My Role in Assessment…

My role in relation to teaching musicianship is vast….

1. I have to prepare the students for written exams, therefore, judging and using practical assessment methods of past papers, general instinct, aural viva questions, brainstorming sessions, practicing good teaching skills, using tested methods of teaching in relation to possible questions contained within the test paper and much more….
2. I also have to provide guidance and assistance in relation to confidence building, preparing them mentally and physically for written and practical exams
3. Aural training for practical exams
4. A crux of all seeing knowledge and wisdom as they prepare to finally sit the exam, give performances, etc
5. Be truthful in relation to what it is actually like in a hall the size of an aircraft hanger or being on your own with the examiner in a practical situation
6. To judge when students are ready, but in the ethos of RSAMD, to make learning fun and only submit students if they show an interest and knowledge in the subject
7. I also have to provide moral support on the day of exams as the other staff within the centre where I am employed have not experienced the element of theory, which is no reflection on them, but it is detrimental to my students who rely on me to rally them from the side line and to see them over the threshold of the exam room….
8. To provide elements of both deep and surface learning to and for the students
9. To provide strategies in relation to coping with the exams, the work that they are doing and general everyday problem solving such as co-ordination, thinking, understanding, knowledge and much more…..
10. Showing empathy, sympathy, listening, communicating with them on all levels, being their parents, being their guardian, providing pastoral care, support, guidance, attention, assistance, meeting their physical needs, educational needs, moral needs, etc….

Definitions of Assessment…

Definitions of assessment on the Web:

• appraisal: the classification of someone or something with respect to its worth
• an amount determined as payable; “the assessment for repairs outraged the club’s membership”
• the market value set on assets
• judgment: the act of judging or assessing a person or situation or event; “they criticized my judgment of the contestants”
  wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn 

 

• Educational assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. …
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assessment 
• The act of assessing or an amount (of tax, levy or duty etc) assessed; An appraisal or evaluation
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/assessment 
• assess – measure: evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of; “I will have the family jewels appraised by a professional”; “access all the factors when taking a risk”
• assess – charge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as a tax or a fine
• assess – tax: set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)
• assess – estimate the value of (property) for taxation; “Our house hasn’t been assessed in years”
  wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn 
• assessing – Action of the verb to assess; assessment
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/assessing 
• assess – To give or charge with (as with penalties in sports); To determine the value of; To impose or subject to (taxation and legal)
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/assess 
• a process or tool integrated into the instructional activity, innovation or program designed to improve the quality of instruction and the resulting learning outcomes (see also instructional assessment )
  www.utexas.edu/academic/diia/assessment/iar/glossary.php

Lots of definitions…..hhhhhmmmmmmm……what do I do?

Practice Evolving …

How could I evolve my practice…..?

 I believe that I maintain good, constructive and meaningful relationships with my students and fellow tutors. However, I do believe that this PGCert learning experience has enlightened me with reference to what styles of practical development there in are in relation to what is good practice and what is best practice.

 I feel that I have good practice elements which can be built upon and that the concept of thinking out of the box is often the norm and not the exception in relation to educating a new breed of learners, who in turn, will hopefully, become more experienced, enlightened, willing participants in the world of digital technology, education, life in general, good communication skills, listening, showing empathy for others, being the future generation of Digital Natives, who in turn, will become Digital Immigrants themselves as learning, teaching and practice develop and evolve to new levels in the future.

 I feel that I could benefit my students more by introducing more group centred / task centred approaches to their teaching. I think that I could modify my teaching strategies and mix things up more in relation to lesson plans. I believe the aid, support and guidance of digital technology could enhance this practice and it is a medium that the students themselves thrive in. I have done several classes with my own laptop and asked them to use the software package Sound Forge in relation to making a new mix of music, traditional tunes, which I have selected and asked them to copy, cut, paste, do transitions with, fade ins and outs, remix using sample bass lines, etc. And they enjoy this interactive element in a group setting.

You see them emerge with ideas individually and collectively and it allows me to assess group dynamics, growth potential, students who need to be regrouped owing to outgrowing the group dynamics and skill sets and also who have outgrown the comfort zone and require new more challenging ways of working and thinking. The out of the box approach which is referred to in Paul Ramsden’s Learning to Teach in Higher Education (e-learning book 2007)

 I think it would also be advantageous in response to the age and stage of development of the Trad group that I was involved in working with to set new targets in relation to potential portfolios of work in relation to Standard Grade exams, possibly allowing the students to critique musical examples and set audio examples of each other’s work. This is something new to them as they have always worked together within the confines of the group and they find this strange to be forth right and provide an opinion. Some of them find it disrespectful to criticizes their peers, however, take them out of the group setting into the realms of pen and paper they become different entities as per Phil Race, The Lecturer’s Tool Kit Chapter 2.

 I would also like to use the methods of peer and learner practice in relation to the students being able to develop and critique each other’s work through the use of video flip cameras, interviews, doing set exams within the Centres, making use of the portfolio idea and also the idea and concept of them giving presentations to each other on a more frequent basis in relation to developing their own need for learning about musical topics of interest to them.

I would also like to evolve my practice by being encouraged by Line Management to participate in CPD outwith the RSAMD. We are provided with in house training, but places are limited and are almost on a first come first served basis in relation to the selection process of attending group events such as residential tours, foreign tours and also CPD training that is not in house and which I have not been sponsored or selected to participate in despite having made various requests several months in advance of other tutors.

 I would also like to develop strategies in relation to student based projects, involving students in their own learning which is a form of a PAT tutorial and to also make formative feedback more productive for my students, making feedback more timely – instantaneous, and also to reduce my workload in relation to giving this feedback as student diaries are not concise or consistent when classes are back to back with no space between…..

Exhausted…I think I am….however, there is one other concept that I would like to work within….making groups smaller or having groups within a group, but in a way constructive to all learners and taking the advice of Phil Race in Chapter 4 of the Lecturers Tool Kit…

In addition I think I would liek to feel more supported, guided and encouraged within my working environment and within the Musicworks Department…

Module 3 March 2010 – Guidance & Support in Musicworks

Guidance & Support in Musicworks?

I am responsible for the students that I teach in an individual and collective capacity when they attend Musicworks Centres on a weekly basis. This can be for anything up to six hours at a time. During that time I provide pastoral care, I empathise with them, show concern, to provide the necessary care and protection in relation to keeping the students safe under RSAMD Child Protection Guidelines. I also become their friend, but always maintaining a boundary in relation to professionalism such as the teacher-student relationship.

I also assist them in their learning abilities, nurture, coax and extract the best of them through group work, individual lessons, team building in the group setting, provide additional educational assistance, being generous with my time working through often most breaks in relation to completing my lesson plans, student diaries, providing feedback to parents with regard to my students learning for the past week. I also undertake additional duties such as performance education, listening skills, additional student lesson if they cannot make a class obviously which I can teach, etc. I also prepare students for aural training in relation to Traditional ABRSM Exams for other teachers within the project.

 I am all round their parent, friend, teacher and confidant, but that is the nature of the group setting in which I work as there are only five teachers and we all carry out these duties on a weekly basis for our students. We also undertake group residential with other Musicworks Centres and the additional responsibilities that arise from these settings, concerts, etc when they occur.

 Sometimes there are no barriers between the staff and the students. There has been in the past, barriers between tutors, however, these are easily shed and the student’s needs are central to all concerned. At best when barriers arise, the only form of protection is to go through Line Management and leave the decisions to those concerned. However, these are not a frequent occurrence in our project.

 I find that we are all equal individuals and a very formidable team when our resources are pulled together at our project. However, changes could be made to make our access to resources, communications, information process and dissemination more speedy, timely and helpful with regards to situation that can arise with parental requests, additional paperwork which is submitted through RSAMD Junior School and is not identified through each individual project for example, exam marks in general are recorded as being submitted by RSAMD and not Sighthill Trad Project, etc.

 I feel that my research topic could benefit the overall structure of RSAMD Musicworks. It could provide more effective avenues of communication; provide a transferable teaching platform which could run parallel with the taught curriculum of ABRSM, Guildhall, Trinity, SQA and personal tutor choice.

 Changes in my practice could be devised through the use of technology. I work in the field of Musicianship, which in itself, is a huge topic covering all aspects of music theory, rhythm, melody, co-ordination, aural, general development of students playing abilities through general aural presentation skills, singing fragments of music, repetition of phrases, identifying particular elements of music, preparing them for exams practical and written and so much more…..