My GAME to Date

I feel a lot like my students. I get online to research what other music teachers are doing with technology and I get distracted by all the information I find. Before I know, I’ve lost rack of time, where I started and what I was originally looking for. But none the less, progress is being made on my GAME plan.

As for finding information and resources, I am finding some. Don’t get me wrong, there is a great deal of resources available for technology integration in the music classroom. The difficult part is finding what I can afford or what is already available to me and how to use it affectively in a predominantly performance-based classroom. I feel a little backwards from what Dr. Ross suggested in our DVD this week. Dr. Ross said that educators must first identify the learning objectives then determine the teaching method to express those objectives and then follow it up with a supportive technology. (Laureate, 2009) Part of me feels like I must first find the technology and then find a way to adapt it to what is being taught. Backwards, yes, but it is how I feel right now. But none the less, I did make a new discovery this week. While searching for lesson plans to integrate music and film into a lesson for my piano students, I came across free webinars (yes free!) by www.sweetwater.com for music teachers on integrating technology in the music classroom. I signed up for one immediately! So I am finding resources. Now my backwards challenge is to get them integrated into my regular lessons.

I don’t feel like I need to modify my GAME plan at this time. My goals are still to integrate technology into my classroom on a regular basis. If anything needs to change it may need to be my time table for implementing my goals. While I am trying hard to replace one strategy before the end of the nine weeks, I’m realizing that with four performances to prepare for within the first 12 days of December, there is little time to change gears. But I am looking at how to integrate some new techniques as everyone is preparing for new music at the start of the new year.

To date, I feel I have learned some new things. Aside from the few new programs I have discovered, I’m still trying to find that magic balance between rehearsal and technology. This weeks’ discussion helped when I was able to remember using Audacity and my digital recorder to record rehearsals. So I am learning, but it has been slower than I anticipated.

No new questions have popped up either. It is a fine balance between preparing for a concert, teaching the needed concepts to rehearse the music for that concert and integrate technology all at the same time.

I have come to realize that in my heart of hearts, I’m a general music teacher who loves to put on performances. The two usually don't go together. In a general music class, there is time to build projects, do research and reach beyond the “box”. But in a middle school performance-based class, rehearsal suffers in that kind of environment. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a balance I am still trying to find. But I’m getting closer!



Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas. Baltimore: Author.

My GAME Plan Revisited

Last week, I posted my GAME plan for incorporating technology into my music classroom. (Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P., 2009) Since doing this, it has been interesting to notice how I now look at my teaching through new eyes. With that in mind, here is what I have learned so far.

To summarize my game plan, my goal is to increase my competency level by 1) facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity and 2) designing and developing digital-aged learning and assessments. (www.iste.org ) To do this, I need to evaluate my current teaching practices and determine how technology can be incorporated as well as take a technology inventory of the resources available to me and begin conferring with other middle school music teachers to learn how they incorporate technology.

Goal: To date, my goal has not changed. I still need to work towards improving my music lesson with technology and develop better assessment strategies.

Action: The majority of the work I have done towards accomplishing my game plan has been here. I have been able to take a technology inventory and while I have little technology to work with, at least I have a place to start. My students have access to two music programs; one program can be used only on two computers at a time and the other is on a mobile computer lab with 25 seat licenses. The best part is I am already familiar with both programs. My classroom is equipped with a Promethean Board and my school has a wealth of computer lab access.

The remaining parts of my action plan are in process. Evaluating my current curriculum is much harder than I expected. The problem still lies with my original concern; how to incorporate technology lessons that does not take away from rehearsal time? This has been harder than I expected. I have many great digital-age lesson ideas, but once again, rehearsal stops in order to have students complete the lesson. I’m still looking.

I did come across an internet based program while I was setting up an epals.com account. Another music teacher, whom I have contacted and yet to hear from, wanted to set up a collaborative project using a music composition software called Noteflight.(www.noteflight.com) Whether I hear from this teacher or not, the resource is a great one, it’s free and compatible with the notation software available to my students. While I have not been in touch with my fellow music teachers in my district, I was able to discover how technology can be used beyond what I already knew. At this point, that is a step in the right direction.

Monitor: I still plan to exchange at least one lesson with a digital-age lesson, however, the process is just that, in process.

Evaluate: To date, no changes have been made.

I am excited at the prospect of incorporating technology based lessons into my current curriculum. I think the key for me will be when I can find the balance between technology based learning in band and choir versus standard practice procedure.



Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

http://www.epals.com

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

http://www.noteflight.com

My Technology GAME PLan

The International Society for Technology in Education provides five standards for technology use by staff and students in the classroom today. Content standards are designed to give educators direction on the knowledge and skill levels students need to master. (Prensky, 2008) These technology standards are no different.
These standards are: 1) Facilitate student creativity, 2) Design digital-aged learning experiences, 3) Model digital-aged learning, 4) Promote digital citizenship and 5) Engage in professional growth. (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf )

As a music teacher, technology is a slow addition to my classroom. Not because I am hesitant, but because I am trying to find the right combination of content and how it can be enhanced with the technology resources available to me. The core classes I teach are performance based classes which require music rehearsal. Giving my students a digital-aged assignment more often than not, requires music rehearsal to stop. Add to that the lack of technology based music resources available to me; it is a challenge to give my students a digital-aged experience as suggested by the ISTE standards.

But my classroom challenges are not be confused with what I should know as an educator. With that in mind, when I reviewed these standards, I did find my knowledge and skill levels were lacking. Here is my GAME Plan. (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009)

Goal: My goal is to increase my competency level on standards 1 and 2; Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity and design and develop digital-aged learning and assessment.

Action: The first action I will take to meet this goal will be to examine my day to day rehearsals and content instruction to determine where technology can replace current tools and strategies. The second action will be to take inventory of the resources available such as computer labs, internet access and presentation and music programs like Power Point and Music Ace. The final action I will take will be to confer with other middle school music teachers in my district to determine their use of technology in their classroom. With these lists in hand, I can begin to develop lesson plans using my available resources.

Monitor: To monitor my progress I will try to replace one regular rehearsal or content instruction lesson with a digital-aged based lesson in choir and band by the end of the current nine weeks.

Evaluate: I will be able to evaluate the lesson taught in choir and band by comparing the differences with the same lesson taught before without the use of technology. This can be done by looking at student assessment, engagement and creativity levels.



References:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40-45.