Technology for Professional Productivity and Development

Many of the technologies discussed by the author in chapter eight are technologies I use on a regular basis.  The use of various technologies a productivity tools have been so ingrained in my generation that their use is almost second nature.  My school district utilizes "Google for Education" (a suite that includes an educational version of Gmail, Google Drive, and the remainder of the Google applications).  My musical cast and I use Gmail to communicate, Google Drive to share rehearsal schedules, and a Google Calendar to view that same rehearsal schedule.  Staff members collaborate on shared documents on a regular basis.  The sign-out of technology equipment has become substantially more streamlined, as teachers can sign their classes into computer labs from anywhere.  Cloud-based computing is making many tasks far easier.  While I keep a Dropbox account active, I prefer to use Google, simply because it is a "one stop shop" of sorts.

The list of communication methods outlined in the chapter is impressive!  There is one service missing that I would mention specifically.  I'd include the online service and mobile phone app Remind (formerly Remind101) to the author's list.  This free service allows teachers to send group text messages (and emails) to students and parents.  For students and parents with smartphones, this service now allows messaging similar to texting.  The advantage to this application over using a traditional text message is that it does not force you to give your cell phone out, nor does it require students to give their personal information to you.  Everyone's data is protected and all parties can safely communicate.  PDF documents and photos can also be disseminated using this program.  Remind keeps transcripts of messages and texts sent using the service in order to protect both teachers and students.

I have a question for everyone regarding the public relations portion of the chapter.  "Student performance can also be showcased by uploading videos to YouTube and then embedding the videos in the program website. (Bauer 2014, p. 171)"  Is this legal?  I have wanted to upload videos of my ensembles to the internet, but have not been able to determine if you have to get special permission to upload copyrighted material to YouTube.  This question is asked online by directors in several forums, but no one provides an authoritative answer.  I've never heard of a choir director being sued for placing a concert recording online, but I worry about publishing non-original works online, even for no profit.

Most of the professional development portion of the chapter addressed information that was found earlier in the book.  However, until Chapter 8, I had never heard of the app Diigo.  The idea that a web application automatically saves a snapshot of any webpage you link to so that you can always reference that material is revolutionary.  The implications for sharing resources among educators is also quite impressive, as you can choose what links and information you share with others.  This would be an excellent addition to the PLN, if one convinced other educators to use the software as well.

References:

Bauer, W. (2014). Assessment of Music Learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 167-187). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.