6/28/2019
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Christina Baker
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I taught a student who had autism and struggled with social interactions with other students as well as refined motor skills in writing. However, he was very musically gifted and he excelled in singing whether in a solo setting or in a group setting. The struggles we faced were when other students didn’t follow the class instructions exactly and this caused my student to get upset and at times overwhelmed. This reaction occurred when we worked in smaller self-directed group settings, so to aide this student he was given three specific things to choose to aide him in calming down if he became overwhelmed. Some days were better than others and on bad days I allowed him to work directly with me or he was happy to also work in a solo setting. Groups also worked, but only if the other students adhered to very specific guidelines. |
6/29/2019
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Christina Baker
|
Several ways I have implemented in the class room are tiered lessons, graphic organizers and mnemonic devices to remember key theory concepts. When teaching the order of the sharps or flats we use sayings to help remember the specific order of each. It’s almost a game to my kids to see who can come up with the most clever mnemonic saying. When learning about a new piece of music or listening to a new artist we often use graphic organizers to assist in categorizing characteristics and information as we learn about the piece of music and use this method to group terms and also to gauge our learning.
Technology is a main component within my classroom as it offers ways for my students to work together, independently or to discreetly ask questions they may be hesitant to ask in front of their peers. I use many online sources and one that works well for me is the online essential elements interactive. On this site students have additional help and can also submit recordings as well as ask the teacher questions as we are learning new things. This is especially helpful for students who need additional time for completing assignments or suffer from performance anxiety.
edited by Christina Baker on 6/29/2019 |
7/1/2019
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Christina Baker
|
An example of adapted assessment that I have used in the classroom is in the format that students with disabilities are given for assessment. When I have incorporated a student journal that offers feedback as well as a personal assessment of skills for each student some of my students who struggle with refined motor skills had a difficult time writing a response. A couple of options I have used to assist in being able to evaluate the progress is giving the option for a student to type their responses and submit digital journals instead of hand written or allowing students to submit an Audio recording of their assessment so I can establish where they are within their own personal learning and achievement. This flexible format of assessment allows students to provide feedback they may not normally communicate to me individually through a conversation and it helps the student grasp a deeper personal understanding of their own successes within the class. |