Blog Review

I am very interested in music education, so I chose to review the blog MusTech.Net (http://mustech.net/). First of all, I was

very impressed with the surplus of information given to assist music teachers in the field. This blog gives tips on everything you can think of from "How to unplug," to "What is the copyright alert system?" I think that the page's layout is a bit overwhelming, and could use a fresh look that is easier to navigate. I do like how the title to each blog post is given and the first few sentences of the post are shown, then you are given the option to "read more." This helps the reader get a quick idea of what the post is about, and helps to narrow down exactly what information they are looking for. All authors are listed, and if you click on their name, information about that person is linked. The advertisements on the sides of the page are appropriate to the subject and are quite helpful to viewers. One of the best features on the site is the ability to search the blog archives by the month. This specific blog has been creating post since August 2006, which in my opinion makes it a very successful blog to be functioning for eight years and counting. One of the main critiques I have for this blog is the lack of color and creativity. It is not very pleasing to the eye, and at first glance can seem overwhelming with how the information is laid out. I think the use of color and formatting it in a more organized manner would help viewers navigate the site much easier.

About Me & Expectations for TPTE

Hello! My name is Jessie Anne Compton and I'm from Chattanooga, Tennessee. I am a senior, studying Music Education at the University of Tennessee. Music has always played an important role in my life. I started out as a young piano player, then soon gained interest in singing through children's choir at church and school. Throughout my grade school education, I continued piano lessons and soon began voice lessons. I was also very involved in my high school choir and the youth band at my church. When it was time to decide what I was interested in studying in college, I knew that music was very important to me, but more than that I was interested in educating children and using music as a tool to invest in their lives. I believe music teaches students communication skills, social skills, encourages whole-brain learning, and helps the student grow mentally and emotionally. I want to create a learning community in my classroom where students from all backgrounds feel welcomed, loved, and are comfortable enough to express themselves, and collaborate with their fellow classmates to create beautiful music


I am very excited about gaining more knowledge about technology, that can later be used in my classroom. The website, wiki, and blog, have already given me new ideas to enhance my classroom and further encourage my students to use technology to assist them in their learning process. I believe the musical world could use technology in the classroom more to further educate our musicians, and I am looking forward to learning new ways to do that in TPTE.