Chromatik and Smart Music Review

Chromatik

Based on the video that was in the lecture, I was intrigued by Chromatik.  While it seems that Chromatik may be a step in the right direction, I found the academic applications to be limited at best.  

Benefits 

     Used judiciously, Chromatik might help music teachers meet their students in the middle in terms of music choice.  Chromatik combines the fun of karaoke-style sing/play-along with the expectation that singing and/or playing will occur.  Chromatik provides the opportunity to share videos of personal performances which in turn can be an opportunity for feedback and self-evaluation.  Reading and performing music along with a stylistically appropriate example is also useful to emerging ensemble members.  Sometimes young musicians struggle to continue to play or sing  if they make a mistake. Playing along with a video, although not live, still supports the development of this skill.

Concerns

As I explored, it became clear to me that Chromatik is not a good fit for the elementary classroom. First, students would only be able to practice three songs before having to pay a subscription fee because Chromatik has recently discontinued its Chromatik for schools and groups program due to lack of use.  According to their website, teachers are using the program for sight reading exercises and take-home assignments (In the Classroom, 2016). When searching for information about age limitations, I came across two different statements.  The first game from a third-party review source called CommonSense Media.  In their very brief review of the program, there was a comment stating that the terms and conditions for Chromatik required that children be thirteen years or older, (Conway, 2016).   While I was personally unable to locate a specific age requirement,  I did find an important clause within the Terms Of Use, particularly for instructors.

"If you are an instructor using this Service in a classroom setting ("Instructor") with students that are not 18 years of age or older ("Minors"), you agree that you are responsible for the acts of such students in connection with their use of the Service" ("Terms of Service, 2016).

I suspect that all web-based applications have similar terms listed for their own protection.  However, before agreeing to such terms, teachers must be aware, especially when the applications have a strong social component as does Chromatik.  There may be other platforms that offer reflective, social and collaborative tools that are not quite so open to misuse.

Problems with Chromatik

When exploring repertoire in Chromatik, I first looked for vocal repertoire.  I was pleased to see Ella Fitzgerald as one of the artists listed as having a collection.  When I chose to look through the collection, there was only one song available.  I clicked on the song and was dismayed to find that the notation was written an entire octave higher than what occurs in the performance.  In teaching vocal technique, this might cause serious confusion.

https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/53a64b17ad28be8808f982b9/score_viewer, 

accessed July 26, 2016

https://youtu.be/97p6gQnlO5Y
accessed July 26, 2016

I then began to search for classical music with a focus on choral music.  I found the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel.  I was disappointed to see that rather than a choral score, the notation provided was simply a transcription of the melody.  I noticed that instruments other than voice were available for this choral piece.  I chose violin and discovered that although the violins actually begin playing in the first measure, the notation provided in Chromatik was once again a transcription of the melody or soprano part.

 https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/568c397c7eea4ed5a6ff1132/score_viewer,
accessed July 26,2016

I wondered if perhaps Chromatik did not have choral music available at all, but I discovered a choral-like hymn tune made popular by Alison Krauss.  Of all the pieces that I reviewed, this arrangement most closely resembled the recording.

https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/54c121f750b628cae34d0c1c/score_viewer ,
accessed July 26, 2016

Although I am a fan of popular music, I do not think that the music included in the Chromatik repertoire should be relied on as a source for good vocal models.  By encouraging students to mimic popular artists, we risk aiding the development of poor vocal habits that will over time cause physical harm to their voices.  Even if I was teaching a popular song to my students, I would rather have them record their rehearsals and private lessons for use at home than inviting them to use Chromatik as it now exists.  It may be that in the future, as the service develops, it might become a more robust and instructionally sound tool, but as for now, it is not good enough for intentional use with students.

Smart Music

I found Smart Music to be rather exciting.  Although I don't have experience using the program myself, it seems a good investment. 

Benefits

I remember from my own days in solo and ensemble how difficult it was to schedule adequate time with an accompanist in order to feel well prepared. I also remember as a young flute player being completely flummoxed when I finally did have time to work with an accompanist simply because I had no idea whatsoever that the accompaniment would sound as it did.  As Bauer states, "a performer can get a sense of the musical whole, developing an understanding of how the solo line and accompaniment combine" (Bauer, 2014, p. 84).  I would have been better prepared, had such a program existed when I was learning to play the flute.  

Strengths

Repertoire: The repertoire seems robust.  Focused as I am on general music for elementary, I looked for recorder music and was pleased that a well-written recorder method book is included in the existing catalog.  

Access:  It is clear that Smart Music was designed for teachers.  Not only do teachers have permission to give access to their students at home, but they are free to use the resource with their entire ensemble at once.  When compared with Chromatik, it seems that the subscription is designed for use in a variety of settings.  A teacher can feel confident that with the subscription they have the rights to use the music fully in several settings. 

http://www.smartmusic.com/products/educators/exploresmartmusic/, 
accessed July 26, 2016

Works with Finale: Because Smart Music and Finale, users are able to create new accompaniments and MIDI files for students to use as needed.  Students can use the teacher created files in the same way that they use the formally published files.  This feature is important as it allows teachers to better differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of their students rather than limiting students to available repertoire.  

Limitations

Price: Although perhaps reasonably priced and worth the investment, a subscription is a recurring cost that will never diminish.  It is often easier for teachers to generate funding for one-time expenditures than for recurring costs.  

Microphone issues: I find the fact that Smart Music will only work with particular microphones to be incredibly limiting, especially for students who will be using the program at home.  Whether ensembles choose to pass along the subscription cost to students or not, the only students who will use the program successfully are those who have the right sort of technology at home.  Having worked for many years in a low-income environment, I would never ask my students to do anything with technology that could not be accomplished with a smartphone.  If students are already being asked to purchase band instruments, mouthpieces, and other equipment, I would hate to have to tell a parent that the microphone they already have will not work with the program I require them to purchase. 

http://www.smartmusic.com/support/systemrequirements/, accessed July 26, 2016

References

A. (2008, August 04). Ella Fitzgerald - All the Things You Are. Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97p6gQnlO5Y

All The Things You Are by Ella Fitzgerald Free Sheet Music for Voice. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/53a64b17ad28be8808f982b9/score_viewer

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 80-83). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Conway, Chromatik - Website Review. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/chromatik

Down To The River To Pray by Alison Krauss Free Sheet Music for Voice. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/54c121f750b628cae34d0c1c/score_viewer

Exploring SmartMusic - SmartMusic. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from http://www.smartmusic.com/products/educators/exploresmartmusic/

Hallelujah Chorus by George Frideric Handel Free Sheet Music for Violin. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from https://www.chromatik.com/presentations/568c397c7eea4ed5a6ff1132/score_viewer

System Requirements - SmartMusic. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2016, from http://www.smartmusic.com/support/systemrequirements/

Terms of Service. (n.d.). Retrieved July 29, 2016, from https://www.chromatik.com/static/terms

A. (

PLN - Week 4 - Better Recorder Instruction through Improved Practice Dispersion and Careful External Motivation

Year 1

     Three years ago, my co-teacher and I were both new to our school.  My family was in the midst of dealing with a major medical crisis and my co-teacher, in her first year in elementary, had never taught recorder. Therefore, in order to keep things simple, we took the path of least resistance and minimal instructional thought.  We chose the method book with the prettiest cover, that turned out to be quite good despite us and began on page one with no other plan.   Our fourth and fifth-grade students carefully and faithfully slogged through the book.  Due to the prolonged nature of the medical crisis in my family, the amount of prolonged periods of method book work was significantly more than I had ever planned or intended.  Nevertheless, in the midst of tedious moments and minimal motivation, the method book was well designed and our students made progress, played well and were generally pleased with themselves.   We were satisfied. 

Year 2

     When our fourth graders returned in the fall as fifth graders, without thinking too much of it, we picked up where we had left off with the intent of continuing as we had.  It became clear rather quickly that we were going to have to rethink our instructional practice for recorder.  Simply put, my sweet fifth graders who loved attending music class, had developed method-book fatigue and no longer enjoyed playing the recorder.    While the thought of playing recorder had once filled them with excited anticipation, they now complained of being bored and were discouraged.  We had to act quickly to resolve the problem or risk sending students to Jr. High ill-disposed toward playing an instrument.

     As part of our motivational and instructional triage, we put away the method books entirely and spent time playing the recorder in a sort of game fashion using echo and flashcards.  We also incorporated relays small group stations, and the opportunity to play other instruments as accompaniment all to disguise the fact that we were being very repetitive.   This helped students internalize the mechanical procedural knowledge of playing the recorder (Bauer, 2014, p. 80).  We also limited the time spent playing the recorder within a given class and included the recorder in small ways throughout more lessons in order to distribute practice (Bauer, 2014, p. 81).  We also sought out a repertoire that not only supported our instructional goals but also had interesting or novel accompaniment tracks that would, "provide sonically rich environments" (Brauer, 2014, p.83).   We noticed that students who reported playing a recorder at home were better prepared for new material, we encouraged students to purchase a second recorder, one for school and one for home.  We sent home music with students to practice and saw a great improvement both in the quality of their playing and in their attitude toward rehearsal. 

Year 3

     Last year our district adopted a new Learning Management System (LMS) that enabled teachers to share content very easily and systematically with students and parents.  In addition to our more thoughtful and engaging class time instruction, we were able to create a digital classroom.  The power behind the digital classroom is that it allows students to access accompaniment files, notation, and instructional videos.  Ideally, students can access the materials, practice at home and then upload an audio or video recording of their performance.  Because students also used this platform in other content areas, it was not difficult for students to access or use.   Nevertheless, in order to support students with limited technology access, we provided a paper version and invited them to record any assignment submissions as a phone message that would be recorded as voice mail.  We launched the material, communicated with students and parents and waited to see what the response would be.

     Out of one entire grade level of students who had access to the online recorder content, only about half accessed the material and only a few students submitted recordings or videos.   Even though overall participation was comparatively low, we were encouraged by the quality of work we received and are looking for ways to foster better participation.  In other content areas, students are motivated to use the LMS in order to complete assignments that are formally graded.  As music specialists, we are not allowed to give grades for assignments done at home or online.  Often when introducing an activity we had set up through the LMS, students would ask if the assignment was for a grade.  When we explained that the work was voluntary, many students disengaged.    Without a grade as motivation, we have to be creative.  

Year 4 - Today

     To that end, we are planning on emulating elements of Recorder Karate 1 and 2 by Barb Philipak from Plank Road Publishing in order to provide students with some extrinsic motivation (Bauer, 2014, p. 81).  The LMS will assist us in scaffolding practice assignments through a modular organization that allows the teacher to set up the course so that students can only access material after completing the prerequisite tasks successfully.  Feedback can be provided through both written rubrics as well as audio and/or video responses.  Through video, I will be able to both respond, model and reteach for individual students   (Brauer, 2014, p. 81).  Meanwhile, the opportunity to earn a karate belt will support motivation until it evolves into its internal form (Brauer, 2014, p. 82).  Based on the preliminary response to the belts themselves, I think that we will have significantly more students who participate in our digital recorder classroom simply because the students think the belts are cool.   

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 80-83). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Soundation Review

     
Soundation proved to be fairly straightforward in terms of layout. The help information was easy to access and short enough so as to stay on topic. The set-up was clean. The icon change between the loops and the MIDI files served as a quick visual distinction. I found it particularly helpful that the loops were organized not just by style but also by beats per minutes (BPM). The organization of clips is one of the things that makes Soundation so easy to use in that loops that are intended to complement each other are grouped. For example, other guitar and bass loops that I chose were together and sorted by key. I used two types of MIDI files. The first, pair consisted of a bass and synthesizer files that were grouped together within the list.

The second sort was a MIDI file I created myself. It was very simple to import MIDI from another source. I found it incredibly difficult use the piano roll or virtual piano to create the MIDI data that I needed. I attempted to use my MIDI controller, but again, I was unable to problem solve a way to get Soundation to interact with the device, which was working. Considering that I had also not been able to use the MIDI controller with Noteflight, I suspect that cloud-based platforms are not a good fit for an external input device. After a reasonable amount of time and reviewing the help materials and videos, I abandoned efforts to use the tools embedded in Soundation and my own MIDI controller and instead chose to create export a melody as a MIDI file from Finale. The import into Soundation was very simple, but I was disappointed to have lost the instrument sound I desired.

The biggest problem I had with the program involved latency during playback. I know from my previous experience with Soundation that although recording is possible, the program is really designed as a tool for putting together loops and MIDI. Any recording needs to be short and based on the metronome rather than what has been arranged. Attempting to record on top of a pre-arranged track causes the recorded section to lag. I also found the zoom function rather unusable. When I needed to look at an area closely, I had better success with the zoom function within my web browser rather than within the application itself.

The strength of Soundation is certainly the ease of sharing. It was a simple matter to publish and export my piece in a variety of formats. I also liked the fact that the files are saved to my account and in a format that remains editable. I actually created a second version of the piece for a different use which is something that I find I need to do often in my classroom. It was very simple to go back and change one or two small things without having to start over.

I consider myself a Soundation novice, so I think that my first attempts at using Soundation with students will be as a result of what I create with the program myself. For example, the two tracks I created today will allow me to facilitate improvisation experiences for my students. The track I submitted for a grade is intended for fifth grade students practicing G, E, F and F sharp on recorder. The second half of the piece is missing the melody track in order to give students a chance to improvise within a given set of notes. The drum transitions are provided in order to give students time to think.

The second track is missing the MIDI recorder part in order to allow the piece to be used differently. The second track is intended for use with younger students who are playing unpitched percussion. Students might play a given rhythm or create one of their own either through improvisation or composition. The drum transitions provide plenty of time for students to move to a new instrument or to think about what to play depending on the lesson.

I think this program might be wonderful with older students who had time to explore and who attended music more than once a week. In order to have individual students interact with Soundation, I would need access to the computer lab and more time with students. This might be accomplished in an after school club or even a composition camp where students meet daily for a week. By creating my own MIDI tracks, it might also be possible to use our Learning Management System (LMS) to send students a sort of musical tool bag. Individual students could then download the musical segments and import them into their own Soundation accounts for arranging.

I currently have a group of fifth graders who are all pianists who need a more challenging experience in music class. I think they would love to explore Soundation as a means of further study. Within the confines of my once a week classes, most of the time I am limited to what I am able to project to the entire class. Once the program is projected to the entire class it is possible to arrange a collaborative piece with students making compositional choices. I might preplan a collection of choices and ask students to vote at every decision point. For example, I could ask the students to choose between a djembe at 95 BPM or a conga at 120 BPM. These collaborative compositions would work best if they became accompaniment to music created by the children. Perhaps students could create a rhythm piece for a well-known round, or an accompaniment to a game.

PLN - Week 3 - Skills Necessary for Students to Critique Music Effectively Using Technology

     This week, the reading inspired me to think deeply about the ways in which students receive and offer musical critique in my class. Indeed the following quote has inspired almost this entire post.  " Part of teaching students to become composers is to help them learn how to reflect on their work and formulate appropriate strategies for revision (Bauer, 2014, p. 62)"  
      Over the last few years, I have invited my third through fifth-grade students to practice evaluating pieces of music that we were studying as a class.  When we are practicing this skill in a low-tech setting, the assignment might be as simple as turning to a neighbor and sharing thoughts about a piece, guided by a series of questions.  Alternatively, there have been times, when technology was available that I have used CANVAS which is the learning management system (LMS) used by my district as described by Bauer (2014, p. 66), as well as Web 2.0 tools like Today’s Meet, to facilitate discussions about the music that we study.  In both modalities, with technology and without, my students need more practice in evaluating music.  

     While my students have certainly demonstrated growth in how they discuss the musical attributes of a piece, I find that when the element of technology is added, students lose ground in the quality and usefulness of their comments when compared to the quality of their evaluation when allowed to simply share their opinions verbally.  They often revert to a sort of texting short-hand that is inappropriate for academic use.  It seems that in order to reach a point in their musical development where they can both give and receive meaningful critique of performances and composition, several intermediate steps will be required.  To that end, I have attempted to break down the act of musical critique into steps that students would need in order to enable students to both give and receive musical criticism in a meaningful way that fosters creativity in an encouraging way.     

The left side describes what discreet skills are necessary to receive and give meaningful performance critique.
The right side describes what discreet skills are necessary to receive and give meaningful composition critique. 

Along with the steps described in the graphic above, students will need to simultaneously develop digital literacy.  In order for a digital tool to effectively expedite the evaluation process, students need to be able to read and write within the digital genre as described by Chase and Laufenberg (2011).  They described digital literacy as a genre within the domain of overall literacy.  In order to use technology as a platform for musical reflection, my students must become more familiar with accepted practices within the digital genre they are using.  For example, typing in ALL CAPS is considered rude and is similar to shouting.  Students must also practice using complete sentences when providing feedback because a smiley face emoji might be kind, but it is not useful to the person recieving feedback.   

  My hope is that as part of our music composition workshop, I will be able to build opportunities within our LMS for students to share their compositions while receiving and giving feedback.  I plan to use the closed discussion feature within CANVAS.  First I will invite a student to volunteer their work for critique.  I will choose a student who I believe will be receptive and whose composition is well established with perhaps a few minor errors.   We will listen to the piece together.  I will then model my own thinking for the class as I write comments about the performance.  

During the next class, I will present a mini-lesson about how to make a meaningful comment.  The anchor charts below will serve as writing prompts.  During the mini-lesson, we will practice completing the sentence frames in different ways.  For example, in chart number four, one of the sentences might be completed like this; "My favorite part is the beginning when you chose to jump from mi to la and back down to sol.  I wonder what would happen if you repeated that pattern in measure 2?  The anchor charts below will be posted in a place where students can reference them while we practice our critique.  When Bauer (2014), spoke about how to give appropriate feedback, I realized my students needed more support in that area.  Therefore I included an entire anchor chart that focuses on described as a compliment sandwich.  After introducing the anchor charts,  I will let students critique a composition that I have written.  As students compose their comments, I will model how to respond to the comments and even how I might apply their advice to improve or edit my composition.  Once those lessons occur, I will allow students to post compositions for peer-review if they choose.    

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 44-74). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Chase, Z., & Laufenberg, D. (2011). Embracing the squishiness of digital literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(7), 535-537. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41203403

Noteflight - Embedded Score and Program Review

I think that in many ways Noteflight is ideal.  Among it's strengths are the fact that as a cloud based notation option, it is available to anyone with an internet connection.  The availability without the need for a download makes it a fantastic fit for anyone who is in a mixed platform setting.  Because it functions so differently than other notation programs, it seems to be easier for novices without any preconceived notions about how notation software should be organized.  I find that as long as I don't over think when using it, it can be easier in some ways than Finale.   My favorite part about Noteflight is the variety of ways music can be shared.  Entire scores or individual parts can be exported as a PDF, which is not a feature universally available in Finale.   It is also possible to export audio files, both .WAV and MIDI which makes the export options quite flexible as the audio files can be directly imported into programs like Audacity.  

For this project, I was disappointed to see that I could not use my MIDI input device without a paid subscription, which meant that entering the score was more tedious than it might have been in other programs.  Having been a user of Noteflight for many years, I must say that in terms of steady access it is not very reliable.  The user interface is adjusted and modified often.  The most recent change has been from a Flash based interface to an HTML 5 version.  While this update was long overdue, the new version is not very intuitive and it is difficult to find important functions.  The manner in which the menus relate to the score work space is awkward.  I spend most of my time looking for things that have been moved.

 I have also been disappointed with the service of the company.    I use Noteflight regularly, but every time I have attempted to purchase a subscription I have run into difficulty.  The difficulty I have had receiving access to features that I have paid for personally, make me question the wisdom of using school funds to pay for a class subscription.  I also find their help resources to be entirely inadequate and not very accessible.  From the time I have spent talking with Customer Service, it seems that many of the function and service problems experienced by Noteflight have to do with the small start up, and very high demand placed on what seems to be a small company.

Despite my misgivings, I find Noteflight to be an essential part of my teacher tool bag.  I use it constantly and intend to incorporate it more deeply into my teaching in the future.  I plan on requesting a subscription in the near future for my 3rd-5th graders because Noteflight has a partnership with CANVAS which is the digital classroom service my district uses.  

PLN - Week 2 - Reflections Upon a Composition Unit in Fourth Grade

B               In response to the reading assignment this week, I have been compelled to reflect upon the quality of creative opportunities within my own classroom.    When integrating improvisation or composition into music instruction, public performance expectations often limit the depth and quality of creative activities for my students.   Bauer (2014), included a list of conditions required to foster creativity in students as described by Hallam (2008).  These conditions include; “(a) creative opportunities, (b) necessary resources, (c) appropriate stimulation, and (d) sufficient time” (Bauer, 2014, p. 50).   It is my belief that my current instructional and performance schedule has a negative impact on student creativity.

  When I first began teaching almost twenty years ago, I saw my students approximately seven times a month.  Now I typically see students four times a month or less.  In light of the limitations caused by a lack of instructional frequency, I wonder to what extent I will be able to shift my focus from product to process based teaching?  How might my required instructional and performance schedule be modified to better utilize time spent creating and sharing  musical thinking effectively?

As I ponder these questions I am reminded that over the years I have become somewhat familiar with the workshop model used by many language arts teachers.  This workshop model is used by language arts teachers to facilitate writing instruction.   In order to improve the quality of creative activities, I decided to apply the workshop approach to our fourth-grade music composition project.   I spoke with the language arts specialist at my school and incorporated vocabulary and structures with which my students were already accustomed.  As described by Peha (1995), “For some, Writer’s Workshop is a philosophy, but I like to look at it simply as a way of managing the class” (p. 3-4). Within each writing workshop, or in this case music composition workshop, there is a mini-lesson in which I briefly describe the composition task for the day.  After the mini-lesson, students move into a time of independent composition, during which I conference with individual students.   The classes function similarly to the description of writer's workshop as described by Peha (1995 p. 3-4). Finally, as time allows, students share their work.   Any and all of these elements are more effective,  in terms of time management when technology is used as a tool.  

It seems to me that processes involved in writer’s workshop can be an excellent method of fostering creativity as described by Wallas (1926).    The following paragraphs will serve both as an explanation of how a workshop model is similar to the creativity model developed by Wallas (1926), and as an opportunity to share technology usage that has been especially helpful in the process.  
Prepare
When using a workshop model as a way to facilitate student composition, the mini-lessons serve to prepare students for the work of the day. During this time, I might share aloud my thinking concerning the choice of a particular rhythmic or melodic event within a class composition.  Typically, I use some form of technology to support the focus of the mini lesson.  Often I will use notation software and a projector so that students can contribute to a sort of collaborative composition process that models whatever objective is the focus of the mini-lesson.  Early on in the composition project, it may be as simple as working together to fill in the correct number of beats for a given measure.  Later on, as I model my own thinking about compositional decisions, I might use the playback on the notation software that I am projecting for the class as a way for students to hear and compare various melodic options.  Often, the product of this collaborative mini lesson will be left up throughout the class, and students refer to the work even while they work independently.   
Incubation
 During incubation, students work independently on a compositional task.  While thinking, students might settle upon a musical idea in a variety of ways, through audiation, exploration, or conferences with me or other students.  Some students seek time alone away from the crowd. Others work best with partners or in small groups depending on their musical skill.  As a composer,   I prefer to compose music when I am alone and would find it difficult to compose in the midst of a room full of people, especially if the other people in the room were also attempting to create a new piece of music.   Technology can help me address some of the issues that make it difficult for an individual student to focus in the midst of everyone else's creativity.  Headphones are a treasured tool that enable some students to escape the music room and think independently.  Students at my school are encouraged to bring their devices from home, which means that within a given class, I may several devices of various types.  While some students have access to notation software others may only have access to a camera.  During the incubation period, students are encouraged to use whatever is the most accessible method of keeping a musical idea in their working memory.  Students are free to use sticky notes, photos, videos, audio recordings, staff paper or notation software.  The graphic below is a transcription of a list of agreements the fourth graders made in order to manage the creation process. 

 In an effort to limit noise and to promote audiation I require all students to begin their project by attemptting to audiate their idea first.  Those who need some support, are free to use quiet phones to sing through their ideas first.    I agree with Bauer completely when he said; "Because it is easy to have the computer play what one has written, teachers should include activities that require students to audiate, not allowing them to rely only on computer-generated sounds" (Bauer, 2014, p. 63).    Several of the lessons leading up to the composition project provide opportunities for students to practice this skill.  
Illumination

 Nothing is more motivating to students than when they are left to wrestle with a composition task and finally experience illumination.  I have observed creative illumination within a compositional task most often when students are free from time constraints and fully immersed in their task.  While students have compositional tools available to them earlier in the process, it is often at this stage, once their thinking has been illumined that students will finally capture their thinking through traditional or technological means.  Sometimes in the midst of inspiration, they believe the process is complete.  
Verification 
Students who experience the thrill of illumination are generally insistent about sharing their work!  Students at this stage benefit greatly from the gift of time, as the time allows them to seek verification. Often, during these conferences with students there is a back and forth that takes place as students share their work with me.  I am able to supply my students with suggestions and feedback.  I am also able to ask questions to help me better understand where they are in their process.  If I notice any trends within the student work being shared, I can recall the students back together for a small reteach.  Sometimes, I will ask permission to share a student piece at this point to assist with the reteach.  The verification stage with me is best when it happens face to face.  However, once a student has completed the compositional task for the day, they literally beg me to share their work with their friends and family and it is usually time for my next class to come in.  It is at this point where technology is priceless.  Using technology as a tool to share the work of students is both motivational and enjoyable.    Currently, I encourage students to share in whatever manner is easiet for them.  Some take a photo of their hand written compositions, while others chose to send a  video of a performance from home.   The best part of being able to share the work digitally is that it is asynchronous, meaning that we don't have to use our very limited class time sharing in a concert.  Instead, students can access the work and offer feedback through a shared digital space at home.  

Using the workshop model in conjunction with increased technology access occured within a series of lessons last April and May.   I plan on further reflection and refinement of the project in order to determine if perhaps a systematic integration of technology might continue to improve my use of instructional time.   I currently don't have a campus subscription to Noteflight, but hope to request one this school year.  I feel that Noteflight may be the best fit for my students because it can be linked to our digital classroom platform and because it is web based it will work on a variety of devices brought into music by my students.  Once the composition project has been refined to my satisfaction I am also considering ways that one of our performance comitments might be used as an avenue for a sort of public showcase of these compositions.  Currently, our fourth graders are a non-performing grade level who instead have an art show each spring.  Perhaps in the future, we will be able to incorporate a process based showcase along with the exisiting art show as a way of further verifying the work of these students.

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 59-68). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Peha, S. (1995). Welcome to Writer's Workshop. Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc.

PLN - Week 1 Developing New Ideas, Practicing New Habits

Within my own teaching, there have been a few times in which the integration of technology into my K-5 general music class facilitated a beautiful learning experience for my students.  There have also been times when the attempt to use technology in my classroom felt forced, awkward and ill-fitted to the intended learning outcomes.  The challenge for anyone hoping to be effective in their efforts in technology integration is consistency.  As we develop our practice of teaching, hit or miss is not good enough.  Therefore, in response to chapter 1 from Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music, (Bauer, 2014), I have chosen to focus my reflection on how we as teachers might develop our technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK).

"Music educators must be open to new ideas and ways of doing things while also demonstrating a willingness to invest the time and effort necessary to utilize novel pedagogical and technological approaches " (Bauer, 2014, p. 16).  

The portion of this quote that is most meaningful to me is the call to invest time and effort.  As musicians we are perhaps more aware than others about the power found in the discipline of good practice.  However, when it comes to using technology, there is a sense that integration of technology should be easier than it is.  For myself I find that I cling to this misguided notion despite innumerable hours spent practicing instrumental and vocal skills, observing students and teachers and pursuing professional development of all kinds.  How does the preparation for using technology in the classroom compare to the rest of my instructional preparations?  

For example, the skills involved in introducing a singing game to a group of thirty 2nd graders was not a skill I had in abundance upon graduating college.  In order to develop consistency within the skill I did three things.  First, I practiced almost every day.  Rarely is there an instructional day when I am not singing and playing a game with a group of students.  Second, I regularly observed excellent models and more importantly, the children being taught.   Beyond student teaching, I got to observe my co-teacher any time we planned to use a game unfamiliar to me.   Finally, I went to classes, not just drive-by conference classes, but in depth study classes where I could learn and practice with other adults.  Of those three elements, practice, observation and study, perhaps the most valuable and difficult to obtain were authentic observation.

When thinking about how I can develop my technology integration skills, there is good news. Classes and online resources are abundant and easy to access and can be studied anywhere and at any time.  If I want to know how to use an application, I have the answers right at my fingertips.   Conversely, authentic observation of students and teachers, especially when using technology is almost entirely nonexistent.   Perhaps we as music teachers should rethink the way we pursue our music technology professional development with observation and practice opportunities in mind.  Providing a way for music teachers to observe others using music technology might be accomplished through mentor partnerships or Skype or even post-undergraduate certification programs.  In terms of practice, while we might have had opportunities to practice singing or playing with other adults and may have taken turns leading games or conducting ensembles, have we ever constructed a class to practice leading a technology lab class with a cohort of fellows as we might in Kodaly or Orff training?
The way that music teachers are trained is effective and might be worth considering as a way to lessen the gap between our skills as music teaching practitioners and music technology teaching practitioners. 

References

Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 16-17). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Welcome to Melodysoup - too!

Hello everyone,

Have a great day!

Bonnie McSpadden