Music For EveryoneVOKE – March 1, 2014Berta Hickox (bertayee@dejazzd.com)Alice Hammel (hammela@mac.com)

DIFFERENTIATING ASSESSMENT FOR ALL LEARNERS

Rationale for “winding it back”• Our literacy sequences are commonly linear, and rerouting or remediating becomes difficult in a general music classroom.

• In every class, students begin to fall behind as they skip steps or get lost in our teaching sequences.

•We commonly encounter students who are entering our classroom after other students have had years of sequenced instruction.

Rationale for “winding it back”•We also frequently teach students who have already mastered our current, and perhaps future, goals and who are hoping for a challenge or for more difficult content in music class.

• By ‘winding back’ or ‘winding forward’ we can accommodate the needs of all students while continuing to teach ALL students in our music classrooms.

Winding it Back – Rhythmic Example• Activity: T. speaks a 4-beat rhythm pattern (duple) including quarter notes and eighth notes; individual students decode the pattern into rhythm syllables.

•Queen Caroline

Winding it Back – Rhythmic Example• Activity: • 1. review several rhythm patterns including the new rhythm (verbal association)• 2. T. speaks 4-beat pattern on neutral syllable• 3. c. echoes 4-beat pattern on neutral syllable• 4. c. decodes 4-beat pattern in rhythm syllables

Winding it Back – Rhythmic Example• Steps the students have previously performed to lead up to this activity = steps to ‘wind it back’• 1. aural/oral patterning (neutral syllable to neutral syllable)• 2. verbal association patterning (rhythm syllable to rhythm syllable)• 3. duple rhymes• 4. speak rhyme + patsch beat - solo• 5. speak rhyme + point the visual – solo• 6. speak rhyme + show beat division – solo• 7. speak rhyme + show beat or beat division

Winding it Back – Rhythmic Example• 8. speak rhyme + show beat + show beat division• 9. speak rhyme + tap rhythm – solo• 10. speak rhyme, switch between beat, beat division and rhythm• 11. speak rhyme + show beat + tap rhythm - solo• 12. speak rhyme, patsch quarter note/beat, tap eighth notes/beat division• 13. name the beat “ta” and the beat division “ta-ti”• 14. speak the rhyme in rhythm syllables, patsch quarter note/beat, tap eighth notes/beat division• 15. speak all known rhymes in rhythm syllables• 16. improvise using rhythm syllables 

Winding it Forward – Rhythmic Example• Steps to ‘wind it forward’:• Student improvises a 4-beat rhythm pattern (duple) including quarter notes and eighth notes for the class or another student to decode• Student decodes a series of 4-beat rhythm patterns (duple) including quarter notes and eighth notes• Student decodes a series of 4-beat rhythm patterns (duple) including quarter notes and eighth notes while conducting a 2-pattern

Winding it Back – Melodic Example• Activity: Students sightsing unknown melodic patterns from a tone set containing sol and mi when s = space 3.

•See Saw

Winding It Back – Melodic Example• Activity:• 1. c. reviews the staff placement of the pitches when s = space 3• 2. T. points an unnamed but familiar song on the tone set, c. sings the solfa and identifies the song• 3. T. points several known melodic patterns on the staff, c. sings in solfa• 4. T. points several less familiar or unknown melodic patterns on the staff, c. sings in solfa• 5. T. selects from volunteers to perform step 4 individually

Winding it Back – Melodic Example• Steps the students have previously performed to lead up to this activity= • steps to ‘wind it back’• 1. vocal exploration and pitch-matching activities• 2. aural/oral patterns (neutral syllable to neutral syllable)• 3. verbal association patterns (solfa to solfa)• 4. songs including only sol and mi• 5. high and low activities (listening and responding to high and low

pitches; stars & basket)• 6. body solfa (high sounds = hands on head; low sounds = hands

on shoulders)• 7. sing known songs with text and body solfa - solo• 8. sing known songs using the words “high” and “low” with body

solfa.• 9. name the high sound “sol” and the low sound “mi”

Winding it Back – Melodic Example• 10. sing known songs using solfa and body solfa - solo• 11. hand signs for sol and mi• 12. sing known songs using solfa and hand signs - solo• 13. improvise using sol and mi (body solfa and/or hand signs) - solo• 14. decode 2-4 pitch patterns into solfa - solo• 15. “write” solfa patterns with melodic icons• 16. introduce the staff• 17. read known songs from the staff when sol and mi are line notes• 18. read known songs from the staff when sol and mi are space notes• 19. Students sightsing unknown melodic patterns from the staff

when sol and mi are line notes• 20. Students sightsing unknown melodic patterns from the staff

when sol and mi are space notes•  

Differentiated Assessment• Differentiated assessment: The teacher points to patterns from the tone set that correspond with the ability levels of individual students. • Students who have challenges with the task will read patterns that are extracted from known songs that the class has previously performed with body solfa and/or hand signs. • Students of average ability will be asked to read known patterns first, then will progress to more challenging patterns (i.e. patterns starting on mi or combinations of pitches that have not appeared in song literature).• Students in need of additional challenge will sing more challenging patterns such as those starting on mi or unfamiliar combinations of pitches, and may be asked to point to the tone set and sing solfa without teacher help.

Ideas for Differentiated Assessment• reading flashcards• beat flashcards• class set of flashcards• writing with the flyswatter• Tone/rhythm ladder or tone set• rhythm rondo• 2-part flashcards• part-work (conducting, HS in canon, adding an ostinato) 

Winding it Back – A Folk Dance• Ideas for ‘winding’ a dance:• Activity:

•Rural Felicity

Activity• Activity:• 1. chunking• forward/back and sashay• do-si-do and 2-handed turn• going under the bridge and 2-handed turns• going under the bridge and forward/back• 2. walking through the dance with calls, no music• 3. dancing the dance with calls and music• 4. dancing the dance with music, gradually eliminating the calls

Winding it Back – A Folk Dance• Steps the students have previously performed to lead up to this activity=steps to ‘wind it back’:• 1. forward/back• 2. sashay• 3. do-si-do• 4. 2-handed turn• 5. going under the bridge• 6. other dances that have included most of these dance steps in different combinations/orders

Winding it Forward – A Folk Dance• Steps to ‘wind it forward’:• wean from calling sooner• students call the dance• fancy do-si-do• hands-down-the-line for forward/back• do not review the dance form before dancing• call a different dance of similar difficulty without pre-teaching

Winding it Back - Sightsinging• Ideas for ‘winding’ sightsinging:• Activity: sightsinging an unknown song from the staff

Activity• Activity:• 1. Scan the form: repeat signs? 1st/2nd endings? • 2. Scan the rhythm: any repeated patterns? any unusual

rhythms? any difficult patterns?• 3. Speak the rhythm syllables while patsching the beat or

conducting.• 4. Scan the melody: any repeated patterns? any difficult

intervals? any accidentals?• 5. Figure out the staff placement for all solfa used in the

sightsinging activity• 6. Sing the solfa without rhythm (all pitches on the beat)• 7. Sing any repeated melodic patterns in rhythm out of context• 8. Sing the solfa in rhythm, slow tempo• 9. Sing the solfa in rhythm, at tempo

Winding it Back - Sightsinging• Steps the students have previously performed to lead up to this activity = steps to ‘wind it back’:• 1. sightread all the rhythms used in the sightsinging activity in other contexts• 2. sightread all the solfa used in the sightsinging activity in other contexts• 3. familiarity with meter markings (barlines, time signature, etc.)• 4. ability to decipher the staff placement of all solfa used in the sightsinging activity• 5. read solfa only or rhythm only when both are present

Winding it Back - Sightsinging• Additional steps to ‘wind it back’:• chunk the activity: do a few steps of the activity in each lesson, scaffolding the learning• assess a segment of the sightsinging example• assess a different sightsinging example (one that matches the student’s current abilities)

Adaptations• Adaptations:• use stick notation first, then transfer knowledge to the staff• highlight pitches, rhythms, or measures as needed• adjust the size• use a 3D model of the staff, noteheads, and rhythm stems

Winding it Forward - Sightsinging• Steps to ‘wind it forward’:• ask the student to audiate the work before singing the finished product• sightsing while conducting or maintaining an ostinato• sightsing with piano accompaniment• improvise a bass line to accompany the sightsinging example• improvise a countermelody to accompany the sightsinging example• sightsing a different example that can be sung with the class’s example

Ideas for Winding it Back - Singing• Activity: singing a short familiar pedagogical song

• Old Mother Brown

• Steps the students have previously performed to lead up to this activity = steps to ‘wind it back’:• 1. Perform many vocal exploration activities using a head register• 2. Be able to access a head register at will• 3. Be able to sustain a head register for a time period equal to the length of the pedagogical song• 4. Listen to the teacher sing a short pedagogical song multiple times, in tune, and in an appropriate key

Winding it Forward - Singing• Steps to ‘wind it forward’:• examine the song for rhythmic or melodic form• examine the song for highest/lowest pitches or the location of the sixteenth notes• student(s) infer the cadence• sing/tap an ostinato while the teacher is performing the song• conduct while the teacher is performing the song• T. performs the song fewer times before the individual is asked to sing alone

Activities for Differentiated Assessment• 1. use a basic sequence to design each activity• 2. fill in the blanks, inserting sub-steps whenever possible• 3. utilize adaptations for size, color, modality, and pacing• 4. plan activities that can accommodate group performance of multiple individual tasks (keep all the plates spinning at once!)• 5. design 3 levels of rubrics: the main goal, ‘winding back’ and ‘winding forward’• 6. collect data for all learners: IEPs, aptitude scores, scores from previous music assessments, information from informal observations• 7. expect to individualize for all students• 8. read research and observe other teachers who are expert at scaffolding and chunking

Activities for Differentiated Assessment• 9. treat student confusion/failure as an opportunity to learn new skills as an educator• 10. celebrate individual student successes• 11. constantly tweak and refine in real time• 12. make overt connections and observations with students• 13. create the rubrics as the lesson segments are taught: what is important?• 14. assess individually in class to solidify expectations (summative) and note improvements (formative) • 15. ‘wind it forward’: add part-work, speed up pacing, ask for a longer example of student work, widen the tone/rhythm set

Final Thoughts• *Actively teach students how to think: when and how to use strategies and how to problem-solve (metacognition)• *Strategize as a class, then in smaller groups: how would you approach a sightsinging exercise? Learning a new dance? Improvise in triple meter? • * This type of work will support common core learning in other subject areas• Challenge ALL students at their individual levels. When the student achieves the goal, raise the bar. Think like a solfege teacher • Overtly teach the rubric so that students can self-assess: I was able to sing the song in my head voice, sing the correct words and rhythm, and maintain the melodic contour of the song, but I cannot yet maintain good intonation, so my score on the rubric is a 4.• Reward learning, not perfection

Bibliography• Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label-Free Approach. Alice M. Hammel and Ryan M. Hourigan. Oxford University Press, 2011.• Teaching Music to Students with Autism. Alice M. Hammel and Ryan M. Hourigan. Oxford University Press, 2013.