Module 6

As with every module in this course, Module 6 included new topics in regards to technology in music.  Issues such as copyright and fair-use laws were covered and created a better understanding of the topics for me.  The readings and videos regarding them were very helpful in attempting to explain the very intricate processes that these laws entail.  While I am not claiming to now be an expert, I can say that I have a better understanding, or at least have resources on where to find answers for specific questions.  I always felt like copyright was something that should be focused upon in an undergraduate setting in great detail but in my experience we only had one or two lectures dedicated to the topic.  Creative Commons was something that I was not familiar with, however, I have utilized many free resources from other band directors or music teachers throughout my six years of teaching.  Having no resources provided by the district for my music classes, I rely heavily on what I can find online to incorporate into my curriculum.  I now have a better idea on what is acceptable use of resources and what is not.

The idea of a WebQuest was new to me this week.  After doing the readings I was still a bit confused as to how it would be set-up and work, but after perusing the many examples given to us by one of the links, I am now very confident that this is a great project.  When I was in middle school we would be given projects on a particular topic.  Since the Internet was not common use at the time, we had a section of books pulled in the library to use for our research.  We were then to present our topic to the class in a creative manner.  I believe this WebQuest is a similar idea, except that instead of books, we are utilizing websites for information that the teacher has “set aside” for use.  Students are now able to incorporate technology into the presentation as well as using audio and video clips to help elaborate on the given topic.  I began my WebQuest project although it is in the beginning stages.  I have decided to do a composer exploration through my project and I believe this can be a great experience for my kids if I can get access to the computer lab.  These WebQuests are also great because it is like a PLN for other teachers.  While anyone can make one, I think it is great that they are designed for use by other teachers and students to use.  Even if creating one from scratch, it is helpful to see which resources other teachers have incorporated for their students.  Social bookmarking can be very helpful in this type of situation as well.  As I continue on my WebQuest for the next week, I will be utilizing these resources to find valuable links and media to incorporate into my own project.