Project time is an integral part of the learning design at The Village School and one of the things that differentiates The Village School from more traditional learning models. In project time, the focus is on the process – not the product. We value the who, how, and why behind a creation – not what is actually created. By presenting learners with choices, an array of materials, and introductions to concepts and themes, guides free learners to explore their curiosity, work together, celebrate mistakes, give and receive feedback, and persevere through frustrations.
As a Spark Studio guide, I feel free to join learners in a “how and why” mindset. I sit on the floor with the learners and invite them to share their thinking as they develop their projects. Because there’s no curriculum, I can follow a tangent, build upon an idea, or abandon a project in favor of something new.
In session 4, Spark learners explored a music theme through several projects, including these three:
Project #1: Five learners gathered around a table with four small canvases and one large poster. I played four songs (see playlist below) from different genres and asked the learners to paint how the music made them feel. After a period, the learners rotated in a circle and had to paint on the canvas of the person next to them. This challenged them:
- How can I add my ideas to something someone else already started?
- Should I ask the person next to me what she was painting?
- How do I feel when someone else starts painting on my canvas?
- What if the end result isn’t what I envisioned?
- How does this music make me feel and what does it make me think about?
As learners naturally expressed frustration or possession of certain canvasses, I centered the discussion on encouragement, navigating disagreement, and feedback, as opposed to the end result. Interestingly, the learners liked the posters, which were the most chaotic, the best, perhaps because they were the most reflective of collaborative work and multiple music genres.
Project #2: There were four glass jars with different amounts of water, the water in each jar a different color. Learners discovered that tapping each jar with a wooden mallet created a different pitch. The learners worked together to compose songs and wrote them out using markers that matched the colors in the jar, instead of notes on a staff. Learners were also exposed to the science of sound.
Project #3: Spark learners discussed how sound is made. I played my cello for the learners and they observed that the strings vibrated and the sound echoed. This led to discussion about how the cello was made and why other instruments look different. We also watched a short video from the group “Stomp” which showed cast members making sound, and then a coordinated rhythm, out of simple plastic and paper bags. After we spent time reflecting on the inspiration and talking about sound, I presented Spark learners with a buffet of loose parts and invited them to create their own musical instruments. Some created string instruments, others wind instruments, others percussion. Without the pressure of a deadline, learners had time to experiment, share ideas, work through challenges, and elaborate on or even cast aside first attempts.
My favorite part of project time is listening to the learners’ commentary and watching them work together. “Why do we have to listen to this one?” “This song made me feel happy.” “I heard this at a wedding.” One learner broke into an interpretive dance. When a learner’s string instrument fell apart, two other learners immediately jumped in to offer encouragement and to problem-solve. This is the power of project time in Spark Studio.
*Spark Studio playlist for our painting project*
- *SPARK STUDIO FAVORITE* “The Four Seasons Recomposed: Spring 1”-Eldbjorg Hemsing, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Michael England
- “Be-Bop”-Dizzy Gillespie
- “Eye of the Tiger”-Survivor
- “On the Nature of Daylight”-Max Richter
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