Week 1 - Technology in Music Classes and PLNs

I found Bauer's (2014) comparison of his fascination with magic and technology to be close to my experiences with technology as a digital native.  I often refer to the IT professionals in my school district as the wizards and alchemists of our generation.  This is not because of the miracles they seem to perform but rather because of the secrecy and mystery with which many conduct their jobs; sometimes making even the most trivial tasks seem complex.  My students also approach technology in a way that gives it magical qualities.  Unlike my early experiences with technology, for my students, technology simply works. I think that gives them a different perspective on the use of technology and allows them to move freely between platforms and applications while they look for solutions that fit their needs.

 Both Bauer (2014) and Bazan (n.d.) described how technology has become an important part of modern society.  Bazan emphasized that technology is a tool that can be used to improve education and empower students.  Teachers in a technology-based learning environment serve as facilitators that direct the experience and create environments that encourage student to learn rather than be taught.  Bazan recognized three methods of incorporating technology in the classroom.  He refers to the first method as the engineers' approach.  In this situation technology is used to solve a problem that would be difficult to approach without the use of technology.  The second method is the "better way" approach which uses technology to either improve an existing learning environment or make it more efficient.  The third approach is the "it's there" approach and in this case technology is used to either enhance or replace existing curriculum.  While some approaches may be preferred over others, whichever method gets a classroom moving towards a technology-based learning environment (TBMI) is probably the best approach.

Effective integration of technology into music instruction occurs when teachers bring technological knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge together to create an environment that promotes student learning (Bauer, 2014).  Bauer indicated that despite the many examples of technology integration into school curriculums and the impact of technology on music in general, many music educators have not integrated technology into their curriculums in an extensive or meaningful way.  Extensive and ongoing professional development is necessary in order to develop the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) that is necessary to implement a TBMI and "to remain current and continue to develop as educators" (Bauer, 2014, p. 17).

Bauer (2010) describes a professional learning environment (PLN) that encourages music educators to take charge of their own professional development.  A major advantage of this form of professional development is that it is customized to the specific needs of the individual educator (Bauer, 2010).  He suggests that using the Web 2.0 tools and resources to provide a free and customized professional development program.  Using online aggregation and sharing services one can create a professional learning environment that is dynamic and relevant to one's profession and interests.  Because the internet is always changing, it is important to monitor sources as information feeds can change from time to time. In addition music educators can explore other interests and see how music relates to society as a whole.  Another major component of a PLN is the collaborative learning environment.  As one consumes information created by others, it is important to contribute to the overall body of knowledge.

The low levels of technology integration in music classrooms indicated by Bauer (2014) would demonstrate that there are many barriers to entry for implementing this type of instruction.  Most of these barriers could be placed in one of two categories; access and ideology.   While issues of access may or may not be within the control of the individual classroom teacher, issues of ideology are almost strictly within their control.  In order to successfully implement TBMI, it is important to understand one's ideology towards technology and become "open to new ideas and ways of doing things" (Bauer, 2014, p. 17).

Understanding one's ideology on TBMI requires an assessment of one's comfort level with technology.  Bauer (2014) used the analogy of digital natives versus digital immigrants to describe the generational gap between young and adult users of technology.  Bazan (n.d.)  included a third category consisting of analog hold-outs who are resistant to technology implementation and prefer traditional methods of instruction.  Unlike Bauer, Bazan assigns these categories to levels of comfort with technology rather than age groups, without placing value on any of the categories.  However, the analog-holdout category has some negative implications due to the reluctance of people in this category to try new experiences.  As a teacher, I could not ask my students to take risks and try new ideas if I was not willing to do so myself.  However, I must remember that some of my students are still digital immigrants and are not as comfortable as I am when it come to technology.

References

Bauer, W. I. (2010). Your Personal Learning Network: Professional Development on Demand. Music Educators Journal, 97(2), 37-42. doi:10.1177/0027432110386383

Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 

Bazan, D. (n.d.) Technology assisted music teaching & professional development [Powerpoint slides] Retrieved from https://learn.kent.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5641931-dt-content-rid-52156352_1/courses/14924.201660/Week%201/Lecture/index.html