As a conservatory student, I spent hours in front of the mirror trying to emulate what my teacher wanted me to do on my viola. I also spent some time recording and listening back. Taking that same idea, I recently brought my iPad into my classroom and used it to explore new and fun ways for my students to evaluate their work. My idea expanded a positive assessment tool into a community of learners among my students in two elementary schools.
Self-assessment is not only an essential skill needed to help students improve musically and master their instrument. Research has also shown that developing self-regulation in one academic discipline can often transfer to other academic disciplines. In short, by helping students become more musical, we are giving them concrete ways to succeed in school and beyond. To pave the way for students to work with an iPad, I needed to make sure that a few things were in place in my classroom. This included laying the groundwork for student and peer assessment.
What I Discovered
Laying the groundwork for a community classroom is paramount to students being able to take risks. As an adult coming to skiing late and spending time observing on the ski slope, I have found that ski instructors in general are successful when they instill confidence but at the same time gently push their students to tackle the mountain a bit at a time. They add one step at a time so that students who might have been afraid to go down the mountain are able to see the mountain divided into many small turns and not one giant descent. In my classroom, I spend quite a bit of time encouraging my students and celebrating their small successes. I also make sure that all students are winners. I don’t spend time ranking students. Instead I find something positive that each student is doing, and I build on their individual strengths.
Step-by-step teaching means layered learning. The ski instructor that I learned most from is one who gives me a single idea and then the chance to try it out. This allows me to feel successful, eager to learn more, and most important, I want to go at the next idea—I want to ski more. In the academic context, when a teacher gives me too many words and too many things to think about, I become afraid and want to give up. In each of my classes, I introduce one idea at a time. We then review what we learned the previous week and then add another idea if the students are ready. This is not to say that everyone can successfully reproduce what we have been doing every time, but in general my students understand the mechanics. In each class we reinforce through review.
Work big, then small. In the classroom, we work together as scientists to diagnose playing issues together. I use group peer/buddy scenarios, and then I have students play individually for the class, as they get better. As the year continues, they become used to playing in front of each other and draw in support from one another. It is critical not to use judgmental words. Instead, first draw attention to something each student or group is doing really well and then focus on what technical aspect they can improve, how, and why. I am always careful to be very clear about exactly what they need to do. Examples: You need to keep your bow between the bridge and the fingerboard to make a focused, clear sound. When you play at the tip of your bow, make sure you open your right arm. That will help keep your bow straight and help produce a focused sound.
Rewards work! Who does not like to be told something good about themselves before they hear what they need to work on? In my classrooms, we have a sticker chart. Students can get a sticker for executing the day’s activity. I keep activities very simple and achievable. I build on the ideas/technique taught each class. In the beginning, I will give a sticker if a student can hold up his or her instrument without his or her left hand, play two simple open strings, and then later a song that we have been working on. Students are excited about the rewards chart. They are often checking how many stickers they have, and they are proud of their work. My students know that from the beginning that we are all partners in learning.
Teach students how to assess their performances by modeling. Before my ski teacher wanted me to go down the mountain he needed to know that I would be safe. The same is true in my classroom. Establishing the groundwork is vital for students to feel free to make mistakes and discover how to become better. As their teacher, I make sure that my students are well versed in positive, clear, and focused vocabulary to address assessment. From the beginning of the year, I have students start from what they are doing really well (and why it makes a difference) and something that they need to work on (and how that will improve the music). I do not let students say “Adriana plays really well.” They must instead mention a technical aspect that is working and why. It’s important to keep to the technical issues, as this helps students learn to diagnose trouble spots. In the beginning, it is often a visual concept that needs to be understood. I might say, “Listen to my sound and try to help me figure out what I am doing.” I will then play with my bow all over the place and then I will play with a straight bow. After they figure out that the bow is not straight when the sound is poor, I have them work in teams to help each other draw a straight bow. Then we will report back what we learned (the how and why). Students need help hearing what to listen for to be able to correct their playing. They need to learn by example what is correct, in tune, rhythmically accurate playing, and why this kind of playing is musical. In the initial weeks, I keep assessment issues very concrete. Are the fingers on the proper tapes? Is the bow straight? Are the rhythms correct? Are the correct fingers being used? Is the student’s posture balanced, yet relaxed? Is the student smiling?
Try Buddy Bookmarks. Many reading teachers use bookmarks to help inexperienced readers remember cues that help these students learn to read independently. To help my students do buddy work, and also for self-reflection, I have been using bookmarks. I make Buddy Bookmarks to help my students remember what they need to check. On each Buddy Bookmark, there are basic prompts to help students remember technical ideas such as: Does their bunny have a home (left hand wrist out, fingers curved)? Elbow under your violin or viola? These kinds of reminders help students define work and also help them remember basic skills that they need to master to play their instrument successfully. Students need to assess one idea at a time. If they don’t, they begin to assess by asking why something sounds great (or perhaps unusual), they don’t focus on that is really happening. Students need to ask what the problem is and how it can be fixed in each case.
Enter the iPad
I started videotaping my students after I laid the groundwork. Together in class, we then looked at the videos, and the class discussed what they observed. I was amazed how fast my students improved when I showed them their individual video clips. I noticed that, in particular, areas of technique that I had spent so much time working to help students became clearer to these young musicians. Using the iPad, they at last saw what I had been asking them to do or not do when they saw themselves playing.
In the beginning, we worked as a class. Once I could see that they knew how to positively interact with each other, I divided the class into groups. I would give them an area in the music with a technical aspect to work out, and then we would take turns moving the iPad around. I would move around the room asking questions and observing to help keep students on task. As the students worked, I would interrupt and highlight areas that would help them. At the end, I had students report back to class what they saw/learned.
During this same time, many of my old students who had moved to the middle school came to visit and talked to me about how it was really hard moving to the middle school. In particular they did not know kids from the other three elementary schools. I realized that since I taught at two of the four feeder elementary schools, I could help my students socially as they moved on. I started videotaping at one school and showing the videos to my other school. I used comparable groups playing the same or similar music. I had one class at one school play for a similar class at my other school, and then they would take turns assessing each other’s videos. They sent videos back and forth. This became known as our “music pen pals.” My students were always eager to know if they had “received any mail.” Not only was this motivating and helped students learn to assess their work, but it also helped my fifth graders “meet” other students with whom they would be in classes the following year in middle school.
Assessment and learning how to learn are the bedrocks of education. It is not possible to learn everything in school, and as such, our students need skills that they can use to become life-long learners. We as a society need to educate students to critically think and be ready to solve problems and figure out solutions. In music class, our students have a fabulous, creative opportunity to learn about tools that will help them play better, but more important, they learn how to use their minds for future learning. From this project, I saw how easy it was to make a modern “mirror” to help my students see and hear their work. They improved their playing, but they also learned how to learn. Not only did students learn to help each other and play better; they also learned how better to diagnose and solve problems. Best of all, they made friends with musical fifth graders at another school.
