Learning Technologies Week 1 - Standards

 Introduction

    Hello and welcome! My name is Kayla, and I'm an elementary music teacher in the Twin Cities, MN. I hope to share my thoughts and learning with you as I pursue my Masters of Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Music from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. 

    I've been teaching music since 2007 and have done it all - public school, private school, charter school, and homeschool organizations.  Just last year I began teaching K-5 music at a wonderful school near our home, and I couldn't be happier!

    When I'm not teaching I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. There's so much to do and explore here in the Twin Cities! We also enjoy spending time with our friends in the Madison, WI area. 

    My daughter and I are planning to audition for several local community theatre productions this year! Musical theatre is a big passion - singing, performing, and seeing - and I'm eager to get back on stage!

    I am currently enrolled in the course Introduction to Learning Technologies through Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Over the next 7 weeks, I'll share thoughts and insights into what I'm learning.

Standards

The ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) has created seven student standards to guide technology in learning:

1. Empowered learner

2. Digital citizen

3. Knowledge constructor

4. Innovative designer

5. Computational thinker

6. Creative communicator

7. Global collaboration

The Minnesota Department of Education does not have a specific set of technology standards and benchmarks, rather, standards regarding technology are integrated into the mathematics, science, language arts, and fine arts standards. The following is a 5th grade standard integrating the use of technology that I might reference in the elementary music classroom:

Arts 3. Music 2. Create 3. Create original artistic work. 3.5.2.3.1 Organize chosen musical phrases into a given form using a system of notation or recording technology.

Let's look at ISTE standard 1.6 - Creative Communicator - "Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital m media appropriate to their goals."  Within this standard are four indicators. We'll focus on indicator 1.6.b -  Original and Remixed Works - "Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations."

Students in my 5th grade general music class could meet MN music standard 3.5.2.3.1 and ISTE indicator 1.6.b by using Chrome Music Lab Songmaker to create a remix of a familiar melody. This project would be a part of our larger end-of-year unit about composer John Williams. 

After learning more about composer John Williams and some of his most famous works, students would locate the project page in their Seesaw Music classroom. The project would have a link to three famous John Williams melodies (Star Wars: A New Hope, The Imperial March, and Harry Potter: Hedwig's Theme) all notated in Chrome Music Lab Songmaker. Students would choose one to "remix" - making creative changes to the melody, rhythms, meter and instrumentation while still maintaining some of the original theme. After completing the project, students would have the opportunity to share their remix with the class and offer feedback and evaluations to others.

Kolb's Triple E Framework

Kolb's Triple E Framework maintains three "E"s for successful technology integration in the classroom:

Engage

Enhance

Extend

The above mentioned John Williams remix project would utilize "engagement" through guided practice and modeling by the teacher (me) at the beginning of the project. How do we make changes in Chrome Music Lab Songmaker? Which changes are easy? Which are more challenging? Which change the integrity of the piece? How can we correlate the colors on the screen to instruments in the classroom?

Our remix project "enhances" a typical composition project by providing different ways to see, think about, and show what we are learning. This project cannot be done in the same manner with traditional tools. The alternative nature of notation in Songmaker automatically provides scaffolding for students (color-coded, spatial recognition, easier to manipulate for those with movement challenges, etc.). Students get to share their project easily with classmates.

Finally, the remix project "extends" learning and music composition in a way that is different that traditional writing with staff paper and pencil. Students will easily draw connections to their everyday life experiences - almost all of them can name a movie featuring a John Williams score, they watch the movies regularly, and can access and use Songmaker at home and share it with others.

Images

Wikimedia Commons Page by Chris Devers, CC BY-SA 2.0