One thing I remember about mix-tapes is how permanent they were. You had to plan the tracks so you did not run out of space in the middle of a song. Then you broke the recording tabs on the cassette so no-one could erase the tape by mistake. You were basically committed to the tape unless you recorded the entire cassette again. One trick I learned was to record audio only tracks on a video cassette because the sound quality was better and you could make six to eight-hour mix-tape of party music, eliminating the need to constantly change cassettes, records and even CD's.
In contrast, modern playlists are dynamic and ever-changing. A person can add, delete, or rearrange the tracks on a playlist as needed. In addition, playlists can be as long or short as needed. for example, my home stereo has a jukebox feature so anyone with the corresponding app on their phone can add their own music to a temporary queue. It is like selecting a song in a diner's jukebox only you are not limited to what is in the machine. This is a great way for students to share music from their devices in a classroom setting.
Students today use the internet to get information instead of using reference materials like encyclopedias (Bazan, 2016). While this may seem like anecdotal information, this fundamental change also affects how students acquire and listen to music today. One thing I noticed from my technology use inquiry project was how quickly students move from one technology to another. Bauer (2014) described several technologies for acquiring music, including CD's, DVD's, music downloads, and streaming services. However, most of the students I interviewed do not use physical media like CD's anymore, and even music downloads are in decline because streaming services like Spotify and sites like YouTube and Vimeo are such a convenient option. Owning music is not as important when one has on-demand access to their favorite music.
One thing that records and encyclopedias represented was control of information. Publishers curated, organized, and published information and music distributed using these traditional methods. The high price of some records and encyclopedias made them status symbols for those who could afford them. Internet access has made information and music easily available for little or no cost, unlike traditional media.
However, I have noticed that some of my students try to engage in other activities when we listen to music examples. Whenever I use recordings, I have to remind students to pay attention and focus on the listening example. I did not have as many issues with this until the past few years. It seems that today "sitting and attending to music exclusively to music may be rare for most people (Bauer, 2014). This week I learned of several ways to use technology to help guide my students' listening experiences.
Digital music makes it convenient for teachers to integrate recordings into class activities (Bauer, 2014). Bauer also described how teachers can use digital recorders and DAW's to show students visual representations of music events. In addition to using listening maps and charts, students and teachers can use infographics to describe musical events. Google forms can also be used to create quizzes that can serve as listening guides for students. Vizia is a free web-based application that enables teachers to embed questions in YouTube videos to help focus a listener's attention.
Here is some information on using infographics:
http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1971-infographics-a-digital-tool-for-deeper-learning-
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/08/3-powerful-chromebook-apps-for-creating.html
Here is a Link to Vizia:
https://vizia.co/
Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York, CA: Oxford University Press.
Bazan, D. (2016). Technology assisted music teaching & professional development [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learn.kent.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5641935-dt-content-rid-52157209_1/courses/14924.201660/Week%206/Lecture/index.html
Students today use the internet to get information instead of using reference materials like encyclopedias (Bazan, 2016). While this may seem like anecdotal information, this fundamental change also affects how students acquire and listen to music today. One thing I noticed from my technology use inquiry project was how quickly students move from one technology to another. Bauer (2014) described several technologies for acquiring music, including CD's, DVD's, music downloads, and streaming services. However, most of the students I interviewed do not use physical media like CD's anymore, and even music downloads are in decline because streaming services like Spotify and sites like YouTube and Vimeo are such a convenient option. Owning music is not as important when one has on-demand access to their favorite music.
One thing that records and encyclopedias represented was control of information. Publishers curated, organized, and published information and music distributed using these traditional methods. The high price of some records and encyclopedias made them status symbols for those who could afford them. Internet access has made information and music easily available for little or no cost, unlike traditional media.
However, I have noticed that some of my students try to engage in other activities when we listen to music examples. Whenever I use recordings, I have to remind students to pay attention and focus on the listening example. I did not have as many issues with this until the past few years. It seems that today "sitting and attending to music exclusively to music may be rare for most people (Bauer, 2014). This week I learned of several ways to use technology to help guide my students' listening experiences.
Digital music makes it convenient for teachers to integrate recordings into class activities (Bauer, 2014). Bauer also described how teachers can use digital recorders and DAW's to show students visual representations of music events. In addition to using listening maps and charts, students and teachers can use infographics to describe musical events. Google forms can also be used to create quizzes that can serve as listening guides for students. Vizia is a free web-based application that enables teachers to embed questions in YouTube videos to help focus a listener's attention.
Here is some information on using infographics:
http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1971-infographics-a-digital-tool-for-deeper-learning-
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/08/3-powerful-chromebook-apps-for-creating.html
Here is a Link to Vizia:
https://vizia.co/
References
Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York, CA: Oxford University Press.
Bazan, D. (2016). Technology assisted music teaching & professional development [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learn.kent.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5641935-dt-content-rid-52157209_1/courses/14924.201660/Week%206/Lecture/index.html
Thanks for sharing these great tools! I am going to have to play around with Vizia! This would be a great tool to use when making a video as part of a WebQuest. The infographic could be a cool alternative to the traditional report or concert reflection.
ReplyDeleteI too have to remind students to pay attention when we are listening to something. I find that they need to be actively doing something in addition to listening. Sometimes I have them free-write, fill out an adjudication rubric, list things they like and don't like about it, etc. Giving them something to do keeps them engaged in the listening.