Chapter 4 Questions

1. Branching out to other teachers and colleges of the school, show interest and keep open
conversations between parents and paraprofessionals to help find the best way to help your student
and to create a connection which is beneficial to everyone- being aware of the needs of your
students and paying attention to the best way to help them succeed, keeping a positive and
supportive environment between guardians and in the classroom and helping situations in a way that
propels them forward through encouragement

2. IEP's are generally to help students that function at a level that requires more assistance and help
to create a better learning environment for this student. 504 plans are a less extensive approach that
still assists the student in learning but requires less alteration of material and instead more
supplemental. Both are put in place to assist in ensuring the student can achieve to the best of their
ability in school.

3. Copies of notes from the teacher can be helpful to any student. Having the information written
down on a sheet that a student can reference when they forget how many flats are in the key of F
can save time later on and help students to become more self-reliant when reviewing information
outside of class

Extended time to complete class assignments- in many situations students don't get the attention
they need to understand a concept. This happens with most people at one point or another. Having
extra time outside of class that students could even get together to work could permit students to

have group "study sessions" or ask the teacher for help on things that they aren't yet comfortable
with.

Use of a classroom computer for lengthy assignments- There are many great tools that technology
has given us to help music learning. Many of the applications that a student with special needs may
use could be extremely beneficial for all students to use. Notation software and programs that can
create sound production are a great introduction to what technology can do and even if only
occasionally exposing all students to this could prove to be enlightening.

Extra set of books at home for all subjects- Assuming funding allows having the option in which each
student has their own set of books even just to rent would prove to be very helpful. Any information
they were confused about or need to brush up on would be easily accessible and supplemental
reading would be regularly available.

Providing Study guides- Especially in test situations many students end up studying the wrong thing.
Providing study guides for anyone helps to narrow the area in which they need to focus and clarify
the things that are important.

4. I could see myself relying on technology as a means to help ease the learning process in a lot of
ways. I think that having the opportunity to use a tool to help promote learning or creating can be
very helpful. I can also see the use of supplemental readings, worksheets, or study material being an
easy thing to provide and a very helpful resource for my students. Lastly i think the easiest and most
effective thing I could provide would be time and willingness to help inside and outside of class
whenever help is needed.

5. I have not yet had the opportunity to work with students like this. I hope in the future this becomes
something I'm more exposed to.

Chapter 6
1. Your fifth-grade music class on Wednesday mornings includes a student with severe cognitive
challenges. In reviewing your curriculum for fifth-grade music, you see that every student is to
demonstrate mastery of sixteenth note rhythms in all variations (duple and compound). You are sure
that this student, whom you have taught since kindergarten, is going to have a dif cult time achieving
this district-mandated objective. What can you do to modify or adapt the curriculum for this student?

There are several things that could be done to help this student succeed with this objective.
You could modify the curriculum to work at the pace of the student, which would allow the student
more time to achieve the objective. Ultimately they would still learn everything that was required but
would have more time to do so, this would also more easily allow the teacher to give one on one help
and begin to specify specific things that can be done to assist the student instead of just cramming
the material in a way that wouldnt be conducive to their comprehending it. One could also make
lesson plans more accessible to this student, so that concepts that the rest of the class could catch
onto without certain aids would have those additional aids. For instance, you could have colors
coordinated with the rhythm to help show the difference between the duple and compound sixteenth
notes, while the other students might not necessarily need this correlation it will ultimately help their
understanding of the material while also including the student who may need more explanation. Its

important to create an atmosphere that all students can be successful in without singling out any one
student, incorporating adaptations regularly into the curriculum is the best way to accomplish this. I
think adding check points into the curriculum for students to gradually achieve would also be helpful.
This would allow each student to learn at a pace that is best for them while still showing that each
student is in fact accomplishing the objectives. Ultimately I think that the adaptations depend on that
student and what in fact they would need to be successful and how much time they need. Each
student will be different and the important thing is to pay attention to their needs and help them with
materials and time that suit their needs.

2. Draft two thoughtful questions you might post to Dr. Hammel. Consider posing one specific
question (something you might be able to apply directly to your planning) and one more theoretical
question (about inclusion, accommodation, modification). Think deeply about your questions.

To what extent can you involve administration in your adaptations of curriculum to ensure that
they are up to the standards that they require without jeopardizing the needs or privacy of a
particular student? Is it okay to consult others about these kinds of adaptations? The student comes
first, but what happens if the administration disagrees with the way you handle or teach the
objectives?

If the needs of one student conflict with the needs of another, what is the best way to ensure
that both students get to learn and experience equally? For instance if one student needs motion and
physical representations to better understand material, and one student has physical disabilities, how
do you accommodate both without having one be singled out?