INTASC Standard #3
Adapting Instruction for Individual Needs
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
[Headings for INTASC standards are taken from - Campbell, D.M. et al. (1997). How to develop a professional portfolio: A manual
Adapting instruction for individual needs has the potential to seem an overwhelming task in instrumental music education where the classes are often very large and the time allowed for individual instruction is very limited. However, through diligent attention to the learning process and effective assessment of student learning, teachers can begin to make adaptations to their instruction that allows for meaningful learning for all students.
If it is feasible, a great way to help adapt instruction is to have a chance to hear your students play in small groups or individually. This allows the instrumental music educator to recognize students who would benefit through modified instruction and helps the teacher to better implement these adaptations. Especially in regards to students with special needs, it is beneficial to provide multiple access points to the program and be flexible. It is vital that the instrumental music educator communicates effectively with other teachers, parents, and special education teachers in regards to how to best educate each individual student.
There will be students who are gifted both musically and academically and there is a wide range of disabilities that might be encountered, including physical, emotional, mental and specific learning disabilities. While many of these students will have some sort of special education, they are often mainstreamed for music and therefore, it is not at all unlikely that music educators will have students with some of these disabilities in their classrooms.
There are many resources available for accommodating students in music. Many resources are found as part of a textbook series or in professional journal articles. Additionally, there are many professionals in the community who are experts on working with specific disabilities or abilities and the teacher needs to be aware of those people for resources as well. However, it really comes down to the individual. There are many suggestions, resources and a lot of research on all disabilities and abilities but ultimately it comes down to the individual and how they are learning and how they can communicate that learning to you.
Another component of teaching to diverse learners is to be able to effectively teach students of all different cultures, backgrounds and home-lives. There will be students in the classroom that cannot focus on school due to the scary and potentially dangerous situations they face outside of the school. It is our job as educators to find a way to reach students of all types without further alienating them, stereotyping or assuming. In my experience, this is done through communication between teacher, student, administration, parents and community.
The teacher must work actively to select activities that teach to multiple learning styles, personalities and to students of various backgrounds. Ultimately, it all comes down to communication. In order for teachers to remain sensitive to diversity and adapt instruction accordingly, they must communicate with the students and others as is appropriate. You must be able to effectively communicate knowledge and skills to students and they must be able to reciprocate that communication to demonstrate their learning. If that process is intact, you are providing students with what they need.
Artifact 1: Performers with Special Needs- Dr. Ryan Hourigan
This artifact is a powerpoint presentation created by Dr. Ryan Hourigan that I came into possession of as part of my coursework for my Instrumental Methods course. The artifact is a presentation on the inclusion of students with special needs in the instrumental music classroom and the importance of and tools for adapting instruction to accommodate diverse learners. Dr. Hourigan's presentation demonstrates my knowledge of diverse learners and some of the tools that I have acquired to adapt instruction for diverse learners.
Artifact 2: Reflection on an Article on Gifted Learners in Music
This artifact is a reflection on an article from the Music Educators Journal that discusses gifted learners in a Secondary General Music classroom. I did not complete this reflection as a component of any coursework but rather found the article through other research and was interested and intrigued by the topic. This reflection demonstrates my understanding of some of the issues in the treatment of gifted learners in the practical world of junior high General Music. It also demonstrates my knowledge of some instructional practices and suggestions for working with students who are gifted in music or academically, that have been implemented historically.