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Blog: Catalysts & Connections

Robotics to augment musical engagement?

A recent development out of Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology demonstrates how robotics can be used to augment live performance. However one feels about this type of technology and its connection to human performance, I find it helpful to think through these types of developments and imagine future scenarios that might relate to or impact music teaching and learning. I’ve written in the past about robots in relationship to music and musical engagement. More recently, in my article Reflecting on… Read More »Robotics to augment musical engagement?

CS For All: Creating music with code!

While science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is still a dominant paradigm in contemporary society, many people are engaging in STEAM (STEM with the arts included) in a robust manner. President Obama’s recent announcement of a Computer Science for All initiative (and $4 billion in funding) is an important development in STEM education as well as the potential for a larger presence of STEAM in instances where the arts might otherwise be absent.

CS For All and related initiatives provide music educators with an opportunity to take a lead role in identifying the potential for STEAM and substantive connections between music engagement, teaching, and learning and computer science.

Creating music with programming and code is just one approach to having people engage with aspects of STEAM and make connections to computer science. Read More »CS For All: Creating music with code!

Christmas concerts on Chanukah and considering issues of cultural sensitivity. . .

Around this time of year, the Music Teachers Facebook Group is full of posts about Christmas concerts, religion and music education, sacred music in schools, and associated issues. The majority of the posts often position Christmas as the default holiday during wintertime and focus of concerts that occur this time of year. Some posts or comments even dismiss perspectives that question this focus or admonish students who are uncomfortable with foci on Christmas and related music. I’m left wondering how well music education is doing at addressing issues of understanding, cultural sensitivity, and meaning making in relation to these types of conversations.Read More »Christmas concerts on Chanukah and considering issues of cultural sensitivity. . .

Bringing curriculum to life: Enacting project-based learning in music programs

Tobias, E. S., Campbell, M. R., & Greco, P. (2015). Bringing curriculum to life: Enacting project-based learning in music programs. Music Educators Journal, 102(2), 39-47. doi:10.1177/0027432115607602

My co-authored article Bringing curriculum to life: Enacting project-based learning in music programs is now published in the Music Educators Journal. I really like how the principles and practical suggestions can be applied in pretty much any music teaching and learning context. The abstract of the article is as follows: 

At its core, project-based learning is based on the idea that real-life problems capture student interest, provoke critical thinking, and develop skills as they engage in and complete complex undertakings that typically result in a realistic product, event, or presentation to an audience. This article offers a starting point for music teachers who might be interested in using project-based learning as a teaching strategy and also interested in “building” student competency and “bringing to life” student engagement in the music curriculum. To help music educators enact project-based learning in their classes and ensembles, we outline a process for designing and facilitating projects, provide vignettes that situate theory in practice, and discuss projects in relation to curriculum, standards, assessment, and teacher evaluation.

 

Read More »Bringing curriculum to life: Enacting project-based learning in music programs

Reflecting on changes in practice through integrating participatory culture in our classrooms

Tobias, E. S., VanKlompenberg, A., & Reid, C. (2015). Reflecting on changes in practice through integrating participatory culture in our classrooms. Mountain Lake Reader: Conversations On the Study and Practice of Music Teaching, 6, 94-110. My co-authored article with Abigail VanKlompenberg and Catherine Reid  Reflecting on Changes in Practice Through Integrating Participatory Culture in Our Classrooms is published in The Mountain Lake Reader (in varied formats thanks to the work of Janet Cape). The article is a result of a… Read More »Reflecting on changes in practice through integrating participatory culture in our classrooms