technology Creative and Inspired Teachers Are the
Best Technology! David Johnson, WMEA State Chair, Technology
It is with great hu- mility and honor that I begin my term as technology chair for WMEA – a role that has been so won- derfully fulfilled by Matt McVeigh for the last few years. His outstanding
contributions during his term have served as an invaluable source of information and insight on technology’s role in teach- ing music. I have always admired his emphasis on how the real purpose of technology in a music classroom is to help make deeply human and musical connections.
Creative and inspired teaching has been and always will be the way to empower people to make deeply human and musi- cal connections through music. There truly isn’t any technology in existence that can replace a creative or inspired human teacher – one who is passionate and knowledgeable about the subject he or she teaches.
The current level of technology available to us already provides a wealth of tools and resources that have powerful potential to enhance performance, expand knowl- edge, inspire and empower creativity. In fact, there is a seemingly endless ocean of technology that is designed to address practically any and every conceivable
challenge a teacher may face on a daily basis. Imagine anything a teacher would want to try and teach a student and it’s pretty safe to conclude that, “Yes, there’s probably an app for that.” And within this ocean of overabundance, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the myriad of options out there.
What interests me is not so much what hardware and software options are avail- able to us, but rather what creative and inspired teachers are doing with the technologies they have elected to use in their classrooms and rehearsal spaces. I believe the very best resources we have as music teachers in Wisconsin are each other and during my time as WMEA state technology chair, I intend to use the space allotted to me in WSM to profile Wisconsin music teachers who are using technology on a regular basis as a tool to help students make those deeply human and musical connections we all are aspiring to help our own students make.
Educational Classical Guitars
Developed with schools, parents, and students in mind! Westwood guitars were designed with a combination of quality and value to make learning fun and fulfilling. Three sizes available for easy playing at all levels.
Tune into your students’ needs by introducing an appealing instrument that is affordable, easy to learn, and stimulating to every student!
Please fill out the survey at http://www.
surveymonkey.com/s/THF7SNN and be sure to include your contact information. After completing this survey, you may be eligible to have you and your classroom featured in the technology section of an upcoming WSM issue. I would like to visit your school for an interview, take photos of the technologies being used by students and gather materials to submit to the online component of WSM. Not only will this provide excellent public relations for your program, it will also serve as an inspiring source of information for other educators in the state.
www.westmusic.com 800-397-9378
28
David Johnson currently teaches band in Williams Bay School District. He is also a member of Wisconsin Youth Band Directors Association and Wisconsin Advocates for Music Education committee. Email:
djohnson@williamsbay.k12.wi.us
September 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72