Learning is only worthwhile with application.

It seems that oftentimes when I learn a concept I learn it long enough to be able to use the information for that class and never think upon it again.  To know whether or not you have really learned and understood a concept is to use it outside of environment in which you learned it.

Application of the concepts taught throughout the semester will be in the best interest of the students which I will teach.  One of the most difficult things with the application of these concepts is that in order to do so it will require me to not only change the way rehearsals are run, but to convince administration that the current way that music classes are taught doesn't meet the needs of the majority of students.  There needs to be a larger variety of classes taught other than the typical band, orchestra, choir which is present in the majority of public schools throughout the country at this time.

Since a curriculum overhaul isn't a very reasonable thing to ask, especially as someone who hasn't entered the teaching system yet, I will have to find other ways to incorporate the concepts taught throughout the semester into the classes I am given to teach.

As a music teacher, administrators expect results of students being able to play music.  Therefore it is difficult to apply many of the things taught because teaching is dominated by rehearsing.  The key is to be as efficient as possible.  I will need to set aside a short amount of time everyday to incorporate a variety of lessons and teaching styles to add to the value of a rehearsal.

How do you make the time to teach students about a variety of cultural influences, different genres of music, use a variety of texts, and use technology when what is expected from you to keep your job is have a good an ensemble that can perform well?  Some of the aspects such as vocabulary are naturally part of music education because if the vocabulary is not understood the music cannot be performed.  Even the way you select music, which can be viewed as a variety of texts, is often dictated by what the administration wants from the school's music program.  I will need to find ways of making the administration happy along with finding the most effective way or providing a productive environment for my students.

How can I use digital technology in such a way that their playing will improve?  I can use digital technology as a way to assess students bringing in more time to have the students rehearse as a class.

How can I incorporate comprehension instruction into my lessons?  I can make the time to have students sight-read music on occasion to see how quickly they can read and understand a new "text" that is placed before them.

The real question is how do I reach out to a variety of academically, linguistically, and culturally diverse students when music programs are only designed to reach a certain demographic?  The model of the band, orchestra, choir program does not reach everyone.  This defines Western Music as defined by the European model.  In order to reach other demographics within a school, the only thing that is going to work is to offer a wider class selection.

The ideas and concepts taught in this class are some of the best ideas I have ever heard in relation to teaching, but in order to apply what I have been taught, it will require that I go against the norm not only in my own classroom, but in the approach I take in working with administration and convincing them to create new opportunities by creating new class options.