3/6/2021
Topic:
Students With Disabilities
Courtney Kyle
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I teach an Advanced Theatre course that is also coded with Access Visual and Performing Arts Students. Each activity we do in this course is group work and ensemble building. The Access students are made up of both IND and ASD. To just go with the motions and have every activity be the level of the "normal" Advanced Theatre course is not something that would have worked with these students. Days of lecturing content and reading Shakespeare are not activities that could have worked well for them to succeed or stay focused. The class had to be structured to help these students to the best of their abilities where every student from those that are labeled as gifted to those that were earning their Access class grades. As mentioned prior, most activities became group and ensemble building. The groups switched up frequently at the beginning of the year to see which students gravitated toward each other depending on their levels. Each activity would be a broad theatre concept....like Greek Theatre. Start with discussing a simple history of Greek Theatre. Then having the students each create their own Masks. Then the groups would do a choral reading as done in the early days of Greek Theatre. Each student in the group stood up and had their mask in front of their faces. The Access students that were non-verbal would still hold the mask up and be a part of their group. Being included is the most important part. |
3/6/2021
Topic:
Tools And Strategies
Courtney Kyle
|
When doing any form of design in Technical Theatre, I have a student that uses a touch screen to complete his assignments. His parents have said that he is ASD but due to not having any problems with communication/language, he has not been found eligible for an IEP. He does, however, have a 504. When sketching designs on paper, I do not get anything beyond basic lines and shapes for costumes, sets, puppets, etc. When I let him use his touchscreen, he will do full detailed designs.
I have also had other students (with IEPs) that will turn in set designs that they have completed using MineCraft. They can "see" it easier in the program than when they are just putting it to paper themselves. |
3/6/2021
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Courtney Kyle
|
Describe an example of adapted assessment you have successfully used in the fine arts classroom for students with disabilities.
I had a student that was within my Advanced Theatre class. He is ASD. When working on our Semester Monologue Project, he took his piece with him to Speech and worked on it with the SLP. Part of the original assignment was to note where the highs and lows of the piece were emotionally. In his, we modified the assignment so that he noted where he was often getting "stuck". In those places, he would now take a breath. Another part of the assignment, was to perform it, memorized. Instead of performing it for the entire class, he came in during lunch and performed it for me. After getting over the "stress" of the grade, he was then able to perform it for his peers. He did need a bit of prompting of words and encouragement through it, but he was able to get the piece done. |