A Diva Embraces Technology

           In this week’s lecture, Dr. Bazan states that the encyclopedia is no longer where children go to get theirs answers; instead, they go to the internet. It is considered easier by many people, not just the younger generation, to just get on a smart phone or laptop and Google the answer to whatever it is you’re looking for. All of the information is out there, at our fingertips, all of the time.   

            I currently am working at a veterinarian’s office as a receptionist and we do not have access to the internet in our office. The vet that owns the practice is very wary of the internet and its uses (and for the most part, I don’t blame him). However, what he doesn’t realize is that most people jump online to find the nearest vet office; they no longer go to the phone book.

            This is the dichotomy of the world we currently live in. The “older” generations try to hold on to dictionaries, books, and chalk boards, while the students want teachers to be “cool” and use things that they are interested in, like YouTube videos, Smart boards, and the latest apps. I believe teachers by a crucial role in linking the old with the new. By incorporating some of today’s newest technologies with the older tried-and-true methods, I believe we can get more and most students excited and involved in their own learning. Using technologies that students have an interest can help the students feel that teachers understand them. Rather than trying to fight the influx of technology in the schools, teachers should embrace it and allow it to enhance their teaching, rather than detract from it.

            If there is one thing I’m learning in this course, it’s the magnitude of how many music technology programs exist. It is my goal, once I’m back to teaching, to begin incorporating some of these programs into my teaching. When I was teaching a few years ago, I was always concerned about using technology in my classes, mostly because I didn’t know enough about the programs to effectively teach them. Now, however, I can say I am gaining confidence in some of these programs and it excites me to get back in the music classroom and use them to enhance what I’m teaching.