Response to weekly readings (week 8)

I realized today that, for all the times I've seen Smart Boards in classrooms and such, I've never actually used one myself (or if I have, I haven't realized it). After reading these articles, I'm really curious... I'm going to have to find one and use it to see what it's like. I can imagine that they would be really useful - both the articles regarding interactive white boards suggested a multitude of uses for them.

I also thought the article on automatic accompaniment generators was really interesting. I've heard a lot about Band in a Box, but I've never used it. I'll have to ask my uncle about it - he works with MIDI and electronic wind controllers (his website if you're curious). I have used Smart Music before, and I think it's pretty cool. I definitely see uses for a it in Music Education - author John Kuzmich lists many such as accountability in practice and performance, instant feedback for students to improve their own practice, and students recording themselves in their home practice sessions and then being able to email them to instructors. One of the trickiest parts of Music Education is the evaluation component, and I'm generally in favor or anything that facilitates that process, such as Smart Music.

"One computer CAN deliver whole-class instruction" was another good article this week. It is important to remember there is plenty that can be done with a single computer, but I think Kassner makes having computers for every student almost sound like a disadvantage. I don't know that it would really present such a "perplexing array of pedagogical problems" as he says. Yes, having those resources takes different planning and a different skill set, but it can offer a different set of opportunities. Also, having a computer available for every student doesn't mean that you HAVE to use them all the time. I think that can be a problem - that teachers feel pressured to always use computers simply because they are there. That being said, I'm sure there IS pressure to use whatever technology is available because time and money was spent obtaining it (as Kassner mentions in the article). Hopefully it's possible to find a balance between the two extremes.