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Where the most Inspired Musicians
become the most Inspiring Music Teachers

Fall 2023 MECA

Continuing Education Courses

Online

Teaching Music to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Date

September 18-December 8, 2023

Course Code

7643*

Credits

3 Graduate Credits*

Tuition

$1,125 is due in full with registration. A $15 Early Bird Discount will be applied until August 31.

Overview

This course will center on the book Teaching Music to Students with Autism (second edition) by Alice Hammel and Ryan Hourigan. We will examine the book as we study the ways cognition, communication, and socialization are all present within our classrooms as well as ways to make our process of music teaching and learning more applicable to students who learn differently. Students will engage in discussion boards and choose projects of interest to them as they work through the 12 week class.

 

Course Objectives:

  1. Demonstrate awareness of the political, social, and historical contexts of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
  2. Be prepared to work as a music educator within an inclusive and collaborative educational structure.
  3. Develop a keen awareness of, and strong commitment to, teaching the full range of learners with ASD.
  4. Anticipate high-priority needs, as well as effectively teach and make routine accommodations for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans.

 

Course Learning Outcomes:

After completing this music education course, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the cognition differences in students with ASD
  2. Understand the communication differences in students with ASD
  3. Understand the socialization differences in students with ASD
  4. Plan appropriate music classroom learning experiences for students with ASD

 

* This course is offered at two course levels. Students enrolled in the MMEd program at VanderCook are eligible to enroll for the 500 course number. Students not enrolled in the MMEd program who wish to earn graduate credit as a MECA Continuing Education student should register for the four digit course number. The difference in credits earned and tuition cost is attributed to the difference in tuition rates for the MMEd and MECA Continuing Education programs. If you are unsure which section is best for you, please contact us directly at [email protected].

Requirements

Chat Session

This course is asynchronous. Please contact the instructor to request a meeting.

Prerequisites

None.

Required Text(s)

Hammel, A.M. & Hourigan, R.M. (2020). Teaching Music to Students with Autism (second edition). New York. Oxford University Press.

Learning Platform Information - Online Courses Only

Schoology is a learning management system that allows you to interact directly with your instructors, fellow students, and members of the greater VanderCook community.

The evening  before your class begins, be on the lookout for an email from Schoology with log-in instructions. Once you receive credentials, visit www.online.vandercook.edu to login. 

Some courses have specific online chat meeting times (please see course descriptions), while others have a flexible meeting schedule. You can expect all courses to meet together in a live online chat. If a live meeting time doesn’t work, you can work with your instructor to make other arrangements.

More information about Schoology can be found at www.schoology.com

Please see specific software/hardware requirements in the course description.

Online course grades are available within two weeks of the course(s) completion.  If you need a transcript, please CLICK HERE to access the online transcript request form. For a faster turnaround time, please submit the transcript request to the registrar prior to the end of your course(s).

Instructor

Lady Hammel 2022 HS 3 1 1

Dr. Alice Hammel

Dr. Alice Hammel, Virginia’s Outstanding Music Educator of the Year (2018), is a widely known music educator, author and clinician whose experience in music is extraordinarily diverse. She is a member of the faculty of James Madison University, and has many years of experience teaching instrumental and choral music in public and private schools. She also teaches online courses through many institutions throughout the United States. She has also maintained a large, independent flute studio for over 25 years. Dr. Hammel travels widely to universities during the school year to serve as in-residence scholar in the area of students with special needs. This travel, combined with state, national and international conference headline and keynote presentations, keeps Dr. Hammel well-informed of the needs of both pre-service and in-service music educators. During summer months, Dr. Hammel teaches in graduate programs for music educators around the United States. Her expertise in those teaching situations ranges from musicianship, pedagogy, and teaching students who learn differently. This wide demand places her in close collaboration with PreK-12 music educators who are seeking to become better teachers and musicians. Dr. Hammel is a co-author of four texts: Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label-Free Approach (2nd ed., 2017), Teaching Music to Students with Autism, Winding It Back: Teaching to Individual Differences in Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings, and Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Practical Resource (2017). In addition, Dr. Hammel has contributed chapters to several Oxford University Press resources including Composing Our Future (Kaschub and Smith, eds.) and Exceptional Pedagogy (McCord and Blair, eds.). She has also written chapters for GIA and Routledge Publication resources. Dr. Hammel is a contributing author to a variety of resources available through the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and has published widely in music, arts, special and general education journals. Dr. Hammel has been affiliated with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for several years and has presented multiple workshops for arts educators and arts administrators through this association. She serves on the committee for the Kennedy Center National Forum: Examining the Intersection of Arts Education and Special Education, and serves on the planning committee for their annual national conference. Dr. Hammel is Chair of the National Association for Music Education Task Force on Students with Special Needs. She is on the Editorial Board of the Council for Exceptional Children – Division for the Arts, is a member of the Teacher Education and Editorial Board Committees, and Member at Large for the Organization of American Kodály Educators. In addition, she serves as an expert with the National Association for Music Education’s Solutions Music Group and is a Conn-Selmer Clinician. Dr. Hammel is currently President Elect of the Council for Exceptional Children – Division for the Arts. Dr. Hammel is a proud alumna of Shenandoah Conservatory (BME – magna cum laude and DMA) and Florida State University (MME). She holds post-doctoral certifications from the Organization of American Kodály Educators and the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. Dr. Hammel is a multiple award recipient honoring her commitment to music education and music teacher education. In 2016, Shenandoah University honored her with their Alumnae of Excellence Award. In 2017, James Madison University created a named award in her honor celebrating her years of scholarship and service dedicated to the inclusion of all students in music education.

The mission of VanderCook College of Music is to enrich the lives of present and future generations by developing uniquely skilled music teachers who exhibit strong character, professionalism, and a commitment to excellence.

© 2023 VanderCook College of Music. All Rights Reserved.
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