A few years ago I conducted a year-long action research project that sought to identify ways in which music education could engender greater student engagement in meaningful musical experience. I learnt a great deal both from and with my students – we became a democratic community of learners, reflecting on the action of our classroom…
Author: Cade Bonar
Head of Music at an independent school in Queensland, Australia; interested in action research in and for music education.
Thoughts to guide my practice in 2014…
Before the first week of the 2014 academic year, I spent some time reflecting on some thoughts and processes that I would endeavour to have underpin my classroom action and interaction. They are drawn from readings, discussions; my reflections on the words of others… and I seek to keep them central to my practice over…
The student voice prompting pedagogical change in music education
In Meditation XVII from Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, John Donne (1624) wrote: “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main” (¶ 1). This passage brings forth a theme relevant to school music education today. Too often, music teachers see themselves and their…
@mtec2013
I’ve just returned from mtec2013 (Music Technology in Education Conference), held at the Yarra Valley Grammar School in Melbourne. As anticipated, many of the sessions were excellent, and I have taken away many ideas that will inform my own practice. There were also some exceptional keynotes – James Humberstone (@JamesHumbers) was truly an inspiration (and…
Welcome
If you’ve landed here, then welcome to my blog/site. Here I will post my reflections on music teaching and learning, and also music education research. Some of the pages on this site are static, and provide information on my teaching and research. Feel free to get in contact if you want to talk music education…
Dr Cade Bonar 