Musvox.html is the web home page of a project produced during the nine day seminar, Using the Internet for Curriculum Applications, offered at the University of Delaware in June, 1995. It is intended as a unit of instruction for students at the intermediate grade level (grades 4 through 6.) In construction of the project the author explored a variety of Internet tools and resources in compliance with the stated goals and outcomes of the SIEAT course.
Bernard Kosc is an instrumental music teacher in the Christina School District. His current assignment is at Bayard Intermediate School. His prime responsibility is to develop the band program through aptitude testing and screening, initial and ongoing instrumental technique classes, and the development of performing ensembles. Presently, the program accommodates 240 plus students. At this level of instruction the student is met as a novice and is challenged to progress to a high level of proficiency in preparation for the middle school program.
This project was the author's first experience in using Internet tools and resources to develop an instructional unit. It's intent was to provide a tutorial directed to this grade level that may be utilized as a library project.
The project MUSIC - Voice Of An Age became evolutionary. What originally was conceived as a library research project for young students evolved into a tutorial that adheres to the global theme, differences.
It consists of a home web page linked to successive local pages of narrative information. On each of these pages links are provided to Internet locators and to audio sounds.
In accordance with the global theme, music is described as a voice of expression. This expression is made by a group of people who live at a certain place or in a certain era. We can have many, we can have different voices. For students at this level, the intent is to take one from knowledge of something familiar to experiencing something new.
Music of the twentieth century is explored along three avenues: classical, jazz, and pop music. Available as Internet resources, the student will find a glossary of definitions of musical terms, lectures, and listings of recordings.
The student is asked to begin at the menu of choices with the style of music least familiar and to work his/her way through the page(s) from there. Expected outcomes will include the meeting of other kinds of popular "musical expression" - jazz and classical music.
As Internet resources change, locators will have to be checked periodically. Realistically, this may mean revision several times per year. With an Internet account available and with the electronic research tools gleaned from this course, this appears to be practical. Future directions for the project will include more locators to other pages deemed appropriate to this target audience.
Total submersion! In a nine day course in which mechanics and keystrokes must be learned to survive, not all areas could be treated in depth. However, a project of this scope was ideal to give a purpose to learning the concepts and the functional aspects of existing in cyberspace.
Experience of the Internet for the first time leaves one awestruck. You quickly realize that you have access to the entire world of information. Depending on your purpose and target audience, it is essential to develop experience as an information broker as you spend time exploring this vast sea of knowledge. It becomes important to make choices regarding what information is needed and what information is enough.
My experience with the Internet was many-fold. I found it time-consuming. I found it frustrating. I found it empowering. I found it nerve-wracking. I found it enlightening. In the final analysis, I found it enjoyable.