JENNIFER MELLIZO
Jennifer Mellizo has been teaching K-8th grade music at the University of Wyoming Laboratory School in Laramie, WY for the past 22 years. She was named a Wyoming Arch Coal Teacher of the Year in 2014, the Albany County School District Teacher of the Year in 2016, and was a 2021 U.S. Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Spain. Jennifer publishes research and practical articles in journals such as Music Educators Journal, Music Education Research, TOPICS for Music Education Praxis, and Arts Education Policy Review, and is a frequent presenter at regional, national, and international conferences. In addition to her research and teaching duties, she is the music curriculum specialist for her school district and a curriculum developer for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
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Smithsonian Folkways Learning Pathways: Future-Proofing Music Education in a Time of Change
For decades, scholars have provided compelling rationales for including culturally diverse learning experiences in the music curriculum. Yet, diversifying the curriculum is a complex, messy, and time-consuming process. Developed by educators, ethnomusicologists, musicians, and cultural practitioners, a new educational initiative, titled Smithsonian Folkways Learning Pathways (SFLP) seeks to expand the reach of culturally diverse music education, while minimizing its risks. SFLPs are delivered through a series of online slideshows, which can be facilitated in a variety of learning environments (in-person, hybrid, and online). Within this provocation, I examine the unique promise and potential shortcomings of these new educational resources.