4/1/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Kelsie McCay
|
A few years ago I taught a student with an Orthopedic disability in her right hand and also had Cleft Palate. Even with some reconstructive surgeries she had difficulty being able to hold a play certain instruments. She wanted to play trumpet, but the mouthpiece was too small and she couldn't press down the valves with her right fingers. I suggested that she try out Trombone. The mouthpiece is much larger, helping her be able to create a more consistent buzz and it has a slide instead of valves so she could easily move the slide with her right hand. She was a very hardworking and determined student and became an absolutely incredible trombone player. She participated in numerous honor bands, solo and ensemble events, and was section leader in her high school band! She is graduating from high school this year and will be pursing a career in music in her college endeavors! |
4/1/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Kelsie McCay
|
Meghan Victoria Doyle wrote:
I have a student who transferred into my beginning band 2 months ago, with significant reading impairments. She could not read music on the staff, and translate that into fingerings for her euphonium. We sat down together and developed a color coding system for the different fingerings and another for what partial she needs to play on. This has significantly helped her, and now she brings her instrument home every day to practice.
This is a great system! Thank you for sharing! I am definitely going to remember this system if I need it for the future. |
4/1/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Kelsie McCay
|
Sean Dyke wrote:
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. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
I had a student who was on the Autism Spectrum and had a difficult time with remembering note values. This student liked cars, so I taught the ensemble rhythms through automobiles:
Mnemonic Device:
quarters= ford
two eighths= honda (or tesla)
4 sixteenths= mitsubishi
2 16ths & 8th= chevrolet
8th & 2 16ths= toyota
etc.
The student was better at reading rhythms. The ensemble was better as well. And it was a fresh approach to rhythmic reading.
This is wonderful! I love how you made this relatable to the student's personal interests. I am definitely going to keep this tucked away in my tool box for future use if I need it! Thank you for sharing! |
4/2/2020
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Kelsie McCay
|
Two strategies that I find most beneficial in my classroom:
1. Peer partners! I love using peer partners in my classroom. Not only does is help the student who needs extra support become more successful, it also helps the other student communicate the information that they know to another student. This allows them to use that information in a different way, solidifying what they already know. It also helps to build strong relationships in the ensemble, an important part of the teamwork mentality. I use peer partners with new students coming in who have never played before, students who are struggling with the current music, and students with disabilities.
2. Cooperative Learning! This is a great tool, especially when we are learning new music. I often break my students up into like instrument/like part sectionals and have them lead each other in learning new music. It gives students the ability to learn music at a pace that is more appropriate for them and tackle parts that are most challenging before playing together as a class. It helps them build relationships with each other and be more engaged in full ensemble rehearsal, knowing that their next task is learning other's parts and how their part fits into the ensemble as a whole. |
4/2/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Kelsie McCay
|
I once had a tenor saxophone player who broke his right arm. For pass-offs, instead of having him play the exercise I had him sing/read the note names of each exercise using the correct rhythm. He was a stellar note reader after having to do this! |