Blended Learning and ePortfolios in the Elementary Music Classroom
Throughout my latest course in Lamar’s Digital Leading and Learning program, I was give the opportunity to really dig in research, and revise my current plan to implement blended learning in the music classroom.
In the fall when we first began to research our innovation plans, it was nearly impossible to find any information about technology, blended learning, or eportfolios in the music classroom. I was able to find a lot of information about these ideas in the general classroom, but not in the performing arts. I knew I had to broaden my searches and eventually joined the Technology Institute for Music Educators. I figured what better place to find educational articles than a technology institutes. WRONG!! There was nothing about blended learning or eportfolios. It was disappointing, but I kept searching. Eventually, I ended up back at the National Association for Music Education and hit a small jackpot. Unfortunately, a lot of the research was for secondary or college age music theory or history classrooms. I guess that could be a great opportunity for me, if I ever decide to document and collect extensive data from my innovation plan.
Thankfully the small amount of research that I did find, only supported my plan. I don’t feel the need to change very much. The prezi below highlights some of the areas I would like to focus on in my blended learning classroom and the findings from several different studies from music classrooms.
In my innovation proposal, I did take out the virtual concert that was at the end of my plan. This is a wonderful activity that I would love to do with my learners, but it is not crucial to my plan or the curriculum we have in place at this time.
In the implementation plan, I have updated the timeline. Since I was out on maternity leave this spring, everything had to be pushed back until next year. This will probably be a very loose schedule until I get past the planning stages and into the learner led stages.
Through my research, the factor that seemed to lead to the most success was the educator being prepared from the very beginning fo the course. In the past, I tended to stay just ahead of my learners when in came to learning new material. In order to make my blended classroom successful, all of the planning and online material must be in place before the learners are brought on board. This is the only way they can truly work at their own pace. It can be an overwhelming thought, but with a thought out plan in place, it will work.