Below are listed interventions for the 2020-2021 School year in Music Class.

These
interventions were made in accordance with the CDC Social Distancing guidelines as well as
research studies and guidelines from Johns Hopkins University, the National Association for
Music Education (NAfME), National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the
University of Colorado at Boulder (UC-Boulder), and the American Choral Directors Association
(ACDA). These decisions may change as more information becomes available. The
NFHS/UC-Boulder Study will have results for choral environments on July 25, which will further
inform the general music classroom as well.

Proximity
● Minimum ​6 foot distance​ between student seats ​with masks
● Minimum ​6 foot distance​ between students and teacher ​with masks
● Minimum ​3 foot distance​ between students and high-traffic areas ​with and without masks
● Minimum ​12 foot distance​ between student seats ​without masks
● Minimum ​12 foot distance​ between students and teacher w ​ ithout masks

Duration
● Classes are regularly 50 minutes
○ As of now, I am not aware of any schedule changes to shorten the activity
classes and lower this risk.
● I would like to try 20-20-20 or 20-10-20 or 15-20-15
○ One class for 20/15 minutes
○ No class for 20/10 minutes to allow disinfecting and air filtration
○ Second class for 20/15 minutes

Group Size
● Only ​6 students​ can be present at a time while maintaining ​6 foot minimum​ social
distancing given the current room size ​with masks​.
● Only ​3-4 students​ can be present at a time while maintaining ​12 foot minimum​ social
distancing given the current room size ​without masks.

Congestion
● There is only one doorway in and out of the room, so student entrance and exit must be
staggered to allow for alleviating this congestion.
● Teachers must be prompt and ready to pick up and drop off students when required to
prevent classes running into one another during class changes.
● Due to the nature of the outdoor “hallway,” weather (hot, cold, or rain) may lead to
students rushing into the classroom, rushing out, or other congestive events.

Movement
● Movement activities will be ​suspended​ until a safer environment is feasible.
Touch
● Students will be spaced apart and ​will not be touching or sharing any materials.
○ Students may use some instruments depending on ease of disinfection and
availability of disinfectants.
● Seating rugs will not be used as they are more difficult to disinfect.
● Electronic devices such as chromebooks may need to be shared, depending on
availability.
○ Hopefully, a full set can be used so they will need to be disinfected daily, instead
of hourly.

Respiratory Output
● Singing and movement activities will be ​suspended​ until further guidance is given on
safely incorporating singing in a face-to-face classroom.
● Without masks, student output will be much higher, and therefore will need to be
severely limited in order to provide a safe environment. Nonverbal communication may
be an option to consider given this situation.

My Questions:
● Can I require masks in my classroom? The district is not requiring masks in class, but I
feel very uncomfortable with teaching a group of students without masks.
● Are teachers and students going to be tested regularly? Are tests being provided by the
school/district?
● Will I have access to chromebooks in my classroom?
● What is the Air Changes per Hour rate in the classroom? Can this be raised to 3ACH
minimum? What about HEPA filters, can those be placed?
● What will my online duties look like for students that are distance learning? Do I need to
provide live/recorded instruction, or simply online materials?
○ Nearpod seems to be a good option for this so far
● What will my schedule look like? Am I teaching 50 minute classes, or shortened
classes? I don’t see how I may be able to teach all students in a week with small groups
and hybrid classes.
● How do I report a student showing symptoms? What if that student has allergies or a
cold instead of the virus? What if that student says they aren’t sick but actually are? Am I
liable if I fail to report a student and others get sick?
● If I get sick, wouldn’t the entire school need to be tested and quarantined? As an activity
teacher, I see more students weekly than regular classroom teachers.
● If someone I live with is exposed, does that mean I have to self-isolate until I get tested?
Nearpod Review:
Pros:
● Very interactive, lots of options
● Easy to import old slides from previous lessons
● Easy to use daily and implement in online learning if needed
● Sample lessons are of good quality and can be easily adapted
● Allows for live and pre-recorded classes
● Can be implemented with Google Classroom for easily centralized assignments and
grading

Cons:
● Very tedious to create a slideshow from scratch without importing
● Limited interactive activities for music (plenty for science, math, etc.)
○ Allowing website links is a good way to circumvent this issue, as outside
interactive resources can be found.
● Many of the advantages Nearpod has over traditional slides are lost if the students do
not have their own devices
○ Interactive activities
○ Web links
○ Videos (so all students can easily see and hear)
○ Polls
Overall:
I think this is a very useful tool, and if students will have access to devices in the classroom, can
be used as a way to not only supplement the curriculum, but raise it to the next level. I think it’s
important that students have access to devices even in class in order to experience the full
benefit of this software.
In a socially distanced class, this could easily help facilitate group work and one-on-one learning
that is normally unsafe for students and teachers. In addition, it is perfect for continuing
education online if needed due to teacher/student illness, or even school closures. The
transition would not be too bad. If a student is out for a day or two, they can easily stay on track
and follow along with the lessons they missed.
To expand upon the idea of sub plans, it would be a lot easier to have a laptop cart and a class
code for a sub to facilitate learning, than to have someone who does not have a music
background attempt to teach a lesson, or who does not have access to my technology attempt
to show a movie or videos in my absence. If students have questions, they can submit and I can
clarify.
The benefits of Nearpod outweigh its shortfalls, and if proper action is taken and devices are
available, the results are much more positive.