The range of outcomes from this composition project is very broad, so evaluation of the impact of the transformation can come in many shapes and sizes.
Final Recordings: I plan to collaborate with a local DJ to come in and give students the opportunity to record their songs onto a class album. The number of students who take enough pride in their work to choose to record their song will be one indicator of the success of the project, as well as the quality of the final recordings.
Project Grades: Although I do not have the exact data, I can confidently say that the average final grade on this project has been 70% or lower in the past. I attribute this to the fact that we have had to move through the content and technology use so quickly and that there has been no time for revising work. If I use the same rubric as I have in the past (with minor adjustments as necessary), I will be able to objectively compare the short-term impact of this project with the project in previous years.
Pre-Test and Post-Test: Each September, I administer a pre-test to each grade level. 3rd Grade’s pre-test includes questions about rhythm, note duration, and melody, among others. These pre- and post-tests are very simple assessments and only cover the “knowledge” spectrum in Bloom’s Taxonomy. I save the scores from pre-tests and post-tests in a database. The average score on the 2014 3rd grade post-test was only 68%. After carrying out the new approach to my composition unit, I hope that I will see an increase in post-test scores from previous years because of the deeper individualized understanding of those core musical concepts. In addition to the 3rd grade post-test, I could use the 4th grade pre-test as an indicator of retention of knowledge of those musical concepts. The average score on the 2013 4th grade pre-test was 33%, which is to be expected on a test of content that has not yet been taught. However, if students in 3rd grade construct a deep understanding of musical concepts through the composition project, they will be more likely to transfer that knowledge to other areas (Willingham, 2009) and be able to apply that knowledge to questions on the 4th grade pre-test.
My EdTech Blog: My blog is my space to reflect on the successes and frustrations in new educational endeavors. Throughout the process of this project, from planning to introducing and then to implementing the project, I will reflect on what is going well and what I liked better “the old way” (if that is even the case at all!) This will be a place for me to give subjective reflections, but also to reveal the changes that are happening with my students’ understanding and to predict how those changes will affect the rest of their year in music class and their understanding of music beyond my classroom.
Final Recordings: I plan to collaborate with a local DJ to come in and give students the opportunity to record their songs onto a class album. The number of students who take enough pride in their work to choose to record their song will be one indicator of the success of the project, as well as the quality of the final recordings.
Project Grades: Although I do not have the exact data, I can confidently say that the average final grade on this project has been 70% or lower in the past. I attribute this to the fact that we have had to move through the content and technology use so quickly and that there has been no time for revising work. If I use the same rubric as I have in the past (with minor adjustments as necessary), I will be able to objectively compare the short-term impact of this project with the project in previous years.
Pre-Test and Post-Test: Each September, I administer a pre-test to each grade level. 3rd Grade’s pre-test includes questions about rhythm, note duration, and melody, among others. These pre- and post-tests are very simple assessments and only cover the “knowledge” spectrum in Bloom’s Taxonomy. I save the scores from pre-tests and post-tests in a database. The average score on the 2014 3rd grade post-test was only 68%. After carrying out the new approach to my composition unit, I hope that I will see an increase in post-test scores from previous years because of the deeper individualized understanding of those core musical concepts. In addition to the 3rd grade post-test, I could use the 4th grade pre-test as an indicator of retention of knowledge of those musical concepts. The average score on the 2013 4th grade pre-test was 33%, which is to be expected on a test of content that has not yet been taught. However, if students in 3rd grade construct a deep understanding of musical concepts through the composition project, they will be more likely to transfer that knowledge to other areas (Willingham, 2009) and be able to apply that knowledge to questions on the 4th grade pre-test.
My EdTech Blog: My blog is my space to reflect on the successes and frustrations in new educational endeavors. Throughout the process of this project, from planning to introducing and then to implementing the project, I will reflect on what is going well and what I liked better “the old way” (if that is even the case at all!) This will be a place for me to give subjective reflections, but also to reveal the changes that are happening with my students’ understanding and to predict how those changes will affect the rest of their year in music class and their understanding of music beyond my classroom.