A Different Dynamic

Beyond tired this morning. It was a lovely graduation.

I’m sending you over to a blog post from the music tech company Soundtrap about an innovative after-school program in Howard County.

Girls Make Beats in Maryland , Richard McCready for Edublog at Soundtrap.com

Yes, a familiar name and face here. This program is the brainchild of my husband in his continuing quest to engage “the other 80” per cent in high school music programs.

I had the idea for Girls Make Beats when some of the girls in my classes would come back after school to work on their projects. I noticed a different dynamic amongst the girls when boys were no longer in the room dominating the conversation (as they invariably do in class).

Read the post, and listen to the composition samples, too. If you’ve ever wondered what kids are learning in music tech classes, this will give you a glimpse.

Our teachers do many things for students which go well beyond their contractual agreements. Perceiving and responding to differing learning needs in order to provide more opportunity can be done in so many ways. A club that encourages young women to flourish in a subject that has been traditionally dominated by male students makes a difference both now and for the future.

Do you have a story about a HoCo teacher who made a difference for students in a special way? Share it in the comments.

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