PRESIDENT ELECT’S MESSAGE Roseanne Rosenthal, VanderCook College of Music
Communication in the 21st Century
Communicating well is a skill that is as vital to our survival in the 21st century as no doubt it was in the first. What is different now is that we and our students now live in a world drenched in the changes wrought by computer technol- ogy. We know this is so when we can:
• Watch the rescue and feel the emotion as 33 Chilean miners are lifted from a shaft a half mile below the earth into the arms of their loved ones.
• Call home from a cafe in Italy.
• Write a dissertation without step- ping into a library.
• Video record one’s choral part, alone, to be fused into a world ensemble lead by a first-class conductor.
To meet the challenge of communicat- ing well in our digital era, Te Partner- ship for 21st Century Skills (P21) has developed a set of communication skills for 21st century learners. (See the enclosed box.) As you can see, “com- municating clearly” encompasses the ability to articulate thoughts and ideas in variety of forms and contexts, to use multimedia techniques, and to do so in diverse environments.
What do these goals mean for us as mu- sic educators? After all, communicating well still relies on sensitive, thoughtful choice of words and images; body language still matters; careful listening (some would say extreme listening) remains essential. As always, helping others learn to perform, create and ap- prehend the beauty of music remains our
mission. But in other ways, everything has changed.
Our 21st century capacity to connect around the globe is hugely expanded. Music teachers in Illinois have partner classrooms in other communities and countries with whom students video chat, share compositions, projects and more. Schools are expanding audiences by sending live feeds of concerts for viewing by others simultaneously, wher- ever they choose. It is almost pro forma to have a band or chorus website. Les- sons and performances are easily shared via YouTube. Our students are now submitting work and receiving feedback electronically, sometimes completing en- tire classes online. Some music teachers are exploring ways to give lessons using live chats and video feeds. Others happily
function asynchronously, one uploading a lesson and the other responding at a later time. Performance studios are even doing this on group sites.
We have so much to learn about com- municating well using our new tools. I frankly find myself in awe at the po- tential before us. So, rather than write more, I would like to share with you a top ten list of sites I find intriguing. Each is particularly impressive in il- lustrating how technology can be used to communicate differently. I have spent many, many hours being inspired using these sites and I hope that you too will find something you like. If you go to the online version of this article, the links will be active. Enjoy your cruise and let me know (communicate, please!!) if you see anything you like.
21st Century Communication Skills Defined by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Communicate Clearly
• Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts
• Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes and intentions
• Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)
• Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact
• Communicate effectively in diverse environments (including multi-lingual)
Extracted from P21 Framework Definitions
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org.
Reading this article in our digital edition provides hyperlinks for the annotated websites. Go to the IMEA website
www.ilmea.org, click on the publications tab and select the winter issue Volume 71 Number 2. Te password is: 21stCentury
18 Illinois Music Educator | Volume 71 Number 2
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