9/20/2023
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Kathlyn Brown
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I work with several students who have behavioral disabilities. I have one student this year who struggles with controlling his anger. Small things would set him off and he would shut down, or he starts yelling at other students and essentially bossing them around. For a while, I tried just talking to him or giving him a few minute break to calm down, which didn't really help.
I have a calm down corner in my room where students can sit for a few minutes and take a break. I have little fidgets and stress balls for them to use, along with headphones to block out noise. One of the stress balls I have is a figure of Baymax from "Big Hero 6." This kid loves that movie and the character, so he gravitated towards that object. I let him hold onto it for the remainder of the class, and he was much calmer. Even when there were other disruptions, he was calm and squeezed the stress ball. I have tried using other characters too, but none were as effective as Baymax.
Moving forward, I allow him to hold onto the stress ball during music as long as it helps him. |
1/8/2024
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Kathlyn Brown
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Describe how two of the strategies discussed could potentially be implemented in your classroom. Be sure to identify the two strategies by name and describe how they could be used to address the needs of a students with a disability.
I use task analysis and chaining strategies when I introduce a new topic to students. My third graders will start learning how to play the recorders in a few weeks. There is a lot of information that must be learned before and during the process of learning to play the instrument. Students need to learn how to read music, how to hold the instrument, how to push enough air (but not too much air) through the instrument to make a beautiful sound, etc. Below is the process that I used last year and will use again this year with my classes.
Before students get instruments, we spend a few weeks learning how to read music on the staff (EGBDF and FACE). Once we get to recorders, I use task analysis/chaining techniques. I take it week by week. On the first week, we work on hand placement. Students will learn to become left hand dominant since we hold the instrument with left hand over right hand. We will do many activities that will have students practice using only their left hand (scarf dances, etc.) We will learn different hand exercises that match different fingerings for the instrument. This is all done before students get instruments. We will also practice breathing strategies and techniques one week.
Once they get to instruments, I use peer partners to help review concepts we have been learning through the past several weeks. When instruments are handed out, we practice hand placement several times (making sure left hand is on top). Then we go to our hand exercises and practice each one. After each step, we use partners to ensure all students are correct. Partners will check to make sure their peers are correct and/or assist through modeling correct placement. We complete each concept in steps as we start playing the first few notes on instruments and naming the notes. Again, peer partners will be given a chance to check each other, and then give a thumbs up if their group is all set. |
1/8/2024
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Kathlyn Brown
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Describe an example of adapted assessment you have successfully used in the fine arts classroom for students with disabilities.
I love to use different variations for Response Cards in my classroom. I use them for rhythm notation, solfege practice, instrument families, and more! When I am teaching beginning rhythm notation for younger grades, we use a variety of manipulatives from popsicle sticks, pictures, and eventually we use white boards to practice writing the notations. When I do this with my general ed classes, I usually give three opportunities to hear the rhythm and notate in correctly. When working with students who have disabilities, I don't typically give a limit and will say the rhythm as many times as they need it.
When working with students with disabilities, I break it up into smaller chunks. When we are at the stage of using white boards, we start with drawing one note at a time (quarter note/rest, and paired eighth note). We draw it together- draw the stem first, students show me, then we draw the colored in note head at the bottom of the stem, and students show me again. We do this for each note. We assign a word to each note (I've been using pizza rhythms lately), so a quarter note=cheese and paired eighth notes=pizza. A rest is silent and I make an X shape with my arms.
When we are ready to draw short patterns, I say the words. We start with several two-beat patterns, then move up to three-beats, and if we have time, we get to four-beats. I don't rush students. I give them all the time they need for each pattern. If some students have a difficult time with the white boards, I will give them a different manipulative, eighth popsicle sticks or small cards of each notation for them to place in the correct order. |