b. Deciding Whether to Use ICT

There seems to be a wide range of options for dealing with this topic. The teacher could:

• Use the live sound-source only, and not use any ICT (or other technology) at all.
• Use a word processor package to create worksheets on timbre, perhaps placing some images into the worksheets, and relate these to live sound sources.
• Use some video and audio sources of different sounds, instruments and timbres.
• Use a CD ROM with sound and other resources on it, or a mass-market CD ROM such as Encarta.
• Use the World Wide Web to gather resources, especially on concepts and theories.
• Use the World Wide Web for the resources, and locate an expert on the subject for e-mail communication.

Of course, any combination of the options is also possible, but we shall discuss them all, and your work will involve using several of the options alone and together.

Questions for Consideration

• How many of the options above do you feel comfortable about at the moment, and could you suggest any others?
• What are the benefits to using the audio/video alongside the written material?
• What are the pitfalls as you see them to using the World Wide Web to gather background information?
• Look again at the objectives for this case study - do you think any of them match up with the options listed?

Keep a short record of your responses to these questions for discussion with your mentor.

c. Selecting ICT Resources