Teaching Music With Technology

In the last post I talked a bit about UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and how, as an educator, I can make sure that I am reaching out to my students with different types of content (expression).  This way I can make sure that all of my learners - kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and/or reading/writing - can have a meaningful experience in my classroom.  (More info on learning types  HERE. ) Just as important as presenting content in different media types is assessing in different ways.  If I call for written essays for all of my assessments, I will, no doubt, have kids that will struggle.  A lot.  I remember hating classes that were the same delivery, same assessment.  I felt trapped.  Or maybe I felt something akin to survival mode in those classes.  One of my favorite teachers was my high school German teacher.  In addition to the standard type tests, he would make vocabulary words into game shows, teach us Beatle songs in Ger...

Imagine a day at school not many decades ago.  Every class except for gym class is a lecture and notes with an occasional video splashed in.  If you're a kinesthetic learner, these are going to be frustrating days. Universal Design Learning (UDL) is an effective way to reach students who digest content in different ways.  Representation is the process of providing content in several different ways. As a music teacher trying to implement UDL through representation, an effective way to present a lesson may still consist of lecturing in class but with added components being made available.  For example, if I were teaching a general music class and we were learning about Beethoven I could lecture in class and then make available or present other media in class.  We could watch a documentary called Beethoven's Hair.  (It's a real thing.  Preview found  HERE .)  I could find a podcast that talks about Beethoven.  I could present numerou...