It has been almost three months since we started #MusEdChat, the weekly Twitter chat about Music Education, so I thought this would be a good time to update everyone on the progress of the chat, as well as sharing some information about our plans for the next few weeks and the rest of the summer.
The Chat So Far
We started the chat on March 1, 2010 with a great discussion on Assessment in the music classroom. Since then, the chat has continued to flourish. We have had a total of 13 chats so far, with topics ranging from advocacy to the use of web 2.0 technology in music. Our chat on the alignment of K-12 Music Programs on April 12th broke all the previously held records for attendance, with 43 users combining for a whopping 687 tweets!
We have also been expanding our group of #MusEdChat “moderators” as the chat has continued to grow. The chat started out with myself (@Zweibz7 on Twitter) and Dr. Joseph Pisano (@pisanojm) as moderators. As we’ve gained more popularity, Thomas J. West (@thomasjwest) and Barbara Freedman (@MusicEdTech) have joined us as guest moderators.
As popular as the chats have been, our time of 8pm Monday Nights hasn’t proved to be accessible for everyone. We know there are many people who aren’t able to make the chats on a given evening, so we have established a few options for reading about the chat later in the week. First, one of our co-moderators Dr. Pisano and I have been archiving each chat transcript on Google Docs so anyone can read the transcript after the fact. You can find links to the transcript of each chat on the #MusEdChat Homepage. If you would prefer to get a “big idea” recap of the chat rather than read each update, we have a solutino for you, too! Our very own Andrew Ritenour (@andrewritenour) has done a great job putting together posts here at MusicEdMajor.net to recap the main points of each chat. Find links to his recaps on the individual chat transcript pages, or by viewing the recap archive.
Chat Updates
The response to #MusEdChat has been incredible, and it has been extremely exciting to see some of the participants publish posts on their own websites talking about the chat and encouraging others to participate. I have compiled a list of articles written about #MusEdChat, which you can access on the MusEdChat Homepage. If you have written a post about #MusEdChat that is not listed here, please contact us and we will gladly add it to the list.
A quick update regarding this coming week’s chat: due to the Memorial Day holiday in the US, we will NOT have a #MusEdChat this coming Monday, May 31. This is the first week since the chat began that we will not have a discussion, however we recognize that it is unrealistic to hold a chat on the evening of a holiday when many of our normal participants will be away from the computer and spending time with their family. The chat will resume on June 7th and continue throughout the summer, each Monday night at 8pm EDT/12am GMT.
Speaking of June 7th…
I am extremely excited to share with you that on June 7th, Dr. Pisano will be giving a Webinar (hosted by @SoundTree) on the topic of the growing importance of Personal Learning Networks (PLN’s) and Twitter to music educators. The webinar will discuss how Web 2.0 technologies are aiding in our development of PLN’s, and explain how #MusEdChat is a great example of that. This fantastic session will begin at 7pm EDT (11pm GMT), and last one hour, to be immediately followed by our regularly scheduled #MusEdChat! I hope that you will consider registering online for the webinar (you must register within 24 hours to reserve your spot) and joining us for this wonderful night of discussion and collaboration.
The development of #MusEdChat over the last few months has been an incredible experience to watch and participate in. Thank you so much to all participants for your support and interest in this discussion; it is my hope that each of you has gained at least one positive experience through these chats! As always, if you have any suggestions regarding the chat, don’t hesitate to contact us!