Taylor,+Kendra,+Music+and+Inclusion

Hi my name is Kendra; I love to sing!

I received my Bachelors of Science in Music Education this past year from Southern Oregon University. My emphasis was in voice; though I started my music education as an instrumentalist. I am now taking graduate classes to obtain my Master of Arts in Teaching. I want to teach band, choir, and orchestra.

I am currently performing in Rogue Opera's "Opera in Schools" program. I also perform with all sorts of ensembles around Southern Oregon including; Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, The Sauerkraut German Band, Raiders of the Lost Art, SOU Choirs and Bands, YSSO, The State of Jefferson Sometimes Marching Band and occasionally I sit in with Jazz Bands and church choirs. I love any opportunity to make music!

Click here to see video of all sorts of ensemble performances; from madrigals to Wagner!

**Interesting facts:** I can speak some Klingon Often I write my school notes using IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) I played Johanna this past summer in Camelot’s production of Sweeney Todd; I will be Martha Jefferson in their production of 1776. I just finished playing Anne Stanton and Ms. Dumonde in All the Kings Men, I miss it dearly. I was blind for a week.

I want to teach high school band, choir, and orchestra. Eventually I would like to return to school and pursue degrees in conducting and vocal performance. All the while, I want to continue to perform with groups that inspire me.
 * Education & career goals:**

**What brings me joy?** My dachshund, Savvy Early music Challenging repertoire Diction and IPA (Music) Just Intonation Nerdy Board games (Arkham Horror, Settlers of Catan, Betrayal at House on the Hill, etc.) Coconut flavored bubble tea, minus the bubbles

Teaching without passion.
 * What is my greatest fear about being a teacher?**

Something that has always been a challenge for me is math. Because I always tried to learn how to solve a problem by copying the steps, instead of understanding the process, I always struggled to keep up with the class. This was especially true when concepts that were already taught were expanded upon. I felt lost and embarrassed that I could not keep up with the class. I was frustrated with both myself and my teachers. My experiences with math will help me to remember to teach concepts to all students, not just steps. It is my job to make sure all material is understood before adding more information to those basic concepts. Because I can identify with students that may be struggling in some area of academia, I feel I have the tools to be able to help those students push on through and achieve results.
 * Did I ever experience a time when something was extremely difficult to learn? How did it make me feel? How can that experience help me to connect to students with learning disabilities? **

I want to gain the tools necessary to be able to help all my students be successful. If I do not know the answer, I want this class to be able to show me where to find it.
 * What do I want to gain from this course?**

**Music Education: Inclusion Resources**
Someday I will be a music teacher. I want to create an inclusive environment that allows anyone that wants to sing or play in an ensemble the opportunity. That is why I choose inclusion, as it pertains to music, as my research topic. I wanted to learn how to do my job better for the benefit of all those that will participate in my classes.


 * The topic five things I learned about music and inclusion are:**

1. It is better to have a student focus and participate actively for as long as they are able then to have them sit mindlessly for the whole music rehearsal; "adjust the length of time of participation for a student with special needs," from Rehearsal Modification Tips. Alter the lesson plan to meet the needs of the individual.

2. Technology now offers many tools to allow for full inclusion of all students in the music room. Some of these amazing tools include; [|The Skoog], [|Soundbeam], and [|Soundtree]. There is also Braille sheet music paper! The resources on reading and writing Braille music can be found here, at [|Opus Technologies].

3. When making your music room more accessible, assess what a student can do and adapt the room around that! The MENC article on physical disabilities suggested to "adapt musical instruments with materials such as Velcro (e.g. to hold a triangle on the wrist) to enhance student’s ability to play. Design, create, and invent for individual and unique situations," from Don't Let Physical Disabilities Stop Students.

4. Make the music more accessible, to all! We can invent new parts, modify part difficulty level (high and lower), and even have students create their own instruments in order to play with the ensemble. There are always options!

That being said; "It is important to understand that, in advocating a creative approach, we are not suggesting that teachers abdicate their right, and responsibility, to set objectives, to challenge pupils to embrace new ideas and new skills, to plan a program of work that will enable pupils to turn potential into achievement. In fact, in creative work, teachers invariably make greater demands on their pupils," Creativity and Inclusion.

5. "Decisions regarding children’s musical potential should not be based on their performance in other areas of the curriculum," Primary Music Today. Music is an avenue that allows those that may not normally feel comfortable, or able to communicate the opportunity to. It is a content area that allows development of skills that can apply to every other area of their lives.

//*These are important quotes regarding music and inclusion; there is something to learn from each.//

1."In recognizing that there are multiple forms of intelligence which we all hold, we also recognize that we each have the potential for growth in those areas, and that consequently the door to musical learning should not be closed on any child.” –Primary Music Today

2. “Inclusion certainly isn’t having everyone do the same thing, in the same way. What good is an equality which means that everyone is equally deprived? Inclusion comes about through acceptance of diversity and allowance for non-conformity.” - Audrey Podmore

3. “Successful teachers constantly adapt the available resources to the needs of a specific pupil, or group, at a precise moment in time.” - Audrey Podmore

4. “The challenge to the music educator teaching special learners is in ensuring that the music experiences provided are not only appropriate to the individual abilities of that child, but faithful to accepted music education goals for all children as well.” –The Role of Music in the Education of Special Learners

5. “Music is unbeatable for encouraging sharing, communication, turn-taking, concentration, leadership, choice, teamwork, confidence, listening and most importantly, self-expression - all of these qualities are inherent within music. These skills are particularly meaningful for children with autism and other special needs - maybe that’s why making music with these very special children produces such incredible results.” - Sing Up

**The top resource on inclusion and music education:**


 * National Association for Music Education: MENC**

MENC is a national organization for the advocacy of music education. It is an excellent resource. When searching through their archives I found three great articles covering inclusion and music. I have spent the last couple years working in the SOU chapter of this group. I choose this as my number one resources because the webpage is so in depth and covers a wide variety of topics. It also has links to many other useful websites.

The MENC site can be found here: [|http://www.nafme.org] ★★★★★

Articles found within the MENC site can be found here: [] ★★★☆☆
 * Success with Special Learners: Steps for Inclusion**

http://www.nafme.org/v/chorus/success-with-special-learners-rehearsal-modification-tips/ ★★★☆☆
 * Success with Special Learners: Rehearsal Modification Tips**

http://www.nafme.org/v/general_music/don-t-let-physical-disabilities-stop-students/ ★★★☆☆
 * Don’t Let Physical Disabilities Stop Students**

**The top resource for all content areas:** Alice M. Hammel, Music Educators Journal, Vol. 90, No. 5. (May, 2004), pp. 33-37.
 * Inclusion** **Strategies That Work**

In this article, Hammel discusses strategies for an inclusive music classroom. She lists tools that we can use as educators to help make the task of full inclusion less daunting. She speaks about the importance of knowing your students, special education faculty, administration, the layout of the classroom, the least restrictive environment, and how to adapt your lesson plan to suit your students' needs.

http://faculty.washington.edu/demorest/Hammel2004.pdf ★★★★★


 * The Role of Music in the Education of Special Learners**

“If we believe a music education is a vital part of the general education of all children, then we must more actively advocate music education programs for special learners. This includes providing an equal opportunity aesthetic education through music that offers the same program options that are available to other children (i.e., classroom music instruction, instrumental lessons, and performance ensembles). The challenge to the music educator teaching special learners is in ensuring that the music experiences provided are not only appropriate to the individual abilities of that child, but faithful to accepted music education goals for all children as well.”

This paper does exactly as the title suggest. It is an excellent resource; though it fails to use person first language and has some outdated terms.

[]

★★★★☆

A personal view from Audrey Podmore, proprietor of The Full Pitcher Music Resources
 * Creativity and Inclusion**

This is an amazing article jammed packed with important information on inclusion. Two of my five top things I learned can be found in her article. It is something everyone should read. Not only is it highly informative, it is also inspiration. A great, quick, read.

http://www.fullpitcher.co.uk/creativityandinclusion.htm ★★★★★


 * Deciphering IEP’S - What They Mean for Music Educators**

This blog post highlights what an IEP is, and how to find the information that is important to a music classroom. This is a great resource that can be valuable for any teacher. This posting also has tips for a successful inclusive classroom. There are specific details in this blog as to which parts of the IEP are most useful to review when in a music classroom.

http://musicedhighlights.net/?p=671 ★★★★★


 * Maximize Your Blind Students Overall Inclusion in Music Class Using These Essential 12 Modifications**

Patrica Brown, author of this blog, has over 30 years’ experience working in the special education field. Here she lists 12 tips on how to create a more inclusive environment for students who are blind. My favorite tip is number eleven: “Provide your student with some homemade Braille music paper and tactual markers so they can compose their own simple musical notations. Be sure to share these musical creations with the class.”

http://five.mybesteductionsystem.com/wp/?p=38158 ★★★★☆


 * This is a Skoog**

What is a Skoog you ask? “The Skoog is an exciting new musical instrument designed to empower those unable to play traditional instruments. The Skoog is a soft, squeezable object that simply plugs straight into your computer or laptop's USB port. By touching, pressing, squashing, twisting or tapping the Skoog you can play a wide range of instruments, intuitively.” On their website, you can view a short documentary video about the Skoog and its uses for a truly inclusive music classroom. This is one of several instruments created to allow anyone to make music. It is an excellent tool for full inclusion.

[] I am giving this resource an extra star because the Scottish accents on the video make me happy. ★★★★☆


 * Sing Up: Help Kids Find Their Voice**

This resource gives advice on how to lead singing activities for children who have special education needs.

“Music is unbeatable for encouraging sharing, communication, turn-taking, concentration, leadership, choice, teamwork, confidence, listening and most importantly, self-expression - all of these qualities are inherent within music. These skills are particularly meaningful for children with autism and other special needs - maybe that’s why making music with these very special children produces such incredible results.”

[] ★★★★☆


 * Music and the Deaf**

Music and the Deaf, located in England, is an organization that “encourages all deaf children to find their voice.” This charity finds ways for children to communicate in music via signing or other forms of expression. This is one of several organizations advocating for music. This particular charity stands out above the rest.

[] ★★★☆☆

"The Opportunity to Succeed is a DVD for current and future band directors featuring several documentary style case studies that will inform and inspire our audience about the challenges, strategies, and lifelong benefits of an inclusionary learning environment for both special needs and typically developing students.”
 * The Opportunity to Succeed: Inclusion in Music Education**

This is a resource that is available for purchase. I found various clips from the video on youtube that show some good information. ( [], []). This resources gets only three starts because it is something one has to purchase.

http://www.banddirectorvideos.com/ ★★★☆☆


 * Disabilities and Inclusion in the Music Classroom**

Using Prezi software, Nicole Davis has created an awesome, interactive presentation on inclusion within the field of music education. There is a lot of great information, and it’s really fun to find it using this program. I recommend the resource, and the tool she used to create the resource.

http://prezi.com/o1x71jtslzi2/disabilities-and-inclusion-in-the-music-classroom/ ★★★★☆


 * Sound Advice: Towards Inclusive Practices in Primary Music Education**

Here, five pieces of advice are given in the form of a webpage. The advice covers inclusion, biases, and societal issues pertaining to music. This page also listed some great music advocacy group resources.

http://www.primarymusictoday.co.uk/?PageID=41 ★★★☆☆

= = =** Disability Community Based Learning Project **=

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//Dogs for the Deaf// is a non-profit organization that rescues dogs and professionally trains them to enhance people’s lives.Before attending the tour I assumed that these dogs were being trained solely for the purpose of assisting those with hearing impairments.It turns out that they are trained to assist in many different types of ways.======

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A dog is selected to be trained based off of a behavioral evaluation.All the dogs come from animal shelters, and the dogs are never returned to a shelter.Even if a dog is selected and for some reason it turns out that the dog cannot perform in one of the many categories; that dog will be found a safe home to live in. During the Q & A session I specifically asked if they had any working dachshunds, as I have a wiener dog that brings me much joy, but can be a terror sometimes. They said that they are very hard to train, and their last dachshund ended up finding a nice family to live with as a spoiled princess. ======

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I was very lucky to have my mother accompany me on the tour.There was also a couple that was traveling across Oregon. By the end of the tour we had all become a little bit closer and more friendly towards one another. We started our tour by watching a 20 minute video about //Dogs for the Deaf.// It covers every aspect you can think of on the different types of programs offered through //Dogs for the Deaf.//======

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Afterward, we were invited to ask any questions we could think of.All four of us were interested in different aspects of the // Dogs for the Deaf // program, so we got a great variety of questions answered.An audio recording of that Q & A session can be found here:======

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After exploring the grounds, and hearing all about the different programs I was genuinely affected.One doesn’t realize the sense of independence that a working dog can give an individual.In the video we see that those that had a hearing dog, for example, and then lost that dog, didn’t realize how much that dog helped in their daily lives.Those pets are more than eyes and ears; they are comfort and confidence. They bring out the good in people around them. Our little time in the tour group with these animals helped us all develop empathy for one another.======

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There is a program that specifically gets dogs to teachers that work in a special education environment.Knowing that these kinds of options are available to me as a teacher opens all sorts of possibilities as to teaching inclusively.This program is unique, creative, and something that would benefit all involved.Having this experience makes me very curious as to what other ideas are out there to create an awesome, inclusive environment.What a great experience! ======

// Dogs for the Deaf //is a non-profit organization that rescues dogs and professionally trains those dogs to enhance people’s lives.Before attending the tour I assumed that these dogs were being trained solely for the purpose of assisting those with hearing impairments.It turns out that these dogs are trained to assist in many different types of ways.A dog is selected to be trained based off of a behavioral evaluation.All the dogs come from animal shelters, and those dogs are never returned to a shelter.Even if a dog is selected and for some reason it turns out that dog cannot perform in one of the many categories; that dog will be found a safe home to live in.Depending on the dog’s demeanor, they are trained to be; hearing dogs, autism assistance dogs, program assistance dogs, miracle mutts, harmony’s hounds, or career change dogs.

More information on those programs can be found in their brochure:

Also in this // Dogs for the Deaf // fact sheet:

I was very lucky to have my mother accompany me on the tour.There was also a couple from way out of town.We started the tour by watching a 20 minute video about // Dogs for the Deaf. //That video can be found here:

[]

Afterwards, we were invited to ask any questions we could think of.All four of us were interested in different aspects of the // Dogs for the Deaf // program, so we got a great variety of questions answered.An audio recording of that question and answer session can be found here:

[]

While touring the facilities we came across a room with art from children thanking the // Dogs for the Deaf // program.My favorite of all the letters and pictures was this one:

Reflection** : **After exploring the grounds, and hearing all about the different programs I was really affected.One doesn’t realize the sense of independence that a working dog can give an individual.In the video we see that those that had a hearing dog, for example, and then lost that dog, didn’t realize how much that dog helped in their daily lives.Those pets are more than eyes and ears; they are a level of comfort and confidence.

There is a program that specifically gets dogs to teachers that work in a special education environment.Knowing that these kinds of options are available to me as a teacher opens all sorts of possibilities as to teaching inclusively.This program is a unique, creative, and something that would benefit all involved.Having this experience makes me very curious as to what other ideas are out there to create an awesome, inclusive environment.What a great experience.