Before the readings, I have always considered myself a digital native. I know my way around a computer, and have often come to the aid of more veteran teachers who need assistance. I can zip around the web easily, and regularly visit education websites such as TeachersPayTeachers and Education Closet. I can set up, plug in, and easily teach myself how to use any piece of technology. And yes, I'm as addicted to Facebook as the rest of the world.
Prior to this year, my technology use in the classroom has been for my purposes - Microsoft Word, Excel, & Publisher; Google apps such as Drive; searching for resources to use in my classroom. Technology use for my students was my CD player and occasional YouTube or Music Express videos.
This year, however, I began teaching at a new Arts and Technology elementary magnet school, where a wealth of technology was offered to me. I have a smartboard, a Mac desktop, a MacBook Pro, iPad, and access to MacBook and iPad carts for my students' use. While I have successfully integrated my SmartBoard into daily classes, I am at a loss at how to use the rest with my music students. We have been given the technology with little or no training on ways to actually use it in our classroom. In fact any training has been geared more for the classroom teachers, with few uses in the music room.
So imagine my excitement when this class came up! I am really hoping that this class will help me combine my technical knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge to achieve 'TPACK' - and be able to use the technology available to me to help my students learn. I am very much looking forward to learning how to integrate and use technology with my students.
I'm already enjoying some of the websites mentioned in Bauer's Your Personal Learning Network : Professional Development on Demand article - I have already found a use for the "Classics for Kids" NPR podcasts! I want to use some of them in our music integration unit in biographies!
Next week, I am planning on starting a basic unit with my fifth graders in GarageBand - again, something I don't have a lot of experience with, and I am very nervous about!
It's great that you have access to all that new technology! As we learn new ways to integrate technology and new programs in our classrooms you'll be able to create and use the lessons with your students immediately.
ReplyDeleteI have also found that there is a lack of training on how to use technology as a teaching tool, especially for music teachers. I know that there is a lot more I could be doing as a music teacher to incorporate technology into my daily lessons. I use a SmartBoard and the musictechteacher website for music theory practice. I am also hoping to achieve TPACK and to become a more adaptive teacher which will make teaching music even more interesting and exciting for me as well as for my students.
It's great that you're trying GarageBand with your fifth graders despite your lack of experience. Sometimes you just have to take that first step to get started and then learn as you go along. I'm sure the students will be excited about using that program. I would love to hear about your experiences with Garageband!