#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 8, 2016
Good evening and welcome to you
Greetings! Amy from MI. Middle school band.
Hi my name is Caity I'm a student, and I'm majoring in early education. I was wondering what it is like to be a music teacher
Good evening to you, hope your week is off to a good start
Alex from MI. HS & 5th grade band/strings/piano
Thanks for suggesting tonight's topic!
Justin - K-3 Music Milton, WI
Welcome to the chat, glad you could join us.
. thank you for selecting! it is a big but exciting challenge to tackle.
Bill from Mattawan, MI. 6-12 Band
Erica from Music City, USA. HS chorus, piano
Adam from NJ, PreK - 6 everything music.
Hope your week is off to a good start
looking forward to hearing your ideas tonight!
Thanks! I play piano and sing, I have considered teaching music. Is it hard to get into or get a job?
Hi! I'm Joyce from Stuart, VA. New to this chat
Welcome to the chat, glad you could join us!
Sure it'll be a fun one. Excited to hear about the topic!
Hello! Mikaela, K-5 music from Illinois!
Glad you could join us tonight
I am obsessed with collecting student data lately.
Q1: How often do you formally assess your students? What do those assessments typically look like? (summative, formative, etc.)
A1: I feel like it is never often enough, probably once/unit. Rubrics!
A1: Ss submit weekly practice reflections that are formative (CR/NCR). Playing assessments done every few weeks (4 pt rubric).
A1: I do a lot of checklist assessments using SmartBoard games I got off of TpT. Or holiday themed theory. I try to make it fun.
This is something I am adjusting big time this year. We have Quaver, so more formal quizzes too.
A1: With K-3 daily with a 'singing warmup' Sol.Mi.S.S.M. to monitor progress. Every1 sings as a group and then alone.
A1: Playing submissions every other week. Mostly formative. Summative when closer to concert. for grading.
A1: With beginners, almost daily, but almost always formative.
A1: Collect tests via Google Classroom & Google Voice.
A1-2: I also have to do the district-wide common assessments, and those do take a while- my classes are huge!
A1: Pretty much entirely formative assessment. Practice reflections + semester playing test w/a rubric.
I'm excited to see that is working on Google Classroom integration.
A1 assessments take different forms - bell ringers, video taped sight reading, individual & trio singing
I just got Quaver. I love the quizzes. Makes for quick easy informal assessments!
Wow, that's fantastically exciting news!
How many of those do you have?
A1.1: There's also the daily formative assessment that goes on. If we aren't assessing constantly, music rehearsals don't get far
Sara MS band/orch from IL checking in late.
hope they improve the interface as well. too many clicks to change classes/rubrics.
A1: W/ 6th - Ukulele I created a Layered Curriculum where students choose what they want they to do & are in control! Recorded
I do 3 every year with every grade. I have 25 sections of 25+ kids.
I'm really interested in exploring some more. I just dipped my toe in last week.
tweeted me a response to GC integration during MMC. Supposed to be coming soon
A1: Playing reviews once every three weeks. 2-3 compositions and 2 theory assessments each quarter. Informal assessment daily.
feel free to hit me up for a Skype chat sometime. I can share my experience for the past few months.
. that is an impressive amount of diversity! In HS I only do 1 composition a year.
A1 assessment is daily. I would say my gradebook shows at least 2 per week FYI we're on an A /B block schedule
Amen to that! https://t.co/Jx6MhGTcaw
A1.1: There's also the daily formative assessment that goes on. If we aren't assessing constantly, music rehearsals don't get far
Now I'm looking into ... Haha
Thanks! I have given up a lot of rehearsal time to address it but it pays back in dividends!
Q2: Do you deliver feedback to students differently for formal vs. informal assessments?
This! https://t.co/QTXCfisu44
A1.1: There's also the daily formative assessment that goes on. If we aren't assessing constantly, music rehearsals don't get far
A2: Ss get verbal feedback during class. Written feedback on most playing assessments & some practice reflections through GC
A2: Informal is usually verbal. Formal is written along with a conversation if possible. Try to measure against a benchmark.
A2: Informal, I usually give feedback 'excellent, theres your singing voice!' or 'make sure we are using our best singing voices'
A2: I treat programs as formal assessments right now, but soon I can have actual units. I'm a FYT so I'm trying to get settled.
Q2: formative is often verbal feedback during rehearsal. On individual work I still use rubrics so summative seem less daunting
I'd love to hear more about you keep on top of that individual data without sacrificing rehearsal
A2: Informal is almost always verbal. Formal is combo written/verbal follow-up, like a brief mini-lesson.
A2: form is mostly verbal feedback during rehears. On individual work I use the sum rubrics so sum assess seem less scary to Ss
A2: Formal - Ss use to upload recordings/work and I grade/comment written or voice.
John: K-5 general and beginning 5th band. Hello from IL.
A2 Formal feedback usually written, informal usualy verbal - what was good, what needs improvement b4 the formal assessment
A2-2: I have done mostly informal with verbal feedback or reteaching. I'm in the 'pre-test' stage with some concepts right now.
Greetings from a fellow Spartan!
A2: verbal feedback during daily informal assessments.
A2: I love providing verbal/modeling feedback by recording audio via Vocaroo and linking in Google Classroom comments section.
I do that all the time- especially with boys who revert back to their chest voice!
Oohh, I'll have to try that out too!
the best part is that it does not require a download to access.
A2 Formal is always documented and shared with students (Google sheets, usually). Inf usually verbal and individualized coaching
Ahh, I see! My boys usually copy the girls since my voice seems too high for them. It kinda works haha
A2: lots of formative assessments via and teoria for music theory concepts.
A2: Here's the rub. All Ts watch, assess and provide informal feedback daily. We have to plan to do it to make us effective.
I like Google Voice for equal access, Google Classroom for HS Ss w/BYOD, and Vocaroo verbal feedback.
Agreed! Assessment without purpose to drive instruction to meet S needs is pointless!
A2-2 planned means collecting and using to drive instruction. Videos, recordings, individual and group.
Using it to drive instruction is key. No point in collecting data if we don't use it in a meaningful way
what are your favorite ways to collect and document this formative data to drive instruction?
Q3: We often see large numbers of Ss. How do you ensure that feedback is both thorough and timely?
Provide avenues to submit data outside of class. Well formulated rubrics. Block out time each day to tackle feedback.
A3: Provide avenues to submit data outside of class. Well formulated rubrics. Block out time each day to tackle feedback.
A3: Careful planning to stagger assessments. Keeping rubrics simple and to the point.
A3: That's the kicker. Timely can be a challenge. Most of my grading is done on Sat/Sun mornings. Not the most efficient.
favorite rubric for band/strings is from the back of “measures of success” - lots of categories but fast to grade.
I drink the google forms koolaid! Also we use canvas to collect videos and TE tuner for audio
I need to get better at staggering. 110 sixth graders doing wkly reflections still takes a lot of time though.
A3: Rotate days to assess different grades. Use Schoology for daily work. 'Exit tickets' provide immediate feedback.
I'll use video for sight singing, rhythm tests. Written, informal assessment (theory) usually bell ringer or exit tix
What do some of your typical exit tickets look like?
I do as well. Lots of google forms. I would love to be able to use Canvas. We are a chromebook cart district.
I've moved a lot of our reflections to Google classroom. Find that it's easier for me to post quick feedback.
Write and say a rhythm, or melody. PicCollage on iPads showing info about composer. Show a pattern together/alternate.
One of my schools doesn't have enough tech for and the other has just enough. It's hard to reserve tech right now
All of our assignments are in GC.They may take a while to check, but I do like watching Ss practice reflections.
Definitely a challenge. We don't have 1:1 yet. Have 10 total Chromebooks. Work assessment into a sectional rotation.
my use of tech is very much limited to HS for a similar reason.
Yep, Forms are great for efficient student/teacher reflection communication.
Chromebook Fun: Post parts via Google Classroom. Sight read on Chromebook. Saves paper (no projector in room)
Embedding a Form in a Google Classroom post instead of just attaching a link has been a great improvement.
A3 I have to stagger my grading & try to use assessments that I can check either right away or record to grade later.
We actually use videos for our reflections. Is there a way to post a vid as response in Forms?
A3: in my form I use feedback comments as checkboxes along with rubric score. Formule sends email on form submit
I'm still doing pencil and paper bc of it. 1 school is 1:1 and I don't teach there...
Great tip! In addition to limited tech, we are usually out of paper.
I do almost all my Ear Training skills via paper & pencil.
Agree. Had many Ss confused by the fact that they submitted the form but it didn't change the assignment to "done" though
That's prob REAL fun to grade! Some day, it won't take forever to grade papers!
YES! “Please press “Turn In”
We do our ear training and theory in individual theory books. (thanks to grant from ).
Q4: We've focused mostly on individual assessments so far. Do you have any tools you like to use to assess the whole ensemble?
A4: ensemble recordings posted on Google Classroom, reflection in Google Docs or Forms. Polls via
A4: Record the entire ensemble. Assess using organizational contest rubric. Have Ss assess too.
A4: Post recordings in GC with writing prompts to help guide student listening and goal setting.
A4: record full group, concert critique form based on state festival rubric. Put each category on poster give each kid post it's
A4: can be used in creative ways for group assessment as well.
A:4-2 post it's become lesson objectives based on standards from rubric - great admin visit lesson
A4 I like letting them assess themselves - watch a video of the ensemble and write a thoughtful critique
If you've got the tech access, can be used as a spot for virtual post its.
A4: give each student a post-it and have them write down meas. of what needs the most improvement. have them explain why
A4: Record concert post 2 Schoology and create discussion for other school in Dist. to have Ss comment/critique performance.
I love the idea of having another school do critique!
I do not use padlet enough in my classroom. uses it frequently!
Absolutely love this idea
A fantastic idea. Must consider doing this soon with festival season quickly approaching! https://t.co/s740raORpI
A4: Record concert post 2 Schoology and create discussion for other school in Dist. to have Ss comment/critique performance.
use google hangout for live "masterclass" https://t.co/0cGsC6qXWI
I love the idea of having another school do critique!
Great idea. No other MS in district butI would love to do this with a neighboring district!
has a great DISCUSSION feature to get dialogue going back & forth between Ss! Can comment back/on the other school.
I've done chats w/ other groups, but had sketchy connections. How's the hangout work?
setting up a session with an international school in Buenos Aires. Friend teachers there.
Definitely going to have to look into some more. How have you used it?
