Here, the questions arise: how much technology should there be used in our classrooms? How much should education be influenced by technology?
My experience using technology in the classroom is still very superficial, in the way Brown (2015) and Bauer (2014) point in their research. Both authors talk about how technology can be implemented in different ways that range from a more basic use (where new technologies substitute older devices -use of projectors, digital agendas, tablets to keep track of students progress, video presentations-), to a deep transformation (where technologies entail a change of metaphors, conceiving music in a new way).
I like to consider myself an innovative teacher who is open to the possibilities that digital technologies bring. However, I have to admit that I haven't reached the point where technology becomes a crucial factor in the class of music. Bauer mentions some problems teachers address when dealing with this new approach: lack of tools in the class, the need for formation, or limited budget among others. In my case, I would add the limitations of the official curriculum, quite based on traditional approaches; maybe it is just my interpretation of that curriculum, since it seems to try to promote new technologies. However, I think that those intentions are quite abstract, and make it difficult for teachers to really implement a change.
In the first module of the MOOC The place of music in 21st century education, we could see two models of schools. The first one was totally affiliated to the use of technology. There we could see a new approach to music lessons where digital technologies allowed students to implement autonomous learning, with freedom to choose what to do in order to reach the proposed goals. This could be a clear example of the use of technology in a way that entails a new approach to how to teach and learn music.
In the same MOOC we could see an example of a Steiner school, where digital technology was mostly absent. Here, there was also an original approach to learning, fostering creativity and community. This is a clear example of an educative approach that doesn't need digital technologies to create a motivating and rich environment where children can develop their musical (and non-musical) skills in a creative and social way.
It is difficult to decide which approach is better or fits better with my teaching style. I think that balance is the key here. It also depends on the ages of our students. In my case, with youngsters between 14-17 years old, the use of technology cannot be left aside. Their reality is immersed in technology, through the use of mobile phones, tablets and computers. Hence, we cannot ignore this fact and try to teach music in a way that does not connect with their reality. Music, especially, should be a subject that connects with their interests. We, as teachers, should not create an artificial barrier between music as a subject, and music as a reality in the lives of our students. I think that technology can be a great ally for this purpose. We should try to find this transformation of metaphors that Brown talks about, opening music to new possibilities like digital recording, mixing, or app-based composition.
Bibliography:
Bibliography:
Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music. New York: Oxford University Press, USA. Sample chapter available from http://amzn.to/1onRZon
Brown, A. (2015). Music Technology and Education: Amplifying Musicality. New York: Routledge. Sample chapter available from http://amzn.to/22RgYDM
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