Learning has gone "OPEN"
Published: May 23, 2020 | Category: growing knowledge
Exploring DAWS, sequencers and notation software.
My goal this year was to spend more time to be musically creative, compose, arrange for small groups and dedicate more time for practising piano, clarinet and saxophone. During lockdown I have enjoyed exploring Soundtrap during Lockdown (it was offered free for educators), but it was definitely a plus for my students as well. We will definitely be purchasing this when the free offer is over. I also enjoyed arranging for the Jazz Ensemble using Noteflight, and we now have a piece that showcases each musician for their NCEA group performance. It is such fun playing as a group and the skills gained are immense.
Watching videos showing the use of technology in music and how DJ’s have a huge job being sound engineers, composers, entertainers…. When asking the web how many skills a DJ needs, the following website appeared. https://www.djtoptips.com/better-dj-advice/ 31 Top DJ Tips. Getting to know DJ Hardware inside and out, with all the knobs and mixers is just the beginning.
“Open Learning” is offered by a range of institutions. When I was younger our parents would have gone to Night Classes at the local college to learn a new skill with a neighbour but with the world wide web and advancing technologies you can now choose from an amazing amount of courses towards being a lifelong learner. Udemy offers 130,000+ courses, YouTube offers instructions for just about anything, right there at your fingertips, Envato tuts also offer an infinite number of courses. I did download the E Book Teaching in a Digital Age by A.W. (Tony) Bates. This book offers guidelines for online teaching and learning and addresses the real possibilities for teaching and learning using MOOC’s and OERS. The book is geared towards teaching and learning with unprecedented change, diversity and changing technology.
There is a new buzz phrase, “Project Based Learning”. Although I feel it has actually been reinvented as this is how I learnt in the 1960’s. In the music room Project Based Learning offers students personalised learning and development of 21st century skills such as collaboration, communication and creativity.