This post is designed for teachers and students alike. Students are in school to “learn” but it can be made so much more powerful in the 21st Century. Additionally, educators increasingly need to show we are continually learning to model the skills we want our students to develop.
Recently I was selected to speak at the 50th Anniversary of the International Baccalaureate Conference in Vienna. As such I have been reflecting on my work over the years and I wanted to share a small secret.
Never Stop Learning!
Never Stop Learning!
As you can see from the images above and below I use multiple online courses to push my thinking, find new resources for my students and then I engage them in my learning as well. The result becomes more of a treasure hunt in the classroom for discovery, than a didactic lecture from the ‘teacher.’ Students learn in many different ways and as an international educator nothing is more clear when you have a classroom of students who collectively speak 10 different languages!
In the IB Music Course(s) students are required to explore modes of thinking. They need to question why they know something, how they know something and even whether they share that knowledge with their peers or other world cultures. As such a simple lecture cannot cover this vital skill and online MOOC’s provide extension opportunities that complement the classroom. I can instruct in the content, run quizzes, theory tests and performance exams; however, the ability to make connections between Mozart for example, and the current Pop Group “Clean Bandit,” demonstrates the application of conceptual musical skills and advanced thinking. Especially if it involves a discussion of harmony and melody with the score and listening comparisons.
What the websites Coursera and Study2Learn offer educators and/or students, is a powerful way to extend the learning of their classroom. It has badges to gamify the experience but it also gives students access to Universities around the world. We live in an incredible age!
Whether you are a teacher or administrator I highly recommend these courses to your students and after watching a Chinese Opera this past week in Vienna, I can approach it myself with knowledge. Knowledge of a culture that I am not a part of but also as a musician and composer. The Coursera Course on “The Place of Music in 21st Century Education” made by my friend Dr James Humberstone is another must-do course.
Please use the links below to find my reflective comments as I completed the Coursera Course created by Dr.James Humberstone (Music Education at Sydney University).
Photo Credit: timofwinsted Flickr via Compfight cc
