Blog 2: Thinking about research - Aug 23rd

I have been trying to think about what it is that I want to do my research on this year and I believe today I finally have an idea that I feel passionate about. I strongly believe in integrating movement and music into the classroom as much as possible. I also know from looking at my current fourth graders West test scores from last year, that as a whole, they are really struggling on the west test. I want to help them improve their grades in the classroom and on the tests that they take. The fourth graders schedule is one subject after the next with no breaks in between. I have noticed several students loosing focus after two subjects and many of them start to put their heads on the tables and fall asleep. I have read that movement in the classroom improves students’ learning and improves their thinking, helps them to focus, so I want to test this and see how well it really works. My ideas are to implement classical conditioning by introducing several different songs, from different genres to the students. Once the students become a bit familiar with the different songs I will connect them to a certain action in the classroom and explain what I expect of the students when they hear a particular song. For example, I would play “operate” and they would know once they hear it that they are to clear their desk and get ready for the next subject. I am hoping that eventually I will not have to tell students what to do but instead just play a song and they will do it.