Music technology know-how wins teacher national honor
“One of the things I’ve done since becoming chair is to request enrollment information about music technology courses around the state,” he said. “When the classes started in 2015, there were about 18 school systems teaching about 3,300 students, and only one was at a middle school. In 2021-22, we had 40 school systems offering these classes, and 14 are now in middle schools. And we have more than 12,000 students – about a 250% increase.”
Jones’ students are part of that growth. “Today there are students who like and are interested in music but don’t want to play a trumpet or sing,” he said. “Because we have this class, those students have an opportunity to participate in a way they might not have done. At the same time, our band, orchestra and choir programs have grown; we now have 350 students each year taking a music class.”
Through his work at McConnell and the state organization, Jones has become an advocate for music technology, even writing a book, “Music Tech 101,” in 2021 to help teachers master the concepts and design curriculum. He’s spoken across the country about his passion, and his dedication was recently recognized by the Technology in Music Education organization that named him the 2023 national teacher of the year.
“When I first got into music technology, these were the people I looked to for advice and resources, so to be on the same list with them is very humbling and fulfilling,” he said. “It’s important to share what I know with other teachers, and I love teaching. It’s what makes me get out of bed every day.”
Information about McConnell Middle is online at gcpsk12.org/McConnellMS.
SEND US YOUR STORIES. Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
Gloss