12/21/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Anne Klytta
|
In the past, I taught a class of students who were all on the Autism Spectrum. Each of these students was unique in their ability to participate during music instruction time. During the first few weeks, I discovered that certain activities were universally appropriate - consistency at the beginning of class (we always did a "Hello" song) and to end the class (a "Goodbye" song); movement to music (I also found out what music they like best); learning rhythm reading by using flashcards; drawing pictures to describe music; and stories that included music or short, repetitive phrases to sing. In my current job, I have a student on the Spectrum, diagnosed as Asperger's. He is extremely intelligent, but is frequently anxious and nervous about what we are doing or when things will happen. This past week, we were videotaping a short music/dance holiday presentation, and each classroom teacher had signed up for a specific time. In the days leading up to the recording, he was very clear to state when the recording was going to take place. On the day of the recording, his teacher told me that he must have asked about 100 times when it was going to occur, since it was going to occur during their normal dance time. With the schedule on the board, she changed that time to "Winter Show", which reassured him when the recording was going to occur. For my part, I have learned that it is best to take him aside while the other students are settling in, to let him know what we are working on that day. This has alleviated him blurting out and asking questions mid-stream, and given him a better sense of calm, knowing what will happen. |
1/9/2021
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Anne Klytta
|
Several years ago, I taught students in an elementary music classroom setting which combined students with 5-6 students with specific learning disabilities with 25 students in a regular-ed classroom setting. When those students reached 3rd grade, and they were part of the instruction on note reading on the treble clef staff, utilizing apps on an iPad allowed me to limit the specific notes they were learning, whereby they were much more successful. As students acquired sufficient knowledge to move on, we were able to add notes one at a time, building upon their knowledge base. The other option, which was very successful, was pairing up students with the 5-6 students that were being included in their class on many activities. Everyone felt as though they were really a true class working together. Also, these 5-6 students were included in small groups, giving everyone equal opportunity to engage in classroom activities. |
1/9/2021
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Anne Klytta
|
A few years ago, I had a student in my classroom who was on the Autism spectrum and was very sensitive to loud noises, including playing music on the stereo. The first objective was to move him as far away as possible from the source of the sound, and I was still conscious of how loud the music could be for the entire class. Occasionally wearing headphones that would muffle the sound somewhat when the class sang as a group also helped considerably. These headphones also helped him concentrate when it was time to do written work that required concentration. When we did a singing test, we were in a room together with a paraprofessional, and the test was conducted at a "piano" level, with this student able to echo the melody correctly, also at a "piano" level. |