What I Learned - Week 3

This week presented a unique challenge in the form of the Music Education Scavenger Hunt.  At first, I was overwhelmed with this assignment.  I think what overwhelmed me the most was the sheer number of research databases at my disposal.  I felt that it was necessary to explore each one prior to starting the assignment in order to learn which ones would be the most useful to me.  I found the IIMP and the ERIC databases to be the most helpful in my work on this assignment.  As I got more comfortable with the format of the assignment, the research became easier.  I was able to quickly narrow my searches (usually by publication type) and find relevant entries that I could cite and describe in the assignment.  Still, some topics proved more challenging than others.  I found the most trouble with the topic regarding musical expressivity (Topic #3).  As much as I would refine the keywords, I just couldn’t seem to find an article that was relevant enough to include in the assignment.  Finally, when I added the word “instrumental,” a great article appeared and I included it.  I have found that just the slightest change to a search parameter can yield tremendously varied results. 

I also feel as though I became more adept and constructing APA Citations.  I feel as though the format was beginning to come more naturally to me as I progressed.  I was still checking my format against the models given on the reference websites, but I have become more confident in my use of APA Citation formatting.  While nearly each class I have taken so far at UF for my Masters has required APA formatting, this course has given me the opportunity to become more familiar with it, and I can only assume that I will continue to gain confidence in the APA style as this course progresses.

I really enjoyed reading and responding to my classmates’ posts on the discussion forum.  It was clear that each of their possible research topics were very important to them, and I tried to be as supportive as I could in my responses.  I think that the fact (as stated in the readings) that the topic of your intended research must be of interest to you is so crucial.  I can’t imagine spending countless hours developing research on a topic in which I was not interested.  Each of my classmates wrote very strong entries regarding their possible topics.  I had a particular interest in one student’s writing about the impact of the one-to-one initiative in his school band program.  Each student in grades 6-12 will receive their own computer.  As a virtual school teacher, I believe that the proper use of technology in the classroom is crucial to the advancement of education throughout the 21^st century.  Any research topic relating to technology hits close to home and I am drawn to it.  The possibilities presented by each music student having a computer and access to free web resources (such as www.musictheory.net) or paid programs (such as Finale or SmartMusic) are endless.  The inclusion of technology into the music classroom is an exciting step forward for Music Education in America.