Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Music Technology Context


Colleen Ferry Gilmore J. Fisher Middle School, Ewing, NJ cferry@ewingboe.org


While we may be unsure of what school will look like


for the remainder of the 2020-21 year, it is important to recognize how essential music classes have been and con- tinue to be for our students’ social and emotional well- being. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the great potential that music technology enrichments specifically have to promote students’ Social Emotional Learning (SEL). While I am focusing on this specific type of music class, it is important to note that all music classes at every grade level have a positive impact on students. Many music teachers were tasked with engaging and


motivating their students through hybrid and/or remote learning. This is made challenging by numerous factors including resources at students’ homes, different learning needs, support systems at home, and the psychological side effects that quarantine and separation from school may have already had on students. Music classes are unique in that they naturally provide an outlet for cre- ativity, a place to build close positive relationships (Ed- gar, 2017), as well as social and emotional growth all of which are crucial during an especially challenging school year. Through teaching music technology in alternating hybrid and remote scenarios, I have seen how beneficial music enrichments can be for students and a place to naturally incorporate SEL. It should also be noted that this type of enrichment class was highly adaptable to ei- ther scenario. The five core competence areas of SEL are: Self-


awareness, self-management, responsible decision mak- ing, social awareness and relationship skills (CASEL, 2019). Self-awareness is the ability to understand your own emotions and thoughts and how they impact how you behave. Students develop self-awareness as they cre- ate personal projects that express their personality, cul-


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ture, opinions and feelings. Many students who were enrolled in my class had not had previous music experi- ence, so this was also an opportunity for them to dis- cover an interest in making music using digital tools. For example, students spent time exploring BandLab where they found they could easily combine loops and create music on their own. In another activity, students created personal playlists to connect songs to significant events in their life. This required identifying emotions they felt, and emotions conveyed in music and creating a playlist to express them. Self-management includes managing emotions, planning and organization skills and setting goals. When working on one of our most involved projects, which was creating and recording a podcast, students had to plan and organize the format of their podcast and plan ahead their talking points. Students were given a suggested proj- ect timeline to assist them in time management, but dur- ing remote learning days had to practice self-discipline and self-motivation in order to work on the project. Responsible decision making includes making mind-


ful choices, and also refers to finding solutions to prob- lems, making reasonable judgements, recognizing con- sequences, and understanding the impact one’s actions can have on others. When working in pairs and groups on projects, students came up with creative solutions and techniques to get around working together while being apart. Finally, and possibly most important during remote and hybrid learning, are social awareness and relationship skills. Students benefit greatly from having time to social- ize and build positive relationships with fellow students, and I saw more students become progressively more open and comfortable with classmates throughout the semester


40 MARCH 2021


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