Music education brings learning into the light

This is part of our series on GenAI in the Classroom. We would love to hear from you. How are you navigating GenAI in your classroom? Are you questioning or resisting its use? Actively integrating AI-assisted learning? Encouraging students to reflect critically on AI outputs? Using GenAI to support assessment design or feedback? Submit your GenAI thoughts. 

Picture yourself as a qualified JK - 8 Music teacher going from room to room in a school. Picture yourself entering each classroom with a trolley or cart full of musical instruments from percussion to ukuleles. Imagine that each class you enter, with the exception of JK/SK are pitch black. Why?

All day students are on laptops for each subject. A dark room allows the screens to show up better. The students are reasonably well-behaved. Picture yourself just turning on the lights for one minute to do attendance. You hear students say, "Hurry, the lights hurt our eyes!" So you do attendance, close the lights and proceed with your lesson.

As you leave, you know the next class will be dark too. You know the students are reasonably well-behaved. You can predict the words "Hurry the lights hurt our eyes!"

As an OCT professional you know you are not in position to judge the learning of their subjects, except Music. You learn that there are no or few subject textbooks as seemingly everything is on laptop. There are no Hilroy notebook with the lines and spaces. There are some worksheets. The classroom teachers are co-operative.

What are you thinking at the end of your year as above? You thank everyone for having you as you have been treated equitably. There have been no serious issues or problems. What is your take on dark rooms and laptop learning?