Key Concepts For Digital Photography

While not a music-oriented article, this was still something worth taking a look at. Images are always relevant to the classroom; having pictures allows students to connect images to more abstract concepts. In the case of the music classroom, a child could be shown images of instruments and then hear sounds that correspond to those instruments. Or a student could see a picture of an orchestra to see what the ensemble that plays classical music looks like and how it's arranged. Pictures are also used in Powerpoint presentations, in websites, to capture school events, etc.

Pictures entering the digital age has opened up a wealth of options for us. It is now easy to take hundreds of pictures, digitally alter and enhance them, and distribute them online to anyone in the world. It encourages community sharing, interconnection, and the facilitation of information. It makes combining pictures with other forms of media much easier as well. Learning how to properly utilize a digital camera and editing software therefore has value.

All of the information on this article is valuable, though some of it is more obvious than others. The importance of pixel usage was something I never really thought about, and being able to print photos online was something I've never heard of. Other things, such as how to size an image and how to share files I was already aware of. For the uninitiated, this article is useful, but for the technologically savvy it might come off as a bit obvious.

Assistive Technology

This is EXACTLY the kind of situation where I feel music technology is best suited: allowing people to do things that would be impossible without the technology. A lot of my gripes with applying technology to music is that it's more of a supplement than a necessity. The usage of SoundBeam, and any similar music technology, is not a supplement at all; rather, it makes something impossible possible. For those who haven't seen the video or read the article, SoundBeam is a technology that recognizes movements as computer commands, and then relays them to a computer which recognizes the movement as a certain pitch which is then relayed to MIDI. The technology reminded me very much of the technology used by partially paralyzed people to speak with a voice program; any movement or twitch can be used to make the technology function, given proper programming.

One of the common goals of any educator is to allow all students to benefit from their class; to appreciate the subject matter given to them. For those with physical disabilities, this presents obvious problems that it is our duty to address. How can we, as music educators, deny a child the right to enjoy and create music due to a disability? It's a problem with many creative answers, and SoundBeam is obviously one of them. It was inspiring to watch Ari create music using SoundBeam's technology, and let him experience something that every musician strives for. It would be difficult to use such technology in a group classroom setting, but that doesn't lessen the value of a tool like this.

PLN: Berklee Music Blog

http://debbiecavalier.berkleemusicblogs.com/

A music blog written by Debbie Cavalier, a professor at Berklee college. Her blog is filled with all sorts of information, including things pertaining to music technology and childhood music (my area of interest). There is a little too much self-advertisation for my tastes, but beyond that it's a good blog. My favorite articles are those with videos built in; a lot of them are very informative and exciting to think of how they could apply to the classroom.

PLN: Elementary Music/Music Technology Blog

I just found this blog, but it's one that I'm really excited to be looking at, especially since it applies to my field. I found it when looking for an article on garageband, and I found this blog with a description of a lesson plan that she used with her 3rd graders to compose an 8-bar song with each student. There are a lot of exciting ideas on this blog, and I'm so glad to finally find something that fully applies what we've been learning to a setting that I plan to immerse myself in. There are also some great articles about music technology in general, so it's worth a look even if you're not interested in early childhood music.

http://amyburns.musiced.net

World Wide Web Forms

I really found this to be a good article for me based on the way it was structured. It covered everything there is to know about digitally compressing and sharing music on the web, with details put in for even the most technologically inept. However, it never bogged the reader down with too much jargon, and didn't overiterate things to the point where it became difficult to the reader. Props to the writer of this article, as writing about how to put music on the internet and making ti interesting is no easy feat, I'm sure.

For someone like me, who is very limited in his scope on how the internet works, this articlle introduced a lot of concepts without being overly frightening. A lot of terms that I had heard before but never understood, such as bandwith and compression, were susinctly and simply explained, which is appreciated. After explaining the termonology, the writer did a great job of giving ideas on how to implement the concepts. I wouldn't have been creative enough to come up with ideas such as offering different-quality sound files for those with different bandwidths. Another thing I really appreciate is the HTML code to allow viewers to download mp3 files to their computer. Even in my current situation, I have had times when I needed to give some of my peers music files from a distance. Creating a small webpage with links to those files would have been a huge help.

PLN: The DIgital Music Educator

http://digitalmusiceducator.wordpress.com/

It's an interesting blog; it changes tone quite frequently. However, it does present lots of different ideas for utilizing technology in the classroom. The one thing I really like about it is how down-to-earth it is. A lot of the situations it discusses are things you'd expect to encounter. Things like Facebook and Twitter and online tech websites have practicality and danger no matter what school you go to. It's nice to see things like that discussed and analyzed.

Interactive Whiteboards

I'd like to discuss interactive whiteboards before reading the article, as this subject is one that I've discussed many times with my great-aunt Rose (and assuredly will next time I see her at Thanksgiving). She is a public school general elementary teacher, and she teaches a broad category of subjects to kids of varying age groups. This includes music, and she has chosen to use the interactive whiteboard in her classroom. She's told me countless times what an excellent tool it is for interesting kids in music due to all of the fun and varied applications of it. For instance, she can devote a class to talking about an instrument like the violin. She can use the board to bring up an image of a violin, which she can drag and scroll around with the board, as well as rotate if she has a 3-dimensional model. She can make a bow appear and have students move the bow across the strings in the correct place. She can put a keyboard on the screen, give it the sounds of a violin, and let students come up and experiment with the sound of the violin. The whiteboard also has a lot of functionality as a theory tool; it's less imposing than a piano as you can make the whiteboard look like whatever you want, and kids naturally want to interact with it. One fun idea she had was letting students drag notes on a staff, and then she could play back what they made on a piano.

Now I'll read the article, and see where it differs from my great-aunt. Well, it did a great job of explaining HOW to get a whiteboard into the classroom. It's hard to get information on how to acquire technology, especially expensive technology, so that warrants keeping this article. However, it didn't do the best job of opening a teacher's eyes to the uses of the whiteboard. It merely stated what standards could be achieved with the board and gave no examples of how these standards could be met. The best the second article does is offer hints on how to use it, but I wish they gave concrete examples of classroom scenarios.

Still, I'm not totally sold on whiteboards. While it's definitely an exciting tool, a lot of things would come in the budget before the acquisition of a whiteboard. It's more of a supplement than a necessity. Also, based on my previous experiences with whiteboards, they run the risk of shutting down or not responding to stimulus(more so than a computer), and that can destroy a lesson plan. If I could have access to one though, I'd definitely use it, especially in an elementary music class like the one I hope to teach.

Vermont MIDI Program Thoughts

The Vermont MIDI program is a program designed to assist the growth of composing and arranging skills for students between the grades of 2 and 12.  This is done thanks to the usage of playback and MIDI capabilities found in most notation software.  Students also receive streamlined feedback on their works from their teachers, peers, and professional composers thanks to online distribution.  Selected compositions are then performed annually by real musicians for a live audience.  The goal is, of course, not the concert, but the growth of musicality in the students.

I wish that a program like this existed back when I went to primary school.  It would have been so much help for me to be able to have assisted learning in composing and arranging (especially considering I regularly have to arrange now).  It is so difficult to come up with programs that teach students how to write music, especially at such a young age.  This program not only seems effective, but has results to back it up.  The technology clearly has a place too; the students get to see the correlation between writing a piece and then hearing what their work sounds like.  It encourages sensitivity and thought while writing music.

However, this program is not without its limitations.  Specifically, it seems really expensive to keep a program like the Vermont MIDI program working.  Firstly, one needs a full computer lab, and notation software such as Sibelius or Finale for each computer.  Next, one needs to be able to find teachers and composers willing to work for the program as well as pay them the stipend.  And lastly there's the cost of putting on an annual performance showcasing the results of this program.  While this is a very exciting concept, and I wish that people could have access to a program such as this, I know that the schools I've attended prior to Case could not support something as large as this.  

Regardless, this is still an exciting concept.  Composition and arranging are valuable skills on their own.  In addition, they add a lot to one's musicality, as the article astutely points out.  If this program could expand beyond the reaches of Vermont, I'd imagine we'd see a lot more aspiring musicians around the world.

11 Inovative Uses For Notation Software Thoughts

Despite my trepidation with music technology, a lot of positive things can be said of notation software.  It's relatively easy to use (once you learn shortcuts), easy to read, and makes distribution easier (especially with pdfs and programs like Noteflight).  So it's nice to see such a creative look at all of the potential uses for a program like Sibelius or Finale.  We tend to think of these programs as rather simple or one-dimensional, but there are a lot of applications beyond just writing out music.

The first bullet point, explaining sequencing and playback, is the one which I like the most, and one which I have used in my own musical career.  I am currently the music director of Case In Point, an acapella group on Case's campus.  As director, I am responsible for both teaching the music and arranging the pieces we want to sing.  However, I cannot help teach my peers outside of rehearsals.  Using playback is a tool which corrects this issue.  What I've done is put some arrangements on Noteflight and had everyone in CIP join.  If anyone is having trouble learning their part, they can go to the online score and play back their part, either in isolation by highlighting their part or as a whole.

Some of the other ideas are a bit more creative.  The idea of exporting graphics for the sake of having musical images in a non-musical program is an interesting one, and it doesn't sound very complicated to do (at least for Finale).  Creating drills exercises is another fun idea that isn't inherently thought of when thinking of notation software.  And the biggest/most obvious thing one can do with notation software that holds relevance is digital distribution.  For students who have e-mail, it is so useful to be able to write scores or exercises and be able to send them digitally.  It saves paper, doesn't get lost, and can be printed into a physical copy.

When one thinks of music technology, notation software is the best example of what one can do thanks to the addition of computers.  However, there are a lot of uses for the software beyond the obvious applications.  The 11 uses discussed in the article are a good eye-opener, and hopefully will make you start to think of even more uses for a program like Sibelius or Finale.

PLN Addition #1

The first link I have on my PLN is http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com. It was one of the links given to MUED 320 students by Mr. Bauer in his PLN-Professional Development article. The website discusses some of the common issues that occur in most teachers' lives. However, rather than being done formally, the information is presented in casual speech, making the information much more accessible. A lot of issues are discussed on this website, and there are a LOT of ideas that can be picked up from reading a few posts. It's an excellent tool with which to pick up/compare ideas.

Bicycle Built For Two

http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/a6558fdbea5b1ce53711f57722f1fe5646f0f523

This is my copy of "A Bicycle Built For Two" made using noteflight.com. I like this program a lot, as it fulfills a great deal of services. Firstly, it's a decent notation software. Second, it has MIDI playback capabilities. And last, and most important, it can be used on any computer for free. For students learning to notate music but who may not be able to get expensive notation software like Finale or Sibelius, this is a great alternative. It can also be used by students to hear what they write down as played back to them.

TPACK Thoughts

At this point in my musical career, I don't tend to think much about technology's place in music education. While I understand some of the basic uses of technology for music teachers (Powerpoints, sheet music software, digital audio clips, etc.), I'm not at the point where I see technology as a major asset or necessity for music teachers. The TPACK article didn't quite change my mind on the matter, but it did help make the argument of technology's place in music more clear to me.

The article begins with a discussion of technology's growth in modern society and how it is being used as a tool for teaching and globalization. The writer is quick to point out, however, that most music teachers do not use technology regularly in their profession. Considering the vast spread of technology in today's age, it was surprising to hear such low figures for the usage of computers in the classroom and out. One thing that is touched on briefly, but I find extremely important, is that technology should only be incorporated into the classroom if it benefits the class. Simply having it there for being "cool" or just to be there isn't a good reason to utilize technology.

The model of combining teaching and technology is called "Technological Pedogogical and Content Knowledge" (TPACK). At it's core, TPACK says that having a comprehensive knowledge of technology is not sufficient to utilize it in practice. One must also know how to combine knowledge of technology with one's pedagogical techniques so as to best utilize the technology. This is divided into three categories which are combined into TPACK: Technology, Content, and Pedagogy. One must be have a comprehensive grasp on all three of these subjects, and be able to mix then in any combination before TPACK is achieved. The end result is that technology can be incorporated into the classroom more easily, and more options are given as to how you can present ideas to a student.

Overall, while I still don't have the desire to utilise technology as a teacher beyond when it's neccessary, I see the applications. TPACK makes a convincing case as to why we should care about technology: it will better ourselves as teachers and give us more options in the classroom without hampering our current ways of teaching. It's an interesting theory, and one that I'll have to keep in my mind as I continue studying technology's place in music.