Interactivity #3: Generating a State of the Art Inventory

Here is a link to the Technology Inventory for Music:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArOTaRt_qUPBdHVMTDhmN1pjdUtwOGdWdHhPZURBU3c - gid=0

            The group process for this interactivity was highly collaborative. Prior to constructing our final document, most of our group members met for about an hour and a half to decide on layout and formatting, category choices, and how to efficiently organize our findings. I would say that it was authentically collaborative, because not only did we each contribute to the end result of the interactivity, but also we all contributed together, which allowed more uniformity of ideas and solid construction. The fact that struck me the most about our final inventory is the range of music technologies from the most basic and commonly used tools (ie. a music stand) to the most complex and specialized computer programs (ie. Reason). It is clear that there is a very wide range of technologies available to assist with music education.

One of the reasons we chose to categorize our technologies based on whether they are mostly used individually, in the classroom, or both is because music making, and therefore music teaching, is done in a variety of settings. Some of the technologies on our list, such as the smart board and the projector, would clearly best serve their purpose when used with a large group of students, whereas some of the technologies, such as a Zune or a computer program, would better serve their purpose in small group settings or even for individual use. In my READ 411 class, my teaching group was considering constructing a lesson that involved using basic digital music technology. Several of the technologies on the list would have come in useful for our group, had we decided to execute that particular lesson.