When did you get your first computer? For the ACDA National Office, the answer to this question might surprise you. A few years ago, in response to a need to "modernize" the process of ACDA and, yes, help with that first computer purchase, ACDA created the Technology Committee at the National level. Originally, the goal of the group was to support ACDA in selecting, acquiring and using technologies that would help the organization operate.
Obviously, things have changed in the last few years– ACDA has an app, a website, ChoralNet, electronic newsletters and state and regional organizations use technology in a variety of ways to communicate with their current and prospective members. At our Leadership Retreat in Dallas last month, the question came up: "Is the need for Technology support now about the organization using technology, or is it about supporting our members?"
We are excited that the ACDA Technology Committee has now officially been rebranded as ACDA Educational Technology. Our primary goal moving forward is to turn our energies from supporting ACDA as an organization to ACDA members as professionals in the field. Between the members of the group, we have expertise in web and app development, Web 2.0 tools, online publishing, multimedia and a host of other things you may have wanted to use in your groups but never known how. What's more important, though, we're all choral professionals who use these technologies to help us do our jobs in support of creative art, and want to share what we've learned. To that end, you'll see many things appearing on ChoralNet in the next few weeks from forum postings to communities and polls, and a weekly blog post on Thursdays looking at tools that you may want to use in your rehearsals and concerts.
We are, however, here to answer your questions from "What's this SoundCloud thing I keep hearing about?" to "My students keep saying that I need to use Twitter… Is it good for anything?" to "I can't keep track of my music checkout! HELP!" Imagine us your own Choral Geek Squad.
I open it up to you, then–
- What are topics that you'd like to see addressed in coming weeks?
- What are tools that you're interested in learning more about?
- What are logistics/technology problems to which you need a new solution or new way of thinking?
Thanks for your input, and we look forward to starting the discussions with you!
Kathryn Benedicto says
Jeff Tillinghast says
Reese Norris says
I have a new smart board that will be installed in a few days
and I want to find every way I can to use it in my choral
rehearsal. Theory and all sorts of music literacy topics are a
regular part of my rehearsal plans. thank you!
-Reese