It's Not on the Test!
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster on Friday, February 24, 2012
I'm not really a boat rocker. I can be a bit annoying, however. I don't know the history, but some while back, my district thought that giving our 3rd and 4th graders a music assessment test was and idea who's time had come. I'm not arguing that point in this post. I am saying that the current test is not a measure of whether or not my students are learning music, nor a gauge of what kind of job I'm doing in elementary music. I frankly, don't have a clue as to what it is designed to do except check students out on an area of music learning that is specific, mostly in the area of music terminology, certain signs and symbols, some rhythm and solfege reading and some other areas.
What I do know, is that it doesn't assess most of the area that I deal with on a daily basis. I assume that any assessment that might be given should have as it's basis the music TEKS of Texas. These are the things that the State of Texas mandates us to teach. The following would fit under that definition yet is not covered by our District assessment. Here are some of those areas not tested and some possible test questions:
Creativity: Using fruit names, create a 4 beat ostinato. Write an original verse to Skip to My Lou. The last word must have the “oo” sound at the end
Demonstrate appropriate free movement to the following piece. Watch the following movement video. Now listen to the following two pieces. Which piece of music would fit the movement in the video?
Movement : 1.Which picture shows a promenade? 2. What sort of movement is skipping across the room? A. Locomotor B. Non Locomotor
3. Moving high and moving low are two different: A. Pitches B. Levels C. Energy
4. If stepping on the beats is called macrobeat movement, stepping twice as quickly would be called: A. Marconi Beat Movement B. Microbeat Movement C. Microwave Movement
Orff Instruments and playing skills: 1. Which picture shows a xylophone set up for C pentatonic?
2. What letter name bars should be removed for a C pentatonic set up
3. Which picture shows the chord chart for playing a one finger G chord on Baritone Ukulele?
4. Which picture shows the correct holes to be covered for playing a B on the soprano recorder?
5. Listen to the following music. This is an example of: Simple Drone, Broken Drone, Level Drone.
6. The largest bar on a xylophone produces the instruments: A. Highest Pitch B. Lowest Pitch
7. Stamping feet, patting legs and clapping hands is an example of using: A. Drone B. Body Percussion C. Locomotor Movement
8. The lowest sound on a Djembe is produced by playing: A. on the outside edge B. in the middle of the instrument.
Singing skills: 1.Singing or playing a rhythm silently in your “head” is called:
A. Fermata B. Audiation C. Acrobatics
2. Please match the following pitch with your voice.
3. Listen to the first pitch played. Next listen to the next two pitches. Which pitch matched the first pitch play. A. The first one B. The second one.
4. Sing the following song Riding in the Buggy Miss Mary Jane, correctly, starting on any pitch.
Knowledge of Music Literature: 1. This music is from: A. The Nutcracker B. Annie C. Carnival of the Animals 2. List the titles of 5 folksongs..or 2 Patriotic songs or 3 seasonal songs
All of the above can be considered as included in the TEKS and could be included in a District Assessment.
What I do know, is that it doesn't assess most of the area that I deal with on a daily basis. I assume that any assessment that might be given should have as it's basis the music TEKS of Texas. These are the things that the State of Texas mandates us to teach. The following would fit under that definition yet is not covered by our District assessment. Here are some of those areas not tested and some possible test questions:
Creativity: Using fruit names, create a 4 beat ostinato. Write an original verse to Skip to My Lou. The last word must have the “oo” sound at the end
Demonstrate appropriate free movement to the following piece. Watch the following movement video. Now listen to the following two pieces. Which piece of music would fit the movement in the video?
Movement : 1.Which picture shows a promenade? 2. What sort of movement is skipping across the room? A. Locomotor B. Non Locomotor
3. Moving high and moving low are two different: A. Pitches B. Levels C. Energy
4. If stepping on the beats is called macrobeat movement, stepping twice as quickly would be called: A. Marconi Beat Movement B. Microbeat Movement C. Microwave Movement
Orff Instruments and playing skills: 1. Which picture shows a xylophone set up for C pentatonic?
2. What letter name bars should be removed for a C pentatonic set up
3. Which picture shows the chord chart for playing a one finger G chord on Baritone Ukulele?
4. Which picture shows the correct holes to be covered for playing a B on the soprano recorder?
5. Listen to the following music. This is an example of: Simple Drone, Broken Drone, Level Drone.
6. The largest bar on a xylophone produces the instruments: A. Highest Pitch B. Lowest Pitch
7. Stamping feet, patting legs and clapping hands is an example of using: A. Drone B. Body Percussion C. Locomotor Movement
8. The lowest sound on a Djembe is produced by playing: A. on the outside edge B. in the middle of the instrument.
Singing skills: 1.Singing or playing a rhythm silently in your “head” is called:
A. Fermata B. Audiation C. Acrobatics
2. Please match the following pitch with your voice.
3. Listen to the first pitch played. Next listen to the next two pitches. Which pitch matched the first pitch play. A. The first one B. The second one.
4. Sing the following song Riding in the Buggy Miss Mary Jane, correctly, starting on any pitch.
Knowledge of Music Literature: 1. This music is from: A. The Nutcracker B. Annie C. Carnival of the Animals 2. List the titles of 5 folksongs..or 2 Patriotic songs or 3 seasonal songs
All of the above can be considered as included in the TEKS and could be included in a District Assessment.
Tags: assessment testing teks creativity movement orff skills