Education Technology Advocacy 2022-2023

What does advocacy mean in my current position? 

-Currently I am a Music Educator who teaches Band at the middle school level. Advocacy for my music students is why I teach. My goal has always been to advocate that high quality music education stays in our public schools. Music has such a profound impact on all of us. Whether students choose to listen to it, play it, or share it; music is an integral part of being human. Which is why I have chosen to advocate/dedicate my life to it.

Why is advocacy important?

- Advocacy is important because without it; many important programs would be taken away from those who need it most. Even in wealthier communities; extra curricular programs are being cut because the money is being moved to fund other projects in town. Then the only people who suffer are the children/families in town. 

In your opinion, what is one of the greatest issues facing the Edtech community today?

I truly believe that one of the biggest issues that the Ed Tech world has to face today is Equity. There are so many districts currently that don't have technology in the classrooms. In an ever changing world where tech is so important and relied upon, it is now, more than ever, important to have Smartboards, chrome books in every classroom. Now this does not mean that learning can't happen without tech, but it sure does put many districts around the country/world at a disadvantage. 

How do we inspire students to pursue careers in the tech world without tech in the classroom? This question definitely hits home because students/families that don't even have the funds to provide three square meals a day are definitely at a disadvantage if the schools can't provide tech for them in the classrooms. 

Advocacy for a student

A couple of years ago, I was teaching Music technology at the middle school level. I had this student who barely spoke a word in class. He turned in his work on time so there was never an issue there but would never participate in our discussions. At the years end I assigned a pretty lengthy video/audio project where students had to collaborate and really spend some time thinking about their work before putting it all together. I knew this project would be tough for this particular student because he always liked working by himself. I spent hours with this student and his group, trying to give them the push they needed to collaborate successfully in the midst of his struggles to communicate. I even had a meeting with his parents/ administration about the project and promised that he would succeed. 

Long story short, this student/group created a beautiful project! They created an entire minecraft world with video angles, zooming in and out; while being scored with music that they had created with the software tools that I had given them. I will truly never forget that student because he truly pushed through his fears of communication to succeed.