6/7/2018
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
Gregory Harris
|
One student that sticks out in my mind is a student who was in my Music Theory class. They were very much "with it" and a wonderful student. Had no prior music experience before, but was such a great student, took wonderful notes and did well on the assessments. One day they came in (after being absent for a few days...which was red flag number 1) and was very distant...almost looked lost. After class, I called them over and they became very agitated and confused. I could tell immediately something wasn't right. The student luckily confided in me that they had been involved in a car accident a few days prior and was still recuperating. I knew immediately that this was definitely a case of Traumatic Brain Injury. The student went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Acute Amnesia, but they thought that the return to school would help "jog their memory" and help it return. The reason the student was confused.....they had no idea where they were or who I was.
A little tricky, because their short-term memory was in tack, but they could no longer retain information over 24 hours. So, with the help of the administration, guidance counselors, school nurse, the ESE Department my colleagues and some creativity, we came up with some ways to assess her. "Exit Tickets" were used to count as an assessment, more time given on assignments, and a host of other things. Luckily, their memory came back in the following days (10 days I believe), but it was definitely something I hadn't encountered before and one I will never forget. |
6/8/2018
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
Gregory Harris
|
Technology, such as Smart Music, is great for all students. In regards to students with disabilities, practicing a melody or part will only let you move on if the part is accurate this way it can't be practiced wrong. This is very interactive and allows students more time to master the part and retake it several times in order for every student to achieve mastery.
Peer Partnering also has worked in my room: Just like the reading said, many students learn things better from their peers as they can put it in language that makes sense to them. Having a mentor (or several mentors in a sectional situation) I have found allows my students with disabilities to master skills/parts quicker and with much more efficiency and accuracy. |
6/8/2018
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Gregory Harris
|
I had a student that was Hard of Hearing and struggled with learning the pitch of a piece strictly by ear. What this also created was a student shyness to perform on a individual basis or even with the large group in fear of "singing the wrong thing too loud". What I ended up doing was providing a CD for the student to bring home of just their voice part on the piano, (so they could listen to it as loud as they needed), placing the singer as close to the piano and me as I could. Had them "Buddy Up" with one of my stronger and supportive singers, and allowed them to record their "Part Check Test" on their phone or on a computer and send me the link over e-mail so I could watch/listen to them on a secured YouTube channel so I could assess and give feedback.
Once they were comfortable singing the part privately and had the confidence they could learn the part with more time and these accommodations, the student began participating more fully, had the support of their peers, and began taking "Part Check Tests" with the class. |