Web 2.0 with Alert Support for Busy Parents in Suzuki Method of Children Music Teaching Cheuk-ting CHAN Dept of Music HK Baptist University Dickson K. W. CHIU Senior Member, IEEE Dickson Computer Systems, HK Suzuki MethodICWL

Introduction Suzuki method for children learning musical instruments well received and practised worldwide developed and expanded for various kinds of instruments Key requirements Parental involvement and learning environment Become obstacle for busy parents in metropolises Solution: Web 2.0 with Alert Support for Suzuki method Platform (WASSAP) provides a virtual musical environment for teachers, students, parents Alert Management System (AMS) to facilitate their communications Enabling ICT infrastructure: high computing penetration, high-bandwidth broadband and wireless infrastructure. Suzuki MethodICWL

Philosophy of Suzuki method All children have potential to become musical Applying “ Mother tongue ” method to children ’ s music learning. Environment rather than genetics will determine the success and failure of students. Suzuki MethodICWL

Careful and sequential planning of curriculum Breaking each new skill into the smallest possible steps Avoiding dry technical exercises New technical skills and musical concepts introduced and disguised with the context of familiar musical pieces Interesting and attractive to the children and their families. Motivation for learning comes from the desire to learn new pieces in the repertoire. Curriculum of Suzuki Method Suzuki MethodICWL

Technical concepts of Suzuki method Begin lessons early Suzuki Triangle: strong partnership among student, teacher, and parent Daily listening to recordings Learning by ear before reading music notations Like learning mother-tongue One-point learning - focus on only 1 technique at a time Individual lessons at each child’s own pace Use group classes to review the materials presented in the private lesson and to introduce the skill of playing together. Suzuki MethodICWL

Parent’s role suggested by Suzuki To cooperate with the music instructors Give positive encouragement to their children Attend child ’ s lesson Learn to play the instrument even before the child understand what the child is expected to do. Foster the musical environment by attending concerts and playing recordings at home Suzuki MethodICWL

Review of the role of parents in children ’ s music learning in Hong Kong Observation based on the authors’ experience teaching music in school instrumental tutor conversation with parents. Little involvement of parents in their children ’ s learning. Parents are busy and exhausted with their daily job. Over-relying on household helpers Education level of parents. Suzuki MethodICWL

Specific problems of parent involvement To cooperate with the music instructors Parents have inadequate knowledge and motivation No time to attend lessons due to long working hours and trips Give positive encouragement to their children Seldom – because of Chinese culture Parents don ’ t know how to appraise their children ’ s performance Learn to play the instrument to understand what the child is expected to do No time, inadequate educational background Foster the musical environment by attending concerts and playing recordings at home Not so often, too much other entertainments Short-sighted motivation Just for greater opportunity to be admitted to a better school Suzuki MethodICWL

System Architecture Suzuki MethodICWL Content Database Application Logic Alert Management System Web / mobile Access Alert XSLT Processor Web Portal Public Content Services, e.g., Youtube, Facebook, … TriggeredAction Alert Input Desktop LaptopPDA Mobile ParentsTeachersStudentsAdministrators Internet Web 2.0 with Alert Support for Suzuki Approach Platform User & Curriculum Database Content Mgr Curriculum Mgr Event Mgr Session Mgr Forum Mgr Messaging Mgr User Mgr Configuration Mgr …

Main Entities and Relationships Suzuki MethodICWL

Parent Assistance Offered Communicating and cooperating with music instructors Understand children’s progress and performance in lessons Forums event announcement provide assistance Messaging teacher’s comments starts conversation Response from parents or even children progress monitoring Increase parental involvement in their children’s learning progress Suzuki MethodICWL

Parent Assistance Offered (2) Increase parental involvement AMS alert the parents of the start of lessons and other related events Maintain an open, warm, and supportive atmosphere via messaging for busy parents Video conferencing to support interactions of remote parents with teaching sessions Recording of the sessions for parents' review. Sharing music media with their children Teachers share their own recording clips Teachers prescribe media for their daily listening and practice Facilitate parents to practice music with children at home Suzuki MethodICWL

Parent Assistance Offered (3) Fostering a virtual musical environment Organizing various kinds of events and activities Web activities now often considered as entertainment Share appropriate concert video clips Virtual music competition Discussions among teachers, parents, and older students enhances the motivation among the children sharing challenges with peers Old students as mentors Notification of events and important messages can be adequately supported by our AMS Suzuki MethodICWL

Suzuki MethodICWL Conclusions Key to Suzuki’s method: parental involvement and learning environment Our platform helps busy parents and creates e-learning environment Contemporary Web 2.0 and ICT facilitates collaboration: music sharing, recording, messaging, discussions, … Provides fundamental support for (e-)curriculum design and execution AMS further helps event notifications Help busy mobile people in learning participation, overcoming much restrictions of time and space.

Suzuki MethodICWL Future Work  Carry out these remedies in our professional practices  Performance evaluation and process improvement  Comparative field study Further development of the ontology for clinical processes. Application of ontology and other social networking technologies (e.g., reputation system) for this purpose.

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