10/20/2022
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Frazier Lima
|
I had a student with cerebral palsy who was in a full service setting. He had an aid that would attend music with him and he was always in his wheelchair. I first assessed that I was limited to certain instruments but my attitude was that he was able to play certain ones. I started with hand bells. I gave him the tonal center of a simple melody. This allowed him to play at random times while holding the tonal center. His face would light up every time. I became more convinced that he loved music and found other ways to engage him. A wood block was not easy for him because his arms were sometimes unable to reach the block so I modified my expectations of when and focused on his joy of playing. We tried a shaker but I learned that his hand was not able to continuously hold the shaker. We set his table to hold the woodblock and shaker and the aid was asked to switch them out after each phrase of a song or when he tired from one. This allowed him to engage with the song and exercise his hand differently with each phrase. Later in the year I became uncomfortable that he was always in his chair and asked if we were able to bring him to our carpet during music. The aid agreed. She helped me to get him to bass bars and would sit with him, assisting him with the mallets and eventually we added different bars. The others in class began to understand that this was "his" instrument because we all witnessed the joy it brought to him. Other students were allowed to join him at bass bars and enjoyed assisting him with playing examples. Changing up his limited abilities in his chair, opened his world up. Though I was not able to expect or assess his ability to play independently, I was able to assess his enjoyment and engagement. |
12/2/2022
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Frazier Lima
|
Two of the strategies discussed that could be implemented in my music classroom. First and in my opinion most important is Peer Partners. If you consider how often students love to "turn and talk", it is the same in the music room. It allows them time to read, play or practice a measure of music with a peer - analyze anything they need to correct and self evaluate. Then, they are able to get their "nerves" out of the way with a trusted peer before playing for the class or with the teacher. This would benefit students who struggle with anxiety and performance perfection. It allows them to see that their peers have some of the same challenges as them and that perfection may never be achieved. It also allows them to use their talents and what comes naturally to them to help others by explaining in their own words. This is the highest step of critical thinking and what teachers desire to see. When a student can teach the objective, they fully understand.
Another of these strategies that I think is most beneficial is small groups. I often use Chaining to help assist students with memorization of songs, especially if they are in foreign languages. However, in a small group, students could assist each other with a variety of tasks based on their skillset. One student who excels with writing, may assist peers with how to draw the notes. Another student may excel with rhythm counting and math and be able to assist students with writing a rhythmic example on paper. The group together is able to solve problems such as too may beats in a measure or specific notes not fitting in a measure together. Then, they are able to present to the class when they feel they are confident to share as a group. |
12/3/2022
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Frazier Lima
|
An example of adapted assessment that I have used in the music room is technology to provide larger font for students with reading and visual impairment. I also allow them extra time because some students are unable to process quickly. Many of my students are English language learners. I currently have a Russian student and we have 3 words that we understand. She would cry because she longed to play the instruments like other students so I had to quickly create a way to engage her. I used visual graphics to provide her specific notes to play a melodic ostinato at the bass bars. This required less precision but allowed her to play, have a special role in performing and acquire music literacy at her own pace. She now is "all smiles" because she is just as important as everyone else.
I also include Immersive Reader in assessment and reading assignments to read aloud to them if they are unable to read. This technology also helps when flyers are sent home if their parents are unable to read to them. I have also added translator applications for classroom and home information. An example is a Spanish speaking student who's parents are unable to read English. We can translate performance information into various languages to serve this family and others; Arabic, Kurdish, French, etc.. This has proven effective by increasing performance attendance and parental appreciation.
I also have a student that is autistic and he is musical and creative. He will not follow a melodic example exactly at times but I have heard him humming along on occasion and it is in harmony with the examples we are learning. This let me know that he is very much "in tune" with music but just needed the opportunity to be part of the ensemble. The bass bars allowed him to engage in a song while keeping the harmonic structure without the intensity of the melody. Later, he engaged with the melody but preferred playing it on the recorder. I was amazed at all the he accomplished but assessing him took time to realize his instrument preference and give him choice. |