Assuming you had an unlimited budget, and all the technology you could ever want - would you have any challenges as a music educator? What would some of these challenges be?
One wonderful thing that technology does as for a music educator is allow a prepared lesson or evaluation to be executed without direct involvement. For instance, Smart music is often compared to a private lesson because it evaluates how accurate (not musical, per se) a student’s playing is. The teachable website and voice thread allow pre-prepared lessons to be given to students in an involved, interactive way. In class we discussed the numerous software programs and applications that offer music educators a different way to introduce musical material to students and evaluate them on it (e.g. Alfred’s Essentials to Music Theory). The challenge then becomes preparing the lessons and setting up the technology before class. This requires the music educator to be extremely well organized in what is going to be taught and the best medium for doing it. The music educator that is using all this technology must keep track of all the students and manage any number of prepared lessons as well as the actual technology equipment that may become unpredictably uncooperative. In the long run, these recourses can make the educator’s job easier and more effective. In the short run, though, it would complicate preparation work of the educator immensely.
A bounty of resources be it technology or anything else of course can help to provide a teacher with extra tools and ways to present, incorporate, and integrate the information and lessons they teach into their classroom. These however can never replace the human componant of teaching. We should be humans who aspire to learn as much as we can about music and the teaching of it so that we may provide students with the resouces and fundamental yearning to go out and discover on their own the joys of music. The point of teaching is to enrich students with everything we can offer and technology and resources that we have alone can not yeild that. When a teacher has gathered and searched for all the resouces possible to help them it is then up to them to provide it in a number of ways which are of course challenging and require study. For one, a teacher must be organized and thoughtful enough to use the resources available in a useful and fulfilling way. So, a teacher who does not lesson plan well, and does not think before hand about all their students needs will not be ready for the day to day and the unexpected educational experiences. A teacher will also have to deal with parents and need to be sensitive to what their interests are for each of their children in music. Another challenge is the students themselves. A teacher is not dealing with programable robots. Students are thinking, feeling and searching for things in music and their personal lives. A teacher must be sensitive to every students needs, progress and personal endevours. This is by far the most challenging item. A teacher must be genuine in their work. For if they are not, the students will know and begin to fall away. Teachers must strive to educate with the best of their abilities, using their resouces, their knowledge and study, and their compassion for students to fully be a music educator.
All of the technology in the world could not possibly replace the human element of teaching. As we have mentioned in previous blog posts, technology in the music classroom is meant to supplement musicianship traditions, not replace them. I suppose that this in itself is a challenge for a teacher: to not become dependent on technology. It should not be a crutch for the teacher to lean on when he feels insufficient.
The other challenge is incorporating technology into the curriculum appropriately. I know personally that if my teacher relied solely on technology to teach, or if technology was present in every single lesson, then I would be irritated because the focus (especially in a high school setting) should be performing.
An unlimited budget would be both a blessing and a curse. In the words of Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility".
No matter how high-tech or expensive a classroom can be, there is no such thing as a classroom free of challenges. While an unlimited budget may ease these challenges, there would still be issues faced. For one, I feel that student/teacher interaction is the crux of any education. In this futuristic lab I'm imagining with the jacked up budget, the students rarely or never converse face to face with the teacher because there is no need to. The textbook (if it even exists) is downloadable online, the kids can learn from the various programs that they have, and they can be assessed from remote locations via SmartMusic or podcasts. This teacher could be living in the Bahamas while running a lab in the Midwest! Don't get me wrong, I certainly think technology can help accomplish many things that teachers can't, such as solidifying complex concepts and helping the teacher manage time. However, with an unlimited budget, this classroom would be scary. If this unlimited budget were used wisely, and nothing extraneous was purchased, I think this lab could be quite effective. With some high powered computers, fantastic software, functional synthesizers, and maybe a Promethean smartboard, this class would not only help the teacher be more effective, but also save the teacher and students time. Again, as long as the teacher to student interaction remains present, I think any situation can be managed. I must say though that I do believe one can have to much of a good thing!
Even with unlimited funds, which would be awesome for any teacher(!), challenges will always be present. Even with all the technology in the world, there are things that teachers must do with person-to-person interaction. Technology should always be used as a supplementary tool, and in many cases technology can and will help solve some of the challenges that the classroom or teacher is faced with. Let's say for example, your student is doing a lesson from Alfred's Music Theory packet- and no matter how many times the computer explains a concept the student isn't able to completely grasp it. As a teacher, is our job to try and present this information to the student in a manner that will allow him/her to actually understand and grasp it. This is obviously not the only scenario that could occur, but technology is never full proof. As we know from the classroom, "if something can go wrong with technology, it will" and that is also something that the teacher will have to deal with. No matter how high-end, quality, or new technology is- something can and will more than likely go wrong with it. It is the teacher's challenge to be able to effectively deal with the problem either by, fixing it-or being able to lead the classroom and continue lessons without the use of whatever technology was going to be used. Another challenge concerning technology, one that I would actually have to deal with if I were ever in a situation where my budget was limitless and technology were involved would be - learning to actually USE the technology you purchase. Not only learning how to use them in general, but effectively be able to expose their very use for the music classroom setting. Personally, my biggest hurdle would be keeping up with the new technology, the most effective, beneficial-and then, learning how to use and apply it for my classroom.
As great as it would seem, having all the technology you could wants and a never ending budget can get you into problems. If a music educator relies on technology to teach the students everything, the classroom will more than likely develop an a problem with teacher-student communication and interacting. You have to make sure that the students are actually going a log with all the technology, and not just goofing off due to no assessment. It is important to make sure that you would have the time to prepare all your lesson plans in addition to setting up all the technology and making sure that it works properly. Unfortunately, time is usually lacking when it comes to music educators. Another thing is making sure the technology work. If I learned anything about technology it's that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. At least that is the assumption that should be made. Therefore, teachers using technology in their classrooms have to make sure to always have some sort of back up plan/lesson to teach if the technology doesn't work properly.
While a limiting budget may seem to be a constant challenge for all educators taking away this one obstacle would not create challenge-less teaching. Technology will not make much of a difference if a teacher is incompetent. I feel that it is too easy for people to become dependent on technology to cover up their weaknesses. With the ability to purchase anything, I feel that this slippery slope would be even more of an issue with many teachers. The human interaction between teacher and student is a very important aspect to teaching that cannot be lost.
On a more positive note, an unlimited budget an technology could be a wonderful thing when structured properly. It would be a challenge and a great deal of work creating a curriculum, activities, lessons, extra assignments that utilized all that technology has to offer. But once the proper structure has created students and teachers would greatly benefit from these tools. As it has been mentioned before, the key to having a successful classroom is balance.
With an unlimited budget the only challenges that you would no longer have are those directly related to funding. You would no longer have to try and teach students using broken, outdated, or faulty equipment. That said, every other challenge as a music educator still exists. What having an unlimited budget allows you to do is use different resources and approaches to take on those challenges. If students are having trouble matching pitch or playing in time, you cannot just throw technology or equipment at them to fix it. For the student to learn they have to first understand what is wrong, how they can change it, and when they have it right. There are different ways of helping the student figure those things out, but in the end it's all in the students head. Students can use software programs to teach them music theory and aural skills. They can use programs like smart music to asses note accuracy, but it does not help them with creating a musical line and phrasing. There is always going to be a need for the teacher to be involved with the students learning no matter how advanced technology gets. When teaching students even just getting them to pay attention can be a challenge. Teachers can make interesting activities or use fun software to get the students to pay attention, but that doesn't mean the students won't talk to each other about how cool it is. Beyond the basics needed to teach a class, funding allows for more ways to teach. If a student is not understanding how to count rhythm, the teacher can explain it, model it, have the student use a program that teaches rhythm, use different percussion instruments to play rhythms. The chances of finding a quick way for the student to understand are greatly increased when the teacher is able to approach the topic from many different ways.
Above all else though, music is something truly human. It appeals to the aesthetic side of life and our feelings and emotions. These are things that cannot be replicated or taught by anything other than another human. You can have all the equipment and technology you want to teach concepts and technique and theory and skills, but if there is no aesthetic side of the teaching, then you'll have a hard time convincing anyone that you're really teaching music.
Challenges abound any time someone gives you a blank check. Staying in touch with the technology free side of music, while getting your money’s worth out of the technology can be a challenge particularly for students who relate really easily to technological systems. It is necessary for students to be able to function in both arenas, so experience with both are critical, but they also both demand time. I would find it challenging to avoid the use of technology for technology’s sake, because it is so fun, but this can cause us to lose sight of standards and objectives. Having unlimited access would require a great deal of discernment to Streamline what you use in the classroom so that you are not making more work for yourself and becoming distracted so many options. Even if technology is available to you, outside tech support can be helpful in maintaining equipment in a classroom and is not always available. This can create issues if you create lesson plans based on using technology if it is unavailable. A big problem with too much technology is the need to relearn new systems, and programs with every new feature, update, and product that is released. Using technology can save you a lot of time in the long run, but teaching yourself and others how to use new programs and equipment is time consuming. Overall I think the biggest challenge is staying true to your curriculum by making decisions to utilize technology based on what will best serve your students and music.
I think it would be fantastic to have an unlimited budget, especially when there is so much new technology to make Music Education easier and more fun for students. I would worry, however, that I would be overwhelmed with options and extra materials. I would probably end up spending so much time trying to decide which technology to buy, the actual teaching part of my job would be lost. I would also worry about this in the classroom - technology can be unreliable and if that's all the teacher has for the students and the computers don't work that day, what do they fall back on? In a rehearsal, the teacher is completely in control of how the lesson goes. Perhaps I'm just a control freak... Another complication I foresee would be in regards to the student's learning. With programs such as Finale and Smart Music, there are ways to get around actually doing assignment. For example, in our Guitar Techniques class we had to take traditionally written music and transcribe it into TAB. He had to specifically say "Do NOT do this in Finale - I don't want any computer generated assignments turned in." Although we would like to assume students in the music department are there because they want to learn, there will always be some who just want an easy way to the finish line. While a wonderful resource, technology also enbables more cheating-like behavior. That said, I would much rather have more technology than less.
This would be a wonderful setup for a music teacher as this would take care of many of the logistical problems that can be faced. However, this sheds light on one of the most important parts of teaching which is what the students are ultimately learning and how effectively is this done. Just because one has all the best ingredients in the world, does not mean he shall be the best chef. The same applies with music, just because all the necessary peripherals are in place does not mean that music will magically happen. What I feel will be the biggest challenge in teaching from the limited experience I currently have will be the communication of ideas from the professional to the student. This is something technology can aide in but cannot successfully accomplish on its own. The success of any music program ultimately comes down to the abilities of the teacher. However, this can come with exceptions. Contrary to this scenario, some individuals may be incredible teachers but, due to whatever reason, are unnable to aquire the nessecary materials to teach to the best of their ability. For example, if a teacher is presented with a classroom in which there are not enough instruments, or these are in bad repair, drastic accomodations must be made. This also applies to technology. A program may have completely out of date computers which can only run software from the 90's. This would again fall on the shoulders of the teacher in terms of dealing with this problem. As stated earlier, however, just because a teacher may have all the necessary peripherals, does not mean they will have a successful program. The success of this lies on the shoulders of the teacher.
I have learned that money can’t buy happiness. I know of someone who lives by the ocean and is well off financially but is grieving that her adult son would have nothing to do with her. Even with the unlimited budget and all the technology I could ever want, there will be challenges as a music educator. On a personal level, I am wondering, how I will handle:
1. Time management: how will I find the time to plan lessons, assess students, answer parents’ inquiries, and still have time for me and my family? 2. Classroom management: how will I deal with problematic behavior? How can I be consistently fair and not show favoritism? 3. Relationships: how will I relate to the administration, other staff, the parents, in addition to all the difficult students? A good friend of mine expressed to me: Your main job will be relating well with all kinds of people in your job. 4. Keeping my lessons fun and exciting and suitable for the class. 5. Keeping my joy: I want to teach because I love children and music. But will I still be able to love my work and have joy handling all the aforementioned challenges?
That is why I am here in DePaul, the place where I feel I would be best equipped to handle these challenges well.
An unlimited budget would be an amazing tool for the music educator. However it also comes iwht several caveats. I think that the teacher must be careful not to use too much technology so the the humanity is taken out of the classroom. It can be easy to become too dependant on technology and let the computers do all of the teaching. I think that the technology can be a wonderful enhancement of what the teacher is teaching but it cannot become a substitute for the teacher. Another thing that can be difficult with an unlimited budget is deciding on how to incorporate the technology into a lesson plan. When you have all of those resources at your disposal it is important not to overwhelm the class on the first day by using them all. The teacher must be able to intersperse each of the technological devices throughout the year as a way to enhance lessons.
Even if you had an unlimited budget all the technology in the world can not replace human capabilities. If that was possible than there would be no reason to even send your children to school. There is nothing like the actually experience in playing in a band, orchestra, or singing in choir. I do think that music technology has definately been an aid in helping us to teach in different ways. But, I like to look at music technology as a supplement to learning music. Some of the challenges of technology is there is always room for failure with set up. If something is working properly. If the computer is broken or one of the speakers on the computer. The software programs might not run as efficently depending on what the speed of your computer is. We take for granted the access we have to MAC computer labs on campus, but the question is what if you have a computer that is ten years old? You have to find the correct software to fit that computer and that is compatible with it. Although, this would be the ideal situation to have an unlimited budget, money does not buy education and what you have learned throughout your educational experience.
Technology is a wonderful tool if it is used in an effective way so students can learn more material with greater speed, and teacher’s can assess the student’s comprehension efficiently. I believe that it is important for a teacher to understand that every student is different, and that everyone comprehends information in the same way. There will always be students that will be challenged by technology (and I for one can say that this class has exposed some of my weaknesses) and throwing more technology at a student who is struggling can often complicate the matter. A teacher with or without technology will always need to give a certain amount of their time to students as undivided attention to asses and correct any problems appear. Technology is great, don’t get me wrong, but there are still parent teacher conferences, and classroom management, all without the use of technology. Music as a part of the day to day curriculum has always had difficulties. With assessments made easier with technology, we can argue to the principal, the superintendent, and the school board that our jobs are worth keeping.
Technology, as we have learned, is continually progressing in terms of usability and user friendliness. Therefore, it seems so appropriate to include more in daily life, which includes in our classrooms. This can provide certain challenges, yes, seeing as how it can be easy for teachers to use technology as a crutch as opposed to an aid. It is extremely important than emphasis still be placed on the teacher, as each teacher is an individual and the technology they use is not. We as educators must also realize that technology does not pick up on our students emotional needs, but merely their educational needs. This is where teachers also do things that technology could never do.
I foresee several potential problems with the situation being presented. First would be the problem of using the technology so much that the skills practiced in the class on a daily basis would be lost. Similar to the post we made a few weeks ago in regards to the parent who was concerned that using technology in the class would take away the teacher contact time. It is possible if you do not plan correctly that would occur if you had an unlimited budget and whatever technology tools you wanted. Each day a teacher could potentially sit the students down in a lab or practice room with computers. Have the students turn to a program like smart music and then have no time with the teacher building the relationship and musicality that is needed with the personal contact with the teacher. The second potential problem would be having so much technology to use that most of it does not get used on a regular basis. Many school districts would enjoy the ability to have one computer, and maybe some basic software for the teachers to use to aide their teaching. As well going along a similar problem with having too much technology the students will never learn what it means to master a skill because there is so much that must be used to make it practical to own all the equipment that a basic knowledge is all that the student might learn. A third potential problem is jealousy among colleagues. When other teachers see that you are getting everything that you want they will start to question how you get everything you want and possibly build resentment toward you and your program thus creating an unneeded tension in the work environment.
I think that the biggest challenge for me would be preparation. Integration of technology into a class' curricula can be tough to manage and maintain as an equilibrium. But, the most challenging part of that would rest on the teacher's shoulders in preparing all of the different forms of technology needed for even one single class. That may include making sure an itunes song is uploaded the right way, or cut/paused to the right spot if you don't want to listen to the whole song. It may even hinder one's classroom management skills, and cause students to become disruptive as soon as the teacher stops to adjust a certain technological tool. The technology as an integrated source then becomes a barrier, instead of a teaching tool.
As we discussed in previous blog posts, [in some peoples' opinions]technology could never replace a music educator. In earlier years of school, I used to be extremely lazy and unmotivated when it came to school work, and going the extra mile. Half of me wants to say that because of all of the necessary preparation for integration of technology into classroom life, I might revert back to this lazy behavior. But honestly, I don't think that I could at this point--so many young minds could potentially be "wasted" and not nurtured properly if I, as the music educator, don't prepare myself and my lessons to the fullest extent.
That being said, I think it is almost hard to escape the integration of technology with daily classroom curricula these days. In many classrooms, unfortunately, it's become what seems to be a co-dependent relationship, where one can't survive without the other. I like to think that when I have my own classroom, I will uphold the pact I've made with myself to utilize technology in my classroom curriculum so that in most cases,--of course there are exceptions--it is supplemental material, rather than a substitute.
18 comments:
One wonderful thing that technology does as for a music educator is allow a prepared lesson or evaluation to be executed without direct involvement. For instance, Smart music is often compared to a private lesson because it evaluates how accurate (not musical, per se) a student’s playing is. The teachable website and voice thread allow pre-prepared lessons to be given to students in an involved, interactive way. In class we discussed the numerous software programs and applications that offer music educators a different way to introduce musical material to students and evaluate them on it (e.g. Alfred’s Essentials to Music Theory).
The challenge then becomes preparing the lessons and setting up the technology before class. This requires the music educator to be extremely well organized in what is going to be taught and the best medium for doing it. The music educator that is using all this technology must keep track of all the students and manage any number of prepared lessons as well as the actual technology equipment that may become unpredictably uncooperative. In the long run, these recourses can make the educator’s job easier and more effective. In the short run, though, it would complicate preparation work of the educator immensely.
A bounty of resources be it technology or anything else of course can help to provide a teacher with extra tools and ways to present, incorporate, and integrate the information and lessons they teach into their classroom. These however can never replace the human componant of teaching.
We should be humans who aspire to learn as much as we can about music and the teaching of it so that we may provide students with the resouces and fundamental yearning to go out and discover on their own the joys of music. The point of teaching is to enrich students with everything we can offer and technology and resources that we have alone can not yeild that.
When a teacher has gathered and searched for all the resouces possible to help them it is then up to them to provide it in a number of ways which are of course challenging and require study. For one, a teacher must be organized and thoughtful enough to use the resources available in a useful and fulfilling way. So, a teacher who does not lesson plan well, and does not think before hand about all their students needs will not be ready for the day to day and the unexpected educational experiences. A teacher will also have to deal with parents and need to be sensitive to what their interests are for each of their children in music. Another challenge is the students themselves. A teacher is not dealing with programable robots. Students are thinking, feeling and searching for things in music and their personal lives. A teacher must be sensitive to every students needs, progress and personal endevours. This is by far the most challenging item. A teacher must be genuine in their work. For if they are not, the students will know and begin to fall away. Teachers must strive to educate with the best of their abilities, using their resouces, their knowledge and study, and their compassion for students to fully be a music educator.
All of the technology in the world could not possibly replace the human element of teaching. As we have mentioned in previous blog posts, technology in the music classroom is meant to supplement musicianship traditions, not replace them. I suppose that this in itself is a challenge for a teacher: to not become dependent on technology. It should not be a crutch for the teacher to lean on when he feels insufficient.
The other challenge is incorporating technology into the curriculum appropriately. I know personally that if my teacher relied solely on technology to teach, or if technology was present in every single lesson, then I would be irritated because the focus (especially in a high school setting) should be performing.
An unlimited budget would be both a blessing and a curse. In the words of Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility".
No matter how high-tech or expensive a classroom can be, there is no such thing as a classroom free of challenges. While an unlimited budget may ease these challenges, there would still be issues faced. For one, I feel that student/teacher interaction is the crux of any education. In this futuristic lab I'm imagining with the jacked up budget, the students rarely or never converse face to face with the teacher because there is no need to. The textbook (if it even exists) is downloadable online, the kids can learn from the various programs that they have, and they can be assessed from remote locations via SmartMusic or podcasts. This teacher could be living in the Bahamas while running a lab in the Midwest! Don't get me wrong, I certainly think technology can help accomplish many things that teachers can't, such as solidifying complex concepts and helping the teacher manage time. However, with an unlimited budget, this classroom would be scary. If this unlimited budget were used wisely, and nothing extraneous was purchased, I think this lab could be quite effective. With some high powered computers, fantastic software, functional synthesizers, and maybe a Promethean smartboard, this class would not only help the teacher be more effective, but also save the teacher and students time. Again, as long as the teacher to student interaction remains present, I think any situation can be managed. I must say though that I do believe one can have to much of a good thing!
Even with unlimited funds, which would be awesome for any teacher(!), challenges will always be present. Even with all the technology in the world, there are things that teachers must do with person-to-person interaction. Technology should always be used as a supplementary tool, and in many cases technology can and will help solve some of the challenges that the classroom or teacher is faced with. Let's say for example, your student is doing a lesson from Alfred's Music Theory packet- and no matter how many times the computer explains a concept the student isn't able to completely grasp it. As a teacher, is our job to try and present this information to the student in a manner that will allow him/her to actually understand and grasp it.
This is obviously not the only scenario that could occur, but technology is never full proof. As we know from the classroom, "if something can go wrong with technology, it will" and that is also something that the teacher will have to deal with. No matter how high-end, quality, or new technology is- something can and will more than likely go wrong with it. It is the teacher's challenge to be able to effectively deal with the problem either by, fixing it-or being able to lead the classroom and continue lessons without the use of whatever technology was going to be used. Another challenge concerning technology, one that I would actually have to deal with if I were ever in a situation where my budget was limitless and technology were involved would be - learning to actually USE the technology you purchase. Not only learning how to use them in general, but effectively be able to expose their very use for the music classroom setting. Personally, my biggest hurdle would be keeping up with the new technology, the most effective, beneficial-and then, learning how to use and apply it for my classroom.
As great as it would seem, having all the technology you could wants and a never ending budget can get you into problems. If a music educator relies on technology to teach the students everything, the classroom will more than likely develop an a problem with teacher-student communication and interacting. You have to make sure that the students are actually going a log with all the technology, and not just goofing off due to no assessment. It is important to make sure that you would have the time to prepare all your lesson plans in addition to setting up all the technology and making sure that it works properly. Unfortunately, time is usually lacking when it comes to music educators.
Another thing is making sure the technology work. If I learned anything about technology it's that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. At least that is the assumption that should be made. Therefore, teachers using technology in their classrooms have to make sure to always have some sort of back up plan/lesson to teach if the technology doesn't work properly.
While a limiting budget may seem to be a constant challenge for all educators taking away this one obstacle would not create challenge-less teaching. Technology will not make much of a difference if a teacher is incompetent. I feel that it is too easy for people to become dependent on technology to cover up their weaknesses. With the ability to purchase anything, I feel that this slippery slope would be even more of an issue with many teachers. The human interaction between teacher and student is a very important aspect to teaching that cannot be lost.
On a more positive note, an unlimited budget an technology could be a wonderful thing when structured properly. It would be a challenge and a great deal of work creating a curriculum, activities, lessons, extra assignments that utilized all that technology has to offer. But once the proper structure has created students and teachers would greatly benefit from these tools. As it has been mentioned before, the key to having a successful classroom is balance.
With an unlimited budget the only challenges that you would no longer have are those directly related to funding. You would no longer have to try and teach students using broken, outdated, or faulty equipment. That said, every other challenge as a music educator still exists. What having an unlimited budget allows you to do is use different resources and approaches to take on those challenges. If students are having trouble matching pitch or playing in time, you cannot just throw technology or equipment at them to fix it. For the student to learn they have to first understand what is wrong, how they can change it, and when they have it right. There are different ways of helping the student figure those things out, but in the end it's all in the students head. Students can use software programs to teach them music theory and aural skills. They can use programs like smart music to asses note accuracy, but it does not help them with creating a musical line and phrasing. There is always going to be a need for the teacher to be involved with the students learning no matter how advanced technology gets. When teaching students even just getting them to pay attention can be a challenge. Teachers can make interesting activities or use fun software to get the students to pay attention, but that doesn't mean the students won't talk to each other about how cool it is. Beyond the basics needed to teach a class, funding allows for more ways to teach. If a student is not understanding how to count rhythm, the teacher can explain it, model it, have the student use a program that teaches rhythm, use different percussion instruments to play rhythms. The chances of finding a quick way for the student to understand are greatly increased when the teacher is able to approach the topic from many different ways.
Above all else though, music is something truly human. It appeals to the aesthetic side of life and our feelings and emotions. These are things that cannot be replicated or taught by anything other than another human. You can have all the equipment and technology you want to teach concepts and technique and theory and skills, but if there is no aesthetic side of the teaching, then you'll have a hard time convincing anyone that you're really teaching music.
Challenges abound any time someone gives you a blank check. Staying in touch with the technology free side of music, while getting your money’s worth out of the technology can be a challenge particularly for students who relate really easily to technological systems. It is necessary for students to be able to function in both arenas, so experience with both are critical, but they also both demand time.
I would find it challenging to avoid the use of technology for technology’s sake, because it is so fun, but this can cause us to lose sight of standards and objectives. Having unlimited access would require a great deal of discernment to Streamline what you use in the classroom so that you are not making more work for yourself and becoming distracted so many options. Even if technology is available to you, outside tech support can be helpful in maintaining equipment in a classroom and is not always available. This can create issues if you create lesson plans based on using technology if it is unavailable.
A big problem with too much technology is the need to relearn new systems, and programs with every new feature, update, and product that is released. Using technology can save you a lot of time in the long run, but teaching yourself and others how to use new programs and equipment is time consuming. Overall I think the biggest challenge is staying true to your curriculum by making decisions to utilize technology based on what will best serve your students and music.
I think it would be fantastic to have an unlimited budget, especially when there is so much new technology to make Music Education easier and more fun for students. I would worry, however, that I would be overwhelmed with options and extra materials. I would probably end up spending so much time trying to decide which technology to buy, the actual teaching part of my job would be lost. I would also worry about this in the classroom - technology can be unreliable and if that's all the teacher has for the students and the computers don't work that day, what do they fall back on? In a rehearsal, the teacher is completely in control of how the lesson goes. Perhaps I'm just a control freak...
Another complication I foresee would be in regards to the student's learning. With programs such as Finale and Smart Music, there are ways to get around actually doing assignment. For example, in our Guitar Techniques class we had to take traditionally written music and transcribe it into TAB. He had to specifically say "Do NOT do this in Finale - I don't want any computer generated assignments turned in." Although we would like to assume students in the music department are there because they want to learn, there will always be some who just want an easy way to the finish line. While a wonderful resource, technology also enbables more cheating-like behavior. That said, I would much rather have more technology than less.
This would be a wonderful setup for a music teacher as this would take care of many of the logistical problems that can be faced. However, this sheds light on one of the most important parts of teaching which is what the students are ultimately learning and how effectively is this done. Just because one has all the best ingredients in the world, does not mean he shall be the best chef. The same applies with music, just because all the necessary peripherals are in place does not mean that music will magically happen. What I feel will be the biggest challenge in teaching from the limited experience I currently have will be the communication of ideas from the professional to the student. This is something technology can aide in but cannot successfully accomplish on its own. The success of any music program ultimately comes down to the abilities of the teacher. However, this can come with exceptions. Contrary to this scenario, some individuals may be incredible teachers but, due to whatever reason, are unnable to aquire the nessecary materials to teach to the best of their ability. For example, if a teacher is presented with a classroom in which there are not enough instruments, or these are in bad repair, drastic accomodations must be made. This also applies to technology. A program may have completely out of date computers which can only run software from the 90's. This would again fall on the shoulders of the teacher in terms of dealing with this problem.
As stated earlier, however, just because a teacher may have all the necessary peripherals, does not mean they will have a successful program. The success of this lies on the shoulders of the teacher.
I have learned that money can’t buy happiness. I know of someone who lives by the ocean and is well off financially but is grieving that her adult son would have nothing to do with her. Even with the unlimited budget and all the technology I could ever want, there will be challenges as a music educator. On a personal level, I am wondering, how I will handle:
1. Time management: how will I find the time to plan lessons, assess students, answer parents’ inquiries, and still have time for me and my family?
2. Classroom management: how will I deal with problematic behavior? How can I be consistently fair and not show favoritism?
3. Relationships: how will I relate to the administration, other staff, the parents, in addition to all the difficult students? A good friend of mine expressed to me: Your main job will be relating well with all kinds of people in your job.
4. Keeping my lessons fun and exciting and suitable for the class.
5. Keeping my joy: I want to teach because I love children and music. But will I still be able to love my work and have joy handling all the aforementioned challenges?
That is why I am here in DePaul, the place where I feel I would be best equipped to handle these challenges well.
An unlimited budget would be an amazing tool for the music educator. However it also comes iwht several caveats. I think that the teacher must be careful not to use too much technology so the the humanity is taken out of the classroom. It can be easy to become too dependant on technology and let the computers do all of the teaching. I think that the technology can be a wonderful enhancement of what the teacher is teaching but it cannot become a substitute for the teacher.
Another thing that can be difficult with an unlimited budget is deciding on how to incorporate the technology into a lesson plan. When you have all of those resources at your disposal it is important not to overwhelm the class on the first day by using them all. The teacher must be able to intersperse each of the technological devices throughout the year as a way to enhance lessons.
Even if you had an unlimited budget all the technology in the world can not replace human capabilities. If that was possible than there would be no reason to even send your children to school. There is nothing like the actually experience in playing in a band, orchestra, or singing in choir. I do think that music technology has definately been an aid in helping us to teach in different ways. But, I like to look at music technology as a supplement to learning music.
Some of the challenges of technology is there is always room for failure with set up. If something is working properly. If the computer is broken or one of the speakers on the computer. The software programs might not run as efficently depending on what the speed of your computer is. We take for granted the access we have to MAC computer labs on campus, but the question is what if you have a computer that is ten years old? You have to find the correct software to fit that computer and that is compatible with it.
Although, this would be the ideal situation to have an unlimited budget, money does not buy education and what you have learned throughout your educational experience.
Technology is a wonderful tool if it is used in an effective way so students can learn more material with greater speed, and teacher’s can assess the student’s comprehension efficiently. I believe that it is important for a teacher to understand that every student is different, and that everyone comprehends information in the same way. There will always be students that will be challenged by technology (and I for one can say that this class has exposed some of my weaknesses) and throwing more technology at a student who is struggling can often complicate the matter. A teacher with or without technology will always need to give a certain amount of their time to students as undivided attention to asses and correct any problems appear. Technology is great, don’t get me wrong, but there are still parent teacher conferences, and classroom management, all without the use of technology. Music as a part of the day to day curriculum has always had difficulties. With assessments made easier with technology, we can argue to the principal, the superintendent, and the school board that our jobs are worth keeping.
Technology, as we have learned, is continually progressing in terms of usability and user friendliness. Therefore, it seems so appropriate to include more in daily life, which includes in our classrooms. This can provide certain challenges, yes, seeing as how it can be easy for teachers to use technology as a crutch as opposed to an aid. It is extremely important than emphasis still be placed on the teacher, as each teacher is an individual and the technology they use is not. We as educators must also realize that technology does not pick up on our students emotional needs, but merely their educational needs. This is where teachers also do things that technology could never do.
I foresee several potential problems with the situation being presented. First would be the problem of using the technology so much that the skills practiced in the class on a daily basis would be lost. Similar to the post we made a few weeks ago in regards to the parent who was concerned that using technology in the class would take away the teacher contact time. It is possible if you do not plan correctly that would occur if you had an unlimited budget and whatever technology tools you wanted. Each day a teacher could potentially sit the students down in a lab or practice room with computers. Have the students turn to a program like smart music and then have no time with the teacher building the relationship and musicality that is needed with the personal contact with the teacher. The second potential problem would be having so much technology to use that most of it does not get used on a regular basis. Many school districts would enjoy the ability to have one computer, and maybe some basic software for the teachers to use to aide their teaching. As well going along a similar problem with having too much technology the students will never learn what it means to master a skill because there is so much that must be used to make it practical to own all the equipment that a basic knowledge is all that the student might learn. A third potential problem is jealousy among colleagues. When other teachers see that you are getting everything that you want they will start to question how you get everything you want and possibly build resentment toward you and your program thus creating an unneeded tension in the work environment.
I think that the biggest challenge for me would be preparation. Integration of technology into a class' curricula can be tough to manage and maintain as an equilibrium. But, the most challenging part of that would rest on the teacher's shoulders in preparing all of the different forms of technology needed for even one single class. That may include making sure an itunes song is uploaded the right way, or cut/paused to the right spot if you don't want to listen to the whole song. It may even hinder one's classroom management skills, and cause students to become disruptive as soon as the teacher stops to adjust a certain technological tool. The technology as an integrated source then becomes a barrier, instead of a teaching tool.
As we discussed in previous blog posts, [in some peoples' opinions]technology could never replace a music educator. In earlier years of school, I used to be extremely lazy and unmotivated when it came to school work, and going the extra mile. Half of me wants to say that because of all of the necessary preparation for integration of technology into classroom life, I might revert back to this lazy behavior. But honestly, I don't think that I could at this point--so many young minds could potentially be "wasted" and not nurtured properly if I, as the music educator, don't prepare myself and my lessons to the fullest extent.
That being said, I think it is almost hard to escape the integration of technology with daily classroom curricula these days. In many classrooms, unfortunately, it's become what seems to be a co-dependent relationship, where one can't survive without the other. I like to think that when I have my own classroom, I will uphold the pact I've made with myself to utilize technology in my classroom curriculum so that in most cases,--of course there are exceptions--it is supplemental material, rather than a substitute.
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