6/2/2022
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Lorie Wacaster
|
I teach a string student with moderate autism who is also a ELL. He reads beautifully and plays with lovely pitch. However he struggles to play with a smooth motions when necessary and staying within the ensemble for tempo, especially in rubato situations. To help him (and EVERYONE) with long smooth bows, as a class we warm up each day with an exercise for long, smooth bows. To help with being aware of the rest of the ensemble, I place him where he has an unobstructed view of me as well as his section leader, so he has two visual points of reference of the tempo to focus as well as listening to the ensemble. It seems to help him stay aware of the group music making and not just focus on his own music making. |
6/2/2022
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Lorie Wacaster
|
Option 2 One of my students has ADHD, it is difficult for him to attend for more than 5 minutes. In trying to learn music theory, specifically, notation, I have found the web based program Breezin Thru Theory to be helpful for him since it breaks learning up into chunks, adds fun sounds and graphics to keep his attention and he can work on it at his own pace. |
6/4/2022
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Lorie Wacaster
|
Since online education due to the pandemic, I have had several students who have documented anxiety triggered by reintegrating to in-person school. Previously, I required in class solo playing/singing tests. Now I give EVERYONE the option of either playing in person during class (which most do) or submitting a video to me online of them performing the passage to be assessed. The benefit of offering everyone the adapted assessment is no one feels singled out as needing accommodation and students are given a choice and a bit of control. |