UDL Discussion

I agree that curriculum can be disabled/disabling. Often, when most people think of teaching music, or the music classes they had growing up, they think about learning to read music. Unless you are going to be a musician, it is not at all relevant to any one's every day life. However, in many music classrooms, it is the main focus. There are actually many musicians that function perfectly well without reading a note. So, instead of focusing on the parts of music that students can relate to, enjoy, and use and understand in their everyday life, they are taught that the quarter note gets one beat. No one cares. It is absolutely useless unless it can be applied. Often times, focusing on music notation alienates students at an early age and cause them to avoid going into higher level music programs. Teachers become so focused on getting that part of the curriculum ingrained that it is automatic when they have their curriculum tests. The problem is that students end up  not understanding it, and having no clue how to apply it. Knowing how many beats the quarter note gets you know where unless students are applying it to an instrument. I do teach music notation, partly because I have to, but partly because many students need a basic understanding of it to function in band, orchestra and choir. However, I make sure to apply to a specific instrument so that students can experience the notation, not just memorize it.

    If we analyze the curriculum and figure out how we can teach it so everyone learns, we are not asking students to step outside of who they are in order to understand concepts. I am not saying we should not challenge students. Of course we need them to push beyond their own boundaries, but we also need to give them the opportunity to develop, appreciate and use their strengths. *HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION * At some point, in order to teach melody, someone decided they were going to draw a picture of the melody they were using. It was a simple shape that moved up when the music went up, and down when the music went down. This started because there was a learner who needed a better visual demonstration to learn. Instead of telling the student “your voice needs to be higher,” they are able to show them which direction the voice needs to go. So, seeing how well it worked with one student who was having trouble, the teacher decided to try it with all of his/her students. Lo and behold, many of the students in the class benefited from this visual demonstration. By finding a way to better teach the curriculum to one student, it helped all of the students. Another advantage is that the student who is having trouble is not singled out with a separate activity or assessment. The challenge is that sometimes it can be easier to change something for one or two people than rewriting a lesson or curriculum.