Extract
This paper will briefly look some key areas in music related ICT and their implications for the teacher trainer.
Issues for the Trainers
Challenging trainees’ perceptions
Statistics show that trainees embarking upon ITT courses have been predominantly educated in the European classical tradition. Hence their perceptions of music technology and its relation to musical expression and skills should be explored. A wider debate relating to the received aesthetic of the musical ‘canon’, along with assumptions in relation to musical creativity, should also be discussed. Music technology often challenges these views by enabling pupils to engage in musical processes which bypass traditional musical learning. Moreover, the musical outcomes often lie outside the trainees’ subject knowledge. Trainers should direct trainees to focus on the musical learning that might be taking place when a pupil engages with music technology along with its relevance and authenticity to the pupils’ own musical experiences.
Embedding technology in workshops
Trainers should consider making extensive use of technology to present and support their workshops with trainees. Making use of a laptop linked to a computer projector and sound system will allow trainers to display PowerPoint presentations, reveal scrolling screens of music software, and present sound and vision using the latest technologies (e.g. mp3 files and digital video). This should develop their trainees’ awareness of the scope and range of ICT and might inspire them to develop their own audio/visual resources.
Planning to use ICT
Lesson planning proformas should include the opportunity for trainees to state how they will be using music related ICT in their lessons. Trainers might wish to make a distinction between using music related ICT as a teacher resource and using music related ICT as a pupil resource.
When trainees plan lessons they should be aware of the musical and ICT skills that they will be developing in the pupils. For example, a keyboard lesson might include the following teaching and learning focus:
- developing basic control of ICT: setting up, volume, balance, etc.
- making musical choices: what timbre? what musical style? what speed? etc.
- keyboard control: the correct fingers to use, the geography of the keyboard, how to play single fingered chords , etc.
- recording and storing: memory features and playback possibilities.
Developing skills
Trainees need to have the opportunity to engage with the technology in regular course directed workshops. Hence trainers need to ensure that they can provide access to a range of the latest resources. These should ideally be available in the training institution. However, some courses successfully make use of the resources available in partnership schools.
Use of ICT should be included in the criteria relating to course assignments. Trainers should also consider developing assignments that make specific use of music related ICT within the context of developing valid approaches to teaching and learning.
Managing resources
Trainers should ensure that trainees are aware of the effective management of ICT resources. When planning to use music related ICT in the classroom trainees need to 'check out' the following:
- Are there enough resources to allow effective musical interaction?
- Are they fairly and evenly distributed (for example, between boys and girls)?
- Is the equipment, including peripherals, working?
Is the learning environment effective (for example, sight lines, group interaction)?
- Is the equipment safe?
- Are the pupils safe?
- How will the trainee record, save and store the pupils’ work?
Another issue relating to distribution of resources is the balance between music technology and acoustic sources. Trainees should be encouraged to integrate music technology with more traditional vocal and instrumental work.
End of extract
