4/10/2018
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Jessica Barker
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I currently teach students in 2nd and 3rd Grades with hearing impairments. I have taught both students for 3 years now. These students often appear distracted (looking around the room rather than at the teacher) and they both required additional time to learn how to match pitch and use their singing voices appropriately. For example, my male student sang with a very low voice in Kindergarten and took more time to activate a head voice. With lots of voice exploration, visual aids (pitch graphs), and loads of reinforcement I am happy to say that he has progressed well in the last few years and I seldom hear the original voice he used in Music Class as a Kindergartener. My female student with a hearing impairment did not have pitch issues, rather she had more difficulty blending with peers. Her voice was often forceful and louder than others. We have worked on this skill as well and I also seldom notice this anymore.
During Music Class with these students, I always wear a voice amplifier that is directly linked to their hearing aids. This technology amplifies my voice for these students individually. In addition, I will often try to redirect attention by sitting them near the front of the room, making direct eye contact, and using non-verbal cues to enhance my teaching and check for understanding. Visual aids also help tremendously as well as physical movement that matches the movement of the voice. |
4/12/2018
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Jessica Barker
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Two strategies that I can implement:
1) Mnemonic Instruction - I can use this tool to assist students in learning the letter names of the Treble and Bass Clef or the strings of a Ukulele. Students can create sentences or words that are associated with each line, space, or string. Students could create a device together as a class, in small groups, or individually.
2) Story Maps - I can use a Story Map to help students organize the story during our "Peter and the Wolf" Unit. The piece of music is rather long for primary students to hear in one sitting. A story map would certainly help to engage students and organize the sequence of events. This would be useful to pull out and review each week before diving deeper into the Unit. |
4/13/2018
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Jessica Barker
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Option 1: Provide/Describe one or more examples of adapted or alternative assessments you have successfully used in the music classroom for students with disabilities. Be sure to identify the student's disability. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
I provide a Pre-Test and Post-Test Music Theory Assessment with my 4th Grade students. It is a written assessment. Last year, a student with a learning disability had a testing accommodation that allows for more time. In order to make this accommodation, I allowed the student to continue the test in my classroom during a Planning Period. I interviewed the student previously and knew that she understood the material - she just needed ample time to complete the assignment. |