Curriculums are annoying, it’s so tough to get a large class to work collaboratively on music when they are all on different skill levels and move at different paces. How do you keep students engaged when they are both too far ahead in class or much too far behind? This is our “Music Teacher vs Music App” review…

Where is “the pace” that your class should be running? Music classes are currently getting larger and larger, meaning that being a music teacher is becoming more and more difficult.

Students that want to work at their own pace, be it because they are too far ahead or too far behind. They can become discouraged because they aren’t working at the level that they need to. But as a teacher, there isn’t always enough that you can do when you have to worry about upwards of 20 people.

Being able to utilize apps helps students achieve that individual speed that they need. The curriculum is there, but the flipped style of learning allows them to spend as much or as little time as they need to. However, this is still not perfect. Music isn’t something that one should focus on individually.

Music is an interactive and shareable experience

This is not an experience that one can then share if they are attached only to their device to constantly learn new skills. Additionally, using apps does not mean that feedback can be as personalizable and individualized as a teacher may like for a curriculum and even as a student may find helpful.

As Music teachers, Integration is key to developing an ideal curriculum. Apps are a great supplement to a standard curriculum. They allow students to engage in the classroom, but to supplement their individual knowledge at their own pace. If behind, students can catch up through app usage, while if ahead, students won’t feel frustrated and lost because they can build their own knowledge base for their own interests.