Russell E. Ward, Jr.
Adjunct Professor of Tuba and Digital Notation
UCF Music Department
Colburn Building, Room 148-A
407.823.4345
November 15, 2002
Collaboration Classroom Final Presentation
Philosophy Statement:
Teaching is a process of instilling the concepts and necessary skills for life-long learning and to team participation, within an individual. The student will ultimately leave the protective environment of the ‘educational system’ to enter society as, hopefully, a contributing entity. When this occurs, it is vitally important to have the ability to ‘teach one’s self’ and effectively collaborate with others, in order to manage and process the problems and issues that are presented during life. I believe this is necessary for the continued growth of humanity.
Activities in line with philosophy for classroom:
I have available nine exercises for the students to complete during class time in a collaborative environment. The exercises are such that, in the process of completing each, the students will deal with a wide variety of techniques used professionally in the software program when preparing music for performance, recording or publication. The students will be encouraged to work together on these exercises and observe how others deal with similar issues. In doing this, each person will experience the value of team participation, and how valuable their contribution is in addition to that of the others.
Reflection:
As a teacher, my goal is to share this process, focusing on subject matter in my area of expertise, using current teaching tools available. I strive to personally model this using my professional experience in the real world, often incorporating current projects as they are presented to me, and continuously seek new methods of processing and presentation. My lesson plan allows flexibility for this spontaneous discovery as well as directives toward specific goals. I present students the fundamentals of the subject, real world examples, and a collaborative forum for discussing options to deal with these issues and why. From this, the student will experience a ‘hands-on’ practical application of the learning process, and, as a teacher and professional in my field, I have the opportunity to gain new insight based on individual student needs and collaboration with colleagues.