Jet-Lagged Jazz History: Teaching on the Other Side of the World

Abstract: As jazz has evolved into a truly global music form and has become cemented in higher education institutions worldwide, history classes for 21st-century students become ever more important for contextualizing a music that emerged in the beginning of the 20th century. Educators today, more than ever before, face challenges of distance: time, place, and culture. At the same time, education methodologies and technology have improved dramatically. These can be of great value for contemporary educators in addressing critical issues of diversity in the classroom, as well as leading to more effective content instruction and student assessment. In this reflective essay, I analyze how I implemented contemporary education methods (such as differentiation, VAK, informal assessment) and technology (such as social media, digital file-sharing, music, and video streaming services) to overcome challenges in teaching jazz history in China, where such issues are more exaggerated. Lastly, I propose novel possibilities for teaching jazz history with consideration for time, place, culture, and according to the identity of students as well as the educator.