Being new to blog posting has made me think about ways to utilise this participatory culture in my own classes. I’m currently starting to teach the new year 12 syllabus for the first time as Queensland has implemented a new curriculum for senior students at the start of 2019 which has brought with it more recent ideas and different learning experiences. The Music Extension (General) syllabuses which will be implemented for the first time in 2020, have been updated from the older 2008 document to a syllabus that has more ideas suited to our current students.
This new syllabus (page 27) has included the importance of supporting evidence which includes reflective practice documentation which can be completed in different ways to suit the student which includes the use of a blog. These reflections are not assessed on their own but should be used to inform their reflective statements in their IA3 (third internal assessment). When I read this part of the document I realised that using blogs as part of their reflective process could be good to explore.
So, what is a blog exactly? A blog is a website that provides regular content to its readers where people can comment on what is written and originally was something used as a journal or diary (Gensler, n.d.) which suits the reflective process required in these tasks. As technology has evolved it is only logical that journaling move to an online medium, which is how the blogging idea first began (Muncy, 2014). Posts written on blogs can be about anything: personal interests, hobbies, passions, etc, and can be used to express creativity (Gensler, n.d.) which will help students reflect on their own and others’ work to improve their own practice.
Reflective journaling and now blogging is a successful way for humans to reflect on anything they wish and can be an effective way for students to apply what they have learned at school with their own experiences (Muncy, 2014). Reflection is a great way to look at what we need to improve by focussing on our mistakes. In the world of music there is always room for improvement as, being a creative subject, there are no specific answers. When analysing performances and compositions errors should be looked at in a positive way to help in the learning process and to foster a growth mindset (Davis, 2016). By focussing on these mistakes, students will be able to isolate what they need to do in their focussed time, mastering what they need to rather than just practicing what they already know (Davis, 2016).
Implementing the supporting evidence and reflection as outlined in the new syllabus as a blog is a logical course of action, with students’ own work and practice sessions as the stimulus. As it is a more personal account students may wish for their teachers to be the only audience to be able to comment, however, there can also be learning experiences where the class is able to comment on certain posts. The most important thing is to ensure we don’t expect that students know what to do, that we actually teach them the skills for reflection and blogging. Students should understand why the blogging and reflection process is important and understand what the teacher’s expectations are so they are not doing too much or just being descriptive (Muncy, 2014). Questions that encourage metacognition should be used as prompts for students so that they are able to think about what they need to do and to find solutions to grow further as musicians (Davis, 2016).
Blogging is clearly an effective tool in the music classroom, and it shouldn’t be limited to only the senior students as it is a skill that all students should be learning to inform their preparation and practice (Davis, 2016). Now that I have a better understanding of how blogging can be useful for students the next step will be embedding these ideas into the rest of our music curriculum.
References
Davis, V. W. (2016). Error reflection: Embracing growth mindset in the general music classroom. General Music Today, 30(2), 11-17. doi: 10.1177/104871316667160
Gensler, T. (n.d.). What is a blog? (5 common types of blogs and what you need to know before starting a blog. Retrieved from https://www.angiegensler.com/what-is-a-blog/
Muncy, J. (2014). Blogging for reflection: The use of online journals to engage students in reflective learning. Marketing Education Review, 24(2), 101-114. doi: 10.2753/MER1052-8008240202
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