When Doug told me about this, it really got me thinking. If this could work for Google, could it work in public education? If I gave my students time in class where they could work on any project they wanted, how would they respond? I spoke with my band about this concept last spring and the vibe was very encouraging. Already they began to think about what they would like to do. Write a french horn quintet, learn a new instrument, compose and perform music in the style of Thrash Metal; all of these ideas were being thrown around. I could see the excitement in their faces and I began to formulate how this was going to work.
Some teachers I talked to regarding this project were very skeptical. Change is hard and trying something COMPLETELY new can be foreboding. But I have faith in my students that the charge given to them will be taken seriously. My students are extremely creative and I look forward to seeing what they come up with!
In January Mr. Bundy, myself, and Dr. Robert Ponto (from the University of Oregon) will be presenting this concept at the Oregon Music Educators State conference where I will present some of my students' projects. This will be a great way not only to share the creativity of my students, but to possibly change how some music teachers teach music!
One thing I know will be required will be for students to keep their own blog on their process and progress of their project. More on this and everything else about the Google project will come in future blogs.
With guidance from Doug Bundy, the enthusiasm from my students, and my commitment to better their music education, I look forward to raising the bar for my students and myself on what we can achieve in band.
