies and songs that almost as popular as the film itself. The first couple that came to mind were Jaws, Psycho, Harry Potter, and King Kong. Teaching music through the lens of photography, storyboards, and film was a novel idea to me. The actual unit would include lessons on listening, how music evokes emotions, performance techniques, theory lessons, and compositional techniques.

The songs that are included in the movie Toy Story work symbiotically between music, lyrics, and video. They all evoke the message that is trying to be conveyed beautifully as is the case in the video provided from Toy Story 2. The video in the original canvas I kept because it would be used as a connection between physical art and the aural art. Creating music is much like the storyboards presented, there are a lot of ideas that circle around the same idea. The same way these storyboards tell a story, the music is equal in capturing the mood, much like the movie King Kong where the composer Max Steiner perfected the mimicking of music to what is visual.  Being a composer, arranging music to fit a mood, and listening to music critically are some of the actual skills that the music practitioner uses actively.This unit would help transfer what they are learning to the real world as well.

Unit Plan Canvas

I had a fun time making this canvas using PLAY!. Through expanding the ideas of the lesson plan used in previous posts, I created a unit plan that furthers students understanding of music and emotion. The ultimate goal of the unit is for students to compose thoughtful pieces that display some sort of emotion. Thoughtful in the sense that whatever the students create will have to be supported by their ideas. I wanted to create opportunities for students to think critically about music and how it makes them feel, de-stigmatize the somewhat stately persona composing has, and for students to use instruments in a non-typical way (e.g. not in a band/orchestra setting).
I started the canvas with only a vague idea of how the site worked and what I wanted to do. As I worked through each element of the canvas (picture gallery, videos, external sources, etc.) the whole unit became a clear picture in my mind. I wanted this assignment to be as if I was really doing this unit so I looked hard for accurate videos and images that captured what I might try to teach. Each step was taken carefully, like a little side-project within the master plan. At the end, everything came together with each section supporting each other. No section stands alone but together they are a successful foundation for the unit.

Take a look at my canvas here!

Technology Integration

Though I view technology as an important aspect of the modern classroom, the question that always comes to mind is “How can I use technology in a meaningful way?” In a previous post I gave some examples that can be used as jumping board for ideas of integrating technology. Now, I would like to dedicate some time looking at a lesson plan and then exploring ways in which technology might be utilized to create a meaningful educational experience. I will use the same lesson plan I used in my lesson analysis in order to branch out this idea out as far as possible.

To integrate technology in a meaningful way, the lesson might have to be expanded. After this lesson was completed the students could create a video where they acted out the story they created. Students could even edit their videos using simple video recording/editing programs on the internet. This project, once fully fleshed out, would continue the concepts being learned and use technology in a way that is relevant to the students.

A small reflection assignment can be given that helped the students think about how music is conveyed to express certain emotions. After thinking of their story they will watch the clip in the movie where this music is from. The students will reflect upon how the music attempts to embed the feelings expressed on screen. Then the students will compare and contrast their story with the movies. Questions like “Did your story/feelings compare with those on screen?” or “In your opinion, was the composer successful in attempting to create a certain mood?” will be asked. These two assignments are small continuations on a lesson plan for the integration of technology. With more reflection the lesson can be made into a unit that fully incorporates technology.

Technology & Pedagogy

My goal for this post is to fully examine a lesson plan in order to see clearly the goals, teaching strategies, and technologies used. After some research I found that most of the online resources for music lesson plan were uninspiring. For this reason I chose to analyze my own lesson plan. This way, I can begin to grasp a knowledge of the requirements necessary to make a good lesson plan, but also see where some of my thinking falls short.

The lesson plan itself is a sort of open canvas for work. Originally, I only chose the standard 1.4.P.A.3 which is to “Describe feelings and reactions and respond in an increasingly informed manner to stories and dramatic performance”. But, as I continued to look through the NJCCCS I found a couple different standards that either could be applied to this lesson or could easily be tailored to incorporate. In my analysis I included two standards that could be incorporated.

One aspect of the lesson that was lacking was the use of technology. Though there are some technologies used (markers, whiteboards, sound system, etc.) I would hesitate before saying that this lesson plan integrates technology to its fullest extent. Some changes would have to be made to the overall structure of the lesson to accurately incorporate these ideas. For example, this lesson could be changed into a project where students have listening assignments. They would go on the internet to research aspects of the piece (composer, styles, and compositional reasons). If these changes were to be made the goals and standards would either change or more would be added since different concepts are being added. As it stands right now, the lesson uses technology in a way that facilitates learning. We want to keep this aspect, but the only way I see is to add more concepts to the lesson itself.

My analysis can be found here.

Notation in the Classroom

My last post I discussed the different technologies available to the average guitar music teacher. Upon reflection this way of posting might not be ideal for in depth analysis of music technology in the classroom. It seems as though it is a surface level way of talking about technology in the classroom. So, this post I want to go more in depth about technology and how it has been integrated, successfully or not. We are going to take our lens and dial it back a couple of clicks. I want to talk about sheet music and its’ influence in the classroom.

Music by definition is the sounds that are created for the purpose of experiencing. Before there was written notation, music was learned by listening and then imitation. This process of listening and imitating has to be one of the earliest forms of human learning and is known as aural tradition which is still very prevalent to this day. If we think of infants, their earliest behaviors is to imitate what is around them. Even though aural tradition seems to be the most fundamental human learning experience, if you have ever played the game telephone then you will know the pitfalls that accompany learning through memory alone.


The technology of paper has changed how we learn music from aural tradition to the more sustainable, written language. Of course paper (and thus sheet music and written notation) is very old, but the difference it has made is crucial to development of the standardization of music repertoire. If we did a quick google search of music classrooms we can see that notation is everywhere. The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards have a number of different requirements for the learning of written music. Today, it is one of the main forms of music literacy and is reinforced to the college level of music education. Overall, music notation has helped a great deal with the standardization of repertoire. But, there are cons to this technology that I will discuss in my next post.

Guitar Technology: Part 1

Last week I gave a general overview of what sort of technologies one could use in the music classroom. If we narrowed the spectrum down into instrument specific technologies we could talk even more about all of the different kinds we have. Because I am a guitar major I will briefly touch upon the technologies available and which ones would be applicable to the classroom. This is not including the standard technologies that a teacher would definitely want to have e.g. whiteboard (with markers), a computer, paper, pencil/pen, an overhead device, etc. This post will serve as the beginning of a bibliographic series that go into detail about the different technologies and how best to use them in the classroom.

Tuning

The first issue to think about when it comes to the guitar are the different tuning instruments. Do you want a hand crank for new strings? What tuner should I buy? Should I have them rely on their ears? Do I actually have time to tune? These are questions that a teacher must ask before making the purchase because it will probably come out of your own pocket. In my opinion, tuning is important. With that said, tuning by ear must be encourage but should not be the sole form of accomplishing the end goal which is to be tuned. Tuning by ear can take some time even with a trained ear let alone the student’s ears.

 Personally, I own the Korg CA-1 which is an “orchestral tuner” meaning that you play a pitch and it tells you how sharp or flat you are to the designated pitch. It runs on battery and is reliable. It also plays any note you want which is great for large classrooms, especially orchestra and band. After internalizing the pitch, the students can tune individually before instruction begins.

There are a number of different head-stock tuners specifically made for the guitar. These work really well since it operates from the vibrations through the guitar not the frequencies which can be easily distorted.

The way my High School instructor tuned was by passing around a headstock tuner during instruction. When the tuner reached you, you would tune as silently as you could and then pass it along. This method seems the easiest form of tuning without sacrificing much time.

Here are a list of brands:

Korg

Snark

D’Addario

Intellitouch

Taylor

History of Technology in Music

Jane is learning the latest popular tune thanks to recording technology!

Music & Technology

When I think about the music classroom, I do not immediately see myself using technology a lot of the time. I think the reason is that I just do not think about technology in the classroom as often as I should. In my last post, I discussed that technology is becoming more prevalent in the lives of the youth than ever. If that is case then we should constantly be searching for ways that technology can be incorporated in the curriculum. If education is to stay relevant to our student’s lives, technology must be continuously integrated within the classroom. I’d like for this post to be a personal think-tank for ways in which technology can be easily incorporated into the average music classroom.

Basic – Level 1: Mp3, Video, & CD's

On the most basic level of adding technology we can have students access music via video, mp3, or cd. In a lesson the teacher can play listening examples through an iPod, mp3, or YouTube. Listening assignments could be a fun way for students to listen to music in a forum that they are comfortable with. This is an easy way to put a little technology in the class. But, this is far from sufficient.

Advanced - Level 2: Music software & online resources

Having the students use music notation software, like Finale, is a fun and creative way to teach notating, melody, harmony, and composition. After teaching some basic theory to students, the students could create a short composition or do their theory work, all through the program Finale. 

As a guitarist, one of my key roles is to accompany melody with chords. Teaching chords in a classical context can be, for lack of a better word, boring. Tab sites offer, with fairly decent results, a plethora of popular songs with chords, lyrics, and tabs. It could be really fun to have students pick a song of their choosing and have them learn the chords. They could perform it with themselves, someone else, or the teacher singing along!

Theory can be made into a game with the free online resource musictheory.net. There are a variety of different exercises and difficulties to choose from so, it is applicable for a wide range of students. If I wanted to assess my student’s progress I could use this as well. 

Super-Advanced! – Level 3: Protools, YouTube, Blogging, Eamir, GarageBand and beyond...

YouTube can be used in the classroom in two fun ways: watching and creating videos. A potential project could be for the student to record themselves playing a song individually or in a group and post it to YouTube to be graded. The teacher could post supplemental teaching videos for the students to access. 

Created by V.J. Manzo, Eamir takes technology and music education to new levels. I don’t understand everything (yet!) but the site offers ways to teach music in a format that is innovative, accessible to a wide array of students, and fun. One project in particular, the Guitar Eamir-o, could be used for learning melody, composition, performance, and other education goals.


Now, I have set this up in a 3-level format, which is purely for the purpose of convenience. The purpose of integration is not to use one “tech assignment” a year. Technology should be thought about, accessed, and utilized by teachers and students throughout the whole school year, if it is to be meaningful and effective. By using a combination of all of the technologies that I have mentioned, and all of the ones that I did not mention, integration might be achieved. I have not gone into the fullest detail as to how far we can take technology in the classroom, but I hope I’ve given a broad overview as to what can be done.

Do you know of a super cool technology? Do you completely disagree with me? Have I touched you in a way that you would like to express? Please tell me what you think in the comment section! 

Technology Autobiography

The popularity of communication technology has rapidly increased in the past couple of decades to the point where it is uncommon to not be in touch with some form of technology. The growing accessibility of technology has made it apparent that there is a need for effective use of technologies in the classroom. In a study done, the percentage of world internet usage has increased over 500 percent in the past 12 years. In this post I will list the three most influential communication technologies in my life, reflect on how they might have changed the way I learn, and compare/contrast them to the technologies of the youth through a video called “Learning to Change, Changing to Learn”.

The three most influential communication technologies in my life would have to be the internet and my phone. I have listed only two technologies because the internet is such a blanket term that encompasses so many different communication technologies, including instant messaging, email, social media, video chatting, etc. Under the internet I will be talking about email and instant messaging, both of which I prefer to use Gmail.

The Internet 

I. Email 
Email has been a great tool for me. Professionally, I have been able to keep in touch with people that I would otherwise not kept in touch with. I am a bit socially awkward and having nonverbal interactions with people is a lot easier than talking to a person face-to-face. This, of course, can be quite crippling if you depend on that virtual environment to communicate. Luckily, I am just awkward enough to enjoy email but, still be able to function in the physical world.
 II. Instant Messaging 
Gchat has been the main form of communication, apart from my phone, I use with my friends. Using this technology has made communication easier and fun. With this technology I can easily and comfortably talk to people I may not have. Though this technology has made communication accessible and easy, there is something about talking to a person face-to-face that just cannot be replaced. As the world progress into the digital age the human interaction suffers.

 Phone

III. Cell Phone 
My phone is the primary way I talk to everyone, besides talking face-to-face. I use it on a daily basis from casual conversations to professional communication. I used to text quite a lot: during class, at home, in the morning, or at night. Like email, the advantages and disadvantages are quite similar. Though we have this new accessible format to speak to each other, the human interaction is starting to fade and with it are people’s social skills. With phones and instant messaging I feel that it has also broken down the formal walls of typed conversation. When I text or i.m. somebody, invariable a “u” for “you” will get thrown into the conversation. My opinion of this change in formality is one of slight indifference. I wish people would not shorten their language for convenience but, I will not hold it against someone.

 “Learning to Change, Changing to Learn” 

 The technologies that I use as compared to the youth in this video are pretty similar. The things we have in common are that using these technologies have been an extension of ourselves. It is how we communicate to each other on a daily basis for better or for worse. One girl even commented on the same drawback as I did. Shortening words into phonetics is not an ideal outcome from this technology. Email was also mentioned. The girl explained as I did that having an email is a good way to communicate and organize one’s professional life through the different aspects that it can offer.

Learning New Information 

The whole online system of communication has not necessarily impacted the way I learn information. But, having an infinite amount of online resources has definitely changed how I access information. Using the internet to find an answer, using Microsoft Word to organize my ideas, planning ahead with ICal, detailing expenses with Microsoft Excel, etc. As technology continues to become more accessible, it will be paramount that educators use this tool to their advantage. How can educators justify using dated methods of communication when the entire youth is in a technological era? In order to teach most effectively we will have to be vigilant about keeping up with the most prevalent form of technology.

Welcome!

Hello there. Welcome to my new blog. I have things to share with you so I hope you will take a second to look around. Read, comment, argue, compliment, etc. Do whatever you like but keep it classy, will you? We are going to have a great time, I promise.