6/5/2016
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Joseph Galeczka
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Think of a music student with a disability you have now, or have had in the past. Identify their disability. Describe the way in which their disability affected their music learning. Describe at least one or more ways you successfully accommodated or modified instruction for this student:
-I have a student who is legally blind and albino. While he does have some vision, seeing things from a distance and on the board can be a challenge. He is both in my chorus and Music Theory class. In Theory I allow the student to sit at my desk when I giving notes on the board. This gives him a sense of being "cool" because he gets to sit at the teachers desk instead of at a regular desk while at the same time gives him the appropriate proximity to read the board. I always have to remember to use only black markers (I like to use different colors on the board) so he can read it. He is unable to see the lighter markers. In my chorus class I use a data projector to display music for sight-singing. This student is unable to see the contrast on the screen. As a result, I always remember to have a print out of the exercise for him which he has no issue seeing. |
6/6/2016
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Joseph Galeczka
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Describe at least one way you have used technology to meet the needs of a student with a disability in your music classroom. Be sure to identify or describe the specific technology and the student's disability. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
- On more than one occasion I have had students who were lower level learners and had issues learning sight-singing. I use the website Sight Reading Factory to assist these students. I give them account and can give them assignments on the site to practice and develop their skill at home on a computer, smart phone, or tablet. The site allows specific control of content level along with the ability to record the students performance. It also will play the exercise for them so they can self-asses. One of the best parts of the site is it can be used with students of all levels. The sight will even add in the solefedge syllables to the example to help the student transfer to more independence. |
6/6/2016
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Joseph Galeczka
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Provide/Describe one or more examples of adapted or alternative assessments you have successfully used in the music classroom for students with disabilities. Be sure to identify the student's disability. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
-When I want to do a individual performance assessment of a section of music or a sight-reading example, instead of having students stand up individually and perform or do it in my office, I have them pull out their cell phones and use the voice recorder function. They will then precede to sing into the phone as a group, however the proximity of the phone to each students voice provides a clear individual performance. The students then email or text the recording to a email I had set up on Gmail for assessment. I have found this has been very effective with autistic students and students with other learning disabilities. It gives the students the security of performing with their peer and still provides me with the necessary information to make an individual assessment. Furthermore, these recordings allow me to chart student growth, and quickly and accurately monitor student comprehension with out having to "single" students out. |