Te ensuing discussion was centered on four areas of concern: (1) High stakes assessment – certain members expressed continued concern about the validity of ‘edTPA’ for pre-service teachers; (2) Budget cuts - how financial pressures were affecting enrollment in some states and institutions; (3) P-12 licensing: the curricular challenges that accompany an expanded teacher certification type; (4) Field experiences – the issue of divergence between the collegiate curriculum and the reality of the student teaching experience. Issue four was raised, and echoed by a number of those present. Tis led to a discussion of how to structure mentorship programs for cooperating teachers.
Towards the end of the meeting, the facilitator asked the membership to speak candidly on how the SMTE national leadership could support faculty work at the local level. At- tendees voiced their desire to receive regular policy updates from their state representatives. Subsequently, a discussion on the ideal medium/media for distributing such infor- mation and fostering consistent conversations took place. Participants suggested the following possibilities: a) short columns and articles in state journals; b) notifications in state level music educator web sites; c) group emails; and, d) social media. Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, mem- bers collectively affirmed their intent to build better lines of communication between the SMTE, K12 teachers, and higher education faculty.
On Friday aſternoon, a plenary session entitled – Maintain- ing, Evolving and Transforming Music Education in the 21st Century took place. Te three panelists were Dr. Heather Cote, Director of Performing Arts for the Westwood Public School system (MA); Dr. Amanda Soto, an Assistant Profes- sor of Music Education at Texas State University; and, Dr. Betty Anne Younker, Dean and Professor of Music Educa- tion at Western University (Ontario, Canada).
Te 2017 SMTE Symposium concluded with a thought pro- voking address entitled ‘Whose Imaginings? Whose Futures?’ by Dr. Sandra Stauffer, Professor of Music Education at Arizona State University. Dr. Stauffer posited that the peren- nial ‘change’ conversations in music education failed to have their desired impact due to their grounding in the fossilized structures and constrictive philosophies of the present. Offering a metaphor from noted choreographer and dance educator, Liz Lerman - Dr. Stauffer urged the gathered SMTE members to “hike the horizontal”. She challenged the audience to transform the concept of a unilineal ‘upward’ trajectory by “pulling that vertical line down to a plane, bending it into a circle, and beginning to explore”. Charting a way forward, Dr. Stauffer advised the gathered to:
(1) Critically examine the use of the word ‘standards’ by NASM and NAFME for its problematic intimations of compliance and predictability. (2) Consider our use of language that codifies aspects of privilege and discounts certain cultural/historical perspectives (e.g. ‘traditional’). (3) Reflect on how the sonic landscape of our class- rooms telegraphs messages on the institutional power structures and boundaries of legitimacy. (4) Place the musical identities of individuals and their cultural geography at the center of conversations on curriculum and pedagogy (i.e. focus on the local expe- rience rather than grand narratives)
Dr. Stauffer proposed that the membership of SMTE should engage in “radical listening” by which she meant “listening mindfully, patiently, imaginatively, repeatedly, and inten- tionally” to the voices that surround us, even when it creates discomfort. Music teacher educators would have to perse- vere towards this goal by “overcoming simple weariness or our own wariness”. Asserting that, “Te future is not us, the future is them”, Dr. Stauffer mused on the difference be- tween imagining for versus imagining with, contextualizing it as the dynamic between higher education faculty, under- graduates, in-service teachers, and K12 students. Perhaps the most noteworthy moment of the speech was the use of John Lennon’s Imagine as a thought experiment of sorts. Te entire audience was invited to sing along and reflect on a revised version of the song which began with the words “Imagine there’s no NASM; Not so hard to do…”. Hearty laughter and robust singing ensued and it was this high note that greeted the conference summary and closing remarks by Dr. Brett Nolker (symposium chair)
Te Society for Music Teacher Education will convene once in March 2018, under the aegis of the biennial NAFME Mu- sic Research and Teacher Education National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. It is anticipated that this will present an opportunity to advance initiatives and collaborations forged at this year’s SMTE symposium. For more details about the SMTE and past symposiums, please visit
www.smte.us/ §
1SMTE conference program p. 2
42
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
