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Module 4

This week's information was valuable to me as a future private lesson teacher. This summer, I am opening my business, Pittsburgh Music House. I state my goal clearly on my website: "Pittsburgh Music House focuses on helping students achieve musical growth through a flexible, adaptable, and accessible lesson model. We fill in the gaps that many private lesson studios leave by teaching students to play by ear, compose, improvise, and perform music expressively and creatively. We know that not all students learn best from a method book, and every student has unlimited creative potential. Therefore, we encourage ALL students to seek out music lessons, including students with physical, intellectual, mental, and sensory disabilities." Because I aim to create such an individualized experience for my students, I will use a substantial number of technology resources in creative ways to help my students reach their goals.

Bauer (2020) reminds readers that there are many more applications that he cannot possibly mention for every technology and method introduced in his book. Teachers must apply the information creatively to their teaching environment to use each technological tool effectively. None of the tools are one-size-fits-all. One of the aspects of being a teacher that I enjoy the most is putting my creative skills to the test, making my own materials, and using technology in unique ways to help my students achieve their goals. As always, teachers must carefully scaffold the skills they teach to their students so that lessons remain within students' zone of proximal development. Scaffolding allows students to gradually approach mastery via carefully curated steps that encourage positive risk-taking and the application of prior knowledge.


In the group discussion, I enjoyed reading about each classmate's application of the technologies listed in the Bauer reading. While I have used tuners, metronomes, and accompaniment tracks to improve my own musicianship, I did not think to use them extensively with my general music students until this module. These three technologies will be a cornerstone of the practicing techniques I give to my private students in the future. I also like thinking about ways for students to give and receive feedback. So often, private studios keep students separate. Every student comes in at their predetermined lesson time, stays for thirty minutes to one hour, then goes home to do independent work. Throughout this module, I have been brainstorming ways to get my students to connect, including ways to help them encourage one another in their musical growth through feedback. Tutorial videos are also a powerful tool I hope to use with private students. I can film "how-to" videos with my students that they can use to teach their families and friends what they have been learning. I want to make sure each student has a support system rooting for them and helping them as they work towards their goals.


Finally, working with Audacity provided a challenge that I believe simulated the confusion and frustration our own students might feel when experiencing and attempting to use a new piece of technology. This was the first project that made me struggle. However, it got me thinking about how I can scaffold even a complicated software like Audacity to provide valuable music experiences for my young, beginning students.


Reference:

Bauer, W. I. (2020). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.


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