Reflection 5

Video Case Analysis

Studio on Wheels

I wish I had this opportunity as a high school student. The kids at this school are visited by the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, a recording studio-on wheels. A few of the kids get to write, produce, and record their own song, and then make a music video of it. While they may not go on to the music business, the experience they share is valuable in terms of gaining experience in technology, working with a group, and managing their tasks.

The studio/tour bus is slightly small, so only a few students and teachers can participate at one time. However, this is advantageous for the students who do participate because they get close to one-on-one teacher interaction. They get to use current and high-tech recording tools, such as digital music and video recorders, electronic instruments, and professional sound/video editing software.

The teachers helped to guide the students, but the point of the exercise was that the students were able to use the technology. This means that the lesson was student-centered. In a way the students were empowered by the fact that they were responsible for producing the very professional product at the end of the lesson.

The technology makes the lesson engaging because the students get to see how the technology directly relates to what they are doing in the physical world. They can see the waveforms produced when they sing, for example, and see how those compare to waveforms produced by drums.

From a teacher-preparation standpoint, the lesson is very impractical, because the amount of technology and equipment needed would be very expensive, and the people who know enough about it to be good teachers would be very hard to find. The teachers for this lesson are, in a sense, experts in their field, and they travel to schools to share this experience. It is not something the average teacher could replicate.

The teachers used modeling strategies, as well as directed activity strategies during the lesson. To assess student performance, one would have to look at how involved the student was, what they contributed to the production of the music and video, etc. To assess their learning, I would use something like a reflection essay so they could explain what they learned.

The advantage of the use of technology here is that it is industry-standard equipment and they are exposed to very current technology. The things they use in this lesson could be applied to many different technological areas.

The biggest challenge is the lack of resources available to everyday teachers. They do not have access to this expensive, hi-tech tour bus. A secondary challenge would be finding time to ensure all the willing students were able to participate.