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

2. Action Research is a journey, not a destination…

3. 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.

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

5. 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

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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. T-Charts for procedures and expectations

11. Daily question for discussion & reflection

12. Lesson plan in action

13. Partners: creating is part of metacognition

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

15. Student reflections: partner discussions

16. Reflecting on past learning to discover rhythm to class chant

17. Group discussions: supported reflection & partner work

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

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

20. Peer suggestion: have a student Track time for Data

21. 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

22. Lesson Note spreadsheet

23. Conferring notes & scores:

24. Applying student suggestions

25. Working in journals: Model & write

26. Students motivated to write in journals!

27. Teacher modeling & group reflection

28. Examples of Work with teacher modeling

29. Group reflection & discussion led to more independent thinking

30. Student Journal samples

31. 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!

32. 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