WEEK 1 READINGS – ISABELLA LOONG

Reading 1

Heppell, S. (2013, October 22). Curriculum is not content. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://workshop.heppell.mobi/2013/10/i-wrote-this-for-financial-times-and-it.html.

Response:

Heppell’s (2013) article discusses educational approaches regarding the evolving use of technology and curriculum from schools in South East Asia and the United Kingdom. More specifically, Heppell (2013) stresses the significance of targeting higher-order thinking skills above content within the curriculum, including collaboration, problem solving, creativity, reflection and critical thinking. My perspective of embracing innovative and accessible technology in effective music education with more opportunities for students to direct their learning of these higher-order thinking skills resonates with Heppell’s view that technology is “a key to open that ambition” (2013). Particularly for teaching a creative art form, my position values the positive use of digital technology for deeper learning of “collaborative ingenuity” and creativity with “Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) as a new international measure of educational effectiveness” (Heppell, 2013). Thus, as a music educator in the 21^st century, I aim to integrate the development of effective technology alongside progressive learning of essential thinking and creative skills required in today’s evolving society.

 

Reading 2

Tezuka, T. (2014). The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/takaharu_tezuka_the_best_kindergarten_you_ve_ever_seen.

Response:

This video talk by Tezuka (2014) explores the concept of architecture and innovative, open learning spaces for young students implemented at a Kindergarten school in Japan. In particular, the integration of an open classroom culture acts as a collaborative technological tool for learning in this context for early education, which I believe is essential for peer collaboration and communication in music teaching. With the integration of accessible and adaptive classrooms in which all students are visible by each other and staff, as well as students’ freedom to explore and move around, Tezuka states, “my point is don’t control them, don’t protect them too much, and they need to tumble sometimes” (2014). This philosophy of education and technology collaborating in the unique environment space enables student-directed learning and provides valuable opportunities for problem solving, independent study and team building with formative assessment of learning. Particularly for music education in the 21^st century, I agree with Tezuka’s value of architecture and technology in contemporary learning as “capable of changing this world, and people’s lives” (2014) with both comfort, experimentation and controlled risks for creative learning. Consequently, I will strive to implement an open, collaborative space with architecture and technology coinciding to enhance the influence of environmental space for learning music today.

MOOC WEEK 1 PORTFOLIO REFLECTION – TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION

This week has been a great introduction to the MOOC examining the role of technology and innovation in music education. Critical discussion has reflected on the significance of electric and acoustic instruments as tools for music-making, as well as various school models of pedagogy methods with and without technology, including the Rudolf Steiner school, Carl Orff approach, different architectural spaces, peer collaboration programs and project-based learning. Subsequently, there was exploration of broader contextual issues regarding these diverse approaches to technology in music education.

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