In this portfolio project, I did a book study on Other People's Children by Lisa Delpit with four other Music Education students. We read the book, discussed its content, and thought of questions and ways to apply these ideas into practice. Our final product was a collaborative book study document containing a book review, chapter summaries, key points, and discussion questions.
Reflection
My favorite quote from this book was “I pray for all of us the strength to teach our children what they must learn, and the humility and wisdom to learn from them so that we might better teach” (Delpit, 2006, pg. 183). I believe that this quote encapsulates my main takeaway from this book: in order to teach others who are different than myself, I must listen and ask questions. Only then can I begin to understand the culture of those around me and seek to teach them in a way that is beneficial and empowering. I am not the expert because I am the teacher, rather learning is a two-way process between the teacher and the student as they exchange information on what is best to equip the student for skills to further themselves in the dominant culture. Finding identity is not losing yourself to the dominant culture, but it is understanding the codes of the main way and then transform it to fit your own needs and cultural styles.
As a current teacher, I need to be aware of the different backgrounds and experiences that my students and peers have. I need to look beyond what this society’s social norms are and ask question to students and parents about why things are occurring the way they are. Instead of getting mad, I can listen and learn about other cultures and support my students rather than only thinking my method is the best method. In the future, I hope to teach students from a variety of backgrounds. This book has taught me that it is okay to not know everything, which is a reassuring and humbling fact. However, I cannot stay in ignorance; now that I recognize these issues of inequality, I have to research and put all my energy into better understanding the backgrounds my students are coming from so that I can help them succeed. I loved having a long, spread out amount of time to study and discuss a single book. It was encouraging to meet with other Music Education Majors and talk about relevant issues in the world of education. It was enlightening to hear about their perceptions of multicultural music education and see them begin to understand the importance of diversity in classrooms. We are so privileged, and I think it is so easy to immerse ourselves in the issues of our daily lives when there is a world around us crying out for help. I think that the book study process is only as enriching as the amount of effort everyone is willing to put into it. If one person reads the required chapters, but the others do not, there is no way to discuss what the key points are and what is confusing. I enjoyed writing summaries and key points so that I could conceptualize and then articulate the information I had learned better, but it was difficult because I had never done something as thorough as this. Overall, I had a good book study process experience, but I think there was so much more room for enriching discussion if all members had put in the same effort. Reading for Dr. Hammel's Visit (Chapter 4 of Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs)3/9/2018
Hammel, A. M., & Hourigan, R. M. (2017). Chapter 4: A resourceful and pedagogical approach to teaching students with special needs. In "Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label-Free Approach" (2nd ed.) (pp. 63-100). New York: University Press. Discussion Questions 1. What are some of the most important strategies a music teacher can use to be part of the team at his or her school? (Discuss at least four.) Some of the most important strategies a music teacher can use to be part of the team at his or her school include: being aware of the students and their academic and behavioral needs in the music classroom, determining which students in music classes have special needs, speaking with and welcoming special education staff, and communicating with parents of students with disabilities. The first strategy, being aware, is important because once you are aware, you can create an environment that is inclusive to all your students and their different learning needs. It shows parents and other staff in the school that you care about each students’ needs and that music can play a beneficial role in supporting the student and their growth. Determining which students in music classes have special needs is also pertinent to a music teacher becoming part of the team at their school. When the music teacher does this, it demonstrates their interest in the student and allows them to have a starting point of discussion with other staff members because they will know the student’s IEP or 504 Plan. The music teacher will have strategies, accommodations, and adaptations in mind, but they can also ask for more specific help from staff who know the student much better. Welcoming the special education staff into the music classroom begins the relationship between you, the music teacher, and the SPED staff. They will have vital information about effective inclusion practices for a certain student and will be able to aid with that student in the classroom you are teaching. When the music teacher collects data and provides input in the student’s IEP or 504 Plan, they enhance the sense of teamwork and trust within the staff. Communicating with the parents of students with disabilities allows the music teacher to establish a better role with the team at their school. It shows commitment to creating a beneficial and inclusive environment for the student and demonstrates a listening and responsive ear because of the teacher’s connection with the parents. 2. What are the similarities and differences between and IEP and a 504 Plan? An IEP is an Individualized Education Program for a student with disabilities and contains items such as a statement of the child’s current academic achievement, measurable goal statements, benchmarks, progress, assessments, evaluations, transition services, and a stipulation. A 504 Plan is also for students who have disabilities, but the severity of it is not enough to warrant the services that come with an IEP; it includes adaptations so that students can receive equal access to educational opportunities. Some similarities between the two are that they both are for written in order to help students with disabilities. A difference is that the student with an IEP must have a disability that is included in IDEA, but a student with a 504 may have a disability that is included in IDEA but does not have to be. Another similarity is that these plans provide students with opportunities for them to have the same access of education as their peers without disabilities. However, an IEP is more extensive and includes staff members and aides to help create equal opportunities, while a 504 plan includes adaptations, but not any extra staff. 3. Please choose five accommodations and discuss how those may be beneficial for an entire music class or ensemble. Using an overhead projector or computer-enhanced image to enlarge materials and providing written materials for all spoken instruction would be beneficial for an entire music class to clearly see the material we are covering. It is helpful for all students to see images enlarged so there is no confusion or questions about the content. It is also beneficial for a music class to have written materials to supplement spoken instruction so that students can have a tool to help them remember what they learned and a piece of paper to write notes on the side for their own questions. Another accommodation that would be beneficial for an entire music class is to vary the style of test items used so that a student will not be penalized for having difficulty with a particular type of question. Almost all students struggle with test taking or simply the way a question is phrased, so having multiple styles of test questions is helpful for everyone. This prevents the music teacher from believing that students do not understand content, when it is simply the question that is incomprehensible. Waiting to prompt students for verbal answer to questions after at least five seconds have passed is critical when asking all students questions. Wait time is extremely important and often forgotten about when teaching; it is not only helpful for students with disabilities but for all students to be given time to thoughtfully think about their answers and not be embarrassed because they could not think fast enough. Allowing students to help plan their own instructional accommodations and be a partner in the process creates a sense of ownership for all members of a music class. Knowing that they have a say in the way they learn is empowering and lets them know that the music teacher cares about their individual needs and desires. Lastly, providing a written rehearsal schedule for students to follow is beneficial for an entire music class because it allows them to know and understand what the objectives are for the class and what the schedule is. Knowing the schedule will better help them stay on task and know what is expected of all of them. 4. Based on what you have read in this chapter, what are some specific adaptations, accommodations, or modifications that you could use in your classroom (or future classroom)? In my future classroom, I could allow multiple forms of assessment to see if a student understands the content I am teaching. They may not all be comfortable taking a multiple-choice test with a pencil and paper, so providing the option of using technology or tactile objects allows me to see if they understand the concept I have taught and are not hindered by the format of the test. I could also use lots of images for students who have difficulties with communication so that they have a way to point to different items and understand concepts visually, rather than verbally. Students with behavioral challenges could be given the opportunity to move around or have a specific seat they can move to so that their lack of movement is not distracting them. 5. Have you worked with students in any of the categories mentioned in this chapter? If so, what were some of the challenges or successes that you noticed? I have interacted with students who have ADD or ADHD, which would fit into the behavioral/emotional category. I was interacting with them in my junior year of high school through my church’s youth group as a small group leader. We would be in small groups asking discussion questions and they would provide answers and questions. Some of the challenges I noticed were that I had a hard time keeping their attention and their thoughts on task. They also tended to fidget a lot because it was hard sitting in the same position at one time. Some of the successes occurred when I let them talk and verbally process what they were thinking without saying “That’s right” or “That’s wrong”. It led to some really insightful comments and questions! Synthesis Questions
We are currently learning about a variety of learning theories in my MUED 273 class. This post focuses on the following learning theories: Critical Pedagogy, Situated Learning, and Social Learning Theory. Theory is useful for educators because it allows them to better understand what they are teaching and the reasoning behind it. Knowing what theories are being used is important so that educators can acknowledge and understand the costs and benefits of using each and then develop their own amalgamation of certain theories. It is also useful because then educators can decide in what ways they want to teach to help better their students. Critical Pedagogy A teaching theory based on critical thinking and teaching students to ask questions and discuss about social injustices in their classroom learning environment. Article Resource: This article explores the major ideas of Critical Pedagogy and relates school to the social context the students interact in. Even though there are a couple of grammatical errors, this video provides good definitions and explains learner and teacher roles for Critical Pedagogy in a simple way. Situated Learning A theory that states that learning best occurs in contexts that are authentic to the situation in which they will be applied. Article: This scholarly article discusses how knowledge must be learned in the activities, context, and culture in which it will be used. This video briefly explains the theory of Situated Learning and examples of where it is used and why it is useful. Social Learning Theory A theory that states that learners gain knowledge through observing role models and then continue or do not continue those actions based on positive or negative consequences. Article: This scholarly article written by Albert Bandura, the theorist behind the Social Learning Theory, contains his personal explanation of his theory including the definition and its different components like stimuli and reinforcement. This video is a simple, visually appealing way of explaining the different aspects of the Social Learning Theory and provides examples at the end of the video.
After reading Chapter 4 of Randall Allsup's book, Remixing the Classroom (2016), I had to reflect on what I had read by answering the following questions.
1. How do you interpret Allsup's points to consider (bottom of p. 107)? Put another way, what do these points mean to you and for your current or future teaching? Also, what norms/traditions, even ones that you value deeply, might need to be further inspected, evaluated, and adapted? Identify at least 2 norms/traditions and explain why they might need to be revisited. To me, these points are the foundation of an open classroom because norms and traditions are guidelines meant to be flexible and constantly reevaluated, rather than being firm rules. These rules put less stress upon me to be perfect in how I teach my students because what and how we learn about music will be a dialogue. I will obviously not be perfect my first-year teaching and there will be different traditions that the school I enter into will have, but if I emphasize that norms and traditions need to be revisited because they evolve overtime due to new knowledge and ideas, it will make it easier to begin conversations about current events and how music is a facet to change. While this might initially be met with resistance, I believe that it will benefit me and the future classroom I teach in the end. One norm/generalization to me is that students who are the best are those who are practicing a lot and are constantly engaged in class. After growing up in Fairfax County where there is a large emphasis on standardization and high achievement, I can see how my past experiences have skewed my norms. This norm that I have must be evaluated and adapted; I must be more nuanced in my wording and understand that my definition of “best” is not all encompassing. It does not account for the fact that I as a teacher must foster growth and encourage engagement in class, and that “best” may mean that the student is creative or inquisitive, rather than just playing well. Another norm is that a band classroom consists of playing instruments and talking. While I love to play my instrument in band and talk about how to make the music come to life, band is not simply just about these things. This norm must be adapted to include the fact that students can grow musically in a band classroom by singing, composing, moving around, and collaborating with other students. 2. What is Allsup really getting at in this chapter when he writes things such as "a third meaning", “moving beyond the predetermined," and "opening a closed form"? What are the key suggestions that Allsup is making? What do these suggestions mean to you? When Allsup writes “a third meaning”, “moving beyond the predetermined”, and “opening a closed form”, he is getting at the fact that there is a space beyond observable behaviors, a place where exploration is encouraged and there is no guarantee of how much you will move forward or backwards in your learning. Allsup is suggesting that we must move beyond the weighted and heavily connotated words of “open” and “closed” forms and enter the third space which cannot be taught to students, but must simply be experienced and experimented by them. When students learn to make mistakes and wander from the set path, that is where they begin to form their own learning with freedom. These suggestions are thought provoking to me and sound good in a philosophical way, but I still find it hard to figure out how to implement in a classroom and how I would foster it in my students. When reading this chapter, it also seemed that Allsup had doubts about his ideas, and how they could possibly work. I see great potential in his suggestions to allow for wandering and exploration outside of the Common Core Standard framework of music, but I want to know more about how I can possibly do these things. 3. Review JMU's 8 Key Questions. Though Allsup did not have access to JMU's work on ethical reasoning, much of his work in this text directly connect to issues of ethics in music education. Identify at least 4 key questions and how Allsup might answer those questions based on this chapter (make specific reference to pages/locations). \ The first key question I thought applied was Authority: What do legitimate authorities expect of me? Allsup was asked to see how music independence could be a musical standard in the Common Core. His authorities expected him to come up with observable benchmarks to allow this to become a standard, but he grappled with how to tell his authorities what he truly thought of the idea. Allsup would say that the authorities expected him to provide “a host of other observable behaviors [that] would be annually test and evaluated” (p.112), but he decided that he would provide his own honest opinion that would help better music education. He wrote that “musical independence could be understood in two very different ways” (p.112), and he did not think that it would be possible for him to write a standard for musical independence in an observable way. The second question was Outcomes: What achieves the best short and long-term outcomes for me and all others? With his new ideas of an open classroom in music education, he had to think about the costs and benefits in the long and short term for this idea. I think that Allsup would stick to his beliefs and say that to achieve the best outcomes, we must “equip students with the tools…to consciously shape and direct one’s future” (p.110) because that is the ultimate goal of teaching students. The third question was Liberty: How does respect for freedom, personal autonomy, or consent apply? Allsup questioned how to incorporate a student’s freedom and creativity in the classroom where a teacher was involved in providing the plan and guidelines. I think he might answer that “independence is related to freedom” (p.112) and that if standardization is involved in teaching, the “standards must relate as much to the process as outcome” (p.112). He believes that in order for students to grow and reach the “third meaning”, they need to have the freedom to experiment and wander on their own. The last question was Empathy: What would I do if I cared deeply about those involved? Allsup cares very much for the students he teaches, as well as the future music educators that he is sharing his ideas with. He wants them to become the best educators they can possibly be and does not want to lead them astray. Allsup would say that because he cares deeply about those involved, he should be a good example, “a public stance as an intellectual leader” (p.110), and “insist that growth—that the enlargement and enrichment of human capacity—is a moral end of education” (p.139). |
Davina MiawOn this page, I will present examples of my scholarship in the form of reflective essays and philosophical assignments. Archives
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