Instrumental Assessment Strategies: Including all Standards in your Program

Transcription

1 Instrumental Assessment Strategies: Including all Standards in your Program Instrumental classes are performance classes by design, where music teachers informally assess student ability several times each day. These informal assessments are usually based upon information we see and hear, and our responses typically address ensemble problems (pitch, rhythm, volume, pulse, tempo, balance, intonation). If we compare typical teaching/assessing activities with the intent of the National Standards for Music Education, we would discover that we often address many of the content standards without giving them much thought. Performance areas such as Singing (standard #1) Playing (standard #2) Reading notation (standard #5) Listening and Analyzing (standard #6) and Evaluating (standard #7) to music performance that it is difficult to imagine an instrumental classroom where these activities were not part of the instructional process. Closer examination of all standards, however, reveals complementary musical skills and knowledge activities that may be missing: Improvising (standard #3) Composing or Arranging (standard #4) Understanding relationship of music to other arts (standard #8) and Understanding relationships to history and culture (standard #9). When considering assessment, it is important to reexamine the curriculum and the instructional plan. With music, we have much freedom with regard to curriculum: the freedom to choose but also the responsibility to make wise choices. The National Standards provide a basis for us to consider the merit of the literature (curriculum) we select for our programs, which in turn guides our instruction. Assessment, in turn, allows us to determine the effectiveness of that music instruction. Step ONE National Standards and their Applications The primary reason music teachers give for not developing comprehensive assessment plans is that it takes time. But music teachers that are so concerned with getting their ensemble ready to perform may be neglecting important individual development that can actually increase ensemble results. While the National Standards are not mandatory, they do provide guidance for the development of state or district music curricula (these may be de facto standards if your district has adopted them). Many states and local districts have incorporated the spirit of these standards into the writing of their own documents. Careful studies of state or district curricula often reveal music outcomes similar to language found in the National Standards. MENC has published additional Performance Standards that translate content objectives into behavioral descriptions of student ability by grade level. Consequently, it may be helpful to look through the MENC Performance Standards for inspiration when reading your own district music curriculum. You do not need to turn your performance class into a lecture or seminar! Compare the standards with what you already do. For instance: 1

2 I. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Instrumental classes focus on performance skill and knowledge by mastering technical and artistic demands on their instrument. As an instrumentalist, however, one must recognize the value of singing and the connection between that skill and the development of expression in instrumental playing. As mentioned before, it is hard to imagine an instrumental setting void of most of these activities. 2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Performing on instruments is what you expect of the students at every rehearsal. How well they do it is dependent on you! 3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments. This requires more effort. Students can be involved in improvising short melodies based on harmonies within your own literature. Students may create a variation or embellishment of an existing theme. Again, start with short activities or small projects. Consider using technology. 4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines. This too, requires more effort and planning. Students can be involved in transposing parts, arranging for small or large ensemble, composing simple melodies to short harmonic progressions. The trick is to provide the environment and to encourage student development in these areas. Start with short activities or small projects. Using technology can be a real asset in this area. 5. Reading and notating music. Unless you are teaching by rote, students should be reading and performing from notation everyday. That s one down, but what about notation? Can your students be expected to notate music? Sure, and including short assignments related to your literature are an excellent place to start. 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. What are you listening to? You may sometimes chide your students with that question, but seriously good teaching and good ensemble are dependant on one s ability to listen and respond to other members in the ensemble. Analysis and descriptions are essential mechanisms that facilitate musical judgment and perceptions. Good teaching includes activities in listening, analysis and accurate descriptions using musical vocabulary. 7. Evaluating music and music performances. Hopefully you already include opportunities for making informed critical evaluations of performances (also compositions, arrangements, or improvisations) by comparing each with an exemplary model. 8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts. Students can apply what they learn in music across subject areas. Under the right circumstances, they should develop competencies and creative skills in problem 2

3 solving, communication, and management of time and resources that contribute to lifelong learning and career skills. They can also learn about careers in and related to music. Explain how musical elements, processes, and organizational principles are used in similar and distinctive ways in the various arts. Analyzing the role and function of music in radio, television, and advertising might be great topics for those very strange schedules when you have limited time. 9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture. Familiarize yourself with the grade-level social-studies curricula for ideas (i.e. grade 5 is US History and Geography; grade 7 is world history and geography). As you rehearse any piece over the course of a few weeks, you should be able to include relevant information about the genre, and/or important musicians and events associated with them. Select music that represents various cultures and time periods. Allow your students opportunities to perform, hear, and classify music. Can you explain how a person in a particular culture use and respond to specific musical works from that culture? Or describe the means used to create images or evoke feelings and emotions in musical works from various cultures? The following graph presents a hypothetically weighted teaching scheme, with time spent in each of the nine standard areas National Standards 95 Note that Playing and Reading & Notating activities normally consume the majority of our available teaching time, while activities such as Singing, Improvisation, Aesthetics, Evaluating, History and Culture, and Relationships complement performance activities % of Teaching Time Step TWO Devise a Plan for Individual Assessment and Growth You probably were a student of a Group Assessment model meaning that your individual grade was a combination of how well the ensemble did and the teacher s perception of your attitude and attendance. Using an Individual Assessment model holds the individual student accountable for musical growth. Individual Assessment provides more opportunity to design a true measure of the student s musical development. Even though you informally assess your instrumental ensembles hundreds of time each day, the Individual approach can provide additional structure for a more constructive student assessment plan. 3

4 Assess only what you teach, and teach skills and concepts contextually. Do not contrive artificial assignments just for standards sake! Choose literature that allows for great performances through inspired teaching, then do your research present the music, the composer, the genre, and all musical possibilities. When devising a plan, decide how the National Standards can maximize the musical and educational value of the literature. The inclusion of all standards ought to be applied in context with the literature being performed, and taught parenthetically as opposed to digressing into lecture format. Include a reference (or rubric) for judging student performance share this with your students and parents. A good place to begin for specific language is the MENC Performance Standards. ( Sample for Performance [Standard #2]: (student examples are helpful) Criteria Needs Improvement Developing Acceptable Rhythm, Tempo, All rhythm aspects Pulse handled musically. A large number of rhythmic inaccuracies, Unable to maintain steady pulse. Some minor rhythm problems, but generally a steady pulse. Appropriate tempo Pitch Many wrong notes, Very poor intonation. Few wrong notes. Fair intonation. Excellent pitch and intonation. Tone Quality, Posture Almost no control of the tone. Very poor posture. Adequate control of the tone. Appropriate posture. A great variety of tone colors used, all of which are under good control. Excellent posture. Articulation No attention paid to articulation. Adequate articulation. Excellent attention to the detail of articulation. Scale Sample for Improvisation Skills [Standard #3]: Criteria Basic Proficient Rhythm, Tempo, Pulse Some problems with rhythms. Fairly steady pulse, appropriate tempo. throughout. Musically conceived rhythm patterns. Tempo and pulse steady Note Some wrong notes played, and/or Selection left unresolved. Scale Sample for Composition [Standard #4]: Excellent note selection, all nonchord tones resolved. Criteria Basic Proficient Melodic features Melodic features are changed for no apparent reason. Work is transcribed, almost entirely unchanged. Scale Sample for Evaluating Music Performances [Standard #7]: Melodic features are altered for phrasing and/or effect. Melodic lines preserved but not literally. 4

5 Criteria Basic Proficient Technical Qualities Expressive Qualities Overall Effect Student is able to comment on the technical qualities of the performance, but his or her evaluation tends to be incomplete. Student is able to comment on the expressive or musical qualities of the performance, but his or her evaluation tends to be incomplete Student is able to comment on the overall effect of the performance, but his or her evaluation tends to be incomplete. Student's evaluation of the technical qualities of the performance is reasonably complete and is based on welldefined criteria. Student's evaluation of the expressive or musical qualities of the performance is reasonably complete and is based on well-defined criteria. Student's evaluation of the overall effect of the performance is reasonably complete and is based on well-defined criteria. Scale Sample for Historical/Cultural Connections [Standard #9]: Criteria Basic Proficient Genre or style of three compositions, when presented aurally. The student is able to identify one genre of the works. Historical period or culture of three compositions, when presented aurally. Demonstrates an ability to perceive the obvious characteristics of examples when presented aurally The student is able to identify one historical period or culture of the works. Student's comments demonstrate an ability to perceive the obvious characteristics of these examples, when presented aurally, but provide few details. The student is able to identify two or three genres of the works. The student is able to identify two or three historical periods or cultures of the works. Scale Student is able to justify his or her identification by means of relevant and accurate comments concerning four of the following characteristics for two of the works: medium, form, rhythm, melody, harmony or texture, and expressive devices. The student's comments demonstrate the ability to perceive many of the details Implementing the standards into your curriculum and using assessment to measure student growth will ultimately enhance the musical experience for your students. You will be amazed at the improvement in your ensemble s performance ability once you include an Individual Assessment strategy! Step THREE Putting your plan in Action! Administering an Individual Assessment Plan 5

6 As noted before, careful preparation and consideration should be based upon delivering specific musical skills and concepts. Once the planning has revealed your musical goals for the semester (or unit), what actions are necessary to be successful? Keep in mind that performance assessment often (but not always) works best as an individual assessment. You may be able to save some time by hearing students in pairs, for instance. Combining Group Assessment with an Individual Assessment strategy necessitates changes to the way you evaluate your students, namely: You will be compelled to keep formal assessments simple and quick to administer, and likely these will be low stakes assessments. You will notice that high incidence assessment (one formal grade per week) makes it easier to include all standards but requires planning! Each student s strengths and weaknesses are revealed implies changing instruction to meet the needs of the students. Basic performance-based abilities are easily observed, but other musical activities (composition, improvisation, analysis, cultural, connections, etc.) require time and structuring. Your first question may be Assessment takes time! When do I assess? Assessment should be integrated into the instructional process as much as possible! Informal Assessment = quick marking system for student responses. Formal Assessment = design rubrics, share these and sample responses with your students. In regular rehearsals - Informal on the spot tests for the playing skill and knowledge (performance or evaluative). Plan to hear a portion of the ensemble each day so that by the end of the week everyone has played. Keep playing assessments very short and to the point of skill development [down the line playing]. You should not consume more than 5 minutes of your rehearsal time for this activity; otherwise you lose precious rehearsal time and create an environment of boredom for those not playing, perhaps one section per day. These low stakes assessments allow you to teach and assess at the same time. Informal questioning and discussion relating to performance and analysis can and should occur during the course of rehearsal. Student answers can be used as a basis for assessment as long as you keep records. Formal unlike the informal on the spot testing, formal assessment occurs when it follows specific instruction (modeling), and students have had time to 6

7 prepare. This assessment usually includes specific corrections. Again, perhaps limit this to one section per day. Assessment of complementary musical elements (Evaluation, Historical/Cultural, Connections) can be achieved through short written assignments or as journal entries. For short answer assignments, consider preparing response sheets that guide student responses. Have these on a music stand for students to pick up as they enter the room. This activity can be accomplished at the beginning or end of class with minimal intrusion on rehearsal time. For some assignments, students can even help grade their neighbor s work before turning the assignment in. Journals (or longer written assignments) can be used in conjunction with a Music Portfolio, or even applied to cross-curricular writing projects, i.e. social/historical writings of composers and or literature that complement studies in the Social Science department. Shortened/Lengthened Periods (assemblies, foggy days, blocks) In block schedule, playing skills and knowledge assessment can be accomplished by breaking up the period into segments full rehearsal/sectional, written quiz, etc. In short periods (quirky assembly schedules, etc.), plan for section and/or individual assessments. Use of a time schedule is very effective for listening to flutes from 10:00-10:10, trumpets 10:10-10:20, all others in main room. Short periods are also effective for written exercises. Outside of Rehearsal Time Playing skills and knowledge Technology presents opportunities for easing the demands of assessment. Students individually complete the requirements on a school site computer (or at home in the case of Finale Performance Assessment). A new feature in the notation program Finale 05 Finale Performance Assessment, allows you to input specific music examples from your literature, or create scale exercises from templates. This software performs assessment of the student s performance, and can be ed directly to the teacher. Online Amadeus is another program that provides assessment for the Standard of Excellence series. The traditional approach still works, too! Assignments are completed and turned in via cassette tape, video tape, or even digital media files, without intruding on classroom rehearsal time. Other programs are available for laboratory applications that allow individuals to work at their own pace; these include The Rhythm Factory, Smack-a- Note, Rhythm Performance Test. For theory and ear training, look into Alfred s Essentials of Music Theory, Auralia, Musition, or Music Ace. 7

8 Written skills knowledge journal entries, concert attendance, arrangements/compositions, etc. can also be submitted without an intrusion on class time. What might this assessment look like? There are unlimited possibilities here, depending on the performance requirements of the ensemble, the grading parameters established by the school (i.e., performance outside of school hours). You might consider some of the following: Individual performance skills/knowledge o Instrumental Performance Technical scales Literature excerpt testing o Singing, matching pitch/rhythms o Historical/Cultural connections o Analyzing o Evaluating Ensemble performance requirements o Attendance at required performances o Attendance at local concerts (other than own ensemble) o Chamber music participation o Solo/Ensemble Festivals Classroom participation o Rehearsal Preparation o Rehearsal Readiness and more, depending on your needs Individual Performance 30% Ensemble Performance 30% Classroom Participation 30%...and more 10% 30 This sample graphic is a representation of semester grade components. The various weighted components should reflect the needs of your own program, but 8

9 the graph highlights a philosophical shift in teaching, away from the ensemble performance basis and toward a more inclusive balance including individual musical development. The most important thing to remember with assessment is that students must be involved in comparable tasks frequently during the instructional process. As stated in section two of this paper, assess only what you teach, and teach skills and concepts contextually. Finally, keeping track of this information is critical. Again, I would encourage the use of technology. There are many programs available at low cost (or no cost) that provide tools for accurate calculations and convenient tools for students and parents. Check with your school to see if they support site-licensed grading software. Good luck! Resources 1. MENC. (1996). Performance Standards for Music: Strategies and Benchmarks for Assessing Progress toward the National Standards, Grades Pre-K-12. Reston, VA: Author 2. MENC. (2005) Assessment Strategies for Music, available at: 3. MENC. (2001). Spotlight on Assessment in Music Education. Reston, VA: Author Assessment Software 1. Auralia; Musition software titles, information available at: 2. Essentials of Music Theory software information available at: 3. Finale Performance Assessment & SmartMusic, software titles, information available at: 4. Music Ace software information available at: 5. Online Amadeus, information available at: 6. Rhythm Factory; Smack-a-Note; Rhythm Performance Test various software titles, information available at: 9