A Diva Discovers the Power of Technology

What does it mean to be a diva in the classroom? Throughout my undergrad years as a student, I was a soprano; sopranos are stereotyped for their lofty attitudes and “better-than-thou” facial expressions (aka “a diva”). However, I knew this “attitude” was due to the fact that, in order to be a true high soprano, you had to be confidant, or at least fake your confidence, both in yourself and in your abilities. Portraying confidence as a teacher, whether or not we actually feel confidant, is extremely important if we want to be successful. Teaching children of any age can be intimidating and scary, but it can also be wonderful and a privilege. We need to own the skills we’ve developed in the classroom and become “divas!”

            Moving onto Week 1 of my Master’s technology class: This week, we are discussing why technology is important in the music classroom, ways to integrate technology into our classrooms, and ways that teachers can professional benefit from the use of technology. The point that stood out to me the most from the lecture video is that technology is a way to relate to our students.  The fact is that we live in a time where technology is everywhere: smart phones, tablets, laptops, the little watches that record your heart rate and can even show you your text messages. Teachers need to use this to their advantage.

            When I was a long-term substitute music teacher, I had a middle school chorus that I had to choose music for their spring concert. I had already picked out the “challenging” music and wanted the students to pick out a “fun” song. The students gave me some suggestions, most of which I had never heard of. However, thanks to YouTube, they were able to show me the songs and we were able to look up if any choral versions had ever been done before. It was a much faster process, and we were able to narrow the choices down to one song (“Stuck Like Glue” by Sugarland) within a matter of minutes.

            Another part of the video that really stood out to me was the section on “digital natives.” I would put myself in the category of a Digital Immigrant: I didn’t grow up with much technology but I have now learned the ways of the computer world and don’t know what I would do without my smart phone! My current boss, however, (I’m currently a receptionist at a veterinarian’s office), is 100% an Analog Holdout. We have absolutely no Internet in our office, which does make things more complicated in today’s tech-savvy world. I’m constantly telling the doctor how much easier our jobs would be if we could email lab work results, or send x-rays to other doctors for review, et cetera. He does not trust the internet, however, and has no intention of giving in at the current moment.

            I was quite hesitant when this class began; I had no interest in starting a blog or jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. However, after reading about Personal Learning Network’s (PLN’s), and all that you can do once you’ve set one up, I can see how useful they will be. It’s like having 1,000 libraries available to you all at the same time! You can connect with teachers and teaching professionals all over the world and see what strategies are working for them (or maybe aren’t working).

            I am interested to see where this class is going to lead and how my technology skills are going to develop. Follow along with my (hopeful) progress!