Follow-up from Music Technology in Education Conference 2022 hosted by Music Teacher Magazine.
'When using technology, music teachers and departments should ensure they fully understand its use and place in the curriculum… Basic music production skills have never been so accessible and can support wider learning, too.'
The power of music to change lives: A National Plan for Music Education
(HM Government, 2022)
Technology has enhanced creativity in music teaching for years. From drum machines, to dance loops, amps to automation, the power of technology to level the playing field, giving all students access to good musical outcomes, can’t be denied.
During the pandemic, the UK and much of the world’s wealthiest nations moved to online learning. Teachers set work remotely, via online learning platforms and delivered ‘live’ lessons or pre-recorded video footage for students to access at a time convenient to them. Music performance was experienced through online Verzuz battles and ensemble performance moved to split screen synced recordings using the tools such as the Acapella app.
Take a moment to reflect upon your best experiences of music technology in the classroom, and ideas that you can happily do without. What worked for you and your students? Was anything particularly unhelpful or unsuccessful? Will you try again with this technology or disregard it altogether.
During the Music Technology in Education conference hosted by Music Teacher Magazine in November 2022, I was asked for my go-to recommendations of people to follow for technology tools and tips.
Here are 3 suggestions of who to follow, along with my 5 top tips for Music tech in the classroom.
1. TiME
3. Max Wheeler
5 Top Tips for Technology in the Music Room
Teach students to navigate the software by sharing instructions, hacks and trouble shooting solutions.
Be open to different methods of achieving the same goal with software. Remember that students often have access to the same or similar software, outside of school, or may have a natural flair for technology.
Maintain your hardware. Encourage students to leave their workstations in an acceptable manner and try to stay on top of repairs.
Support students’ creativity by providing models and scaffolds for learning.
Garner the support of your SLT in relation to the needs of the department. Have an open door where they can see your tech successes and challenges. Keep dialogue about provision, ongoing.
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