12/21/2022
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Katherine Cuda
|
I currently teach at an "EBD" school. Meaning, I experience many diverse students with varying exceptionalities and disabilities. I have found that in my environment, I most commonly see defiance and sensory discomfort. For my defiant EBD students, I often provide choices. Specifically, if students are refusing to participate using the designated instruments, I will often let them choose an alternative instrument or activity. Some students will often choose to do movement or keep the steady beat as opposed to the instrument task at hand. That being said, the alternative activity still affords them the opportunity to participate and demonstrate some of the instructional outcomes. In regard to sensory discomfort, I have a set of noise cancelling ear phones in my classroom. If a student is over stimulated, I will allow them to "take a sound break" using the headphones. Another strategy I implement with my EBD students is visual to do charts. When students come into class, I have pictures of everything they are going to accomplish that day in visuals. Each picture starts under the "to do" column on a pocket chart and then as we accomplish each task or activity, I slide it over the the "check" column. This allows students to see what we have accomplished, what we have yet to accomplish and how to pace and regulate themselves accordingly. If there is a preferred task coming up, students know they have to work through x amount of tasks to reach the preferred activity.
During my internship in Music Education, I was at a school that had a DHH program. To accommodate these students, I would wear a microphone device around my neck that connected to students' hearing aids. When students came into the music room they would connect their hearing aids to my device. I also allowed these students to sit closer to sound sources during listening activities. |
2/1/2023
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Katherine Cuda
|
Several of these strategies I already implement in my classroom. Practices I would like to continue actualizing include 1) differentiated learning and catering my instruction to the varying levels of my scholars, 2) using grouping to create more student-centered collaborative learning, and 3) using peg words and key words to help my student memorize and recall important music content.
An example of a way I use technology to assist my students with disabilities is by letting my non-verbal students use chromebooks and ipads to share their responses with the class. |
2/1/2023
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Katherine Cuda
|
Several of these strategies I already implement in my classroom. Practices I would like to continue actualizing include 1) differentiated learning and catering my instruction to the varying levels of my scholars, 2) using grouping to create more student-centered collaborative learning, and 3) using peg words and key words to help my student memorize and recall important music content.
An example of a way I use technology to assist my students with disabilities is by letting my non-verbal students use chromebooks and ipads to share their responses with the class. |
2/1/2023
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Katherine Cuda
|
An example of an adapted assessment I have utilized is with a student who has mobility and occupational challenges. The student was unable to play the recorder due to their fine motor obstacles. We do recorder karate, where each student has the opportunity to earn "belts" by mastering varying levels of repertoire on the recorder. Because this student could not be assessed on the recorder, I had them play on the glockenspiel which was more accessible to their disability.
Assessment strategies that benefit my students include response cards and students journals-especially for my non-verbal students. |