HOW TO USE FORMAL AND INFORMAL ASSESSMENT IN THE MUSIC CLASSROOM: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

HOW TO USE FORMAL AND INFORMAL ASSESSMENT IN THE MUSIC CLASSROOM:

TIPS FOR DEVELOPING MUSIC EDUCATORS

PANEL PRESENTERS: SOO HAN, CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL LAURA E. HELMS, BLOOMFIELD JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL LISA SULLIVAN, MOHAWK TRAILS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MODERATOR: PETER MIKSZA, IU JACOBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC IMEA Professional Development Conference 2014

Introduction: Some Distinctions

¨ Standardized testing ¨ Inauthentic measures

and/or objectives

¨ Curricular narrowing ¨ Information about

teacher criteria

¨ Setting and meeting

curricular goals

¨ Authentic measures of

artistic activity

Testing and Accountability Assessing Student Learning

Helping Students Learn… Helping us improve… Documenting change…

Some Slippery Terms and Concepts

¨ Assessment ¤ The overall process of making analytical judgments about student

learning

¨ Test ¤ A task or series of tasks used to obtain systematic observations

presumed to be representative of students’ learning

¨ Measurement ¤ A process that assigns numbers and/or attributes to characteristics of

student learning according to specific formulations or rules

¨ Evaluation ¤ The process through which a value judgment or decision is made with the

measures taken

¨ Grading ¤ Reporting results of evaluations to students, parents, and community

Thoughts on “Good” Assessment

¨ Reliable ¤ Measures and evaluations should be objective and free from

bias

n Consistent across students and across evaluators n Free from subjective preferences

¨ Valid ¤ A test should reflect what it purports to, you should be

testing what you say you are testing

¨ Continuous ¤ students/parents/community should receive regular and

continuous feedback about progress in learning

n So information can be applied towards adjustments in learning/study/

practice habits

Lisa Sullivan Mohawk Trails Elementary School

Thoughts on Assessment for Elementary Music

Formal Assessments

¨ Rubrics are the best choice if you want to know

what a child can do!

¨ Basic knowledge tests (i.e., note names, music

symbols) only assess that the student can “identify,” it doesn’t mean that they can “apply!”

¨ Elementary students need clearly written criteria

and they need feedback as soon as they perform so they can make the changes to improve their skills.

Standard 1: Singing alone and with others

Standard 2: Playing an instrument alone and with others

Standard 3: Improvising melodies, variations, & accompaniments

Standard 4: Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines

Standard 5: Reading, notating, & interpreting music

Informal Class Assessments

¨ Thumbs up or down for ‘yes’ & ‘no’ answers ¨ For same & different – 2 hands in a fist for the

same; 1 hand fist & 1 hand flat open for different

¨ Pointing up & down for ‘moving up’ & ‘moving down’ ¨ Numbers in hands to show 2 phrase numbers that

are alike or different

Great for Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, & describing music Used in many situations, but mostly for standards 6-9

Tracking & Reporting skills

¨ Skills and behavior should be assessed SEPERATELY! ¨ Find a tracking method that works for you

¤ ipad ¤ Seating chart (paper/pencil or dry erase) ¤ Excel spreadsheet

¨ Be consistent & encouraging (but be lovingly honest J) ¨ When choosing material for lessons, think about HOW

you will assess and how you plan to track that data!

Laura E. Helms Bloomfield JR/SR High Thoughts on Assessment in the Choral Classroom

General Considerations

¨ How do we encourage creativity and love of music

while still assessing and holding accountable?

¨ Rubrics are the best way to stay objective.

¤ Shows them exactly what you are looking for – it’s

nothing personal!

¤ Don’t use too many criteria – keep it quick.

¨ Attitude and participation are important, but not

everything.

Formal Assessments

¨ SmartMusic or individual hearings for sight-reading.

¤ 2 points per measure. Partial credit can be earned.

¨ Small ensemble (1 per part) hearings for repertoire

• quizzes. (see rubric)

¨ Pencil & paper quizzes for theory knowledge

PLUS…

¨ Bell work compositions to apply theory.

Example Repertoire Quiz Rubric

Repertoire Quiz Rubric ¡

¡

3 ¡ 2 ¡ 1 ¡

Part Independence ¡ Holds own part throughout the

• excerpt. ¡

Holds own part throughout some

• f the excerpt. ¡

Does not hold

• wn part

throughout the

• excerpt. ¡

Vocal Technique ¡ Displays proper breathing, blending, and vowel shape. ¡ Displays proper breathing OR blending, OR vowel shape. ¡ Does not display proper breathing, blending, or vowel shape. ¡

Soo Han Carmel High School

Thoughts on Assessment for Secondary Instrumental Music

General Considerations

¨ Need for assessment

¤ Opportunity for group and individual (especially in

ensemble setting) feedback

¤ Assessments/feedback lead to change (student

learning, behavior, skills, habits etc.)

Assessment vs. Feedback

¨ Assessment VS Feedback

¤ Assessment is the SYSTEM --- Feedback is the DELIVERY ¤ Both are important for student learning

Formative and Summative Assessment

¨ Assessment should consist of both, formative and

summative approaches

¤ Formative assessment: Short and informal assessments

that occur frequently (“frequently” during individual lesson, “frequently” throughout the week, “frequently” throughout the unit, etc.).

¤ Summative assessment: Formal and more

comprehensive evaluation of students’ learning that

• ccurs at major points throughout the school year (end
• f unit, end of semester, etc.)

Formative Assessment

¨ TEACHER providing constant directions, requests,

and feedback that is given from the podium throughout a rehearsal

¨ Informal conversations that can occur between

TEACHER and STUDENT regarding their performance

¨ Thumbs up/down (eyes closed – peer pressure!) ¨ Finger count (1- I got it, 2- lets drill a little more,

etc.)

¨ QUICK individual playing (down the line)

Formative Assessment (cont.)

¨ Playing exams ¨ Exit slips ¨ Informal recordings of ensemble ¨ Break into smaller groups ¨ “Echo” teacher demonstrations ¨ Technology tools, Essential Elements Interactive,

SmartMusic, etc.

Example of exit slips in music

Summative Assessment

¨ Concerts and performances ¨ Festivals and contests where feedback is provided ¨ Written essays regarding musical topics ¨ Playing exams ¨ Miscellaneous big projects (production of CD/

album, special performance/production, etc.)

Administering Assessments

¨ Playing exams

1.

Select excerpts using actual parts

2.

Create master list

3.

Plan/map out exam schedule

4.

Assign exams

Selecting an Excerpt

Geor~es Enesco

Romanian jithapsody No. 1

la VIOLONS

Creating a Master List

Plan/map out…

Assign

(Sample screen shot)

Assessment and Student Practice

¨ USE ASSESSMENT to strategically teach good

concepts you want your student to incorporate in practice

¤ Asks students to perform excerpts at slow, medium, and

‘fast’ tempos

n Consider playing exams in class

¤ Prepare excerpts so that students do not always start

from the beginning

Assessment and Student Practice (cont.)

¤ Prepare excerpts so that they isolate and check for

understanding of difficult techniques/concepts that may not be obvious

n Getting into a phrase might have technical and musical

challenges than start at the beginning a phrase

¤ Encourage use of metronome

n Force them to play passages for you using it

¤ Check for items that students’ might otherwise ‘blow off’

n So that eventually IT becomes a HABBIT in their playing

Assessment and Rehearsal Planning

¨ USE ASSESSMENT TO GUIDE YOUR LESSONS/

TEACHING

¤ Assessments can serve as feedback for TEACHERS to

create/plan their lessons

¤ Write down concepts, techniques students are struggling

with and focus on those concepts in your future lessons, come up with other strategic ways of addressing these items.

¤ If data reveals that MOST students struggle with a

certain passage, concept, etc. it is most likely a TEACHER issue…

Rubrics

¨ RUBRICS helps to evaluate MUSIC objectively (as

much as possible).

¤ Share the rubric with students to help understand the

expectations

¤ Spend a considerable amount of time designing your

OWN rubric that suits YOUR needs and the needs of YOUR students

n My rubrics changes every year depending on students,

needs

n One rubric DOES NOT fit all…

Rubric for Advanced Orchestra Class

Rubric for “beginning/intermediate” orchestra class

Playing Exam Excerpt

¨ Demonstrated by ‘middle of the road’ student

SLOW FAST

¤ Teacher learns what needs to be addressed more from

this assessment!

Technology and Assessment

¨ These can be a powerful tool to:

¤ Demonstrate student growth ¤ Document students’ work ¤ Use as ‘artifacts’ of musical activities

Some “Hot Topics”

¨ Separating assessment of student KNOWLEDGE vs.

student BEHAVIOR

¨ Not allowing ‘0’ as a grade (because it does not

assess student knowledge)

¨ Assigning no grades, just feedback

Thank You!

Questions?