Brittany McCollum Assessment Philosophy Assessing in Music Learning Due: 9-18-12 Music is both objective and subjective which

makes the subject difficult to gage on a normal point scale test, unlike other core subjects. Assessments in most classrooms are carried out by administering a written exams that are scored on a point scale of 0 - 100. This number or percentage is supposed to represent the students understanding of the subject at hand. Is it necessary to administer written tests in the music curriculum? It is my belief that every music educator should be assessing at all times during their instruction; however, I am not in favor of simply regurgitating data in written form only to be forgotten after leaving class. It is important to know where students begin, and what they hope to achieve during the year. It is our job, as a music teacher, to lead them creatively down the path of becoming a literate, well rounded musician. It is important for music teachers to be constantly assessing their students while doing musical activities. Instructors should use formative assessment. This style of assessment differs from the standard style in that the teacher is able to observe the students while they are in flow of the lesson and make changes accordingly. The purpose for this constant assessment helps the lessons go smoothly and progress in a sequential pattern. As in any subject, the teacher makes sure that the majority of the class is following the activity or lesson. In music, if the teacher does not assess the students, their skills could be hindered. If students are given a task that is out of their reach regarding their motor skills, it is likely they will give up and shut down without giving it a second chance. Pre-assessing students early in the learning process should indicate what activities should result in student success. Students come in at different skill levels. The focal point of the assessment should be to bring all learners, regardless of prior skill or achievement, to a more literate and understanding level of musical ability. Successful educators accomplish this by continually assessing their students using musical games and activities.

Current trends in standardized testing have forced many teachers to feel the need to teach to the test. Music education has been given the freedom to use a variety of activities that teach a basic curriculum, however, some states have passed laws or regulations requiring school systems to administer a music end-of-course exam. The mandating of certain activities causes the removal of others, also limiting the flexibility commonly associated with the performance of music. Teachers may not be allowed to express their individual strengths given the requirements of tested material. It seems as if schools everywhere are implementing new tests often in a standardized style. Musical skills are vastly different than core academics. All students inherit different talents, be it musical, athletic, or cognitive. It is traditionally understood that aptitude levels vary widely among students. The difference between a music class and a math class is performance. In a math course, the mathematical process is concrete and defined, therefore most assessments are objective. In music there is no one specific process to singing. Students can either sing on pitch, struggle to match pitch, or find themselves somewhere in between. Grading music objectively would result in Billy receiving a failing grade for the semester because he cannot match pitch, while Sally received an A because she is able to match pitch. It is not an authentic assessment when a concrete numerical score is assigned to a complex skill that contains so many variables. It is also not valuable to assess a students knowledge of music theory and label it music aptitude. Music theory happens on an abstract level. To grade a student on that one aspect of music is not a true assessment of their musicianship and should be kept as a separate grade. Music performance encompasses skills on many levels. Students become a part of the music during a performance. It is the hands on, interactive aspect of a performance that makes it so memorable. Teachers should continually asses the content they teach while implementing national standards throughout the year. As stated above, this should happen at a pace that will provide each student with the best chance for musical success. Assessment should occur individually as well as in groups. The music classroom should be a safe environment where students feel that they can take risks

and be able to sing individually without fear of ridicule. One example of a safe activity begins with an echo song where the entire class echoes the teacher. Later on in the semester the song is repeated, however, this time individual students echo the teacher. This allows the teacher to assess those students who may have pitch matching problems by using an activity the students feel comfortable completing. Assessing in groups is usually more comfortable for students. To make it easier for the teacher, they can assess the students in smaller groups. For example, the teacher could ask that all the students wearing blue jeans play this pattern or all of the students wearing a white shirt play this pattern. The teacher could ask that all the students with brown hair sing what they sing. The students will not realize that these small groups are participating in an assessment of what they are playing or singing. They simply seem to be playing a game. The students will be preoccupied with arbitrary instruction rather than the assessment. Assessment not only helps students learn and grow, it also allows the teacher to see which instructions or assessments run smoother than others. When assessing a class on their musical growth, if the majority of the class is not catching on or following, the problem might be the way the teacher is approaching the task. Teachers can learn through assessment with a simple guess and check. If one way of teaching is not going according to plan, it might be necessary to modify it to fit the class you have at the moment. As music teachers, it is our job to provide our students with a well-rounded music education. Teachers must use assessment to gage where their students are so they can better help them to grow as a musician. Teachers should be assessing constantly, utilizing creative assessment techniques that involve both individual and group assessment. There can be valuable data gained from giving a written music theory test; however, we must interpret the data appropriately. Music educators should realize that there are many facets to a students musical ability; therefore we need to make sure that we teach

the student completely. A musical performance where the students are involved in the creation process is just as, or more beneficial as a written theory exam. Every student deserves to be a well-rounded musician, and it is our job as music teachers to utilize effective assessments to help offer them such an education.