To be digitally literate means that you are able to recognize the technological tools at your disposal, and have the skills to be able to use them appropriately for the given task at hand or to solve a problem. Students MUST have a handle on digital literacy to be able to function in any post-secondary learning or work environment. Teaching Digital Citizenship is a huge part of this puzzle, as students must be directed to what the right tools for the job are, and how to use them effectively and appropriately.
The students in my piano class will often use their devices to support their learning when learning a new piece on the piano. They listen to a YouTube recoding, or use one of those tutorials that people put out to help them learning what the song sounds like, and to troubleshoot any tricky sections in the music that may be holding them back from performing the piece well. The students in my Choir will record the parts to the song we are working on with the phone or tablet, and then use that recording to work by themselves or in sectionals to learn the piece better. They also use online music notation software to input their part, and utilizing the playback feature, they can hear what it should sound like. This is pretty amazing technology at their fingertips, and all supports their college and career readiness because they can use these same technologies for the same purpose in any sort of post-secondary environment. BUT the best part? The students came up with all of these ideas on their own. They find the YouTube videos, they take the initiative to record their parts and practice them, and they have figured out multiple different programs to make their music sound that much better. The amount of student agency happening in these programs also speaks to their career and college readiness, as they are ready to take on any challenge that comes their way with ease.
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One of our Four-Corner debate questions tonight was whether we believe cell phones should be allowed in the classroom or not. While this may seem like a pretty cut and dry debate, the interesting part of this discussion is that I have found the people who lean to one side or the other are almost stereotypical. After doing an informal survey of teachers on my campus, I was able to guess, about 95% of the time, whether or not a teacher believes that cell phones should be allowed in the classroom or not.
What I found is that older teachers, or rather, those that have been in the profession for about 7+ years, will tell you that they absolutely will not allowed cell phones in the classroom. They say that they are a huge distraction, and that the kids simply do not listen when their phone is out. I believe that this is because most of these teachers started teaching right when cell phones became much more functional, and just about every student had one in their pocket. I know, I was one of those students. There is a small faction of teachers in this category that still believe cell phones COULD be used for good- i.e. educational purposes in the classroom, but now that we are 1-to-1 with laptops, the same results can be achieved using the student device... so the phone must be put away. I firmly believe that cell phones SHOULD be allowed in the classroom, and that just like any other norm or academic behavior, we have to train kids how and when to use it appropriately. We cannot simply ignore this incredibly powerful tool that they all carry on them 24/7, because removing this device from their hand will NOT guarantee that they will listen to you. First and foremost, the teacher and the topic have to be interesting enough for the students to actually want to listen. The phone will not come out if this is the case. Secondly, structure the learning activities so that the phone is an option to be able to use it effectively for whatever the academic purpose may be. In my classroom, I have students use their phones to record themselves singing or playing, record me playing their part, use their tuner, research topics, listen to the song they are working on, promote our classroom and club activities, and so much more. They are trained to know when and how to use the phone to further our mission, and they know when it is time to work and be engaged with their peers, and not be on their phone. Simple as that. Even though I was not able to be in attendance for this class session, I have had many discussions with my cohort about the importance of parent involvement in a successful music program. The Band/Music Boosters play a vital role in supporting the mission of our music program with logistics, man-power, and most importantly, another source of funding. Since the Boosters program is a 501c3, there are a ton of things that they are able to help pay for that the school district or ASB student clubs could not cover for whatever reason. For example, if we wanted to hire professional musicians to play in the orchestra for our musical, we would have to do a whole vendor contract and W-2 forms and all that crap. The Boosters can just cut a check, and poof! Done.
Beyond monetary support, to know that the parents are willing to put time, energy, and often personal funds into supporting their kids music education is so rad. It not only helps with the kids having that much more buy-in to the program, but it also helps the larger community see that we care about what they think, and value their input into the planning and running of our school programs. The Booster is an organization that I personally want to grow at my school, and up until this year, it was only for the Band program. We have gotten this to expand to include the Choral and Strings program, which has been a great boost (no pun intended) to help our programs thrive. I cannot understate the value of parental involvement in any school program. My advice to my fellow teachers- Make it happen! The reflection from tonight's class is centered around this article that I read about College and Career readiness. It is a very timely topic, as I am looking into the details of changing my credential and the course of all my programs at WRHS to a CTE Pathways model. So, college and career readiness has already been on the front-burner of my mind this last week.
The article and subsequent discussion focused on the importance of teaching "soft skills" or non-cognitive attributes to education in tandem with the Academic goals that we have prescribed students as needing to be successful in post-grad life. These skills, such as social-emotional development, critical thinking, self-regulation, communication, time management, and cultural competency, are tantamount, if not more important, that other skills that schools teach like literacy, standardized test performance, and course rigor. These soft skills are necessary to be successful in any collegiate settings, and most if not all workforce settings. So why then, are we not assessing students in their competency in the above areas? Why do we focus so hard on their reading, writing, and arithmetic development that we neglect to foster their social-emotional needs and team work skills? This study that the article I read referenced showed that social competency and student behavior were just as important indicators for future achievement as standardized test scores. WHAT? This blew my mind... for a few reasons. First of all, if they way students behave in school and the extent to which they are able to navigate the many social challenges that high school throws at them are just as important as the content they are being taught and tested on, WHY do we not talk about these things in the classroom? The only time social and behavioral needs are really addressed is when there is an issue! We need to celebrate more of the good social emotional interactions happening in our classrooms, and incorporate this into our daily teaching practice. Our students' futures depend on it! Secondly, we need to really re-think our standardized testing system. The very thought of these tests makes my blood boil, especially after seeing what the higher-ups do with this data and the influence that this data has on the share of resources that our schools get. Low performance scores means LESS funding for programs and support personnel? How does that make any sense? Frankly, how is that not illegal?? Man.. I could write another book! What is most frustrating though is that these standardized tests not only inaccurately show the students' performance in the given area, but also the content that is being assessed doesn't really matter when it comes to their college and career readiness! So again, WHY ARE WE MAKING KIDS DO THESE TESTS?? What the students really need is assessments that measure the "soft skills" that will prepare them for the world beyond high school, not academic jargon with arbitrating theorems and grammar rules. What they really need are educators and administrations that intimately understand the issues the students face on a daily basis and the reality of urban education. What they really need is a system that has support for ALL students to succeed, and doesn't leave the students that are "bad at school" to be set up for a post-secondary life full of "no's" and "you cant". What they really need, is an education system that is designed around them. DUH! Today we left class on a very interesting question... one that I could not shake from my thoughts as I suffered from insomnia this evening. And even throughout this week (yes, I am writing this a week late... sorry) I found myself asking my friends and colleagues in education this very question:
Would students still come to your class if they didn't have to? The responses that I have gotten from my little village of educators have honestly been laughable. Most frequently, I got an immediate and forceful "YES, OF COURSE". "My students love me and they love what we do in class". The cynical, and admittedly dominant, part of me had to beg the follow-up question: How do you know? What evidence are you getting from your students that this is where they truly want to be at this moment? What is the buy-in that is keeping them coming day after day for 90 minutes at a time? I feel that the over-confidence and slightest bit of arrogance is really admirable in some of the veteran teachers that I am referencing. They have done this for long enough that they feel really good about their teaching practice, and really good about the students that they have in their class. Me, on the other hand, as a new teacher, taking over a program from a very well-liked teacher before me, is having some serious doubts about this topic. It is an uncomfortable reality, but I have had lots of issues with this very question; asking myself if what I am doing in my program is interesting and engaging enough for the students to want to be here everyday. And sometimes conversely, is what I am doing too much for them to handle with everything else that is going on in our world? I am trying to answer this question both honestly and humbly, with a mind towards the future about what I could do differently to increase the amount of students that would show up to my class even if they did not have to. What I am noticing is that students interests vary based on the project we are doing. In the Fall of last year, we had three concerts (which is A LOT for one semester in Choir) where we sang in a traditional Choral setting, and mostly easy to medium difficulty repertoire that was certainly within the paradigm that the students were used to in years prior with the other instructor. I had 60 students in the program, and I would say that about 75% of them had great buy-in, and would have totally come to class if they didn't have to because they enjoyed this setting and the music we performed. This term, I totally have changed it up... First of all, I only have an advanced section of Choir this term, with 25 students enrolled. We started with a project which is NOTHING like they have done before. A student-led show with a story that they came up with, as well as arranging all the music, lots of solos, acting, movement, character study... the whole nine yards. Oh, not to mention the theme was Disney/Pixar. I thought that I would have 100% buy-in with a student-centered, collaborative project like this. Well, not everyone was a fan! I would say that the 75% figure from last term dropped to about 50% this term. Maybe it was the process, which I admittedly need to refine some more, or maybe it was the fact that is was so different and new... but I had a small coup forming within my group that has made for a very interesting and emotional few months. I had to ask myself this difficult question a lot, which I am honestly still working through. Now, we are working on a big musical, a project in collaboration with the theatre and band classes, which is also a very demanding endeavor for my students. We will see when this whole thing is over how it worked out for everyone. I am going to use this information to plan for future projects like this, and ensure that I can balance what I want to do and am good at with what the students will buy-in to, and what will help them advance in their musical development. Ah... the never-ending struggle of a music teacher. Huzzah! What happened in my life that brought me into Education, and more importantly, why am I staying in Education?
This is the prompt that we spent a great deal of time in class on today, and is one that I would like to expand upon for this session's reflection. As I mentioned during my minute of fame, I was raised in the private school system, and have always had a fascination with the "problems" with public schools. Even as a kid, I was really bothered by the fact that my parents decided for me that the schools in Stockton weren't good enough, and that I really had no choice but to go to the expensive schools that they picked for me. I recognize that I am very privileged in that my family was able to afford private education for my 17 years from Kinder to College (also a private Uni), but I have to beg the question - was it worth it?? There were SO many issues with this, that honestly I could write a book about it. But, in an honest effort to condense my thoughts and feelings into a blog post, I won't go into the gory details. Basically, the schools that I attended had mostly sub-par underqualified instructors, they shuffled through administrators like a deck of cards, and all of the programs that I was interested in - the Arts mainly - were critically underfunded (yay Sports!). So, would I have gotten a better holistic education at my local public school? Maybe... who knows. One thing I do know for sure is that I really had no idea what the big deal was with the Public School system. That is, until I started working for them... Not only working for public schools, but also as a parent with kids that will be raised in said schools. Seeing this issue from both sides now, I feel a deep and urgent call to stay and fix this broken system. Even in my small little way, I want to help fix all of these issues with the public school system that scared my parents so much as to keep me away from it for the majority of my life. I want to create a safe-space for students to be their true and authentic selves. I want to create programs that not only highlight the incredible talent we have in our community, but also gives voice to students who would not have these opportunities elsewhere. I want to show students that they are more than just the grade they have earned. And, most importantly, I want students to see that there is more than one road to success. I was told there was only ONE way to get what I wanted in life... and that simply isn't true. My parents thought that if I went to a public school, I would not be able to stay on that path and achieve my goals. BOY where they wrong! Maybe my aspirations for reform are bigger than my classroom and program. Maybe I need to take this to the next level as an administrator and/or a policy maker. Who knows. But I sure can't stop now. This was a very edifying class session for me personally, as I found that many of the presentations that my classmates gave affirmed the knowledge that I already had about the history of public education. Of course, there were new tidbits of information that I learned... tons, in fact.
The most interesting aspect of the history of education is how much we rely on the late 19th century world to shape the format and structure of our education system. The ideals of the enlightenment mixed with the economic circumstances of the Industrial Revolution have created a system that only works for ONE type of learner. And in doing so, our system leaves so many students behind. (Millions each year, in fact). The whole notion that our school mirrors aspects from factory life is completely and utterly disturbing. But, when pulling back the curtain and objectively looking at many of the "norms" of public education, it is clear that this is true! Bells dictate when students move from one area to another, our physical school buildings are constructed so that the various disciplines are each in their own space, and we are still in school for 7+ hours a day... similar to the modern workforce hours. Most jarringly, the fact that students are grouped in "batches" based on their "manufacture date" (birthday) rather than by the abilities, development, or interests! I would love to eventually see education reform towards a direction where we are customarily grouping students into these categories that would actually aim to benefit them in the long run, rather than through them together into classes simply because they were born in the same place during the same year. The larger question that I left this session with was twofold: Where do we go from here? and HOW do we get there? Of course- this is not a simple question, and is something that I believe everyone who still gives a crap about students is thinking about, especially as we emerge from this hellish few years of the Pandemic. One of the answers that the material I studied tonight suggested was that Divergent Thinking was a way out of this rut we are seeing in student achievement. The idea that we need to teach students HOW to learn, and how to find creative solutions to problems instead of simply learning the one way to do this or the one answer to that problem and regurgitating the information on one of the many meaningless standardized tests that they have to take throughout the year. If we (as an education system) are really concerned with the so-called "learning loss" from distance learning and the Pandemic, why in the world are we dedicating HOURS every month to have students take these ridiculous assessments?? They loose an incredible amount of instructional time to these dumb tests, that honestly I don't see the purpose for in a 21st century classroom. Anyway... off my soapbox. I am very eager to continue this discussion in future class session, and possibly even into a Master's degree (maybe that could help me find an answer to the HOW do we get there idea?). That's all for now. Cheers! This is a prompt that I have thought about many times in recent weeks, as I prepare to plan next year's programs and events for my Choirs at Weston Ranch. It is actually serendipitous that I happen to be in this class just at this time, and I HAVE TO be thinking about the purpose behind everything that I do with these kids. Taking this a step further for a moment, I will reflect on not only asking what school is for, but what a Choir and music programs in school are for.
In a nutshell, I believe that school is a place where young people become informed, well-rounded citizens. High schoolers, specifically, are forced to socialize with all different kinds of people they would have never talked to without this space. All of the different courses, events, and other happenings in the High School culture are designed to create these well-rounded individuals that know just enough about a lot of things to not only appreciate all the different aspects of our society, but also to have some sense when they become an adult! Not to get too political... but man, we would be in a much different place right now if everyone took High School Bio class seriously! Or Social Studies.... man. Anyway, I digress. As a far as music programs go... call me bias, but I truly believe that every student can benefit from a wholesome music education. It doesn't matter what discipline they take a class in (although I am partial to Choir and Piano!), when kids learn more about music, they learn more about themselves, and each other, and maybe about the world around us. I want to provide my students with every opportunity to perform and create that I can. I have even designed new types of projects to help them achieve these goals. And of course I would love to have students that end up going into the music industry and/or major in music in college. But ultimately, if each of my students leaves my class with a newfound appreciation for music and a small tool kit to be able to create and express their musical ideas, than I feel that I have done my job as the teacher. |
AuthorEthan is the Director of Choral Activities at Weston Ranch High School in Stockton, CA. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Conservatory of Music at UOP. Ethan is also the Founder/CEO of Rhythm Works, Inc., a local non-profit music organization. ArchivesCategories |