Character
Citizenship
Communication
Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Creative Thinking
Grade Level -7th/8th Advanced Band
SOL/Standard - MIAD2b) Develop individual solutions to creative challenges through independent research, investigation, and inquiry of music idea and concepts.Â
MIAD2c) Monitor individual practice and progress toward goals.
MIAD.14b) Consistent use of proper playing posture, instrument position, and hand positions.
In advanced band, students complete practice logs every marking period to chart their progress towards the goal of proficiency in their instrument. In this learning experience, students created podcasts instead of the traditional practice log. The goal of this experience was for students to still put in the practice they needed, but for them to select a piece that was important to them and to reflect on the process and their progress towards a goal. This use of podcasting as a reflection tool was ideal for advanced band as students were learning a new piece and playing an instrument, but could be applied to any content area as a unique way to see students’ thought process as they work towards a goal. It could be applied to multiple grade levels as well, with varying levels of support on the concept and the technological know-how required.Â
“Usually practice logs have to be specific, this gave me more freedom to do what I wanted to do, and this was an opportunity to make a podcast and get better at speaking."Â
-Delina A., 8th Grade
"We introduced the project together and students asked thoughtful questions to better understand expectations. Some students struggled with the open nature of the project as they could choose their own piece and really their own format for their podcasts, but this was also an advantage as the products were not all exactly alike."
Holman Middle HMS
Thank you to Henrico Education Foundation (HEF) and the following teacher innovators who made this event possible:
Charlotte Mason
Drew Duncan
Alayna Tignor