5/16/2019
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Erin Cushing
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I had a Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing student in my chorus class last semester. I adapted his coursework in a number of ways. I made sure to wear a microphone that connected with his hearing aid every day, and made sure it was always charged. I also sat him next to the computer speakers and piano. When it came time for concert music, he expressed concern to me about the flatness of inflection and intonation and that he was uncomfortable singing. He, his parents, and I worked together and came up with the solution that he would sign the concert instead. He still had to complete the solfege assignments just like his peers, and rhythm performance and notation assignments didn't need to be adapted. Everyone in the class loved the inclusion of sign language, and we ended up signing an entire song with him teaching the class. |
5/16/2019
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Erin Cushing
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I had a student with spina bifida a few years ago who was a singer and percussionist. It was challenging at times because not all band percussion instruments are set-up for someone in a wheelchair (things like marimbas and xylophones that are on a fixed frame). We worked around this by using stairs creatively in the classroom - using them to lower the instrument to a level that was comfortable for her to play and be successful on the instrument. This meant having the percussion section arranged in a slightly different way, but my students usually took leadership over finding ways to make the whole section successful, rather than making her feel left out. I loved how accommodating they were and how proactive she was in telling me what did and didn't work so we could always be improving. |
5/16/2019
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Erin Cushing
|
When I had my Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing student earlier this year, I used a microphone that connected to his hearing aid. I also would close caption all the videos that I used so he never felt left out of videos. When taking notes, I made sure that I used Google Live to caption what I was saying to help make sure that he understood what was going on. |