Action Research in the Music Classroom Miryam Christensen March 12, 2015

Action Research is a journey, not a destination…

Focus and rationale My plan is to investigate how I can produce procedures and processes that are effective for creating music journals. The purpose of the journals is to help students increase critical thinking skills and connect lesson elements through reflection and conferring.

Achievement Targets: Performance: More student time during lessons for self-reflection to show evidence of student thinking.

Student traits… Students are actively involved as they discuss questions with their partners Students link music elements together by giving examples Students are able to explain their thinking when sharing their ideas

Process: Teacher lesson pacing will improve to include reflection time during each lesson.

Teacher traits… Simple lesson outline created & prepared with activity time frame to keep pacing Questions and prompts prepared and presented at beginning of class. Procedure for discussing, writing, and sharing prompts embedded in lesson

Performance goals Relied on Process goals I simplified my lesson outline & set realistic time-frame for each

How we got started: Procedures for transitions and writing Class expectations (T-chart) Question prepared for daily discussions Trial and error to set realistic task times Partner work (activities to teach how) Asking, “What can we do to make this work better?” Trying new ideas

T-Charts for procedures and expectations

Daily question for discussion & reflection

Lesson plan in action

Partners: creating is part of metacognition

Student work: going beyond by allowing creativity During partner work Some partners used advanced scaffolds posted in music room

Student reflections: partner discussions

Reflecting on past learning to discover rhythm to class chant

Group discussions: supported reflection & partner work

Data: Conferring notes and teacher observations Spreadsheet for actual time spent on activities Spreadsheet for lesson notes

Data Tables Mrs. B’s Class Ms S’s Class

Peer suggestion: have a student Track time for Data

Keeping data on task time drove change Date Partner Work Reflection/Discussion Goal: 8 minutes Goal: 13 minutes 2/24/15 8 minutes 5 minutes 2/26/15 12 minutes 3/5/15 6 minutes 10 minutes 3/6/15 7 minutes

Lesson Note spreadsheet

Conferring notes & scores:

Applying student suggestions

Working in journals: Model & write

Students motivated to write in journals!

Teacher modeling & group reflection

Examples of Work with teacher modeling

Group reflection & discussion led to more independent thinking

Student Journal samples

what I learned… Pre-loading with procedures paid off Keeping & analyzing data drove change Having a simple lesson outline: very effective Daily Question kept discussions focused Teacher modeling brought success Pacing: take your time for positive experience Verbal and written directions: prepare in advance Involving students in process was a benefit Action Research Project: Work in progress, be flexible, adjust as necessary!

Next steps… Continue to track time for lesson activities & more frequent student feedback (pacing, etc.) Continue slow-release model for reflection & journal writing More turn and talk experiences during lessons More class reflection time at the end of class