Interactivity #5

For this interactivity, I interviewed a band director for the Northern Valley Regional High Schools (I am not stating which school this teacher is in as it will reveal his identity). He directs three ensembles, the Symphonic Band (the freshman band), the Wind Symphony (the sophomore - senior band), and the String Orchestra (all grades).

I contacted him on April 1st asking if he would be willing to participate in this survey and he was happy to assist in my development as a future educator. I sent then him the PDF files in the next email I sent along with the following questions, which I modeled after the suggested survey on the directions:

1. Have you heard of NETS?
2. Has the department or district begun to implement any of these standards? (Since this is only one of the high schools in the district, anything that is implemented in one school must also be implemented in the other).
3. Do you follow any of these standards on your own accord?

His response was not surprising. He had not heard of NETS before I had sent him the document, to which he replied:

I have never heard of these standards before, and quite honestly I do not see how this could be utilized in the music classroom over a long period of time. There are instances where using the technology in the classroom is necessary for the lesson, such as using the projector for a brief lesson on a composer or the recording equipment to playback a previous rehearsal. However engaging anywhere from 45 - 90 students in using any kind of technology in the rehearsal is more or less impossible to control.

He continued to say that he was working on a separate project that would integrate technology into the curriculum, but it would be based around practicing (homework for musicians). There is a program called SmartMusic that he is trying to have the district purchase for each student which has students play along with their computer and it grades them on accuracy of pitch, rhythm, and intonation. This program would replace his former method of grading homework, which was having students come in twice a week during their free periods and practice in the band room while he was there.

I intend on teaching in a high school setting when I begin my career and I can say that the only technology that could effectively be placed in the band and orchestra setting would be the previously noted SmartMusic.   This is efficient to the rehearsal, as it forces students to practice at home in their own time and allows the ensemble to work on focusing on the NJCCS for performing and the creative process.

Google Spreadsheet