Contextual

Factors Template

Total Number of Students in the School: _405__________
School Socio-Economic Make-Up (i.e., % free and reduced lunches): ____15.8%_____

Class Class
1 2
Grade Level/Subject Taught 6th/Gen 6th/Gen
Music Music
Number of Students in Classroom 18 21

Contextual Information: Class Class Student Learning Adaptations:

(List the number of students identified
in each class you teach and identify the
class in which you are teaching your
unit) modifications you attempted for any
Gender
Number of Females:
Number of Males: of by gender
Ethnic/Cultural Make-Up
Caucasian/White:
African American/ Black:
Hispanic/Latino:
Asian/Pacific Islander:
American Indian/Alaskan Native:
Language Proficiency
Number of English Language
Learners (ELL):
Academic Performance
Students Performing
Below Grade Level:
Student Performing
Above Grade Level: screen as me so I knew if I could move
Students with Special Needs
Learning Disability:
Emotional/Behavioral Impairment:
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD):
Developmental Disability:
Intellectual Disability:
Speech/Language Impairment:
Autism Spectrum:
Gifted:
Blind/Visual Impairment (VI):
Deaf /Hearing Impairment (HI):
Physical Disability:
Other Health Impairment:
1 2 (Describe at least one example of a
strategy to provide equitable
opportunities, accommodations, or
student identified within each contextual
characteristic)
8 11 Dividing into groups was based on class
10 10 number (which is by last name) instead
15 17 The music I gave was from song
2 2 suggestions from them when I would
1 0 ask what songs they would listen to
0 1
0 0
0 0
For every lesson, I air played my iPad on
6 7 the projector so students could follow
12 14 my verbal directions as well as see what
I was clicking. I also would ask to see
their eyes when they were on the same
on.
When the students were working, I was
constantly moving around the room
looking over their shoulders to see if
they were progressing with the rest of
LD: 3 LD:4 the class. Some students were very
ADD:2 ADD:1 quick and I would give them tips on how
G: 3 ID: 1 to make it better or tell them to help
G: 2 someone next to them.

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Military Connected Students 0 0

Contextual Factors Continued

Student Characteristics:
Describe the developmental characteristics of students in your classroom.
(Cognitive, Physical, Emotional, Social).
The students in these classes cognitively are on track with where they are supposed to be. There are only a
few individuals who are behind the rest of their class and they know that they are the “underachieving” ones
in the group. Besides the one who has an intellectual disability, the others still achieve all the same goals just
at a little lower level. The one with the ID is very happy to achieve any goal that we have set in the 50-
minute class. She knows that she is behind but is not aware how much she is behind. Emotionally these
classes are completely different. Class 1 is very mature for being in 6th grade but Class 2 is not. Class 2 likes
to interrupt the flow of class with stories about their weekend like 1st and 2nd graders do but they do it as a
way to avoid some of the work because it is so individualized. Class 2 is very social, a lot of “besties” are in
this class and so some individual work turns into group work regardless of the instructions. Both classes are
good at getting back to task after an interruption from an announcement over the intercom or from a student.

Highlight the prior knowledge and interests of students in your classroom.

Because the pretest did involve gauging their previous knowledge, I am happy to say that most students were
exposed to something they had never done before. I would say that the interest was about 60/40. A lot of
students were excited to share what they had made when we started because it was almost foolproof.
However, as we got into the project some students were getting frustrated because it didn’t sound amazing
right away. At the end, out of the 39 people in these sample classes, 3 people really wanted to share what
they made while about 4 were absolutely terrified to share.

Describe the implications these characteristics have on planning and instruction.

(e.g. What instructional strategies will you use to meet the unique learning needs of all your students?)
I knew that at each step of the process I would have to model on the screen as well as give verbal
instructions. I also had to repeat my instructions and steps to several individuals during work time. I also had
to remind the students multiple times that music is very subjective and can’t be wrong. For the students who
are not very vocal, I had to ask them personally during work time if they understood the directions and were
alright to work on it.

Environmental Factors:

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Describe district, school, and classroom environmental factors impacting the quality of education for all
of your students.

Describe community and family environmental factors impacting the quality of education for all of your
students.

Describe the implications these factors have on planning and instruction.

(What instructional strategies will you use to address the unique environmental factors impacting each
student?)

Contextual Factors Continued

Focus Students Information
Provide information about the two focus students you selected from the class in which you will be
teaching your unit that you feel would benefit from modified instruction. You MUST choose one
student with exceptionalities or an English Language Learner as one of your focus students.
Complete the chart below referring to these students only as Student A and Student B. Do not use
proper names.

Describe this student Why did you What did you find out Based on this
using information from select this about this student? information what
the Contextual student? Address characteristics are the
Information and Student from the Contextual implications for
Learning Adaptations Information and this student’s
Student Learning instruction?
Adaptations
Student Male This student Cognitive I need to
A White knows that he is Knows he is behind his encourage what
peers
Student performs behind his this student is
below grade level classmates but Emotional doing and
Learning Disability has had Average praising his good
ADD previous work work because he
with Physical is in his comfort
Smaller height than
GarageBand. average and lanky
zone.
This is
something that Social

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he can achieve Very quiet, doesn’t want

and be proud to look you in the eye
of.
Describe this student Why did you What did you find out Based on this
using information from select this about this student? information what
the Contextual student? Address characteristics are the
Information and Student from the Contextual implications for
Learning Adaptations Information and this student’s
Student Learning instruction?
Adaptations
Student Female This person is Cognitive Lots of
B White very vocal Can sometimes be a bit redirecting to get
spacey but is normally
Performs above grade about what is on top of it and a class
on task. Praising
level going on inside leader what she does
her head right so she
Emotional knows that even
Likes to distract class though it may be
with stories to avoid
difficult work difficult she is
succeeding.
Physical
Average

Social
Loud, distinct voice and
always has to find ways
to talk to her friends in
the class

Entry 11: Data Analysis Template

Pre-Assessment Data
Student Scores by Objective on the Pre Assessment
Student Obj 1 Obj 2 Obj 3 Obj 4 Obj 5 Overall %

Have you used Navigating GB? Improvising Listen to radio Experimentation
GB before? Melody? closely? until finding answer

1 1 1 2 1 4 36
2 1 1 1 1 3 28
3 5 3 2 1 3 56
4 1 1 3 1 2 32
5 5 4 3 1 4 68

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6 1 1 3 1 3 36
7 1 1 2 1 4 28
Focus A 5 4 3 1 5 72
Focus B 1 1 2 1 3 32

What do these data mean for instruction during the unit?
I am going to have to explain multiple times what I am doing for the students to follow
along. These students are brand new to GarageBand and don’t feel confident in their own
creative ability. I am going to have to encourage them that music can’t be wrong. Seeing
that they don’t listen to the radio closely means that they probably can’t describe what
makes the music they listen to sound good. I’ll have to provide examples and deconstruct
what makes some songs better than others.


What do these data mean for instruction for the Focus Students
during the unit?

For Student A, I can allow some branching out from the strict directions because I know
that he is looking for a challenge since I am only going to be working the class through the
basics. For Student B, I will have to remind her to focus on her work because she will want
to chat with her friends or find some way to avoid this project in which she hasn’t had
experience in before.

Formative Assessment Data

My assessments during the unit were over-the-shoulder glances at their project and
evaluating their engagement level.

Post-Assessment Data
Student Scores by Objective on the Post Assessment
Student Obj 1 Obj 2 Obj 3 Obj 4 Obj 5 Overall %
GB before?
Have you used Navigating GB? Melody?
Improvising
closely?
Listen to radio Experimentation
until finding answer
1 5 3 2 4 4 72
2 5 3 1 2 3 56
3 5 3 2 1 3 56
4 5 1 3 3 2 56
5 5 4 3 2 4 72
6 5 1 3 1 3 52
7 5 2 2 1 4 14

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Focus A 5 4 3 2 5 76
Focus B 5 1 2 3 3 56

What does these data mean for learning during the unit?
Students seemed to feel a little better about GarageBand when
someone was able to lead them but I know that some of them won’t
pick up GarageBand again. The students were able to follow
directions but because it was only 4 class periods (I did add a 5th day
towards the end as a work day) the comfort level didn’t grow a
whole lot (I didn’t expect it to).


What does these data mean for learning for the Focus Students
during the unit?
Student A only grew in probability of listening to the radio but now
he will know why he likes certain sounds over others. This is a
student who I see that would keep making music because it is
something that he is good at. Student B spent so much time thinking
about the difficulty that she didn’t grow very much. The jump in
numbers is because the first point has a spread of four points for
only one degree of change. She did seem to enjoy messing around
with GarageBand but it was hard for her to commit to an idea.



For future instruction, what have you learned about how
students learn and the efficacy of your instructional style?
What would you change, if anything?
I think that the students would benefit from more deconstruction of
pop songs first. I deconstructed the melodies of songs they knew
and I think they understood how to do it but because the rest of
their song was already created and not perfect in their minds,
putting a good melody on top was hard. I would add more demos
and listening of tunes before creating each instrument role (chords,
bass, drums, melody).