Module 1

Module 1 has released a plethora of information that I was not very familiar with prior to this class.  While I understood that this was a music technology class, I did not take into account the different means of communication within technology that came into use within this class.  While I had heard of an RSS feeder before and seen the icon, I never knew what it meant.  The instructional videos that accompanied the unit in regards to the PLN have been very informative and important to my understanding of their purpose and use.  Dr. Bauer’s article included diagrams and very easy to understand descriptions of the different components of a PLN, as well as suggestions of resources to include within my own PLN through feedly.  By receiving information in written and video format into one place, it makes for more efficient time looking for relevant information in music education.  The idea of a PLN and the Google group provide a place for a plethora of information to be shared.  The Google group is great because it includes my classmates and other music educators sharing information that they believe to be important for music education.  It almost acts as a filter made by colleagues for practical information in the field of music education.  I hadn’t used Twitter before this class and actually found it to be the hardest part to learn this week.  The idea of following people or groups was easy, but I was confused about the hash tag component.  Using my friends on Facebook, however, I was able to figure out the use of it.  While we are not using Facebook in this class, I find it to be a valuable PLN for a variety of things, and in this case, it helped with my studies!

Technology is very important in today’s world.  We are obviously using technology to complete this class in an “online” setting.  I do not leave my house without my smart phone and I am constantly checking it throughout the day for email, text messages, and even playing music or looking for an important fact for my students.  With that being said, this dependency on technology is new to me as an adult, my students, however, have always had an abundance of technology.  Even though I am only 28, my students are constantly telling me about the latest apps and games available to them before I have even heard of them.  Bauer (2014) refers to people like myself as a digital immigrant and to today’s kids as digital natives.  Since students are constantly surrounded by technology, it makes sense for me to integrate technology into my music curriculum.  In fact, Bauer (2014) says that teachers in all disciplines are utilizing technology in their classes, yet goes on to say that evidence suggests that music teachers are not making extensive use of technology in the classroom.

It is important that as a music educator we are practicing Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK).  Bauer (2014) goes into great detail regarding the different facets of teaching music, but culminates with this idea of TPACK, which is a combination of the areas of interest.  Teachers need to be well versed in their content area, have a working knowledge of pedagogy, and have the knowledge of the latest technological advances.  By exercising TPACK, the most well rounded teacher will come to exist.  It is also emphasized that the teacher continually seeks professional development for the latest advances in their respective field of education.  Technology is constantly changing and so is the way students learn.