Week 9 - Response to Planning Music Technology Curriculum

This week I found a new blog that discussed how to plan instructional maps, lesson plans and course schedules for a Music Technology course.  The blogger describes different formats for planning different level classes at different lengths, including 9 week, 18, week and 36 week long course maps.  Not only were there sample maps helpful in designing a course plan for the music technology classes, I found it interesting how the blogger draws parallels between the traditional ensemble music class setting and the music technology class. Her approach is to treat the technology as an instrument, while she uses the five main elements, rhythm, form, melody, harmony and expression, of music to create her curriculum map.  She points out that most instrumental music teachers approach their instruction from the perspective that they are using melodies to teach students how to play an instrument rather than using an instrument to teach melody as a concept. Music technology courses are focused on creating melody, rhythm harmony, etc. while performance-based music classes are

focused on performing melody, rhythm, harmony, etc. This requires a paradigm shift for most
“classically” trained music teachers. 

This blog will be the model of my planning for the music technology course we are planning to offer at Butler next year.  This author helped me realize the similarities and differences in the traditional music course versus the method of teaching a music technology class. 

Model of music technology course outlines:

Create	Perform/Produce	Respond	Connect
Rhythm	Beginning	Beginning	Intermediate	Advanced
Form	Beginning	Beginning	Intermediate	Advanced
Melody	Beginning	Beginning	Intermediate	Advanced
Harmony	Intermediate	Intermediate	Advanced	Advanced
Expression	Intermediate	Intermediate	Advanced	Advanced

Original Blog: http://www.mutechteachernetblog.com/2019/01/how-do-i-plan-out-my-course.html