After my first class, I realized how dumb I am when it comes to technology. I really only know the bare minimum about, well, everything. So after reading Dr. Bauer's articles, I start to realize why music educators have trouble incorporating technology in their curriculum.
What struck me first was how much music and technology have to walk hand in hand. I mean without electronic technology a lot of great things in music could have never happened. I never actually recognized how important technology affected me as a performer and an educator.
This got me thinking about what it means to use and apply technology. I remember when I was in my percussion methods class, Mr. Bassett played us an excerpt of a song from his iPod. He wanted to show us how to properly play the symbols. Rather than attempting to show us himself, he found a recording where the cymbal crashes were rather exquisite. I know that Mr. Bassett can play the symbols quite well; but he took the time out of the class to show us just how grand that instrument can be. And I can tell you, whenever I think of playing the symbols, I think of that crash.
So why don't more educators do this. Why cannot all music teachers use technology in this tiny manner. In Dr. Bauer's "A Conceptual Framework for Technology..." he talks about how little music educators use technology in their classrooms. Many of the percentiles were under 10%! And I believe I know why this occurs.
I believe that it is safe to assume that at the time that the surveys were taken that many of the teachers were in the "older" part of their lives. If this was true many students that are learning how to become teachers are not exposed to technology the way they should be. This is because the "older" teachers did not have the technology when they were taught how to teach.
Dr. Bauer also touched on this subject. The older the teacher, the less likely they are to use technology. As he put it, they are "technology immigrants". They have to learn how to use all the new things that come out every year. Thus a cycle is born where young teachers who grew up in a technilogic-less environment, end up teaching in the same fashion.
I think that there is a solution. The PLN that was mentioned in the other article is a great way for educators to stay on top of the latest material. I believe that if our "older" educators utilize the PLN, things will start to look up.
The PLN makes finding information very, very simple. Updates on new teaching methods, instruments, musical groups, and technology are all brought to the user. It makes searching the old way of doing things.
If all educators use this tool, they will start using technology in no time. I feel that the PLN will broaden the minds of its users. Educators will get a look at a world that they might not be able to without it.
All in all I feel that technology has its place in the class room. Does it need to be as heavy as it is in some of the examples, no. Does it need to control the classroom environment, no. Should it be implemented as an aid, absolutely. I feel that with the way our society works, having a way to keep up is wonderful. However a music educator should never lose sight of what the main goal is, and should always be. Passing a love and appreciation of music to everyone.
1 comment:
If this idea of TPACK can be introduced to a large number of music educators, in various stages of their careers (ahem, exactly what Dr. Bauer is trying to do), then perhaps more professional development may be successfully aimed at provided "technological immigrants" with access to some of these resources. When introduced in a casual and intuitive way, I personally believe that it's much more likely that our more senior colleagues will attempt to use some of these technological resources. Music educators may think that they don't have time in their busy lessons to intertwine technology into their classrooms. What they may not realize is that some of these tools actually end up saving class time in the long run (when used properly to enhance learning).
Post a Comment