Artifact 8 (written while student teaching)

Artifact Reflection #8


Title of Artifact: Mock Solo Ensemble at High School
Date Experienced Completed: Spring 2008

Description of Artifact:
High school music students at Platteville high School spend a large
chunk of second semester preparing for solo ensemble. This means picking out
a solo, working through all the notes and rhythms, and eventually getting it
together with a piano player. The students are expected to work on this music
between lessons on their own.
There are many different and difficult aspects of a solo preparation, and
the best way to test them all at the same time is to perform them as much as
possible. Music teachers want to make sure that every study is progressing on
their solo. A great way of testing this is with something called “Mock Solo
Ensemble.” This is where the student plays through their solo at different stages
of learning it. They play it for the teacher and another judge who can offer
comments and a “score” just as they would receive at the real solo ensemble.
While I was pre-student teaching, I got to be one of those judges. My
artifact is a blank comment sheet, and a comment sheet that I filled out for one
of the students playing their solo. The comment sheet is very versatile. It can be
used to provide comments, give a numerical score, or as a peer evaluation
sheet. No matter how it is used, the student will learn from it, and grow as a
musician.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
I believe this artifact best aligns with Standard Eight: Assessment:
Teachers know how to test for student progress. I aligned it this way because
when you have a comment sheet that lays out what is needed at this stage of
solo development, you can fully asses what needs to be worked on, and what is
going well. This is an excellent tool for music teachers because it is the same
sheet a real judge at solo ensemble would use, and you can best prepare the
students for the real thing through thorough and accurate assessment. It also
comes in very handy with peer evaluation. I feel peer evaluation is important
because the peers evaluating not only assess the player, but also reflect on their
own performance. They have to use the knowledge they have gained through
assessment to correctly evaluate their peers. By having this sheet, students can
know and understand exactly what needs to be worked on, and what the judges
will be listening for. These comment sheets can also be used with everyday
playing for defined evaluation from the teacher.
This form of assessment takes aspects from both formal and informal
assessment. Formal, because it is taking the students and breaking their playing
down into points, and comparing them to other students. By setting the standard
of “A senior in high school should be able to score a “1” on a class B solo”, you
have set that bar of achievement. When a student does better or worse, they are
above or below average, like in standardized testing. The teacher has data to
support these conclusions.
It can also be considered informal assessment because it is performance
based. Especially when being assessed by peers without being assigned a grade.
You can’t set a standard for how everyone plays something. Music isn’t as easy
to grade as more content-based subjects. It’s all subjective. Anyone can read a
note on a page, it’s how you play that note, or add emotion to that note, that
makes it different than everyone else’s. It’s more than just content based.
I feel this form of evaluation is a good mix of both because there are too
many variables (grade, instrument, judge, years played, etc.) to standardize
musical ability. You have to identify performance objectives, instruct the
objectives, and assess based on their completion.

University Wisconsin Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill,
Disposition Statement Alignment:
My artifact aligns with a couple KSDs. KSD1.f-Assesses Student
Learning. I align it this way because comment sheets that are arranged in this
manner are very clear, and completely state the goals you’re trying to
accomplish. It is organized, and lays out exactly what objectives the students
should work on. KSD3.d- Provides Feedback to Students, because that is
exactly what a comment sheet is. It is a reference point for feedback for the
student. You can be as precise as you need to be. It is also something the
student can take with them, and look back on when practicing. It would serve
as a good source to show parents their child’s progression during parent teacher
meetings. You can take the sheets from the different weeks, and show the
parents how their child’s scores have changed. KSD4.b-Maintains Accurate
Records, because these comments are now recorded. They can be filed, and
referenced back to if needed. At the end of the semester, you can take out all
the comment sheets and look through to see if their scores have progressed.
This can help assess student improvement. If their scores have progressively
gotten better, this means that they are growing and practicing at a steady rate. If
their scores are stagnant, this could indicate that the student didn’t prepare to
their fullest.

What I Learned from This Experience:
I learned where to find helpful assessment tips online, and where to
download these comment sheets from the WSMA (Wisconsin State Music
Association) website. Also, I learned from an outside perspective how much
nerves play into a performance. I observed the most talented students making
errors on easiest parts because they were nervous, and they knew they were
being judged. It really made me appreciate why we were doing this: so we
could prepare them for the real thing. Solo ensemble is just a small part of their
music education, but it is one of the hardest parts of being a high school
musician. For some students it is their first time being judged on their playing.
By doing this mock solo ensemble, we help them take that first baby step
towards professional evaluation.

What I Learned About Myself as a Prospective Teacher:
The biggest thing I learned about myself as a future music teacher is that I
feel comfortable assessing problems. I feel confident enough to listen to
instruments I don’t play, and assess what needs to be done to make their
performance step up a notch. I thought I was going to have a hard time
assessing brass, being a woodwind player, but I realized that the fundamentals
of music are there no matter what instrument you play. Even if you can’t
completely give alternate fingerings on the trumpet, you can explain dynamics
and tempo, or that small articulation that will really make a difference in their
playing. I enjoyed doing this because it made me think about all those method
classes I took in college. To accurately assess a student, I really need to draw
forth everything I’ve learned in college, and apply it all together!