The Maroon Blog

Spotlight on Emerging Technology Online Learning in K12 Schools

When I became an educator, I was taught the state and national standards for music and education. I was even supplied with various methods and strategies, some including technology, for achieving these goals. For example, one standard is that students will compose music with certain guidelines, and technology could be applied by using music notation software. Before this class, I was aware of the demands of standards and also some strategies for meeting those demands, but as a result of this class, I now understand why we use those differentiated strategies of teaching to meet the demands and standards. I no longer think of it as “students should compose music” but “students should compose music because that is a way they draw connections from course content and really understand what is taught in class.”

This class has taught me the “why” in what I do as an educator, specifically with incorporating technology. Prior to this course I already had a variety of knowledge and ways to incorporate technology into the music classroom, but with the construction of my group’s differentiation station wiki and the focus on principles of UDL/DI, I feel that I have gained much knowledge and many new possibilities for creating a differentiated classroom. Similar to a person with a wood-shop full of tools but limited knowledge and plans, I had some of the physical tools before, but didn’t know the principles and purpose of why each tool was there. I feel this course has explained “this tool is for this, and the reason we do that is because of this, which allows us to do this, etc,” and I now have the knowledge to use those tools more effectively.

So to discuss an immediate adjustment I will make, I will draw from my example above, “Students should compose.” Before, I would have thought “Ok, the standard says students should compose, so now we will be creative and we will compose.” While creativity and expression is important, I would think about this project as a chance to differentiate the way it is taught to cater to students strengths/weaknesses and learning profiles/preferences. Students whose strength is aural (in their own ear, hearing music) may write their song first in their head, record it, and then dictate the notes and rhythms into a music notation software program. Others who are more visually and analytically driven may prefer to go straight to the computer program and then listen to their compositions from the software playback feature. Other students may need more options, such as recorded examples or instructions to listen to while working, or the opposite being a separate, completely quiet, individual, private space to feel safe to think and experiment while composing. This is an example of how I would change the way lessons, specifically technology driven ones, are approached and planned based upon my knowledge of how my students prefer to learn, think, interact, and perform in the music classroom.

Step 1: Reflect on the GAME plan you developed and followed throughout the course.

In the past eight weeks, I have been introduced and come to know the GAME plan concept/method of teaching in my classes at school. At first, I understood the GAME plan as an organizational tool that helped create clear lesson plans. As the weeks progressed, I learned that this plan not only helped in creating organized plans, but also helped bridge the gaps between content standards, technology standards, and actual teaching steps taken in class. My personal GAME plan evolved from a distant formal method of improving my lessons, to in-depth personalized plans designed around my students’ needs and abilities. The weekly attention given to the GAME plan helped my progress as well, because it was constantly in the back of my mind and became part of how I approach planning lessons. My original goals of “engaging students in real-world issues” and “promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness” were met through the implementation of this plan.

Steps 2&3: Summarize any new learning that resulted from your following your GAME plan and explain what impact your new learning will have on your instructional practice AND Describe any immediate adjustments you will make to your instructional practice regarding technology integration in your content area(s) as a result of your learning from this course.

Implementing my GAME plan has taught me to know my abilities as well as those of my students. Before this course, I did not clearly understand my students’ individual technology literacies, but now I have learned what results to expect from different students, which helps me anticipate possible problems and how to prevent or prepare students for them. For example, I created a recording project for my guitar students, yet many of them could not finish the project in class because the music aspect of the project was too much for them to think about with the recording aspect. The goal of the lesson was for them to become more capable and proficient with technology, but the music didn’t allow them to accomplish that goal. In the future, if technology standards are the goal, I will pick much easier music to work with which will allow students to focus solely on the technology aspect of the lesson.

When I think about the GAME plan, the NETS-T standards, and how they have helped me refine my teaching strategies and personal GAME plan of the previous few weeks, I think the best way to describe their impact has been that they’ve brought Focus, Clarity, and meaning to how I plan and present my lessons. While reading about the standards for technology education, some of them seem obvious, to the point that I probably would not have thought about including them because they were so blatant, but after reading about them, they helped bring focus to how and why I may teach a certain concept in a certain order.

An analogy to demonstrate this example could be teaching a students about the anatomy of a text book so they will be able to get the most out of it. Teachers would explain the glossary, which presents each topic of the book in an orderly and progressive fashion. Students would also be shown the glossary in the back to find meanings to key terms, as well as the index, which helps locate individual words within topics. A student who didn’t have this explained this to them would probably have figured it out, but explaining it to them and applying it weekly in lessons will give the student the highest efficiency in using and learning from the text. Some of the NETS-S seem like “duh” of course they should know this (like using an email address), but explaining to students ahead of time that they will be using it, why they should use it, and how they can use it to get new places makes all the sense in the world. It just has to be planned, remembered, and implemented often to ensure maximum student absorption.

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?

I have learned that most goals and projects concerning technology in my classroom take patience and time to plan, trial and error are a must, but creativity is the key toward finding an “in” to students, whether to inspire, motivate, or simply reach them.

What goals are you still working toward?

As I review the NETS-T standards, I still wish to design a Website for classroom with media, resources, and anything else that will inspire my students as well as aid in my teaching. I just haven’t had the time to sit down and learn the software programs. I am sure there are easy ones out there, but I have been somewhat reluctant to take the plunge and dive in. Maybe upon graduation?

Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?

Design the website to make access to my class as easy and interactive to use as the one we use for Walden.

What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

I wish to learn more software programs, like Jing, Audacity, Voicethread, and Garageband to bring new opportunities and experiences to my students and lessons. To accomplish this goal I will communicate with other music educators in my field, as well as the technology coordinators at my school, and exploring the web for other blogs, chats, and threads to follow and get ideas.

How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?

I have located and secured enough resources (computers, microphones, cameras, etc.) to implement and programs/lessons that will help me achieve my goals of improving my technology proficiency and confidence concerning the standards and indicators described by the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T), specifically, the first two standards titled: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?

Since the start of the school year six weeks ago, I have become aware of my students’ abilities and needs and I can now better plan lessons concerning technology/digital experiences.

What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?

I have implemented a variety of digital media when communicating new information, concepts, and music to my students, but I still have not created an effective means to give them the experience of interacting with computers/programs in a first-hand experience. The upcoming applications should help me determine a focus to a project/group of lessons to provide this opportunity for my students.

How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?

In order to provide these experiences for students, I need to understand their knowledge of using some of the software programs and then improve my own proficiency so I am better able to communicate how to use the programs, which will make class time run faster, smoother, and easier. This will take an adjustment of time, first learning students’ abilities, and then improving my own.

My GAME plan is coming along nicely. Some areas have improved remarkably while others are still developing. I have learned much about my students’ abilities concerning technology since first initializing my GAME plan The first thing I have learned is how excited and motivated students are when having the chance to use technology to learn, especially my elementary students who may not be able to use a computer at home. They love learning together and offering different skills to their classmates. It’s like show-and-tell all over again, but showing what they know and what they can do. Another thing I have learned is not to be too over-zealous in my goals and objectives when creating digital experiences. Everything has taken longer than I originally expected, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. If students are slower than I thought at accessing programs, typing, and committing basic functions on a computer, then this is excellent practice and rehearsal for them to develop these skills.

An area that I have struggled has been using technology to “support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness” (NETS-T, 2010). Other than playing basic recordings of literature for students to analyze, I cannot seem to think of a way to get my high school band students to think innovatively or inventively. I can barely get them to focus when a piece of music is playing. I have played music videos of the pep band songs we are playing (“Walk like an Egyptian” and “What I like about you”), but they simply watch and enjoy it, I am not sure they are using the technology of accessing the recordings in a new creative way. I will continue to brainstorm and discuss possibilities with my colleagues.
I have also successfully acquired, utilized, and maintained all desired technologies and resources in my classroom, so that is another positive in my GAME plan.

Stay tuned and thanks for checking in,

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

To accomplish my GAME plan, described in the previous post, it is necessary that I gather the required resources for success. The creative technology projects that I wish to implement will require at least 15 laptop computers for my high school class of 60 students (15 per group). I will probably contact the technology director of my district to reserve digital video cameras, as well as microphones, printers, and other hardware items needed. I am also planning a recording studio project, funded by a local grant, and I need time to learn the software associated with the interface. I have already made arrangements with local studios, which use the same resources, to secure training on the programs. Overall I am optimistic; my plans are coming along well as I learn more about my students, their capabilities, and the available technologies everyday.

My GAME (Goals, Actions, Monitor, Evaluate) plan is to improve my technology proficiency and confidence concerning the standards and indicators described by the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T), specifically, the first two standards titled: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity calls for teachers to use content knowledge and technology skills to “engage students in real-world issues” and “promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness” (NETS-T, 2010). This requires teachers to provide opportunities for students to use technology creatively to solve problems. I currently do not use technology in this way very often with my High School Band students, so my Goal is to teach students technology skills in the future. To do this I must brainstorm ideas as well as take Action and cooperate with my peers on the faculty at my school to learn what has worked for them in the past and discover any tips or experiences that will aid in this plan. As I create these experiences for students, I must then monitor their progress to discover what is working well and what needs restructured as we are working through the activities. The point of this standard is to inspire creativity, so I as well as my students will need to think outside the box and use what we know to create a positive solution. This can be achieved by modeling “collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual Environments” (NETS-S). Finally, Evaluation must be done to determine whether my Goal was met and if steps taken were of value concerning students’ education. This could judge students in various aspects, such as their success at using the technology itself, or if students were able to solve their “real-world issues” or problems.

Designing Developing Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments is something that I currently do not consider a strength; however I look forward to progressing my confidence and proficiency in this area. My Goal is to provide technology projects with my elementary general music classes at least twice a month. Actions taken to meet this goal will be careful planning ahead of time to determine projects, reserve technology hardware (computers, microphones, etc.), and coordinating with the technology director at my school to discover skills students already have and what they are currently working toward. To Monitor students throughout the learning process, I must take specific notes for future references to determine strengths and weaknesses of the project. If I can determine these aspects, adjustments can be made for the following lesson, such as creating a troubleshooting document with instructions or demonstrations detailing solutions to problems. The national standards for music call for students to be engaged in creating music, whether writing music, lyrics, rhythms, drawings or other creations. Students typically construct these ideas with paper and pencil, but shifting toward using technology to customize and record their projects will aid in their technological proficiency as well as mine.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

The most impacting revelation I experienced in this course came upon my completion of the unit planned, which was submitted during week seven. In my experiences during my undergraduate degree, as well as my five years experience in public schools, I have never created such a large, complete, long-term unit/lesson plan with such focus. Using the spreadsheet document as a map of what to do and how to plan each step clearly demonstrated and educated me on how to develop a plan based upon state standards. Not only were the standards in my subject area, but the plan also was based upon incorporating new technologies and literacies in the classroom. Before this project, I would not have had such a clear understanding of how to go about teaching new literacies and ensuring that students understand them. I now know where to begin and what to do in entirety to implement a project and unit of such a large scale.

The strategies of implementing new literacies, as well as specific technology tools like screencasting and podcasting will affect my future teaching in my classroom. I have learned the basics of each program/strategy and I will learn more as I use and teach these in my classroom. I anticipate my students becoming proficient in understanding these programs and then taking what they have learned and growing even more. This will help bring my classes into the 21st century.

One professional development goal I would like to implement is creating an online classroom environment for my K-12 music/band classes. This will supplement student’s learning in school so that audio music, sheet music, as well as other resources used in class are available online to students at home. Once they are comfortable accessing these programs, I could then add assignments to be completed outside of the school day. This would provide more educational thought and communication throughout the day and lead to students working together via the online community, which would prepare them for possible future job experiences. To accomplish this goal of an online learning community, I would need to work with the technology coordinators in my district to help create a safe and productive web page. I will also need to make sure I communicate and work with my administration to make sure all school policies are followed. Finally I will need to educate students and parents on the importance of this resource, how to navigate it, and then bringing students into this “pool” of knowledge one step at a time.