Fall 2014 Virtual Meeting

Professional Development for the Beginning Teacher ASPA

 

Fall Virtual Meeting Notes

September 10, 2014

 

ASPA Members in Attendance

Melissa Baughman, Chris Baumgartner, Vanessa Bond, Jennifer Greene, Bryan Koerner, Morgan Soja, & Vanessa Bond

 

Old Business

  • Reviewed proposed ideas from NAfME 2014
  • No updates on the possible survey led by Ken Dye. Project tabled.

 

Projects to Investigate

Efficacy of Beginning Music Teacher Mentoring Programs as Perceived by First-Year Teachers

  • Checking with NAfME on acquiring email database for mass emailing
    • Vanessa Bond & Sarah Stanley
  • Electronic survey to determine:
    • Types of mentoring programs that exist
    • Beginning teacher perceptions
    • How findings align with those from our NAfME (2014) investigation

 

An Analysis of Music Education Social Media Communication: The Content of and Use by Beginning Music Teachers

  • Content analysis of (specified timespan) of posts, questions, etc. listed on social media pages/groups/etc.
    • Analyze content of posts (keyword identification)
    • Descriptive statistics for elements such as:
      • Focus of posts/questions
      • Compare times of year for postings/specific issues
      • Responses by experienced teachers
    • Possibly adapt methodology from current investigation of band directors facebook attitudes by Rickles & Brewer
      • Bryan Koerner

 

Other Ideas to Consider

  • Monthly university-led webinars (Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc) designed around recent graduates’ needs
    • Beginning inservice teachers could email/list their concerns prior to each session (to make sure it doesn’t become a rant session)
  • Podcasts designed to discuss research-based best practices
    • A list of “top” practitioners articles could also potentially aid these young teachers

 

Future Projects

  • Possible cross-ASPA “pollination” with new teacher assessment IF the above projects lead toward a logical collaboration
    • Not pursuing collaborative work just for the sake of doing so; wait until we have a meaningful project