MUSIC 23241
March 1, 2011
Raising the Bar
In this interview, Lehman discusses the standards and his impression of how they have improved the music education program and his feelings towards the standards. He talks about what standards are getting the most use, how some of the standards are being neglected, and what he would like to change about the standards. He also addresses the challenges teachers face when trying to implement the standards into their lesson plans. The standards were created in 1994 and they have become the backbone of music programs.
One of the challenges Lehman describes that I can personally relate to is that the music educators don't have enough time to put enough emphasis on the right standards to make sure students have sufficient information to help them gather a full understanding of music. I don't have any personal experience with the belief that different states follow different standards in several different ways, but I do know some high school students who transferred schools and they made observations about how the teachers go about their lessons in the two or three different schools. I also know from my high school music experience that music education is way more than entertainment and I have seen teachers try to justify it.
I agree that the standards definitely clarify expectations for students because teachers know where their students need to be by the end of the year or end of their section. Therefore, teachers can clearly explain their expectations of their students. I also agree that one challenge needing addressing is the lack of resources, staff and time. With more time, resources and staff, it would help teachers use the standards effectively and help their students advance in music and understand it all.
Lehman, Paul R. (2004). Ten years after the national standards. Music Educators Journal, 12 (2), 34-39.
Great comments!
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