7 minute read
We Return to Class
Old Live Classroom: New Tech Tools
by Fred Kersten, EdD
Welcome Back, Kotter!
As we return to the live classroom and go back to our “old” teaching methods, let’s take some of our “new” technology communication techniques with us. Technology has taken music education to a new level. We can now provide increased 24/7 music education outreach to all of our students. Additionally, let’s not forget the awesome prospects for establishing communications with community members, parents, and senior citizens! There are so many dissemination, collaboration, and integration possibilities. Try to use technology to extend involvement of music education into students’ lives at home. Think of your technology as an internal tool to make understanding the material you are teaching more illuminating.
What to Consider
As our ensemble musicians work with dedicated remote assignments, they can learn about composers they are performing, as well as elements and aspects of the compositions, without taking precious time away from rehearsals. Composition collaboration between students can now happen outside of class via online cloud tools such as Soundtrap (soundtrap.com ). We are fortunate to be able to add immeasurable hours of instruction to our music programs that have been reduced greatly in the past because of limited class time or conflicts with other courses.
New Tech Tools
Old Live Classroom: New Tech Tools
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Utilize and extend your district’s adopted learning management systems (LMS) such as Schoology, Canvas, and Google Classroom to supplement your live classes for additional class-time exposure. Use these structures as an opportunity to provide supplemental materials to augment your live teaching in the brick-and-mortar classroom. Videos, blogs, and online discussions are a reliable way to add depth to your on-campus instruction by utilizing remote resources. Students are now experienced with these technology options, and many are still a part of the school-supported LMS sites for connectivity opportunity. Employ these options for their instructional support potential.
Reach-out videos can be helpful because they can illustrate your interpretations of a composition you are rehearsing. You likely have specific directions for the phrasing of certain clarinet ensemble passages from a composition your band is performing. So, record these sections as you wish for them to be played, and post the video on your LMS. Students can listen to and rehearse these segments outside of class. They can review these before the band rehearsal, saving so much total group rehearsal time.
Explore the new fifth generation network (5G) technology possibilities that are starting to be accessible for instant online communication. Many new opportunities for low-latency music interaction are becoming available through companies that are implementing 5G. As an example of what is in the future, note what music communications are happening overseas with Ericsson 5G technology. Ericsson is providing systems that have developed into a highly connected network. They have established an online virtual orchestra conducted by a major conductor, Joana Carneiro. Essentially, with 5G in place you can rehearse from the associated sites (living room to living room, if you wish) at very low latency levels, allowing almost immediate interaction. The connectivity will be as if you were in the same room with the other musicians. This opportunity is becoming increasingly available to students in the United States and provides so many opportunities for individual woodshedding of parts without scheduled full ensemble rehearsals.
Create a music department webpage, and use it to communicate with parents, students, and the community. James Swislocki, music teacher at LaMuth Middle School in Ohio, provides an excellent example of this possibility as he reaches out to his beginning band students and their families via video to communicate procedures at the beginning of the school year. Check out an example of his YouTube video posts HERE. Do you want to tell the parents about the music program? Show them, especially when you are looking for additional financial support!
ERICSSON 5G TECHNOLOGY
JOANA CARNEIRO
JAMES SWISLOCKI
A blog, or a dedicated webpage, can be so valuable to illustrate what you need and why. Weekly videos of what you are doing in the ensembles and general music classes can be helpful as we look to support the return to live music classes. Here are some examples to illustrate what you might showcase in these videos: « Your course content in the various classes offered to « students How a new keyboard lab will help your general music « students Where your choral ensemble will be performing this « « fall Why a new piano would be so valuable and necessary What you need to modernize your choral rehearsal room and, most importantly, why
Construct an outreach program to provide composition activities for all of your students at your school. Open a site that will be available to all, and develop procedures for those who wish to try to compose. You might create simple overall composition templates to share with everyone at your school for composition creation. This is a neat way to develop an overall curiosity in the music program and a potential avenue to alert students of possible participation in ensembles should you wish to recruit new members from the general school population. A new in-the-cloud site is Flat. This online notation opportunity allows for collaborative music composition from anywhere without buying major notation software such as Finale or Sibelius. Off-campus involvement will be possible as students can work from remote locations for creation activities.
Develop a senior citizen music interaction site. So many senior citizens are proud of the music program in their region. Many senior citizens went through their school’s music program, as did their children. Their grandchildren may even currently participate. Senior citizens go to your concerts. And they vote on the budget! Establish a basic online or hybrid music appreciation course site for them. Let them build the content. You will be surprised to note how many senior citizens have a technology and music background that can help in devising such an offering. You can develop extensive support for your program from your senior citizen community by providing communications, activities, or musical learning opportunities, especially if the site is oriented toward the local civic population of friends and neighbors.
Make a music outreach page for the public that will spotlight local music activities and individuals.
Create a “What are they doing now?” webpage for previous high school students who have graduated from the music programs. Incorporate some present performances or some of the past recorded concerts you have available as an impetus for them to listen to their past achievements. « « Here are some other ideas to create: A community music information page A webinar demonstrating your ensemble (chorus, « band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, etc.) A music recruitment website in the spring for potential new students
There are so many tech-supported ideas for music education program outreach and improvement!
Are these “pie in the cloud” ideas? Not really! By now, we are experienced with technology support for music education. We can communicate well with it, so now is a great time to develop new ways to enhance, improve, and promote our music education endeavors with our students, parents, and community members. You can be creative by bringing the new technology tools you worked with during the pandemic back to your old classroom situation to improve your program.
Feedback Requested
What are your thoughts about including technology tools in your classes and music program? What opportunities do you see for future improvement of music education in your district through technology? What are you doing as you implement and include technology? The author of this article would welcome your response. Contact Dr. Fred Kersten at any of the following: fredkers@fredkersten.com http://fredkersten.com bu.edu/cfa/profile/fred-kersten
Fred Kersten, EdD, is an online graduate facilitator for Boston University, a position he has held for 12 years. He works with graduate music education majors around the world who are completing their master’s and doctoral degrees in music education. He is instructor-in-charge of BU online music technology courses. February/March 2022 19
