Standard 2.2 Research-Based Learner-Centered Strategies
Candidates model and facilitate the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies addressing the diversity of all students.
(PSC 2.2/ISTE 2b) ![]()
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The artifact for Standard 2.2 is the lesson plan I designed and implemented with our music technology teacher. The lesson was a learner-centered project that aligned with both ISTE and Georgia standards for middle school band. This lesson plan includes the aforementioned standards as well as giving an overview, the essential questions, an assessment rubric, a list necessary resources, the instructional plan, methods for differentiation, lesson closure, and a final reflection. The lesson was designed to cover Georgia Performance Standards for middle school band. The unit was created and implemented in the Spring of 2016 for ITEC 7445.
Researching and planning this lesson required a good deal of time spent not just on instructional strategies but core content as well. I have been out of the classroom for some time and, while I am a skilled musician, I have never taught band. The strategies turned out to be the easy part. Finding a way to address the Georgia Performance Standards (at the insistence of our band director since I was borrowing his students) and still make the experience as authentic as possible for students was the tough part. In addition, I knew I wanted to employ learner-centered strategies and address diversity (one of the students was a special needs students who required a “helper” for computer operations). My decision was to allow them to use their prior knowledge but not make musicality a core expectation. Also, by allowing students to choose the theme of their project from amongst a broad range of choices, a degree of diversity was respected. This unit gave students a chance to demonstrate skills in a personal and meaningful way. Students also shared their work with peers beyond the classroom which enhanced the authenticity. The most important outcome of this project was the way that modeling and facilitating this research-based and learner-centered strategy has impacted the nature of the music technology class going forward.
Once I found an angle on the Georgia standards, the process of creating and implementing the unit was very enjoyable and illuminating. I learned a great deal about the expectations from ISTE and my fine arts instructors with regards to student outcomes. The decision to implement a project like this was intimidating at first and my research on student-centered learning provided comfort at those moments when my lack of recent classroom experience gnawed at my confidence. The research-based strategies that I perused, including those I did not use, will only enhance my coaching work with other staff members. This unit has now become a permanent fixture in our music technology curriculum. In the future we plan to expand the unit with both an original video and a marketing component that will involve the creation of a promotional web page. The ultimate enhancement would be to open up the lesson further by allowing students from our drama students the chance to submit their original dramatic work to be captured and scored.
As this unit was implemented with students I was afforded a much more holistic view of the implementation process. While it is hard to make a comparison as this unit addressed a component of the Georgia standards that not traditionally covered in our band, orchestra or even music technology coursework. With that being said, students did very well with the task even though it represented a very high level of operation and skill. As all of the students successfully completed the task, I would have to deem it a success. The fact that these students were actually engaged with a standard that our band department has never attempted to address before makes me proud. I expect that this will be reflected in this year’s SPG (Student Performance Goal) scores in band for these students. As we get ready to double our music technology offerings next year, I am excited to see how this change in orientation continues to impact student learning.
Researching and planning this lesson required a good deal of time spent not just on instructional strategies but core content as well. I have been out of the classroom for some time and, while I am a skilled musician, I have never taught band. The strategies turned out to be the easy part. Finding a way to address the Georgia Performance Standards (at the insistence of our band director since I was borrowing his students) and still make the experience as authentic as possible for students was the tough part. In addition, I knew I wanted to employ learner-centered strategies and address diversity (one of the students was a special needs students who required a “helper” for computer operations). My decision was to allow them to use their prior knowledge but not make musicality a core expectation. Also, by allowing students to choose the theme of their project from amongst a broad range of choices, a degree of diversity was respected. This unit gave students a chance to demonstrate skills in a personal and meaningful way. Students also shared their work with peers beyond the classroom which enhanced the authenticity. The most important outcome of this project was the way that modeling and facilitating this research-based and learner-centered strategy has impacted the nature of the music technology class going forward.
Once I found an angle on the Georgia standards, the process of creating and implementing the unit was very enjoyable and illuminating. I learned a great deal about the expectations from ISTE and my fine arts instructors with regards to student outcomes. The decision to implement a project like this was intimidating at first and my research on student-centered learning provided comfort at those moments when my lack of recent classroom experience gnawed at my confidence. The research-based strategies that I perused, including those I did not use, will only enhance my coaching work with other staff members. This unit has now become a permanent fixture in our music technology curriculum. In the future we plan to expand the unit with both an original video and a marketing component that will involve the creation of a promotional web page. The ultimate enhancement would be to open up the lesson further by allowing students from our drama students the chance to submit their original dramatic work to be captured and scored.
As this unit was implemented with students I was afforded a much more holistic view of the implementation process. While it is hard to make a comparison as this unit addressed a component of the Georgia standards that not traditionally covered in our band, orchestra or even music technology coursework. With that being said, students did very well with the task even though it represented a very high level of operation and skill. As all of the students successfully completed the task, I would have to deem it a success. The fact that these students were actually engaged with a standard that our band department has never attempted to address before makes me proud. I expect that this will be reflected in this year’s SPG (Student Performance Goal) scores in band for these students. As we get ready to double our music technology offerings next year, I am excited to see how this change in orientation continues to impact student learning.