Carl Hancock AMEA President Moving forward through reflection and vision! Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I want to take a moment to update you on the incredible progress the AMEA Governing Board has made toward passing the Four Milestones I laid out in my August column and share some thoughts about our upcoming professional development conference. Before I do, I want you to know that I am very impressed with our division presidents, president-elects, and executive officers. They have shown remarkable enthusiasm for improving music education in Alabama, and are working very hard to host an excellent conference this January.
I have a lot of good news to share. So let's get started!
THE 2015 INSERVICE CONFERENCE Background thoughts to ponder
Participating in professional development is something Alabama music educators do better
than teachers in any other discipline. For instance, 96% of us belong to at least one professional music organization, 83% of us attend at least one conference per year, and an amazing 65% of us invested our time and savings to earn an advanced degree.1
So why
are we so involved in PD? Research on professional development clearly supports music educators have a keen sense of what we want from our professional development; we expect to learn from our peers, attend relevant experiences, acquire new skills, and forge mutually beneficial professional relationships.
Evidence is not just embedded in research and numbers. I believe it is also because we recognize what we want and are drawn to opportunities to learn. After all, our field is very complex, so we know there is much we can glean from each other. When I hear speeches about the latest “reform du jour,”2
I
am always surprised to learn the education profession has just now figured out that teachers prefer to learn from peers, only attend inservice that is relevant,3
desire
assessments from a mentoring teacher, and need opportunities to connect with colleagues in the same content area. Sometimes I just want to say, "it's about time the rest of you figured out what we've known for years."
An educational festival for elementary, middle, and high school students in band, choir, and orchestra
Another consideration is that our careers were forged in ensemble participation, so we desire PD opportunities that bring us together. Think about this…during our undergraduate years (and before), we sing in large ensembles, march with hundreds of colleagues, and perform in unison under the baton of a maestro. Music participation is a social activity, and so it stands to reason we enjoy returning to groups for fellowship and mentoring.
www.SMMFestival.com or call:1-855-766-3008
At the same time, we need to acknowledge that attending a state conference is akin to taking part in our cultural heritage. Music educators reconnect with a large community of like-minded professionals and share stories of triumphs and struggles. We applaud our heroes and celebrate the accomplishments of our friends. It seems state conference attendance is valued not just for content, but also for the opportunity to revive old days.4
6 Inservice conference highlights
As your President, I am very pleased with the steps the AMEA Governing Board has taken toward planning a great professional development experience for you. We are hosting many excellent ensembles and clinicians this year. However, I want to spotlight a couple of headliners we purposefully invited to meet our strategic goal of ramping up the professional in professional development. For starters, Dr. Robert Duke from the University of Texas will be here to make mind-blowing connections between our practice and what is happening in contemporary research; Dr. Deborah Confredo (formerly Sheldon) from Temple University will direct our first publisher- sponsored reading band; Dr.
Tucker
Biddlecombe from Vanderbilt University will present three hand-picked sessions dedicated to choral pedagogy; and Dr. John Feierabend from the University of Hartford, who is no stranger to Alabama, will come to make sure we all have a good time! Seriously, he will make you feel like a kid again as he transforms music fundamentals into pure fun. And finally, due to the incredible leadership provided by Dr. Sue Samuels and members of the College Band Directors National Association, the Intercollegiate Band will return to Montgomery, under the baton of Colonel John R. Bourgeois, Director Emeritus of the United States Marine Band, "The President's Own."
And that is just the beginning. Many of our friends and colleagues are preparing to perform and present sessions that will make you proud to be a music educator. I encourage you to read the schedule in this issue and make plans to attend the 2015 AMEA In- service Conference. Convenient online registration is available thanks to our Executive Director, Garry Taylor. Visit
http://tinyurl.com/2015AMEA
MILESTONE PROGRESS REPORT
First Milestone: Establish connections with nationally recognized teachers, scholars, organizations, and researchers to advance the quality of in-service learning.
My report: I think we are making excellent progress toward passing the first milestone.
October/November 2014
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