How much technology and the cultures around digital technology should influence education, and music education, in the 21st Century.

With the avalaibility of technology and the contradictions between the benefits and issues with the use of technology in education, the outcomes for students can not be quantified. Generally, students love the obviously opportunities however are they ready for the responsibilities and potential behavioural and health issues which come with the cultures and technologies to enhance the learning journey?

David Price (AMPAMPLIFY. (2014, May 14). David Price on the open learning revolution, Amplify 2013. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fGv3_kaGa8) highlights a positive for the way learning has become an open learning revolution through his own experiences. He discusses how in his life he has been able to use knowledge and experience from others to adapt to his own medical needs in conjunction with the medical professional advice. The amount of information is an amazing resource but is it of useful and a benefit for our students of the 21 Century. I am a member of Running Mums Australia, who charge a minimal amount to be a member however the encouragement in events, training and knowledge passing within the group is fabulous. Surely, in a classroom setting or beyond between classrooms, students and teachers should be able to use others knowledge and experience to develop their own knowledge and understanding.

However, Daphne Koller (Koller, D. (2012). What we’re learning from online education. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_koller_what_we_re_learning_from_online_education?language=en 24th Jan, 2016.) points out that technology and education is not always in reach for everyone. Surely with the amount of resources, as pointed out by David Price, everyone should be able to receive a thought provoking education which maim to better its students. But the statistics mention in Koller’s research this is not the case. Koller and a colleague, Andrew Ng, developed Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/), a place where courses can be obtained from universities for everyone around the world. All students are expected to engage with the teacher through tests, multiple choices, assessments and with other students through forums. Students are being extended intellectually but are students becoming holistic developing the whole person. For example, if the student is needing bed side manner  for nursing or doctors, this is not able to be taught through the technology. Practical aptitude is not able to be taught thought technology. However, they found that peer and self assessment was wonderfully successful. As a student in both in the classroom and online, in my experience I found the forums were very frustrating but I can understand the tremendous opportunities for all students and teachers.

With the 21 Century students needing different opportunities to previously, the way we teach needs to evolve with expectations (students’, community and our own) and connect with our students. Music needs to engage students with regard to creativity, if this means that technology can assist this process fabulous but if the basics of org can be used then wonderful. “Music education can help spark a child’s imagination or ignite a lifetime of passion. When you provide a child with new worlds to explore and challenges to tackle, the possibilities are endless. Music education should not be a privilege for a lucky few, it should be a part of every child’s world of possibility” Hilary Clinton.