Thomas Graham

Advanced Methods
Dabback
Special Needs Narrative
Dear Incoming Freshman,
The Music Education curriculum at JMU provides a comprehensive preparation
for pre-service teachers. This includes thoughtful training in working with children with
special needs. Every semester, Music Education students work with Dr. Alice Hammel to
develop their philosophies of inclusion.
During your first year at JMU, you will take Introduction to Technological
Application in Music, a course dedicated to demonstrating various technologies that can
be applied to a music classroom. You will experiment using adaptive instruments such as
the Skoog and software programs like Boardmaker to explore various ways to bring
musical experiences to all children. You will also learn that each student is a unique
individual that is not defined by his or her special needs and deserves a label-free
environment in which he or she can express him or herself.
Sophomore year in the Music Education sequence, you will take two introductory
methods courses. These will familiarize you with the legal matters and procedures
surrounding the inclusion of students with special needs into the classroom such as the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IEPs, and 504 plans. You will become
conversant in this language and be equipped to meet the administrative expectations of
your school system. You will also discuss the five domains of disabilities: cognition,
communication, behavioral/emotional, sensory, and physical/medical. These do not label

students, but instead provide insight into their current condition and allow the teacher to
formulate a plan to reach the student in the most effective way.
Junior year includes Beginning and Advanced Instrumental Methods. In
Beginning Instrumental Methods, you will discover possibilities for adaptations to lesson
plans. These include accommodations in the areas of size, color, pacing, and modality,
allowing students to engage in lessons in multiple ways. In Advanced Instrumental
Methods, you will sequence objectives, winding back the procedures to meet students
where they are. This provides multiple levels of entry into the curriculum. You will also
experiment with winding forward steps in a lesson to engage students who are ready
for more difficult material. You will also discuss how to implement these adaptations in
the same classroom, appealing to students at all possible skill levels. As music educators,
we have wonderful opportunities to include all of our students, providing them with
material that challenges them and creates artistically meaningful experiences.
In your time at JMU, you will learn what the phrase music for everyone truly
means both in theory and in practice. It is very exciting to be equipped with the tools you
will need to become a comprehensive educator, ready to guide your students to lead
richer and more meaningful lives. Your involvement in the Music Education program will
open your eyes to the possibilities for curricular modifications to better serve your future
students.

Sincerely,
Thomas Graham