Week 1 Reading Reflection

          This week's reading brought to my attention the fact that  my teaching is not "technology-based". Bauer quotes Dorfman, defining "technology-based music instruction (TBMI)" as instruction in which "technology is the major medium by which music concepts and skills are introduced, reinforced, and assessed" (Bauer, 2014, xiii).  He also writes that the implication is that students are more engaged with the technology "rather than simply with the "products of technology work that the teacher has prepared" (xiii). The technology I have used tends to fall more in the latter category. We are not equipped with a music lab with digital audio workstations (although I'm thinking of purchasing some kind of equipment that I could store in the facilities I already have). I do use the Smartboard to introduce new concepts and show videos, but for the most part, what I do tends to fall into what Dorfman called "teacher-prepared" rather than students interacting more directly with it. The most "technology-based" project I had my students engage in was a project in which that had to create a chord progression on a free program called "jam studio" in which they could enter their chord progression and then add instrumentation, and different styles to it.
       
           Apparently my situation is not unique; I learned in chapter one about a "technology integration gap". It is an integral part of our lives, but there are barriers that prevent it from being more integrated in the music classroom like "a lack of computers, inadequate  technical support, and insufficient professional development to acquire the pedagogical understanding necessary for effectively integrating technology" (p. 9)".  Of these, barriers the two latter ones impact me the most; Although I could probably acquire the technology, maintaining it would be one of the most significant barriers. I would love to acquire my own music lab with GarageBand, but the tech company that maintains our equipment now already can't keep up and teachers may wait for several weeks before a technological problem is resolved.

           Although it does not seem like we are at this point yet (at least not in music classrooms), as with any new trend, there is a danger of taking it to an extreme. If our students are already so immersed in technology, how much really benefits them in the music classroom? I support the use of technology in the music classroom to some extent, but I think there is a real danger of becoming "alone together", an environment where everyone has their eyes on their own screen with their headphones on, not to mention, a very sedentary one. I think there is a real and growing need for authentic connection with others and movement and in some ways, too much technological immersion is causing this. I think the beauty of the general music classroom is that we can make music together, or dance, or speak together in real space in real time; We can connect to others and our own humanity by making music together in the physical world. Although technology can and certainly has enhanced our muscial creativity and experiences, we must be careful that it doesn't supplant some of the more organic experiences that are part of our essence.

          Even with these apprehensions in mind, I would still like to integrate more "technology-based music instruction" primarily as a means for student composition. As Bauer mentions, "traditionally, music composition has been taught with manuscript paper and a pencil, and sometimes has involved experimentation with an acoustic instrument such as a piano (p. 15).  I have attempted (with some success) to do this with my general music classes, and it can be difficult and overwhelming considering the limited musical knowledge that they have to first create a musical idea, and then to write it down. I think the technology could be used in this circumstance to allow students exercise their creativity, get the general idea of how writing music works, but have the computer do the hard work of writing out the music, without having the students get frustrated. I also really like the idea of having students create loops since these seems accessible and I would really like some easy ways to incorporate this. Perhaps a tablet of sorts would be appropriate for my general music classroom.