scholarly journals Modern Band and Special Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-52
Author(s):  
David Knapp

For the greater part of the past 50 years, music educators have advocated for contemporary approaches to music education that reflect the interests of students. This has recently manifested in an approach to music education that scholars call Modern Band. Though the term lacks any one definition, Modern Band classes typically involve popular music making with guitars, drum set, electric bass, and keyboard. Among the features of this approach is a student-centered orientation that is focused on the individual learner. Additionally, Modern Band is rooted in informal music-learning theory, which easily lends itself to the inclusive principles of universal design for learning and differentiated instruction. Because of this, Modern Band may be a perfect fit for inclusive music classrooms.

2017 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-44
Author(s):  
Rhonda Fuelberth ◽  
Christy Todd

This article explores how choral music educators can facilitate access to meaningful music experiences for all students in their schools. In a changing landscape that honors equity and diversity, music education environments must also change to align with these values. To provide the optimal environment for successful inclusive practice, choral music educators should evaluate barriers to access in terms of scheduling, reconsider current curricular offerings, and imagine new solutions that support music learning for all students. Instead of structuring choral programs around traditional choral concerts and adjudications, directors can use the 2014 Music Standards and the framework of Universal Design for Learning to drive classroom content and acquire the flexibility needed to build inclusive classrooms.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-47
Author(s):  
Joni L Degner

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an instructional framework based in neuroscience, optimizes teaching and learning by supporting learners through three overarching principles: Multiple Means of Engagement, Multiple Means Representation, and Multiple Means of Action and Expression (?About universal?). These principles and the subsequent framework that grew out of the work of CAST co-founders and framework co-creators Dr. David Rose and Anne Meyers has become greater than the sum of its parts. Practitioners who have even dabbled in Universal Design for Learning have likely come to the understanding that UDL is a student-centered value system of flexibility, accessibility, and high standards for all students; indeed, the goal of Universal Design for Learning is to create learning environments where students grow to be experts in their own learning. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) defines and endorses Universal Design for Learning as the framework for designing learning experiences that support the success of all learners


Author(s):  
Deanna C. C. Peluso

A continual ebb and flow of technological progressions provide diverse contexts in which music learning, participation, and education can occur. Youth are deeply immersed within a culture of globalized and multimodal knowledge-sharing, through which music learning occurs within formal, nonformal, and informal contexts, both in the physical and online worlds. These interconnected environments provide learners with a diverse collection of tools and resources that enable them to take charge of their own musical learning. Further, they can connect and share with other learners, educators, and experts through their own digitally mediated personal learning networks (PLNs). In these PLNs, extensive repertoires of formal music education combined with informal music learning practices that provide self-directed forums for musical experiences can enable music learners to flourish and adapt to globalized and diverse contexts. Learners cultivate, in their own personally relevant ways, networks of musical knowledge by drawing on the resources and tools available both on- and offline. By examining PLNs supported by multimodal social media resources as well as online forums for sharing and exploring music knowledge, this chapter presents practical examples and applications to inform music educators and classroom practices.


Author(s):  
Luis Perez ◽  
Ann Gulley ◽  
Logan Prickett

This chapter presents an in-depth case study of the creative use of a mobile technology system by a diverse learner who is also one of the authors of the chapter. This learner is blind, has significant fine and gross motor impairment, and speaks in a whisper that is not understood by today's speech recognition technology. The learner's inclusion as an author is, in itself, a testimony to the empowerment the mobile communication system has brought to his life, which in turn has allowed him to be an active participant in the design of a learning environment based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. More specifically, the chapter details the ongoing development of a system for making math content more accessible not only to the individual learner who is the focus of the case study, but to other learners who struggle with higher level math content in higher education.


Author(s):  
Alice M. Hammel ◽  
Ryan M. Hourigan

Every successful music educator has a curriculum that contains a scope (overarching goals) and sequence (how we will achieve our goals and in what order) that are critical to reaching meaningful educational goals within the music classroom. Walker and Soltis (2004) state: “Working with the curriculum is an integral part of all teachers’ daily lives”. When specific curricula are not mandated (by the state, or federal government), most music educators use a set of standards or guidelines to devise a scope and sequence for classroom teaching (i.e., the National Standards). It is important as music educators to consider their curriculum when preparing to teach all students, not just students with learning challenges. This is what separates an educator from a therapist or a service provider. The questions that we will address in this chapter include: How do music educators maintain a focus on their own curricular goals while adapting that same curriculum to the individual needs of students? And how do we assess and reflect on these goals to make adjustments in our curriculum? These are difficult questions to answer. In fact, this has been a challenge for teachers since the inclusion of students with special needs began following the passage of P.L. 94–142 more than 35 years ago. Walker and Soltis explain, “While many teachers supported the goal, many were offended that rigid regulations were imposed on them without their consent”. All these issues require a thoughtful and sequential approach when preparing, presenting, and assessing instruction in the music classroom. However, the stronger the underlying curricular focus is, the easier it will be to adapt and modify your existing curriculum to individualize instruction for students who have learning differences. Your specific curriculum, if not mandated by your state or school system, will be a result of your philosophy of music education. Even when utilizing prescribed curricula, your choices in scope and sequence will reflect your values in the classroom. These same values will be reflected in the choices you make in modifying your curricula for students with special needs.


Author(s):  
Miriam Miedema

typical classroom in Ontario is filled with a variety of learners with diverse needs. These various needs require teachers to differentiate instruction or create a universal design for learning (UDL) so that all students can participate. As a result, research is needed to explore and describe successful programs that can support all learners. One way to do this is to develop pedagogical practices for atypical learners and examine how these could be broadened for more typical learners. This research examines a series of general music lessons, including singing, playing percussion instruments and musical games, for atypical twelve-year-old learners. An Action Research methodology was used to examine six weeks of lessons taught to three students by the primary researcher. Data were collected using reflective journals, portfolios and videos of the sessions. Thematic analysis was conducted to examine similarities and differences in learner profiles, trends in the content of the lessons and pedagogical development over time, as well as to define some strategies or activities that could form the basis of a UDL approach. Despite the students’ atypical learning profiles, only minor accommodations were required during lessons. Overall, this research demonstrates the value of a pedagogical approach that articulates learning goals while allowing the path to achieving those goals to be different for each student, reinforcing the importance of the UDL approach. Moreover, the action research methodology highlights the importance of incorporating opportunities to work with atypical students in music teacher education, so that future teachers can develop a UDL approach. 


Author(s):  
Luis F. Pérez ◽  
Ezzard Bryant

Educators have a legal responsibility to ensure access to learning for all students under legislation such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, many educators are not aware of the variety of tools already available to help them meet these legal requirements. In this chapter the authors provide an overview of the built-in accessibility features of mobile devices that can help educators meet their legal obligations for providing access to the curriculum for all learners. These accessibility features, along with complimentary apps for mobile devices, are discussed as supports that can be provided within a Universal Design for Learning approach that calls for flexible curricula that meet the individual needs of all students, including those with disabilities and diverse learning styles.


Author(s):  
Jennifer V. Lock

With the growing trend of online music education, how can educational development be more personalized to meet the individual instructor's pedagogical and technological needs? Coaching provides a means to empower online music education instructors to guide their own learning through purposeful and intentional conversations. From a review of the literature, the purpose of this chapter is to examine how and why coaching can be used in fostering robust educational and professional development practices for online music education. Forms of coaching along with elements of a successful coaching program are shared in support of online music education. The chapter concludes with four recommendations to guide coaching practice in support of personalizing learning for instructors and directions for future research.


Author(s):  
Luis Perez ◽  
Ann Gulley ◽  
Logan Prickett

This chapter presents an in-depth case study of the creative use of a mobile technology system by a diverse learner who is also one of the authors of the chapter. This learner is blind, has significant fine and gross motor impairment, and speaks in a whisper that is not understood by today's speech recognition technology. The learner's inclusion as an author is, in itself, a testimony to the empowerment the mobile communication system has brought to his life, which in turn has allowed him to be an active participant in the design of a learning environment based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. More specifically, the chapter details the ongoing development of a system for making math content more accessible not only to the individual learner who is the focus of the case study, but to other learners who struggle with higher level math content in higher education.


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