A New Adventure Begins

“The effective integration of technology requires teachers to thoughtfully consider how content, pedagogy, and technology work together in a specific teaching and learning context” (Bauer, 2014, p.15).  There is no doubt that technology plays a major role in the lives of my students today.  New technologies seem to be emerging faster than ever, and my students are growing up in the midst of this technological era.  It seems impossible to keep up at times!  I really appreciated Bauer’s approach to the topic of technology in education.  Throughout the introduction and first chapters, he consistently both acknowledges the importance of technology in the music classroom and the responsibility of the teacher to decide how to integrate it in a meaningful way.  I love that he emphasized that each teaching context looks different.  I don’t want my focus to be on what I don’t have available to my students, but in improving the use of what I do have.  This way, my focus is both on my growth as a teacher and my students’ growth as musicians in my current teaching situation.

As I reflect on my own incorporation and development of Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), I must first reflect on the how I currently use technology in my own classroom.  At East Hartford High School, where I teach, I am one of four full-time music teachers.  We share a common office space and move between three different classrooms throughout the day.  I work in an urban district where our budget is tight and resources are limited.  The chorus and band room are simply equipped with a desktop computer and speakers.  Other than that, we have a white board and old fashioned chalk boards.  Needless to say, the ability to incorporate technology in these rooms is almost non-existent.  I often play recordings for critical listening exercises, but, other than that, I am limited to using the computer for inputting grades, taking attendance, email, and internet.  Our general music classroom, set up as a piano lab, is slightly better.  We have 25 Casio keyboards for students to learn basic piano skills.  I have a desktop computer with speakers, hooked up to a Smartboard.  Hallelujah! A Smartboard!  This technology changes the entire dynamic of the classroom.  For my piano classes, I am able to create all of our lesson notes beforehand, improving efficiency in presentation of the material.  These lessons are interactive, generating class participation and discussion.  I am able to show videos that reinforce concepts, introduce composers, and expose students to different aspects of performance.  The Smartboard truly is a wonderful tool that I wish I had access to in all of my classrooms.

Though I have limited technology resources available (I often dream of the beautiful music lab equipped with individual student stations and composing and recording software!), I still believe there are ways to improve the use of what I do have.  What else can I incorporate with access to the internet? Social networking? Class websites? Smartboard technology? Google+?  Music Software?  I feel, at this point in my career, I am at a place where I want to explore this third piece of TPACK, the integration of technology into my pedagogical knowledge.  The curriculum I have built over the years is established and I am looking for ways to build on this foundation through the use of technology.  With the right research and training, the options are really endless.  Here’s to a new adventure!