And Voila…Our Methodology For Our Action Research Project!

Hey guys! Just wanted to share with you our finalized methodology for our action research project…we are all super excited to see things starting to come together and to show you our "map" of where we will go from here.

Again, here are our two research questions:

1. Does the type of brain break (yoga, dance, or fitness) elicit different academic and behavioral     performance results in first and second grade?

2. Is there a signifigant difference in student performance between a three or five minute brain break in the first and second grade classroom? 

We will all be conducting our research in our respective classrooms (two of us are in first grade in Baltimore City and two of us are in second grade in Howard County). Our classes have between 20 and 28 students, all of whom will be used.

Although we are not sure of exact dates at this moment, we estimate that the research itself will happen over three weeks, spending one week at a time on each of our three types of brain breaks (yoga, dance, and fitness). The research will be compiled between January and May of 2015.

Our independent variables are the type and length of the brain break. Our dependent variables are the students' behavior and their academic performance. To collect data, we envision using surveys that tell us how student's feel about each type of brain break. The surveys will measure attitudes and motivation before and after the brain breaks. In addition, we will use some sort of academic assessment---TBD---and observations.

Other than ourselves, our mentor teachers will help us collect and analyze data needed for this project. If necessary, some of us may use our PDS coordinators, school administrators, and grade team leaders if we decide that they would be helpful further on down the road.

We will keep you updated about new developments as they happen! We are excited to share this project with you all!! 

This is a very interesting article and take on the importance for physical movement in the classroom being aligned with the curriculum. 

According to Kristen Hess, the principal and founder of Hess Academy, movement in the classroom is an extension of student choice.

"As adults we have the option of movement available to us," she told me. "We fidget or doodle, we get up to stretch our legs, we walk to the back of the room, but we don't give this option to children."

The best learning environment, she said, has different options, not just a standard solution for all students. I could see her philosophy at work in a classroom where students worked, some sitting at tables, some stretched across the floor and some using their chairs as writing surfaces.

No Sitting Still: Movement in Schools

Program teaches girls to dance and do math and BOOSTS scores!

This was a really cool video I recently saw on CNN.  This teacher combines Kinesthetic movement through dance combined with teaching math skills.

"Sinha realized that not only did dance boost confidence, but that movement in general had been integral to her ability to learn.

That Eureka moment became the birth of SHINE, a tutoring program Sinha began while at MIT. It incorporates dance, movement and math in a new approach designed to boost girls' confidence and performance.

The basis for SHINE is the concept of "Kinesthetic learning," which essentially means moving your body in order to better retain information.

Interested middle school girls come to the program after school, and work with mentors on activities that put math concepts into action. They might, for example, hold hands to create a shape on a grid, then move to reflect the shape across an axis drawn on the floor. Playing games using corners and instructions helps show how probability works, and choreographed dance moves illustrate the principles behind trigonometry.

Later, they work out math problems on the board based on what they learned, and frequently finish with a break-out dance session just for fun. When I was there, they learned a routine to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off," then tweeted a video of the results to the singer."

CNN.com

I'm a Gummy Bear!

Just wanted to share a fun video that my students have been enjoying the past two weeks:

The kids love it. They think it's so funny and fun. It'll be interesting to see which brain break they prefer once we begin our study!

Anyone out there have any other fun videos they show their students? Any other Gummy Bear lovers out there?

Hello everyone! TGIF!!

Just a few updates from the Primary Professionals team…Last week, we compiled our literature review of scholarly articles that support the need for physical activity in schools. Overwhelmingly, we have found that research and evidence indicates that physical movement in school should be a best practice because it is effective.  Here is a preview:

Research shows that when children and adolescents participate in the recommended level of physical activity-at least 60 minutes per day- there are multiple health benefits (Centers for Disease Control).  Scientific data on brain research already indicates that cognitive development occurs in tandem with mobility and blood circulation.  In addition, there is mounting evidence that physical activity can improve academic achievement including grades and standardized test scores (Centers for Disease Control).  Lastly, research suggests that physical activity can have a positive impact on cognitive skills, attitudes, and academic behavior, all of which are important components of academic performance and a balanced classroom (Centers for Disease Control).  Ever increasing obesity rates, and sedentary lifestyles (video games, phones, social media) contribute to many of the mounting health problems facing children and adolescents today.  Now, more than ever, it is critical that educators and administration keep students moving through physical education classes, recess, extra-curricular activities, and classroom-based physical activity (brain breaks). Through our review of scholarly articles, we have compiled a review of literature supporting the need to keep students physically active in schools and the evidence supporting these claims.

There are five major parts to any action research project:

1.     Problem

2.     Literature

3.     Methodology

4.     Data

5.     Results

This week we have been working on the “methodology” for our action research project.  A few things we are considering for our methodologies:

-Where will our action research project take place?

-What activities and steps will be needed to produce the data?

-Develop the action research design (qualitative, quantitative, both?)

-Describe the data you will collect.

Our team believes we will be using both quantitative and qualitative methods for our action research project.  This will include surveys for our students to fill out and data collection for observable behaviors. Stay tuned for our fine-tuned methodologies section for our project!

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The association between school based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance.  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.

We need to STAND UP for learning!

Happy Sunday!

While reading some research supporting movement in the classroom I came across an interesting idea. According to Eric Jensen's "Moving with the Brain in Mind", published in Educational Leadership in November of 2000, sitting is not a natural or welcomed position for our bodies. In fact, sitting puts 30 percent MORE pressure on our spinal discs than standing does! This additional pressure creates additional fatigue (p. 35)! How can we expect our students to sit in a chair for hours on end and not become tired? 

In my student-teaching experience, we use periodic breaks to energize students. We frequently use the "B-More Fit" videos and programs, but as Katie Brown said in her post below, some students refuse to participate because they have the option to. In our classroom however, we do not give the option of not participating at all. If students do not want to dance, they don't have to! But they must at least STAND UP. As I stated above, just standing helps reduce the pressure put on our spinal discs. If they want to defy the system and not participate in the physical movement, they can, but only as long as they stand. 

Through this research project, I plan on looking for ways to promote engagement in the brain breaks. What's the use if students purposely don't participate in the physical movement as an act of defiance? I like to think that getting them to stand is the first step!

Sources: 

Jensen, E. (2000). Moving with the Brain in Mind. Educational Leadership, 34-37.