Professional Development Inspires New Fifth Grade Music Project

Inspired by curriculum work she began at the Ethical Creativity Institute in 2017 and further encouraged by the Brandeis faculty and staff summer reading of Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchell Resnick, music teacher Kimberly Lostetter has introduced a new passion project in fifth grade music. "Both of these professional development opportunities reinforced for me that students are most successful when they work on projects they are passionate about," Ms. Lostetter says. Aimed at reinforcing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, these individual passion projects are “self-guided music learning journeys,” explains Ms. Lostetter.” Students are thinking about and will begin researching topics about everything from why Hamilton: An American Musical is so popular to how to deconstruct a guitar and recreate it with recycled materials. Adds Ms. Lostetter, “It’s important for students to see how music is connected to the real world in many ways and discover how music holds an important place in their own lives.” MORE PHOTOS