Improving My Craft of Teaching

MATC Synthesis Paper

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Master of Arts Degree in Teaching and Curriculum
Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University

Matthew L. Meeuwse
A35384763
November 17, 2015

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When looking back on my profession, Ive always wanted to pursue the field of music
education. Ever since the fifth grade, I have been involved in some sort of ensemble. While
music in itself came quite naturally to me, it was the process of learning that was most intriguing.
Many musicians tend to have other members of their family who are talented in field of music.
This however is not necessarily my case. In fact, aside from singing in the occasional church
choir, none of my parents, siblings or grandparents took music to heart as I have.
Music can offer opportunity for creativity as well as flexibility to individuals. Songs can
be created, rewritten for a variety of voices or embellished to an individuals liking. This is the
kind of creativity that is often lost in the schools and workplace today. Due to the demand and
pressure of high test scores, there is often very little room for students to be creative and to find
their niche in the typical common core subject. The opportunities music can offer seem endless
however throughout my experience, not all students seem engaged.
Motivating students to perform quality music is an achievement. Motivating students to
think outside of the box, work as a team all while creating quality music is what drives me.
Being able to apply this concept in a classroom does not always create future musicians but it
creates students to be prepared for their future. As education continues to change, teachers must
learn to keep up with the change. With so many more opportunities through the use of
technology, more students are able to learn in different ways that could connect with their
specific interests and learning needs.
My commitment for student success as well as my own learning to better myself as an
accomplished teacher is why I chose the degree of Masters of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum
(MATC). Throughout the MATC program, I have been able to take a step back and learn more

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about who I am as a teacher, how I will continue to teach students in the 21st century classroom,
and where I want to see myself grow as a teacher in the future.

Taking a Step Back

During the beginning of my coursework in the MATC program, I had the opportunity to
reflect on my student teaching internship and my original vision of education as well as the
reality of education (Artifact 1). Although many, including myself, believe that quality teaching
is a skill learned quickly, I was completely wrong. Throughout my student teaching internship, I
received excellent feedback from both my advisor and mentor. Unfortunately, I did not realize
the safe net that was in place until I was on my own. Many of the responsibilities I would later
be introduced to were unfamiliar. Because I did not have all the necessary experience coming
from student teaching, I was not always sure how to go about handling certain situations. After
deep reflection and joining a larger professional learning network (PLN) through the MATC
program, I realized that my student teaching experience was not as helpful as it could have been.
I have learned that there are many struggles and frustrations that are common for novice
teachers. When focusing on teaching as a whole, the MATC program has helped me realize the
importance of acknowledging and understanding student diversity. Although the schools I have
taught have had little diversity by race, it was still important learning about how economic and
social diversities play a part in a students education. Being able to take into consideration the
background of my students helps me focus on my students needs and allows me to teach for
their understanding. Throughout the program, I have had time to reflect as well as to take an indepth look at how I connect with my students who come from backgrounds different than mine.
Because music is considered to be the universal language, it allows an opportunity for me to not

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only teach required repertoire and fundamentals, but provides room to teach genres that interest
my students. Using material they already know helps set the foundation to new material they
will eventually learn. When comparing baroque music to classical music to todays music,
students begin to see similarities and patterns that are still used today.

Teaching in the 21st Century Classroom

Throughout my coursework in the MATC program, I chose to complete the Educational
Technology Certification as my concentration. By completing this, I have been able to learn and
utilize technology that assists in student learning and understanding. Prior to taking these
educational technology courses, I had little experience incorporating technology into the
classroom other than the basic CD player or basic music notation software. CEP810: Teaching
and Understanding with Technology set the tone for the use of incorporating new technology into
the classroom. Rather than focusing directly on technology itself, the class was designed to
focus on the learning process as well as how people learn. This course pushed me to better
understand the differences between expert and novice learners (Artifact 2). After understanding
how people learn, technology is then incorporated to enhance the overall learning experience.
As I continue to teach students in a meaningful way, I have learned that I must first
consider how they best learn information. Having a variety of teaching methods on hand will
allow more students to connect to the material in different ways. Since incorporating more
technology into the classroom, students of all levels have shown an increase of participation.
These courses allowed me to stay current with my students and implement ways of learning by
utilizing technology as well as provide opportunities for students to engage in their own

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creativity. With more participation, students are learning by a hands-on approach, and are then
able to discuss their progress and understanding.
Much to my surprise, CEP810 pushed me to reflect on my own learning prior to using
any piece of technology. The course also provided me with a better understanding that I am not
necessarily replacing old styles of teaching but instead giving it a facelift into the 21st century.
Until I was encouraged to think deeply about students and figure out how they learn was I then
truly able to teach effectively. As technology continues to play a large part in schools today, I am
meeting the needs of the students and preparing them for their future.
The Educational Technology Courses created a flexible opportunity in which I could find
ways to repurpose technology for educational uses in the field of music. Incorporating social
media into classrooms by using Twitter, and blogs are only a few examples I was aware of that
could bring classrooms into the 21st century. Through research and experimenting, I learned
more about the technology available that would allow students to loop images and music legally
to create a new project. By learning about the Creative Commons License (CCL), I now feel
comfortable guiding students in the right direction to find images and music they can share and
use legally. Not only has this made learning about the evolution of music more fun for students,
but also it has allowed it to become more interactive.
Throughout the program, I was introduced to the Maker Movement, a creative way to
design, new, or repurpose products or items in a do-it-yourself approach. While learning about
the Maker Movement, I created a project using the online software, Popcorn Maker, to create a
message of how important creativity is in education and how innovative students can get while
repurposing (Artifact 3). I have since used this as example to not only showcase the
opportunities for the software but to use this as an example to show the importance of creativity

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in the classroom. I have also found ways this software could also be used for students to present
on material, especially in a music appreciation course.
While teaching for a various grade levels, it has been sometimes difficult for me to find
ways to connect with younger students. While I continued to learn more about the Maker
Movement, I found ways that I would be able to connect with younger students. For a few
weeks, I had the opportunity to learn about the maker kit, Makey Makey. Once I gained the
concept of the maker kit, I then incorporated it into a lesson to teach dissonant and consonant
chords (Artifact 4).
Prior to completing the Educational Technology Certificate as the concentration through
the MATC Program, I was challenged to take part in a Wicked Problem, otherwise known as a
problem with unsolvable solutions. Throughout this group project, I worked with a team of
colleagues to explore the ways of Keeping Formal Education Relevant (Artifact 5). This
project included research on identifying reasons why we should keep formal education relevant
as well as the reasons why formal education is becoming harder to keep relevant. Our groups
proposal was then tweeted on social media for policy makers to view. It was not until we had
submitted our proposal did I realize that I was a part of something far larger than my immediate
students or myself. By working together, our group members made an effort to find a solution
that many educators all over are struggling with. Through research, and analysis, we were able
to chose what we thought would be the best solution to an unsolvable problem.
Thinking outside the box as a teacher creates opportunities for students. Getting
students to think outside the box can create world change. Because of how influential music can
be to begin with, allowing students to take what they have learned and experiment not only
produces conversation, but also new ideas. As a teacher in music, I not only want to help

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students learn the fundamentals but use the fundamentals in ways that connect to them personally
to create meaningful learning. Not all students will enjoy learning about music however using
the new technology from the Educational Technology Courses to incorporate into daily lessons
will engage a wider audience. This will also provide more opportunities for students to be
creative and to use their own curiosity on creating something unique and new.

Envisioning My Future
As I prepare to complete the MATC program, I will leave knowing that I have gained
valuable knowledge from not only learning new tools and material but also learning more about
myself. The MATC program has provided me with the opportunity to learn valuable skills,
which include new technology that can enhance the classroom learning experience. My fear of
technology taking over schools has changed dramatically. I have learned that technology
shouldnt be replacing the craft of teaching, but instead should be enhancing the lessons that are
being taught to provide an enriching learning experience.
The MATC program has also allowed me to acknowledge the diversity within the
classroom. The importance of being aware of cultural, social and economic differences could
play a role in a students education. As I continue to grow as an educator, being aware of the
diversities and finding ways to include those diversities not only will help specific students feel
more engaged and appreciated but instead will help the entire learning community.
With hopes of eventually landing full time employment, I hope to provide a future
educator with a well- rounded experience that will prepare them for success. Being introduced to
programs in other countries like induction and lesson study provides me with motivation that I
will not only use to better myself but advocate for while helping make a stronger, educational

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community. As I continue to grow as an educator, I am seeing the importance of learning not

only from my own environment, but also from my colleagues and professional learning
community. I have learned that mentoring is far more than just moral support and to be a teacher
leader, one must provide assistance in all areas of teaching (Artifact 6). While I may not have
always had the most inspiring mentor myself, I can use information gained from the MATC
program to focus on improving my craft so that I can hopefully mentor a beginning teacher in the
future.
Lastly, the program has taught me the importance of staying connected with a
professional learning community and the value of continuing education in an ever-changing
educational society. While this program is quickly approaching the end, there is still much more
to be learned from others around the world. Quality teachers provide quality education however
it is a never-ending learning field. Good teachers are always students learning along side not
only their colleagues but also their students.
By completing the MATC program, I have come to realize that much has changed in the
few years Ive been a substitute teacher. Not only have I changed as an educator, but the
education system has changed. Continuing to encourage students to be creative and making
school exciting comes with hard work. While music in itself can be fun, there are many life
lessons that can be learned along the way. Quality teaching begins with the teacher.
Understanding where Ive been, and using the tools I have acquired to get to where I want to be
will set me up for a future of success. The more I am open to improving my craft of teaching,
the better teacher I will become.

By continuing my education, the MATC program has prepared

me to teach successfully in the 21st century classroom. As I continue the craft of teaching, I must

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continue to reflect on where Ive been, the vision of where I want to go, and to locate the tools
that will allow me to make my vision a reality.