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Teaching Students with Disabilities discussion forum for Secondary (Middle and High School) Music teachers

Assessment of Learning Messages in this topic - RSS

Jillian Savia
Jillian Savia
Posts: 9


6/29/2023
Jillian Savia
Jillian Savia
Posts: 9
Option 1: 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.


This past school year I had a student who broke his arm and had a physical disability for several weeks in my Orchestra class. Because of his injury, he was not allowed to play his cello with a bow during the time that he was healing as his right arm was the one that was broken, and he would not be able to use his bow arm safely. This was in a beginning level orchestra class and during this time of the year we were learning the finger placement of new notes on our instrument, and we were also learning more about rhythms and recognizing and incorporating dynamics through our playing. In order for the student to still be able to participate in learning and for me to be able to assess their understanding of the concepts, I made several adaptations for him and used alternative assessments. One adaptation was to have him show me how he could recognize where to place his fingers on the fingerboard with just his left hand as that hand and arm was not injured. It worked well that he played the cello as that instrument could just lean on him and did not require him to hold it up like a violin, viola, or bass. An adaptation I made to allow him to practice rhythms and dynamics on an instrument was giving him a drum pad and one drumstick that he could use with his left hand/arm only since it was his right arm that was injured. The student was able to demonstrate their understanding of rhythms and performed them using the single drumstick on the drum pad. The student was also able to practice dynamics by controlling how loud or softly they hit the drum pad with their un-injured arm. I also specifically placed a peer next to them who played the cello so that from time to time, the student could watch their partner demonstrate how this new knowledge transferred over to the cello and the student could feel more comfortable with eventually performing these techniques on their cello once their right arm had finished healing several weeks later.
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Jillian Savia
Jillian Savia
Posts: 9


6/29/2023
Jillian Savia
Jillian Savia
Posts: 9
Jennifer Adams wrote:
A student with Autism in band is allowed to use his tablet to respond to questions either with words or pictures as opposed to having to speak - something he cannot do typically. The same student is allowed to make musical sounds and rhythms using a music app. He can count out beats in a measure and even identify some note values creating the correct rhythms.



This is such an amazing accommodation! What a great way to use technology in order to make performing music accessible for this student!
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Derek Weston
Derek Weston
Posts: 3


7/11/2023
Derek Weston
Derek Weston
Posts: 3
Identify at least two ways administrators can assist fine arts educators' in learning about how to use adapted assessment in their fine arts classroom.


Adapted assessment is critical for educators to determine the mastery of standards by all students. Adminstration can work with educators directly to determine appropriate means to assess a particular standard in a way that is accessible for the individual student. Adminstration can also provide any needed resources and exemplars of adapted assessment by connecting the teacher with ESE specialists or other recognized teachers who have been effective with their use of varied assessment strategies.
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Jason Diana
Jason Diana
Posts: 4


7/12/2023
Jason Diana
Jason Diana
Posts: 4
I have had a number of students with disabilities. I have had students with various levels of hearing disabilities. I would assist them by giving them preferred seating. I would also try to make sure they were watching me when I spoke. I have had students with a sprained wrist of a broken arms and had them play what they could. If they were playing the piano they could participate by using their "good arm".
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Jason Diana
Jason Diana
Posts: 4


7/12/2023
Jason Diana
Jason Diana
Posts: 4
That is so great and your patience and understanding is not lost. Jillian Savia wrote:
Option 1: 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.


This past school year I had a student who broke his arm and had a physical disability for several weeks in my Orchestra class. Because of his injury, he was not allowed to play his cello with a bow during the time that he was healing as his right arm was the one that was broken, and he would not be able to use his bow arm safely. This was in a beginning level orchestra class and during this time of the year we were learning the finger placement of new notes on our instrument, and we were also learning more about rhythms and recognizing and incorporating dynamics through our playing. In order for the student to still be able to participate in learning and for me to be able to assess their understanding of the concepts, I made several adaptations for him and used alternative assessments. One adaptation was to have him show me how he could recognize where to place his fingers on the fingerboard with just his left hand as that hand and arm was not injured. It worked well that he played the cello as that instrument could just lean on him and did not require him to hold it up like a violin, viola, or bass. An adaptation I made to allow him to practice rhythms and dynamics on an instrument was giving him a drum pad and one drumstick that he could use with his left hand/arm only since it was his right arm that was injured. The student was able to demonstrate their understanding of rhythms and performed them using the single drumstick on the drum pad. The student was also able to practice dynamics by controlling how loud or softly they hit the drum pad with their un-injured arm. I also specifically placed a peer next to them who played the cello so that from time to time, the student could watch their partner demonstrate how this new knowledge transferred over to the cello and the student could feel more comfortable with eventually performing these techniques on their cello once their right arm had finished healing several weeks later.
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Mark Watson
Mark Watson
Posts: 3


7/13/2023
Mark Watson
Mark Watson
Posts: 3
Option 1: 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.


While assessing student mastery of major scales, I have offered students multiple ways to "passoff" their required scales based on the method that bests suits them. On designated days we will perform in class, in front of others, any required scale of their choice. Students who wish to complete their scales individual in a practice room can do so either "live" or via recording. This provides students with opportunities to show proficiency based on their preparedness and gives them the time needed to process and perform.
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Ester Jackson
Ester Jackson
Posts: 3


7/16/2023
Ester Jackson
Ester Jackson
Posts: 3
In guitar, most of my assessments are performance based. For many of my students with disabilities, they are able to play the song or excerpt, but the tempo is a lot slower. In my school district, we use a platform called Schoology that allows students to upload written and video assignments. So, I will have students upload a recording of themselves playing a particular passage at the tempo that is successful. I can then give specific feedback to individual students.
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Roberto Vidal
Roberto Vidal
Posts: 3


7/29/2023
Roberto Vidal
Roberto Vidal
Posts: 3
Option 1:

At the end of every nine weeks, I do a vocal performance assessment of all of my singers individually in my choirs. However, I have adapted the mode of assessment for their individual performances in order to accommodate those students with social anxieties. I allow students currently to be able to perform in front of the class or submit an online video through Google Classroom of them performing the required excerpt, that is then visible to the class. This has proven great success in my choirs and I have noticed a trend that the less pressure performers have in regards to their peers, they tend to open up and strive for an in-person assessment. The digital flexibility allows for all learners to feel supported and that their best work will always be represented.
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Kevin Spilling
Kevin Spilling
Posts: 3


8/5/2023
Kevin Spilling
Kevin Spilling
Posts: 3
Option 1: 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.


Students who have social anxiety can have difficulties with performance tests. To help them feel more comfortable, Instead of a metronome I play the drum set or put on a drum set track on in the background. This way, they feel more like they are jamming which makes it fun.
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Jordan Mattheus
Jordan Mattheus
Posts: 3


10/25/2023
Jordan Mattheus
Jordan Mattheus
Posts: 3
I currently have a student that struggles with taking their playing tests in front of other students. This is due to the fact that this student is on the spectrum, as well as deals with varying levels of anxiety. In order to help them complete their assessments in a fair in comfortable manner for them I always provide them with two alternatives to perform their playing test.

1. They can perform their playing test before or after school when there are no other students around.
2. I allow them to submit a video of them playing their playing test online so that they can complete their assessment in the comfort of their own home.

Either way, I always reassure them that their comfort is a priority when taking assessments, and I make sure they know I can be flexible with them.
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M Tarquine
M Tarquine
Posts: 3


11/8/2023
M Tarquine
M Tarquine
Posts: 3
In the past, I've has a student with a broken arm and unable to complete an assessment. To accommodate this, her was given the test using his chromebook and was able to use voice to text to provide answers.
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Kenneth Carter
Kenneth Carter
Posts: 3


11/15/2023
Kenneth Carter
Kenneth Carter
Posts: 3
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.


I have had several students who have joined band and worked to accommodate them while being fair and inclusive. I would give playing tests on music they were working on or things out of their method book. All students would have the opportunity to play the test and if they were unhappy with their results they were more than welcome to practice and try again. Giving students multiple opportunities to work through it and ask for help is invaluable to their education. I also find it important for all students to bond with each other and support each other. So if I have a student with special needs in a section I will ask a leader within the section to look out for them and mentor them on anything they might be confused about. If they are still unclear they will come to me and I will clarify. If the section or playing test isn't coming together I will work with everyone as a group and ask them to work on their own where I can walk around the room and work with everyone for a short period of time.
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Alec Pearl
Alec Pearl
Posts: 3


5/9/2024
Alec Pearl
Alec Pearl
Posts: 3
Describe an example of adapted assessment you have successfully used in the fine arts classroom for students with disabilities.

Currently, there is a student in my Orchestra class who has fine motor skill issues connected to ASD. The student is incredibly smart and very musically gifted, but there are some technique challenges that they simply cannot overcome because of their disability. Therefore, when assessing his playing, I assess everything that is happening OTHER than the physical technique because he struggles to make those changes even with guided 1-on-1 help.
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Lindsey Williams
Lindsey Williams
Posts: 1


6 days ago
Describe an example of an adapted assessment you have successfully used in the fine arts classroom for students with disabilities.


I had two students with visual impairments. I adjusted our assessment activities to focus more on aural skills including call & response and individual assessment of individual rote learning. I provided recordings of 5 songs/melodies they had to learn by ear and perform from memory including Mario Bros, Angry Birds, and Happy Birthday. Many students took this as a fun challenge and actually paired up and created duets or accompaniment parts for their ear songs. It functioned as a great way to get them playing their instruments while focused on listening as well as playing and not so tied to notation. For other playing tests, I created an aural model of the parts the students were playing so they could use the aural model to learn their part. I also adjusted prep time for those students.
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