Interactivity #3: Generating a State of the Art Inventory

            The group process for this interactivity was rather collaborative.  The seven of us were able to effectively and efficiently generate our inventory as a team without ever physically meeting in person.  We began with a group Facebook message to share our ideas, ask questions and organize the way we would handle the task.  We then virtually “met” as a group on our Google Docs spreadsheet to fill in what we had decided to include.  This activity was definitely authentically collaborative as we were able to discuss new ideas and obstacles together (via Facebook) while producing our final product.  Occasionally, the Google Docs environment proved to be challenging.  For example, if two users were simultaneously working in the same cell, one could accidentally overwrite the other’s entry.  Luckily, the collaborative process made those sorts of challenges easy to overcome.

            I believe the final inventory that we generated could be a useful reference for any music educator.  It is organized in an easy-to-use manner and features links for almost every technology listed (with the exception of general technological interfaces such as MIDI).  The vast range of technologies featured in our inventory is also worth noting.  In one spreadsheet, one can find technology as simple as a conductor’s baton or rhythm sticks and as advanced as protocols.  Through this engaging collaborative experience, I think we certainly created a worthwhile resource.