3/23/2017
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Swantje Biernacki
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One of the strategies I use quite often when learning new skills on the instruments is peer partner. After modeling and demonstrating the required task, I have the students partner up and demonstrate and practice for each other. They get certain focus points what to pay attention to and have to check off the focus points as well as correct each other while playing. I also ask the students to find at least two things that have been done well by their partner keeping the attention on positive criticism. With Peer partners the students get a lot of practice time while being observed which keeps them usually motivated and engaged. As the teacher I am able to walk around and help out if I see that problems. It gives me the opportunity to use mediated scaffolding where necessary.
The second strategy I am implementing especially when playing on the instruments is a tiered lesson according to the students playing ability.
In my 5th Grade elementary classes we learn about improvisation as an element of jazz. We created a piece in AB form where the B part was for improvisation to a steady beat on a pentatonic scale, thus turning the form into a rondo.
Tier 1 was the basic comprehension of AB from and rondo as well as what improvisation means.
The tiers for the playing instruction was divided as follows:
A part:
1. Proper playing technique playing a steady beat throughout the A part ( more challenging an ostinato)
2. Proper playing technique playing a simplified melody throughout the A part ( more challenging entire unmodified melody)
B part:
1. Proper playing technique improvising in the B part using 2 or 3 pitches on a steady beat. ( more challenging make up your own rhythms with the pitches)
2. Proper playing technique improvising in the B part using 5 pitches using various rhythms.
In this way all students were able to actively play according to their comfort level and experience the musical form as well as improvisation. |
3/24/2017
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Swantje Biernacki
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Option 1
I have a grade 1 student who is intellectual disabled as well as language impaired. In one of my music lessons I wanted to assess melodic direction as well as having students identify low middle and high pitch. Instead of having a question and answer assessment with this student, I had him show me through movements if the melodic directions were going up or down and also identified through visuals what he heard.
When assessing his high middle and low pitch conception I used the solfege system hand signs. Using his body through movements and identifying visuals seem to work really well. |
3/24/2017
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Swantje Biernacki
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In my 2nd grade classes I have had several experiences this year with students that have emotional behavior disability. I do include a lot of movement and hands on activities and find that the disabled students integrated the best into the classroom when using peer partners. If they were partnered up with someone they respected and got well along with, their ability to stay engaged and focused increased enormously. I sometimes had to modify physical movements to have theses students feel more quickly successful since in my experience they got very quickly frustrated, which could easily escalate. |