This course has helped me branch out and try using technology such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts. On my own, I may never have tried each one of these and understood their uses for my classroom. It was a real learning experience for me. These tools help me make my classroom more learner centered. I have already begun placing the responsibility and power of learning on my students’ shoulders. This is something I have struggled with in the past. I have been the type of teacher to spoon feed my students. I have learned all kinds of strategies to change this perspective by using these tools. This summer I will continue developing these skills and ideas so that when I begin my fall classes, I will have blogs and wikis in place for the students to get involved.
My first goal will be to institute a classroom blog that my students will use to critique music, share ideas for better performances and learn from each other. I will develop each step for this during the summer and introduce it to the classes in the fall. I will probably have one blog a week for them to respond to and help each other. My second goal is to get my students involved in making podcasts and linking up with other music students to learn new music and teach others.
