Action Research Update

Yesterday, both sections of my Spanish 1 class participated in an inner/outer circle activity.  We went outside to do this because we needed the extra space.  Up to this point, they have learned several pieces to a conversation one would have when meeting someone for the first time.  During this inner/outer circle activity, the students conversed in Spanish the different pieces of this conversation.  They asked each other things like:  What's your name?...Where are you from?...How are you?...How old are you?...etc.  It was a great review activity as they have their oral presentations today.  I think the movement and the changing of locations to do this activity really engaged the students and they did a great job with it.

As I implement more activities that incorporate movement, I will encounter some challenges.  Many of the activities I have in mind are somewhat simple activites that don't require the student to think critically.  How can I incorporate movement as well as make the activity challenging? 

So far....

I have already collected some data on a few activities my Spanish 3 classes did involving movement.  I had each student's name on a chart and while observing the activity, I marked each student as "engaged" or "not engaged."  I wasn't completely satisfied with the results, but was very pleased.  In one class, I marked 16 out of 18, "engaged" and the other class, 20 out of 23 were marked "engaged."  I would love to have it be 100 percent, but it was still a high percentage that were actively participating.  I think I could have been a bit more enthusiastic about the activity.  I beleive if I would have fired the students up about the activity and got them more excitied about it, maybe the numbers would have been a bit better.  Overall, things have been very positive and I think the students really enjoyed and got something out of the activity. 

Action Research Plan

How can movement affect student learning and engagement?

I will be exploring the effects movement has on my students.  An important goal of any teacher is high levels of student engagement.  I feel doing activities in class that involve movement will increase student engagement.  I feel they will be more actively involved in class.  I have done research in this area and will continue to explore it.  In doing my research, I have also learned how movement can affect the brain.  It stimulates the brain in ways that are conducive for effective learning.  I plan on observing students in activities that don't involve movement and in activities that involve movement.  I will then make comparisons in regards to their levels of participation and engagement.  I anticipate there will be higher levels of student participation in the activities that incorporate movement.  I hope I am correct, but we will find out as I collect the data.