Music, Teaching, Learning, and Life

Discovering the world of musicians, educators, and techies on the internet has been both inspiring and intimidating.  I often see posts by others and feel totally inadequate. There are so many teachers with wonderfully creative ideas, musicians who perform at levels much higher than I , and techies who are on the cutting edge.  I lag behind in each of those areas.

I decided to revamp my school blog during November after a few posts by other music educators. I heard several conversations on twitter about Skype sessions between music classes. What a great idea! (I’m now in the process of scheduling a Skype session with another music teacher in the northeast.) I also heard a podcast of a fourth grade choir singing in two-part harmony. It was a rehearsal, not a polished performance. During those weeks I also began following Brenda Muench’s school blog on a regular basis. Those posts reminded me that a school blog is about students, not me.

I’m posting podcasts of class sessions. Those podcasts are real life. Students are still in the process of learning. Singing is often off pitch. The recordings themselves aren’t great quality. However, as I’ve played them back for various classes, I’ve seen students evaluate themselves at a higher level. Students are also excited about visiting links at home. They’re more motivated!

The blog is also serving as a medium of communication with parents. They can hear what their children are doing and learning in class every day.  In the process of blogging there, I can further educate parents about the value of a music education.

I still have so far to go, so much to learn. I’m continuing that journey with the revamped school blog. I needed to “just do it.”