I really enjoyed the Jones article's discussion of how we could use technology more effectively in our music programs. I have already been thinking of some lesson plans that would incorporate things like that. However, some of the only ideas that I can come up with that use technology are recording pieces and putting them on a composition program like Finale. Does anyone else have any other interesting ideas to incorporate technology in the music classroom?
posted by Caroline @ 7:47 PM
5 Comments:
I know that when I was in high school we had to be very involved with the technical end of our choir concerts and musical productions. Students were practically responsible for lighting and sound tech. in both! Of course, we didn't really learn much from our actual teacher, but from former students who would come back. However, encorporating some of the technical requirements of performances within your program might be beneficial and interesting!
In my high school students did the lighting and sound too. There were about two students who weren't in the choir, but who were friends with all of us and they would do the lighting for the concert. Not suprisingly, the next year they joined choir. I thought it was interesting how the choir atracted students who weren't a part of any ensembles, and through the technology aspect of the music department they were encouraged to join. As we talked about in class, it is such a good idea to involve students who are "nonmusical" in technological aspects of music, which they might be interested in. I was thinking that on top of everything else that was mentioned here, students could be involved in advertising for the musical events such as making commercials or posters to put around the community. It will involve the students and make the community aware of the things that the music department is doing in their schools. Community involvement is such a social and economic imperative, since they vote on the budget, and since the students that make up the school are part of that community as well.
Techology can be used in many different ways. From just having the students run the technical equipment to working with it. One thing that I always found fun were the musical games that can be found for computers or keyboards. Of course not always using them. But most students enjoy playing the games and it would connect to their world and they would learn something. I know that these games have been helpful to me when i was younger. You can also have students use the graphics and musical tools. From the art classes or what not they usually have a chapter on graphic arts. They can take the photos they did and learn how to line music up with this. This way they will know how to do somthing ike this. JUst like their favorite band/etc has on their page to load in. Its an idea.
I totally agree with Juli and Liz. That seems like a really effective way to involve "non-musical" students or music students whose interest may not lie in the performance aspect of it. I think that it is our job as educators to foster love of the arts in whatever manner it presents itself. The "techies" (sound designers, light designers, etc.) make our performances as fabulous as they are.
I think every post provides an aspect of how to incorporate technology in the classroom. In terms of providing interest to the arts in school to the "non artistic" students, it only makes sense to intrigue them in terms of running the tech aspect of productions. But to directly intergrate technology into the music classroom that already exist, integrating music computer games is a good idea. But as I stated in another post, I think the teacher has to be sure to integrate the new technology into the already set curriculum, not to depend on the new technology as the only means of intriguing children to be involved in music.
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