VELS and ICT - my experience...

From Assignment 1, statement 1:
ICT provides a rich and flexible learner-centred environment in which students can experiment and take risks when developing new understanding.

I have chosen the above statement because I believe it is pertinant to my experience within the realm of teaching one of my methods i.e. classroom music. I have found the use of technology in the classroom particularly relevant for teaching the subject of composition and so I would like to reflect on this while relating my experience to the above statement as well as all three dimensions of ICT in VELS two of which I have stated and commented on below (The words relating directly to the statement on VELS used from the Assignment 1 for ICT, I have put in bold).

2 of the dimensions of ICT in VELS from the DEECD website:
1) In ICT for visualising thinking, learners use ICT to represent their thinking visually, helping them clarify ideas, make connections, identify patterns and reflect on their thinking in all areas of the curriculum."
The above statement is very true for my experience in teaching elements of composition to year nine students. One element of composition, is the concept of 'layers of sound'. This is particularly relevant to modern day sound scape type compositions, pop music and to all composition styles. I found  the use of a music program such as garage band highly productive in enabling students to get an understanding of this concept. For example in one lesson, I played a relevant piece of music to them and asked them to tell me the layers they heard within the piece, while a student wrote the responses on the board in the form of a kind of grid. My questions were what instrument played first, next etc? How many layers/instruments were playing at once etc. The next task was to the idea of layers of sound, while at the same time exploring garage band. Garage band is particularly good for this exploration because it allows the student to have a visual representation of the layers of music as it is being constructed. It relates directly to the ICT for Visual thinking dimension. Also because of the nature of the program on the computer, the students are able to trial ideas and take risks, then delete the ideas if they are not happy with what they have created. This relates directly to the heading statement of this post (taking risks in learning) and is invaluable for a learning student, especially within the creative arts area, where its all about being able to explore, experiment and create (Exploring and responding - one of the dimension in 'the Arts' VELS). Students must be able to take risks while in the learning stage of composition, and as well as while learning to use a program such as garage band.

2) In ICT for Creating, ICT environments, tools, functions and techniques add new possibilities for learning as learners use ICT to solve problems and create information products across all VELS levels and domains.
It is my experience that the use of programs such as garage band, opens up the concept of 'layers of sound' to the student and hence one of the fundamental concepts for composition to the student, in a way that only a computer program like that can do. As stated in previous paragraph, it allows the student to see the concept in front of their very eyes (a visual representation), and by making this concept accessible to the student, it consequently opens the student to an understanding of the concept of layers within other genres of music, not just the one that they may have been exploring in. It can act, amongst other things, as a bridge to learning and solving problems within the genre, which they may not have had prior to using such technology. A program such as garage band, is student centred because it allows the student to approach composition from a simple concept in a genre relevant to their age group using technology which they are familiar with or at least seem to learn with easily.

I found the use of a program such as 'garage band' invaluable in teaching fundamental concepts of composition. It allowed the students to understand a somewhat abstract idea, in a helpful visual way, and it gave the students the room to experiment and learn through trial and error by taking risks which is part and parcel of the creative process anyway. Technology in this case, served  the purpose of not only fulfilling ICT dimensions but also the dimensions within the VELS of the Arts.

References:

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development website -
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/ict/default.htm
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/ict/visualising/default.htm
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/ict/creating/default.htm
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/ict/communicating/default.htm

Victorian Essential Learning standards website-
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/arts/structure.html



NB. The third dimension stated in ICT VELS is:
3) In ICT for Communicating, students use online environments and tools to locate relevant, reliable information to support their learning and inquiry across VELS domains. They build, communicate and share information and knowledge through ICT and the internet.
Learners also develop and implement effective protocols and ways of communicating online for different purposes and audiences. They learn to collaborate and build knowledge in teams in contemporary, connected learning environments, including globally.