To: D. J. Trela, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Executive Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences From: Lois Alexander, Brian DiBlassio, Kazuko Hiramatsu Re: Two-year review of Assistant Professor Karen Salvador Date: May 10, 2013 The two-year review committee for Dr. Karen Salvador (Music) reviewed her record and supplementary materials. Karen shows a strong and commendable two-year record in teaching, scholarly work, and service, and the committee offers the following narrative for consideration. Teaching Karen’s teaching assignments for the past two academic years were: Fall 2011 – Mus 180/Ede 123, Music for Elementary School Teachers (15) Mus 100-W2, Introduction to Music (23) Mus 100-W3, Introduction to Music (27) Winter 2012 – Mus185/Ede 120, Music in Early Childhood (16) Mus 381/Ede 346, Teaching General Music, Grades K-8 (12) Ede/Eds 499, Student Teaching Seminar (3), placement and supervision of teacher candidates (Stephanie Ogle, Kathryn Morden, Susan Ward) Ede/Eds 360, Field Experience (4), placement and supervision of student interns (Bruce Horn, Lauren Ball, Philip Mitchell, Eduardo Guerra) Fall 2012 – Mus 100-W2, Introduction to Music (29) Mus 180/Ede 123, Music for Elementary School Teachers (14) Mus 185/Ece 120, Music in Early Childhood (6) Ede/Eds 499, Student Teaching Seminar (2), placement and supervision of teacher candidates Bruce Horn and Daniel Zimmicky Winter 2013 – Mus 100-W2, Introduction to Music (29) Mus 382, Methods and Materials for Teaching Secondary School Performance Classes (10) Mus 492, Practicum in Music Education (1) Ede/Eds 360, Field Experience (2), placement and supervision of student interns Stephen Simmons and Keith Corbett
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Karen’s primary teaching responsibilities are in music education. During the last two years, she taught several courses (Mus 180/Ede 123, Mus 185/Ede 120, Mus 381/Ede 346, Mus 382/Eds 346, Mus 492, Ede/Eds 360, and Ede/Eds 499) for the first time at UM-Flint. Karen drew upon her previous experiences teaching K-12 and at MSU (as a graduate assistant) in teaching future teachers. Karen included UM-Flint student interactions with school music teachers, lesson planning, peer teaching, and weekly practicum at the UM-Flint Early Childhood Development Center. Karen actively uses technology in the classroom; for example, she demonstrates how Skype benefits student learning. Karen carefully considers the desired learning outcomes and designs instruction toward accomplishing them. Student course evaluations show a high level of satisfaction with courses that Karen teaches. Comments from non-music education majors enrolled in Karen’s music education course for elementary school teachers included, in response to the question “What did you like best about the course?”: “The teacher’s passion and insight,” “I liked all the interactions and the explanations from the teacher,” “There was [sic] valuable things taught such as how to write a lesson plan.” Karen received funding to conduct pedagogical research with her Fall 2012 Music in Early Childhood course (Mus 185/Ece 120) at the Early Childhood Development Center. Students in that class indicated a very high level of satisfaction with this course, and wrote comments such as: “Teacher is very engaged and enthusiastic,” “I liked going to the ECDE and helping to teach a music class.” Music education students tend to be a very critical population; yet, their course evaluations of Karen were very positive (save the one sour grape who subsequently left the program at the advice of the department chair). A fair number of social media challenges have arisen during the semesters in which Karen taught music education courses for the majors. Karen has professionally dealt with students’ inappropriate postings on Facebook, inappropriate student responses to faculty feedback in mock interview situations, and other student mischief. An important aspect of Karen’s teaching at UM-Flint is placement and supervision of student interns and teacher candidates. She continues developing and maintaining the good relationships that the department enjoys with area schools and teachers in the field. Karen thoughtfully considers the personality and capability of each intern/teacher candidate, to the degree that she is able (accounting for the fact that she is new to the department and environment at UM-Flint), and secures excellent placements for each student. She carries out the supervision of each student with the highest level of integrity and professionalism, balancing suggestions for students’ improvement with encouragement. Research and Creative Activity Karen’s research and creative activity record for 2011-2013 is well-balanced and developing into a sizable body of work. She has seven conference presentations to her credit: Music instruction for elementary students with moderate to severe cognitive 2
impairments: A case study (February 2013); Identity and transformation: (re)claiming an inner Musician (February 2013); Let them Play! Early childhood techniques for elementary teachers (January 2013); Strategies for inclusion of students with special needs in secondary choral ensembles (Michigan Music Conference, January 2012); Panel on inclusion of special populations in secondary performance ensembles (New Directions in Music Education, October 2011); The Real World: Differentiating instruction in the K-4 elementary general music classroom (September 2011); and Access to music education with regard to race in two urban areas (June 2011). The article “Inclusion of people with special needs in choral settings: A review of applicable research and professional literature” was published in the peer-reviewed music education journal Update: Applications of Research in Music Education (2013). Two other articles are in press: “Access to Music Eduation with Regard to Race in Two Urban Areas” will appear in the peer-review journal Arts Education Policy Review (2013), and “Belonging, networking, learning and sharing: A professional development group as a ‘Community of Practice’” will appear in Michigan Music Educator in summer 2013. The latter comes from Karen’s work with a group of music teachers in the area who meet with her regularly as part of their professional development (FAME, Flint Area Music Educators). Karen was asked to write a chapter titled “Identity and transformation: Reclaiming an inner musician” for the book Music Education: Navigating the Future (Randles, editor) to be published by Routledge. And currently under review by the peer-reviewed Journal of Research in Music Education is Karen’s article “Music instruction for elementary students with moderate to severe cognitive impairments.” Also, notable is Karen’s current research project, funded by a Research and Creative Activities Grant, Preschool Music Instruction: Instructor-Led Practicum and SingleInstructor Models. Karen is looking forward to sharing, in presentations and in print, the results of this project. In these first two years at UM-Flint, Karen established a course of research and creative activity that shows solid progress toward meeting department guidelines and CAS standards for future promotion and tenure. Service Karen has served the Department of Music exceptionally well in her work with the Education Department toward NCATE accreditation. She kept the department’s faculty fully aware of developments, deadlines, and data needed throughout the year. She attended many meetings relative to NCATE accreditation and contributed to deliberations about key assessments. Additionally, Karen served on the NCATE Standard 1 Committee from September 2011 to September 2012, and she continues to serve on the Secondary Redesign Team. At each departmental faculty meeting, Karen provided updates on the progress toward NCATE accreditation. Her contributions in this area cannot be overstated. 3
As faculty juror for student performances in senior and junior recitals, pre-recital hearing, and semester-juried exams, Karen serves the department with her colleagues. Karen served as secretary for the department’s faculty meetings during the past two years. In Fall 2012, she became the department’s scholarship coordinator and serves both students and faculty in this capacity. Karen’s initiative in founding the UM-Flint Collegiate Chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is valued greatly by the department. In her role as the faculty advisor for this student organization designed to assist in preparing music education majors for professional life, Karen arranged for speakers to address topics of relevance, and also brought an energetic spirit to the cadre of music education students. Her enthusiasm for this student organization has spread to student members and attendance at meetings is well over 20 for each meeting. Again, this service cannot be overstated. There is a vibrancy among music education majors that creates a very positive energy in the entire department. In service to her profession, Karen is the Chair of Outreach and Retirees for the Michigan Music Educator’s Association; she also peer reviewed a master’s thesis written by a Michigan State University student and reviewed applications for Art and Culture Trek grants for Michigan Youth Arts. In beginning a record of civic engagement, Karen formed the FAME group – Flint Area Music Educators. This cadre of colleagues in the field worked together to produce a publication and the entire venture has created and reinforced strong ties to area schools. In summary, the two-year review committee considers Karen’s record to be strong and well-balanced in each area of university work – teaching, research, and service.
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