2/18/2022
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
John Wren
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I have several students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. It is difficult for them to participate in melodic/singing activities. They are amazing students and will try their best to vocalize and change the pitch of their voices (with the help of an interpreter). To accommodate them, I make sure to use a microphone or other technology that allows them to better hear my voice or the music. Also, I have them sit right next to the speakers and even allow them to put their hands on the subwoofer as the music is playing. They are able to feel the different speed of vibrations and are aware that it affects the change in pitch. |
2/22/2022
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
John Wren
|
I have several students who have difficulty using their hands to hold mallets. When it comes time to play xylophones or other instruments that require the students to hold mallets, these activities can be very difficult for them. So, I often will use a tablet that the students can hold in their lap. The tablet has an app that resembles the xylophones we are using in class. This allows the students to tap on the bars of the instrument on the tablet, removing the obstacle of having to hold the mallet. The tablet also provides the same sound that the natural, acoustic instrument makes as well, making the students with disabilities feel as if they are performing on the actual instrument. |
2/22/2022
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
John Wren
|
I gave an assignment where students were to categorize common orchestral instruments into the four instrument families. A student with autism would struggle with this assignment unless I adjusted his assessment. To accommodate him, he was given less options to choose from. For example, when shown the clarinet, instead of having all four families to choose from, I only showed him the woodwind family and the percussion family. These two drastically different families allowed him to process the differences between the two without becoming overwhelmed. He was very successful when given a smaller amount of possible answers. |