Pearson A-Level Music Technology: Aiming for A & A*

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This brand-new version of this popular course is designed for all teachers of Pearson A-Level Music Technology, with the aim to fine-tune students’ performances so that they can achieve the highest grades. The course will explore the characteristics of A/A* students identified in research and why and how we must challenge our most able Music Technology students. We will analyse what is expected at the top end of the mark range and explore active strategies to build your teaching practice around this to effectively stretch and challenge students.

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BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Exemplar grade A and A* non-examined assessment work for discussion in recording and composition
• Find out more about where students aiming for an A or A* can slip up or lose credit and strategies to support them in aiming high
• Take away effective strategies to develop students’ critical listening, comparison and evaluation skills in preparation for the extended response questions to maximise the credit they achieve in the exam

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PROGRAMME

The A* Grade Student 10.00am

• Analysing the portfolio work of a student who achieved A*
• Analysing the exam paper responses of a student who achieved A*
• Lessons learned – Common pitfalls and places where students can miss out on A and A*

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Producing Excellent Recordings: Component 1 10.25am

• Overview of the component demands with a focus on A and A* achievement
• Discussion of exemplar work and detailed commentary / logbook examples
• Building the skills for coursework success in year 12 / the first year of the course

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Break 11.10am

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Imaginative Composition Work: Component 2 11.30am

• Overview of the component demands with a focus on A and A* achievement
• Discussion of exemplar work and detailed commentary / logbook examples
• The challenges of each brief; using year 12 / the first year of the course to determine a plan of action

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Lunch 12.15pm

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Delivering Component 3 to Stretch your Most Able Learners 1.15pm

• Overview of the component demands with a focus on A and A* achievement
• Listening with criticality: building, and extending skills in the most able students
• Tweaking exam technique: decoding the question, spending the time on the right thing and structuring student answers to encourage top-level achievement

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Evaluation and Extended Response Questions 1 2.00pm

• Decoding AO3 and AO4 and how to present it to students aiming for A and A*
• Marking workshop – Assessing work for component 3 Q5 and Q6
• Looking forward: the extended response in Component 4

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Break 2.30pm   Aiming for Excellence in Component 4 2.40pm

• Overview of the component demands with a focus on A and A* achievement
• A and A* audio – What the examiner is looking for / common pitfalls
• Putting it all together – The final mix and the synoptic question 6 response; supporting students in aiming for excellence

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Evaluation and Extended Response Questions 2 3.10pm

• Marking workshop – Assessing work for component 3 Q5 and Q6

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Depart 3.40pm