5/5/2017
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Lauren Brautigam
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For the past three years, I have had a student in my choral program who has an intellectual disability. This student struggles with reading and learning music, so I have him close up to the front and sitting next to the strongest singer in his section. While he cannot learn music like his peers, he is successful in learning music by ear. Since he entered my class, he has improved significantly with his pitch-matching and can even hold his own part in an ensemble, much of that is due to him being surrounded by highly achieving students who are his "buddy" to help him stay focused. |
5/5/2017
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Lauren Brautigam
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The first strategy I have used in my choral, guitar, and piano classroom is mnemonic instructions through mnemonic letters. My students easily learn the letter names on the staff by memorizing FACE and All Cows Eat Grass for spaces of the treble and bass clef and Every Good Boy Does Fine and Giraffes Bend Down For Apples for the lines. Students grasp onto these devices, allowing them to easily maneuver note identification on the staff.
The second strategy I have used in my classroom is that of peer partners. My high school students are often more willing to consult each other for help before asking me. Also, with my higher achieving students, giving them someone that they can help along the way gives them an additional task where they can feel challenged and rewarded by helping their peers. |
5/5/2017
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Lauren Brautigam
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In my guitar class, I had a student who broke his wrist and could not play with his left hand. In order to pass our playing tests, I had him perform the right hand fingerings correctly. Then, I had him instruct me as to where my left hand fingers should go. Him being able to instruct me allowed him to firmly grasp the concept without being physically able to perform it. |