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.
I used to use spotify and lately have shifted to pandora because I am lazy and don't feel like choosing an artist. But i think your project ideas sound like a fun way to get the class involved outside of the school and stay engaged in the music. If you are studying one particular piece of music in class, discovering more of their songs can be very beneficial to understanding the music and its intent. I didn't know you could add on to other people's playlist either, I will have to look into this!
ReplyDeleteI have always felt that spotify is an underused
ReplyDeleteresource in many people's lives. It will be very easy for schools to
get contracts with spotify to get the service for much cheaper than
individuals, and it does truly unlock a veritable world of music for
people to explore. I think it would especially work well for
elementary and middle school general music, or music
appreciation/music history classes. Even non-music classes can
benefit, as history and literature classes frequently make reference
to monumental works and songs. great idea!
I really like your idea for a project using Spotify! I think it is both creative and practical and something that students could easily access. I thought your last point about accessing inappropriate material was interesting. I know that many schools use software even on their students' ipads to prevent this. Would this be an assignment you would do in class or have the students do at home? If it was in class I think this would be easier to control. Perhaps if you made it a take home assignment, you could send home something with the students for their parents to read about computer use and the assignments. Otherwise, kids are going to do what they want on their own if they have access to a computer anyway! But I agree, if it's done in a school then it should be something that you as the teacher should be concerned about. Sending a letter home to parents would also protect you from getting complaints later on that they didn't know their child was required to use the app, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think the assignment might be a combination of in-class and out of class. I'm not sure how effective the software would be at the school though...would it block the app entirely because of the inappropriate material or only block certain songs. If it did the latter, that would be impressive. I think the best course of action, as you stated, is to call or send a letter home regarding the app. Parents might get flustered at the thought of downloading this extra thing onto their computers. Having a letter that not only explains the assignment but also the application would be beneficial all around. Thanks for the feedback!
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