3/24/2017
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Shane Swezey
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I'm a music teacher and music therapist employed at a center school for students with special needs. Every student at the school has an IEP, so I have a large number of students to choose from! The largest percentage of our students would be those on the autism spectrum, ranging in ages from 5-22. This population has a very diverse list of challenges, all of which may manifest themselves differently on an individual basis, making each student unique. I would say keeping student focus of attention and engagement is always a difficulty with this population, especially considering I see students in classes and for 55 minutes in length. I have learned to have an excess of activities planned, use music to create structure, sing transitions between activities, and give plenty of opportunities for movement in small or large spaces. |
3/24/2017
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Shane Swezey
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Describe at least one way you have used technology to meet the needs of a student with a disability in your classroom. Be sure to describe the specific technology and how it assisted the student with a disability.
I am a music teacher/therapist at a center school for students with special needs. I have many students with IND and severe OI. This makes music-making difficult for many of these students, even those who are highly engaged and motivated by music stimulus. I use a device called Beamz, which uses laser beams to detect movement. These 4 laser beams on the device are able to be tied into 4 separate midi sounds, many of which are pre-loaded into the software. Additionally, I use switches paired with a Bluetooth transmitter for those students that don't have enough mobility to move a body part through the free space where the lasers are. This allows them to use their heads (or other method) to hit the switch, which in turn activates the sound on the device. I had a class perform Hound Dog at a school concert, with students using the laser beams or switches to play sounds of the sax, guitar, drums, and shaker along with a track. They were actively making and controlling the music that was being performed! |