WEEK 5 FINAL MANIFESTO – ISABELLA LOONG

Critical Thinking

• What have you learned from the research?

Responding to the research and practices that I’ve learnt from this course alongside my own resources, I aim to adapt many of these effective ideas into my teaching practice. In particular, I will strive to improve my teaching with Humberstone’s ‘pluralist’ approach to music education for students’ intrinsic learning of listening, composing and performing skills with inclusive and innovative technology. More specifically, I agree with Gill’s pioneering ideas of exposing students to a wide range of music repertoire, cultures and genres for maximum engagement and musical inspiration with various creative practices for composition and improvisation. I am also more confident in planning and delivering students’ practical study of contemporary repertoire after developing my understanding of Musical Futures and Green’s pedagogy for teaching Popular music and Price’s ‘open’ and Project Based Learning self-regulated by the students and facilitated by the teacher.

• What skills do you need to help you bring technology meaningfully into your classroom?

The skills I require to help implement technology meaningfully into my classroom include clear communication, collaboration, experimentation, accessibility, modelling and creativity for interactive learning. Similar to Mitra’s use of accessible computers in the classroom, it is essential to engage collaboration and connection for student-directed independent learning of various information, levels and skills in music. With the evolving development of technology and educational research, I will continue to advance my professional development of teaching music technology, informed by my academic and technical training of Sonic Arts with audio production, sound engineering and composition with professional recording studio technology. Self-directed learning and informal learning methods with teachers guiding students’ interactive experimentation with music via technology is at the forefront of my philosophy. In addition, my balanced integration of audiovisual ICT, professional industry equipment and media-rich resources and tools applied to the music curriculum, aims to enhance and achieve inclusion and differentiation accessible for all students’ learning in music education.

• What is most important to you, how can you advocate for it, and how can you bring it to life in your own practice?

Most importantly, I believe that interactive, engaging, inclusive, creative, innovative and accessible integration of audiovisual technology and resources enhances our teaching and learning today. Accordingly, I will advocate for this balanced, professional and justified use of innovative music technology in education with self-directed learning, non-formal and informal learning strategies as teachers support students’ practical and intrinsic experimentation with music via media-rich technology. Moreover, inclusion of safe, accessible and affordable training of technology and equipment such as DAWs, notation software, instruments and machines in my own teaching practice, ensures creative learning for all students’ abilities, interests, levels, prior knowledge, experiences and sociocultural backgrounds.

Action Plan

• What will you do first?

My initial plan for advancing music technology in my educational practice is to research, assess and evaluate both new and familiar tools and resources for my teaching. With further professional development and resources from Musical Futures, Orff and Kodaly methods, I will compile a selection of the most effective, accessible and relevant pedagogies, tools and strategies to experiment and implement in my teaching programs linked to the music curriculum for innovative learning.

• How will it have the affect you want it to?

In conjunction with the critical reflection I have gained from this course, my action plan steps will guide my personal philosophy and pedagogical practice to assimilate the vast employment of technological resources and tools to enhance interactive audiovisual teaching for students’ progressive learning in music. To prepare all students for future creative industries, the development of inclusive and interactive teaching and learning in music evolves alongside technology.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed developing my professional knowledge and skills relevant for my teaching role in advancing music education and technology for creative students in today’s context.

Humberstone, J (2020). The Place of Music in 21st Century Education, The University of Sydney. Retrieved from https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education.