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Friday. Thank goodness. After a long, long week of administering our state standardized tests to my students who have learning disabilities, I am sooooo incredibly glad it is over. Mind numbing. Tiresome. I have no enthusiasm for giving these tests. It is all I can do to get through the directions without pouring out a rant laced with cynical undertone. It is difficult to watch students who struggle with the traditional academic skills be run through a series of tests that test, once again, their ability (or lack of ability) to perform. But…this is not what this post is about…it is about a glorious hidden opportunity for learning that occurred…
We had to borrow the mobile MacBook lab from our elementary school to utilize the audio DVD’s the state provided for the accommodated test. As the students finished portions of their test, they were, of course, curious about the new machines. The internet was disabled (of course, FEAR of finding answers) and so after some fiddling a few boys started playing around with GarageBand. WOW. All I can say is that in a little over two hours all of the kids in the room were hooked. They were composing, sharing, talking, rearranging and ALL ON THEIR OWN…figuring out a fairly complex program. I couldn’t help but feel it was the universe telling me…see…not all is lost…the state does not control you, your teaching or the learning that takes place. By the end of day two, at the lunch break…I had to tell the kids to leave…TEENAGE BOYS…refusing to go to lunch because they were too deeply engaged in learning. HA!
The unfortunate part is that the machines have to be returned to the elementary school next week. We have a few machines in the building that will run GarageBand and other iLife 08 programs, but the access is limited. We copied all of their compositions to a flash drive and I told them in the very least they could use my PowerBook or my iMac to play around some more.
The music they created was beautiful. Each had a personal style and signature. They were encouraging to each other, running around the room listening, commenting, and showing each other different things they learned about the program. It was a real life picture of the type of engagement I have been dreaming about…It was amazing to see students who struggle with reading, writing and math, figure out and problem solve a program to create a work of art.
Our superintendent has all but promised mobile carts for the HS and MS next year…let’s hope he hold true…for there are hidden opportunities all around us, I am sure.
