SUMMARY REFLECTION

EVIDENCE OF THE EXTENT OF STUDENT GROWTH IN THE FORM OF

AVERAGE RESULTS FOR THE PRE AND POST ASSESSMENT

Pre-Test
From the data taken from the pre-test, the class average was a 72%. The score range was 50% to

100%. This large range in scores occurs because due to the sizeable gap in experience with

music and guitar. Student 1 comes from a background of guitar lessons as well as three years of

band classes. Students 2 and 4 also have three years of band classes under their belts but no

guitar experience. Student 3 has no guitar experience and little to no in-school music

experiences since elementary school. Students in this school system are also not allowed to

receive below a 50% on their assignments even if they do not attempt the assignments. With that

being said, two of my students refused to perform in for their pre-test due to lack of knowledge

which resulted in their getting a 50%.

Progress
In the next few classes to follow we learned about how to raise a note’s pitch by moving up a fret

on the guitar. They then learned how to make “F” sharp, and from there, we learned the G major

scale. I taught the scale multiple ways: aurally, visually, and kinesthetically. I had the students

listen to what the scale should sound like first so they would know when they played a wrong

note during their practice time. I then started writing the scale on the board or projecting it from

the overhead so the students could see what the scale looks like. I also did a finger walk through

with them where we focused on where their fingers would go for each note. This was often the

most tedious, but this is the area we really need to focus on now. They all played the correct
notes; they just did not always use the correct fingers. This is tricky, though, because this

process does take longer than the others, and they tend to get bored quickly.

Post-Test
According to the data taken from the post-test, the class average was a 91%. The score range

was 88% to 100%. There was massive progress from students 3 and 4. They both were able to

play their scales with 100% pitch accuracy at their own tempi. The captions they lost points in

were using correct fingering and playing the correct scale rhythm which was half notes on all G’s

with quarter notes in between. Student 2’s scores remained the same, but they lost points in

different captions this time. They struggled to use the correct fingers and did not play in the

given scalar rhythm. Student 1 still maintained her knowledge of the scale and even increased

her tempo. With their knowledge of F#’s, they are now able to move onto reading literature in

the key of “G."

EVIDENCE OF YOUR ATTEMPTS TO ASSESS ONGOING INSTRUCTION,

REFLECT, AND MODIFY INSTRUCTION

Since the class is only a class of four students, it was easier to assess their needs. In this class in

particular, three of the four students have been enrolled in band classes since 6th grade. The

other student, Student 3, has never taken a music class during their time at Peter Muhlenberg.

This made the class dynamic different, and it was obvious that the student with less music

instruction needed more one-on-one time. This student is the reason I included individual

practice time in the lesson plans because the other students could work at their own pace as I

worked with Student 3. Student 3 caught onto musical concepts easily once they were provided

with the clarification they needed, so a lot of this one-on-one time was just question and answer.
I would also model what I was looking for because sometimes musical language became our

barrier. After I answered any of their questions or modeled what I was looking for, Student 3

was more aware of their issues. Overall three of the four students struggled with most with using

the correct fingers for the correct frets, so I reviewed this concept with them almost every day.

By lesson three, the problem was not the notes in the scale, but merely remembering which

fingers to use and fluency with the transition between the G string to fourth finger F# on the D

string. These skills come with more time and practice, and if we were to continue working on

this throughout the entire semester, these skills would improve.

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD DO THE UNIT DIFFERENTLY

NEXT TIME

I struggled to decide what I wanted to do with this project, and I was not entirely happy with

what I chose to do this project on. I knew I wanted to work with the guitar class because it is

much different that all of the other classes because three of the four students in this class were

essentially learning a secondary instrument, but I was not sure where to start as far as

brainstorming on what to use as my project topic. I then turned to Mr. Mrosko and asked if there

was something he needed to be taught, and he suggested the G major scale. From the beginning

of the project, I dived right in, and I think I should have started with a walk-through. Especially

for Student 3 because his fundamentals are not as strong as the others, and by doing the

walk-through first, the issue with using the correct fingers would have been eliminated from the

beginning. I also think my goal in lesson 1 for them to begin learning their two-octave G major

scale was too vague. I do not think it did anything as far as focusing or tailoring my lesson plan.

I also feel as though I rushed through this learning process in fear that my students who learned
quickly would become bored. In my future modifications in lesson three, I list having them

listen to each other and giving each other feedback. Since there are four students, and they are

all eighth graders, it could be a learning experience for them to listen to a peer and provide them

with feedback to get better. It is important for students to learn how to give and take criticism at

an early age as it becomes a larger part of their learning and reflection process as they get older.

I also wish that I had used literature to supplement the scale work. Learning a scale can be

boring when it does not relate to other things, so I should have looked more into using pieces that

are written in the key of G and it would have provided a little more context. The piece also

would have provided with a little more variety and practice as opposed to just focusing on

learning the scale.