7/29/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Michelle Smith
|
I have had many students over the years that are on the Autism spectrum and have issues with listening lessons where we were learning about dynamics. If the music was too loud or too sudden like in Haydn's "Surprise Symphony", I always provided an option for the student to wear head phones or move to an alternative location. I also would front load the instruction so the child could make a choice and provide proximity support if requested. I have also had children during lessons where we played metal instruments like the metallophone that were loud and vibrated for longer who I have made accommodations for the student to play a xylophone or other hand-help percussion that would not be so stimulating. Head phones are an excellent option for these students in the beginning of the year and we try to slowly provide the support to learn how to listen without the headphones over the elementary span of their education. |
7/29/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Michelle Smith
|
An accommodation I have made for students in my classroom who were deaf and hard of hearing was to assign seating to be near the sound source such as the piano or a sound system. Children were able to place their hands on the source and feel the vibrations of sound. The same is true when student played a metal instrument and could stop the vibration of sound with their hand and feel the vibration. I have also provided them with a tuning fork and they could practice striking it against their wrist and then stop it with their hand to feel the vibration. The use of technology where they could visually see the vibration of sound that they produced with their voice during singing lessons was also very engaging for our deaf and hard of hearing students. |
7/29/2020
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Michelle Smith
|
Two options I have used in the music classroom has been peer tutors and music notebooks. With the use of the Marzano evaluation system, shoulder partners were extremely effective in helping students with disabilities. I am deliberate about who I partner students with and have conversations with instructional assistants who accompany our ASD students to find a student that may already have a friendship with the student with disabilities. Recorder instruction has really been effective to have "peer tutoring" where the shoulder partner is able to assist the student with specific instruction needed for successful inclusion.
Our school has also implement a specials notebook where we record exit ticket responses, recording of musical knowledge, use of graphic organization instruction, recording and demonstrating knowledge of critiques, creating special music projects, compositions, etc. Students with disabilities have been able to draw pictures, connect with other classmates who can assist with language barriers, and record understanding in a way that is tailored to their specific need. Sometimes this involves cutting out pictures of instruments of classification, pasting in vocabulary, etc. |
10/18/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Michelle Smith
|
Describe an example of adapted assessment you have successfully used in the fine arts classroom for students with disabilities.- Think of a fine arts student with a disability you have now or in the past. Review the Assessment Accommodations Checklist and select two options that could potentially benefit this student in assessing his or her fine arts learning. Discuss how they would benefit the student.
I currently have a student with tourette's syndrome that is high functioning. He is very excited to come to music. In order for him to be able to stay for the 40 minute music time without becoming too overstimulated we had to create a seating assignment that would help him remain calm. I brought in a rocking chair and adjusted his location in the room to provide an accommodation to help him focus.
This student also found success in movement. If I started most lessons with a movement activity, he was able to return to the rocking chair and join in on quieter learning activities. By planning lessons that taught concepts such as moving to quarter notes, eighth notes, etc., he was able to apply rhythmic learning to reading music when playing the recorder or other pitched classroom instruments. |
10/18/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Michelle Smith
|
I have a student with down syndrome who would always come to music at the end of the day when she was exhausted from the various expectations of the day. Singing or playing music would cause her to have a melt down. To assist her with controlling the amount of stimulation, I requested that she wear headphones to lessen the sound input/dynamic level. She loved to sing, but instrument playing was too much especially if it was anything made from metal like a metallophone or triangle. Through deliberate planning, I would relocate a xylophone or a wooden percussion instrument that would have less vibration. |
10/18/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Michelle Smith
|
I had a student who had an orthopedic impairment and was unable to use his thumbs. He was really exceptional at reading music and understanding the proper fingering to play the recorder. After a little research, I located a recorder that had an adaption for covering the thumb hole (valve). The student was elated with the ability to make music with his classmates on his own recorder. |