#musedchat Archive
Each Monday evening at 8PM EST, music teachers get together and share ideas about important topics within music education. It’s a great chance to interact directly with educators from all over the world and to get new tips and tricks to help you succeed in the classroom. The entire #musedchat discussion is organized and moderated by Joe Guarr.
Monday February 1, 2016
It's time! Our topic tonight: differentiating instruction in the music classroom. Be sure to introduce yourself.
For the next hour I will be participating in ... And maybe but not sure if that one looks like it's happening...
Bill Boswell, instrumental music in Mattawan, MI
Alex from MI. HS/5th Instrumental Music.
Hi Bill, good evening to you
Kristin from MI, Wilkinson MS and Madison HS
Hi Alex, great to see you again
Hi Kristin, welcome to the chat
Woohoo! I'm here! Jennifer k-5 music in Canada
Hope you're doing well tonight
Kristin from MI, 6-12 Band and Choir.
Evening from MI. K-8 music
Hope your week is off to a good start
Sunshine helped a lot. Yours too?
Still too sniffly and coughing to participate in a karate class, so that is why I can participate in . Otherwise fine :-)
That's no good, hope you're feeling better soon
Good evening to you, Lani
Thanks! I’m pretty good; though :-)
Q1: In a few words, what is your definition of differentiated instruction (DI)?
Catie in NH, Quaver Rep and Grad Student lurking in the back tonight. Working on HW as well as following along :-)
Hi Catie, good evening to you!
Hey Joe! Hope all is well
A1: providing instruction in multiple modes in order to meet the needs of a diverse student population
A1: To teach to meet the needs of each learner
A1 DI equals individual attention given as needed to strengths & weakness
A1: Adapting instruction to meet a wide range of needs and abilities
A1: DI is giving Ss what they need while also attending to the demands of the standards and needs of the group
A1 different avenues of learning
I like that definition. “avenues”
Q2: In music, we often work toward a common goal (i.e, a performance). How do you balance that with a wide range of Ss needs?
Sara from IL. MS Band and Orchestra checking in late tonight.
Welcome to the chat, Sara!
A1 Differing learning activities based on differing needs, interests
A2: careful repertoire selection is the most important.
A1: Flexibility in meeting Ss where they are to move everyone forward.
Claire from Holland, MI. Music Ed student at Hope College.
My old hometown! Welcome to the chat
A2 common goal PLUS various individual goals/challenges
A2: part of the joy of ensemble performance is the holistic manner in which it demands of the performer.
A2 In a musical ensemble there are many parts - singers, percussion, differing instruments with different levels of challenge..
A2: The goal is individual S growth. The performance is just an extension of this work.
. amen to that. it incorporates so many modes of instruction. Music is the pinnacle of differentiation.
Adam from NJ, sorry I'm late!
A2.1: that gives us the perfect opportunity to provide different things to different Ss. One S is shedding scales, one is emoting
That's a good quote. Often so many instruments/voices/ages in the same group. https://t.co/RRoUowvgUg
. amen to that. it incorporates so many modes of instruction. Music is the pinnacle of differentiation.
A1: Teaching to the Multiple Intelligences of Ss in creative ways.
. we talk about it, we feel it, we hear it, we breathe it. music is the best.
A2: made my lesson grps small grps. Their group pieces help grow their needs; ensemble pieces grow ensemble needs.
Hey, we have a Holland, Manitoba! :-)
A2: Set small, achievable goals for Ss. Sometimes doing even the simplest tasks can be proud accomplishments for Ss.
A2 celebrate all achievements, no matter the size
If you can find the time, hearing Ss individually and then setting a goal with them can be a great tool. Let them take the lead
. for the new common core music standards: have your Ss set their own goals
. I use google voice weekly for just that purpose.
Love this... https://t.co/sWRkpvqfHl
If you can find the time, hearing Ss individually and then setting a goal with them can be a great tool. Let them take the lead
There's a section in 'Drive' by that mentions student-led report cards/conferences
Sorry to be missing tonight! Trying to power through the last of my grading for the semester!
A2: Learning new technique and transfering that knowledge into repertoire
I feel that. just completed my elem grades about an hour ago. buenos suerte!
Q3: Do you adjust assessments within your groups based on ability? If yes, how so?
the phone/voicemail app? That's still around? smart way to do that...
Q2: Create lifelong learners through holistic instruction - teaching music as more than a performance based practice.
. yup. still works awesome. everyone has access to a phone. They are supposedly merging g voice with
We need Google Voice integration with Google Classroom next!
so they call in, read their name, and play their rep?
. That and the ability to reorder materials on google classroom
. call, say name, say excerpt/song, play, hang up. then I print out or send a graded rubric using
A3: Try to keep assessments based on standards. Do not adjust standard for proficiency but do adjust how Ss show proficiency.
A3 I have multi-age classes so have different activities, inst parts...
A3: Instead of assessments as a single snapshot, use them multiple times so you can see student growth
and with SGO being growth based anyways, you set your assessments up to chart growth rather than just benchmarks
A3: adjust assessments based on number of contact hours and IEP/504. I am all for academic & musical rigor in music.
A3: adjust assessments based on number of contact hours and IEP/504. I am all for academic & musical rigor in music.
A3 Aside from multi-age classes, I can offer different challenges, insts, for those who would like a challenge ...
. NWEA/MAP approach is smart. Start-Mid-End.
A3: I definitely adjust assessments in order to keep from tanking Ss
A3 Composition and creativity often offer their own type of differentiated learning
all classes multi-aged? how are they multi-aged? BD/MD classes or is it always K-1, 2-3, etc.?
Interested in using MCA next year. Open to setting S at varying proficiency levels within NCAS.
A3.2: I reward effort by offering lots of formative assessments to gain points. I refrain from floating summative assess.
a T graded his students in a 5-8 middle school on all 12 major scales. A total score of 120, 10 per scale....
Some students would seriously just try to play B-flat 12 times...
A3: I have Ss choose a section of a piece where they can display mastery. I give criteria section must cover.
A3: Scaffold assessments to see exactly where Ss plateau. There are more levels of ability than "able" or "not able."
This is a cool idea. What's your criteria?
...but the goal for 5th was ~30 pts at end of year, ~90 for 8th..low score isnt always bad, but always rm to grow
students should know their basics. they must know multiplication tables to complete math
Just a couple of classes this year... Sometimes 2/3 or 3/4 or 4/5...
A3 assessments should be designed to show growth, not just mastery
that sounds like a very fun thing. How convenient would it be tho, if they were all at the same level musically?
I would totally have the older S teacher younger S almost every lesson period.
That's on us to develop the relationships to hold them accountable.
Q4: What sort of data to you keep to help you guide your instruction for individual students?
Love this! Aligns so nicely with NCAS.
. not just to show growth, but how to inform teaching to improve growth as well. Which can be missed
A4: LOT OF RUBRICS. Recordings, written assessments, data on playable range (whether it is chromatic), scans of all docs.
yes, something like: Ss need to be this tall to play this piece...
A3: sometimes I worry we assess gotcha rather than growth. Sometimes being less bad can be an acceptable goal - go formative!
I worry that this gets overused.Have mult-grade. Older S can mentor but they need opportunity to grow.
Agreed. There are def. Ss who get more out of the program than they put in, and non-musical reasons sometimes win
oh I would totally be the T that overuses it...every grade learns same song, but does a diff part?
A4: Rubrics and sound recordings. Currently using rubrics to guide content of some videos I'm working on for my Ss
A4: Every part of a rehearsal is formative assessment. You can filter out some of the other sounds and find the sound you want.
I’ve enjoyed creating different parts for students, different insts based on interest, experience. Fun :-)
A4: I would love ideas for systems to track the data...at 600+ students it can be a struggle.
. too often I listen to what I hope to hear, missing the blatant errors.
Just started using this year. Might be a good tool for a large number of students.
but also informal, aint that the rub? to an admin you can be blowing smoke, esp. on days where the S arent clicking
A4: S set goals and we interact on google CR.Ss are strategically grouped for chamber music around goals. Conference when I coach.
The curse of audiation...
Yup! Decent amount of work up front loading in your rosters, but easy once that's done
. with so many Ss, I would keep it as a student grid of only a few key standards. grade each week 1-4, 4 being mastery.
Def in elem gen music. Arrange pieces to address each gl goal. Ins. has prof. levels for a guide.
I think you've hit on the crux of this issue.
AMAZING. made all of my students make accounts today (new semester)
Do you find that formal assessments inform you better than informal?
can you import from Excel? That would be ideal.
I think so, but don't quote me on that
not necessarily. Long term, certainly, because it's written down and I can't fudge the numbers in my mind...
. yes. they provide a base template
..but some folks want Formal assessments; and lots of informal, despite the quality, won't satisfy.
In the new habit of recording part of rehearsal and posting on Classroom. Allows us to listen again with purpose.
..and I think music deserves the enhanced scrutiny bc of how much of a positive an impact it has on S lives...
. I like formal assessments. I want to know what they KNOW in the heat of the moment
It's important to develop a balanced system of assessments.
would love to see this conversation expand to differentiation vs. customization.
..if it means that yes, we are being taken seriously; then by all means they should get picky
if you have an apple watch, “Just Press Record” is AMAZING
Sure, there's a lot in this topic for us to touch on. What do you mean when you say customization?
In total agreement! Making ourselves accountable for S learning will only build respect with admin.
