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Hello, I’m Carol Broos, a recently retired 4-8 grade music teacher. I taught 33 years of general music in the northern suburbs of Illinois. Early in my career, I felt general music should be the “study of music.” I quickly realized that not only were my students not learning, but the passion I had for music was missing. Many of my band, orchestra, and students who were involved in private music lessons were completely bored. I moved into “create” mode, not “study” mode. When students were allowed to create and make music, they learned more about how music worked. Plus, the students became a community within the class and the student’s individual passions were allowed to intercept with the musical experience.
in 2004, a MIDI lab was installed with headsets, so students were able to personalize their experiences as well as share with each other. I was no longer the director on the podium, but the students moved at a quicker pace and learned to create and compose music at a faster rate. They loved to share their compositions and a new culture was born with this individualized instruction. I could enable EVERY student to be engaged and demand more from each student. Rigor was now an important aspect of the class, which gave birth to innovation. So, let’s get Ripped - Rigor, Innovation, and Passion.
You will hear from students how rigor, innovation, and passion are the backbone of creating and learning.
Rigor
My journey of music education is not a simple or “normal one.” I was never the most talented student in the class or the student with the highest grade point average, I never had a lead in a show or was the main soloist. Actually, I consider myself average, the average student sitting in the classroom. I was compliant and did what I was told. But, when I would create or invent something, I came to life. However, there were limited times in my education that I was allowed to create. No one ever demanded rigor from me, they demand compliance.
I also found that teaching to “the middle,” meant I really wasn’t teaching to any of my students. Four years ago I complete revamped the curriculum to include a “spectacular” project, fashioned after Randy Paush’s THE LAST LECTURE. The students were allowed to create using ANY skills, programs, and passion. Music had to part of the project. Given the individualization of the project, I could not have a rubric. Plus, with a rubric, my talent and gifted students quickly did the minimal. I used the line that Randy Paush used when students would ask me about their project “Not enough!” Pushing them harder and harder.
By teaching to the gifted and talented students two things happened. First, all my students were working on their individualized project as at a rabid pace and second, the culture of excellent, not average was the standard.
The biggest gift I gave my students was time. Yes, there were deadlines, but deadline could always be moved. I used to say “I have the magic wand.” Finishing a project that the student was proud of with their ideas were realized was more important than making a deadline. So, if a student wasn’t really finished with the project and the rest of the class was, I allowed the student to skip the next project and finish up. Conversely if a student finished early, they were allowed to “play,” or work on something they have always wanted to work on.
I am a Google Certified teacher and incorporated the 20% within the class. This means 20% of the class time was for discovery and create or Open Lab. There were rules was Open Lab was. OPEN LAB. Again, rules on what was expected. However, there were students who would ask “Can I..” if it was reasonable, it was approved. Out of the 20% time take the most amazing projects and collaborations. It allowed students to innovate and create.
Keeping all the students in a world of create makes them think more and after they leave my classroom, they think about how they can make their project better. I would say “I want my students to work on MY stuff at home.”
Innovation
The moment I stepped into my own classroom it happened, I went from average to innovator. I also told myself that the basis of all my lessons would allow my students to have a voice. So, every year I empowered my students to create and innovate. My students amazed me at the level of innovative creative projects I saw.
I taught musical composition and didn’t compose myself until I was 48. Now I compose daily and taught composition to non-musicians and gifted composers. My students lived in a world of create, not a world of compliance. I championed the students who took risks and let their voice be heard.
So, how did I run my classroom? Ironically, I started out with heavily compliant rules. Left or right brain days, Whenever we started a new program or project on the computer, it was left-brain day. On left-brain day every student had to “click” together . If one person was behind, other students would have to jump in and help. This created a community by making the students help each other. I took myself off the podium, I allow other students to take charge and teach. This empowerment created leadership. The reason was two-fold. First, I would never reteach a lesson. That puts a speed bump in the lesson. The less speed bumps, the more the students are on their own. I started with the basics and assume that students knew nothing.
Once the students knew what was expected and were working on their projects, it allowed me to mentor the students that wanted to step it up. I was always looking at other ways to involve students in sharing, whether it was on the web or at the various conferences. The idea of “giving back,” and showing others was always a common thread within the classroom. You can’t be an island.
It’s important that the talented students spend some time together at least one a week, so I started a tech club once a week at 7:15 in the morning. It was by invitation only and you had to be willing to show and help others. Soon students would ask if they could attend, ANY student was allowed, however if they weren’t willing to share and learn, they quickly stopped coming. I soon had over 25 students knocking on my window to come in. Seeing fourth grade students helping seventh graders and a eighth grade student showing a fifth grader a new program or project encouraged others.
Passion
“Find what the student’s passion is and build upon that, electricity in the classroom will happen” - Carol Broos
I wanted my students, no matter how bad it was in school, to open the door to the music room and walk into a garden of possibilities. What your heard from these students is the though process of involving music through their passion, technology was used. Music was the glue that brought it all together. Having that focal point of music, pushed them to create and innovate more.
It will be exciting to see where these students are in one, five, or ten years. These are not the compliant students sitting quietly in class, these are the students who question and demand that you ALLOW them to create and innovate.
All of the podcasts can be found on musictechie.pbworks.com and the full school site of www.carolbroos.com
The Future
If am to demand rigor, innovation, using passion, then I should expect the same from myself. I am constantly looking at new avenues to push music education and technology forward. I demanded a lot from my students. What was my greatest joy? By watching them take the steering wheel of the jet plane and me sitting as the passenger,
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