Music is the Key

Technology is being integrated into our society more and more every day. It is unavoidable, and I think the further we go in life, the more and more we can expect technology to be part of our lives. While we are not living in the world of robot maids and space disk houses, we definitely have some things that make our life much easier and more convenient (still wondering how the auto industry is going to get all of our cars flying by 2015). I think education is no different. Education has to embrace technology and allow it into the classroom, otherwise educators will get left behind and students may lose interest more than they already do.

I envision a world in the future that embraces technology in the classroom, not one that is simply the teacher on watch for students texting in between lessons. I envision a classroom where students phones or iPods sit on their desk as a utensil just like a pen or a textbook. I think it would be great to allow the students to use that the same way to research, find info, text in a vote, or any other thing we can find use for it.

I think the teacher's role will change but not drastically. If the teacher embraces technology in the classroom and sees it as a tool, and not a hurdle in the way I think the transition will be small and gradual. If a teacher decides to reject technology until the very last point until it is unavoidable and he or she must finally start using technology, they are going to have a tough road, and a very hard transition. In the end, I think it is up to the teacher to decide when to embrace it in order for it not to have as little problem as possible.

Technology isnt going away, in fact just the opposite. Thirty years from now Im sure there are some things we do today that will be done automatically, or by devices in our lives. Who knows, maybe we'll come home to an already cooked meal by an automated kitchen. I think the possibilities are endless, and only limited by the imaginations of those creating and using it. In the world of education, I thnk there is a generational shift that needs to take place before a majority of the people who didnt grow up using technology retire and are replaced with people who dont need a remedial class on how to turn on a computer. Once that takes place, I think there will be a significant shift in what technology is doing in our schools. This isnt exclusive to education, I beleive this applies to our world as a whole. My son, who is currently 10 months old,  will never know what it takes to make multiple trips moving a computer from a different room. He will never know that HD is way better than its predecessor, and he will laugh when I tell him the first computer I bought wasnt even as powerful as my current phone. When the shift of people takes place that I mentioned above, I think we'll see new possibilities open up because the ability and desire to embrace technology will have dramatically changed.

I suppose the classroom we know now will change, but I think it will be a change for the better, and it will be exciting to see.

I had been challenged recently to consider entering a classroom that had no audio or visual technology (more like a nightmare than a dream, really). But then I was allowed to create a list of things I would want in my classroom, with justification of course. Assuming in this fantasy land there was no budgetary limits (considering this fantasy situation is the only time money is no object in a classroom!), then let the fun begin!

First I would need an iMac. I wouldn't get picky on the specs of the computer, because even the entry level model will be able to do the things I would need it for in the classroom. I would request the larger screen though, as it would give a more inclusive environment for all of the students. I would request Garage Band, Logic Express 9, Finale, and Audacity for the software. Between these four I could do anything with music I or my students could ever dream. Secondly, I would ask for a set of either ipod Touches or iPads. I understand that the cost of the two separately make the iPod Touch more attractive to the school, but if money is no option I am pushing for the iPad 2s. If I could have a dozen of those, I could put the students into groups or bands even, and have them working on music (composition, theory, ear training, etc.). If they start composing a song on the iPad in Garage Band, then they can send that file to the big iMac and finish it on the computer for more screen and a few more options. I would of course need a media center, mostly to play CDs, DVDs, and any sort of video input. This needs to include a video projector with an HDMI out. This will allow us to hook up either the iMac, a video camera, or any other media device to display on screen what the students have been working on. Plus it would allow me to show videos of other ensembles performing certain songs and how they achieved a difficult section of the piece where we may be struggling.
I dont want to get into the equipment we would need to execute a performance, because I feel like a lot of that is not directly in my classroom, and is also shared by band, orchestra, and drama departments. Not to mention any outside activities that may occur inside the school.
If I had these things in my classroom, I feel like there would be very little we couldnt do! It would give the students great opportunities to try out new things and perhaps sharpen talents they didnt know they had. In dreamland, this class would be amazing!

I couldnt end this post with "Not" the way our assignment asked. Because I just dont feel that way about technology or anything our class has included thus far. I have really enjoyed the content of our class! If I could say there was one thing I wasnt familiar with, it would be all of the content with Google. Even though I have had a GMail address for some time, I was not aware of the possibilities with Sites. I was aware of Docs, but not to the level we have used it. I have had a couple of blogs through Blogger for a couple of years now, but the integration into Sites is really impressive. I think its a great way not only to implement the various types of technologies, but is a great example of all that Google offers, especially for free.

I'm glad you've stopped by! I will let you know when as students you need to be checking in here. We will use this as a tool from time to time to talk about things going on in the world of music both in and out of the classroom. Sometimes I will start a topic for the purpose of an open discussion. Sometimes I may ask you to bring to me a resource online that you find useful that is music-related. Maybe sometimes we'll just talk about our current favorite song (because true artists know that the definition of your favorite song is never the same answer for very long). Other times, I will use this blog to talk to you about things worthy of mention, but that maybe dont make it into class time.
A topic I will like to visit often is how to appreciate all genres of music. Before studying the "classics" I had a hard time appreciating them for what they were. Perhaps through this, I can expose you to some good music that you will appreciate and be able to understand on a deeper level (often, going after what the composer was looking for). 
If you are into RSS feeds, please add this site. If you use Blogger, please follow this blog to keep updated. I will try to remind you when something worthy is on here, and hopefully through this all, we will all come out better musicians!

For now, I will leave you with a song I cant stop thinking about. This is from a composer named Claude Debussy, who was an early 20th Century composer (more on him here). This song, called Nuages (French for Clouds) is meant to provoke the image of clouds moving. Clouds dont have intentional direction, they float and move aimlessly. Debussy was trying to imitate that with this music. Can you hear it? Put this on, close your eyes, and get swept away...if only for a few moments in Debussy's Nuages.