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The Basic Singing Skills Rubric is a matrix of three skills
categories (posture, breathing, and phonation) and four achievement levels. The
penultimate achievement level includes descriptions of expected behaviors for
the experienced, knowledgeable singer. The highest level includes descriptors of
outcomes that exceed the standard expectation. Also included on the rubric is a
form for scoring and a space for observer comments. The rubric is designed to be
comprehensive and flexible enough to be used both in peer and instructor
evaluation situations. Since the rubric is designed to show a student’s
mastery of basic skills and behaviors for singing, it is used as an assessment
tool within the scope of a standards-based portfolio assessment system. The rubric is designed to allow an observer to accurately
evaluate an individual’s command of basic singing skills. The descriptors in
each category are designed to assist the observer by clearly explaining what a
competent singer looks and sounds like. A peer or instructor observation will
quickly show how well the singer can demonstrate correct singing posture,
beneficial breathing techniques, and good phonation (singing). Not only does
this rubric allow the singer to demonstrate these skills, but it also creates
opportunities for the observer to use good listening and analytical skills. The
observer is also encouraged to synthesize this observation by commenting on the
areas that need improvement. The scores assigned in each category are not
arbitrary, but are specifically described at each achievement level. The rubric
is an effective assessment tool because it employs the strengths of rubric
design for both the singer and the observer. Because the singing skills rubric is used to show mastery
of skills unique to the discipline of singing, it is also a strategy that can be
used to effectively meet the needs of inclusion students in the choral
classroom. Students that have special needs can apply the results of teacher and
peer observation to skills they do not necessarily use in other classrooms.
Because of the individual nature of this rubric, it can be tailored to any skill
or experience level. This rubric demonstrates several connections with core
propositions. First, “Teachers are committed to students and their
learning.” The fact that I approach each singer’s level of talent and
experience individually shows this commitment. The basic skills rubric is a tool
that communicates to the students that their individual development is
important, not just their presence in the room. The second connection is with
the statement that “Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach
those subjects to students.” The basic skills described and analyzed by this
rubric are standard curriculum for a singing class. As a physical activity, and
as one of the oldest and most natural human activities, singing has developed
over the years into a well-defined pedagogy that includes posture, breathing,
and phonation techniques. The rubric allows these techniques to be clearly
observed and evaluated. Finally, as an assessment tool and as part of a
portfolio assessment system, the rubric gives clear, understandable, and usable
feedback about each student’s singing skills. As such, it offers a direct
connection with the proposition stating, “Teachers are responsible for
managing and monitoring student learning.” The use of this rubric in the choir classroom is evidence
of a shift toward a more individualized assessment approach. I have learned a
lot about my students’ individual mastery of basic skills, and I have had to
develop techniques for reinforcing and reteaching those skills that needed more
attention. As a teacher, I am more effective because I have used the rubrics to
carefully consider how each lesson contributes to the overall growth of my
students as musicians and as learners. Another interesting outcome of
implementing these rubrics was a comparison between my perception of the
students’ mastery of skills and that of their peers. The students tended to be
more critical of each other than I was of their skills. In this criticism,
however, the students developed the language and attitudes necessary to be
constructive and encouraging to one another. They also developed a sense of
mutual responsibility and cooperation that was not present to the same degree
before we instituted the rubrics.
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