3/23/2017
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Paul Roy
|
Several years ago I was teaching a music technology course in which students learned to use computers for website creation, music notation, audio/MIDI sequencing, etc. I had one student who was Visually Impaired - she was not blind, but had very little vision and used a guide dog to get around. Throughout the course, we regularly met to get her set up with the computer's adaptive technology, including a higher contrast screen, magnifier, and keyboard shortcuts for the different programs so that she did not always have to use a mouse. I would also send her links to videos or other visual material we looked at in class so that she could look at it in more detail on her own computer. It seemed to work well - she did well in the course and appreciated the accommodations. |
3/23/2017
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Paul Roy
|
I have a student with a Learning Disability that has benefited from the use of technology in the Chorus classroom. Each student has a laptop (as part of our district's technology initiative), and we have been able to post assignments for them to complete online. The students often share ideas or opinions using Google Forms, access sight-reading materials and important information using Google Classroom, and view their music wherever/whenever by accessing PDFs online. This has helped her and other students by allowing them access to important information when they need it (helping them to stay organized by keeping it electronically in one central location), and to more easily stay focused because they are looking at and interacting with their own computer screen, rather than just looking at a board and having to remember the information later. They are not just seeing and hearing the information, but they are reading and interacting with it as well. This has also allowed us to help the students build more self-reliant habits: instead of automatically asking for information to be repeated, we simply remind them to check online first before asking questions. |
3/23/2017
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Paul Roy
|
In the past I have had students who had difficulty in writing things by hand, especially when it came to music notation. In these cases, I would allow them to use technology to write out their music through online music notation software (in addition to typing responses in English). However, I would still have them write some things by hand so that they could continue to practice their fine motor skills. |