Infusing the Arts in the Common Core by Carol Broos

These are my notes from Carol Broos‘ presentation, “Infusing the Arts in the Common Core” on February 28 2013 at the ICE 2013 conference in Chicago. Carol is @musictechie on Twitter. Resources for this session are available on Carol’s wiki. MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ARE IN ALL CAPS.

BE SURE TO ALSO CHECK OUT CAROL BROOS’ AMAZING PRESENTATIONS FOR THE FREE K-12 ONLINE CONFERENCE:

Let Me Tell MY Story” (2010)

Get RIPped: Rigor, Innovation, and Passion (2011 KEYNOTE)

Literacy to Transliteracy
– I am really into transliteracy now
– it’s not about being literate in ONE format
– it means everything is supported: words, audio
– means ‘across or through’
– read across everything
WikiPedia definition:

You really shortchange your students when you ask them to use images off Google and someone else’

writing music is easier than writing a story

Imperial March from Star Wars is 3 notes
– music is doing LESS
– in music: silence is as important as sound
– write music with three notes, and repeat it (you’re supposed

Beethoven’s 5th Symphony based on 3 note repeat

No one says “I can’t take a picture” anymoe” (remember those days gone by!)

EVerything revolves around a story
– music is a story
– music makes laughter
– music makes emotion
– don’t just teach “this is a C” or “this is an A” (if you do, no wonder kids hate your class!)
– kis want to compose!

First thing I started with: Sound Effects
– 5 sentences and 5 sound effects

Next
– picture stories

THEN
– content

All my kids over time learned to write stories through music
– I taught them everything in music should tell a story

Color project
– take pictures of purple
– started visually first
– add music later

Other times kids start with a story first
– then the story tells them what to get pictures of

Whip My Hair

The Last Switch
– switch is a soft drink

more….

Projects that Work

“Color My World”

Management of devices:
– if you send kids out with devices “without a purpose” you will get photos of the bathroom and kids rolling on the floor
– I made my students “scout for their photos”
– kids had to ran around and take their photos: I just had 2 cameras in my room
– kids had to work on other things until they had scouted for their photos

Take your own pictures
– it’s powerful when you have and use your OWN pictures and your own art

If I gave you a box of crayons, would you use every one? Don’t use all the notes on the musical staff either
– art and music are about silence and deletion: silence is key

Take your OWN pictures, compose your OWN music, create your OWN movies, draw your OWN logo