In this blog we were asked to respond to some questions as follows;

  • You were introduced to the DAW (or sequencer), the step sequencer, and a range of notation software. Do you feel you would like to explore any of these technologies further?

I am convinced that the DAW can be a very powerful tool for using in the classroom. They give an instant way to record music whether through live or step input. They give opportunities to manipulate sound and arrange and re-arrange the tracks that have been created to structure a song or musical creation. They also give access to new sounds and sounds that may otherwise be unavailable in the normal classroom setting.

I have been fascinated with technologies that are truly portable and have found the Korg Gadget app, a DAW, available for iOS devices an amazing resource with much potential, although sadly this is just available on one platform. I made my own tutorial for it which you can view by following this link.

  • Have you been persuaded that the DJ-producer does have an awful lot of sophisticated musical skills?

I always thought that the DJ producer did have a lot of skills, although I guess I never fully analysed what all these skills were. On looking at the Madeon performance in this course I was astonished with all the musical thought that was required to make such an effective performance. It gives great insight into the power of the potential use of both the laptop and the turntable as a musical instrument in itself.

  • Do you agree with David Price that learning has gone “OPEN”?

On reflection I believe that human beings have always been ‘Open’ learners. My grandmother would share her recipes (with those she liked) and she would have her work assessed (in many ways)  through organisations like the Women’s Institute in baking contests etc. We like learning, and we seem to learn best from those that are close to us. Television brought us Open University courses and also the world of reality TV opened up. Open Learning has simply been made easier because of the internet and portable devices, but it is a very relevant way to how we live our lives today.

  • What were the best examples of OPEN learning that you found either in the course content, in your own searching, or the work of your peers?

You Tube could perhaps be the first “go to” place to find out the things that we want to know. Here a video of my son (unprompted by me) learning one of his favourite songs via a You Tube video.

 

This course, (The Place of Music in 21st Century Education from Coursera) is an excellent example of a more detailed form of open learning . To find the best examples though, needs some careful filtering, which takes time. This is an area where a teacher might be able to guide students too.

  • What does Project Based Learning (or the other BLs) have to offer Music Education? And what does Music Education have to offer Project Based Learning, and all learning, in the 21st Century?

Project Based learning gives a real life goal for the students to achieve, it makes programmes realistic and relevant to students needs today. Students can spend more time drafting work, so assessing process becomes a more important tool for teachers, rather than just concentrating on outcomes.  Project based learning can bring individual learning and group learning together and the teacher becomes part of the process of learning rather than  the dictator of learning.

The very nature of music education is already project based and the excellent work that music teachers do in the classroom needs to be celebrated and set as a model example for  education throughout all learning areas!