I want to connect to building a class handshake - a new move added by a student each week - as a metaphor for/manifestation of building classroom community.
All suggestions appreciated - thanks
Hi Maureen,
I think it is good idea to go and have this research in the context of culture.. You can have comparision between students of two different cultures. This can be a starting point of your research. You can also look into two different types of culture students in same instition and can observe that they continue thier cultural influence movements or not.
Habib Khan
May I suggest that you have a chat to your music people about what we call "paradiddles" in Australia).
It is a percussive series of beats. It might be "left tap, left tap , right tap (on a different material), left tap" that captures with attention of kids. The kids most often (subconsciously) stop what they are doing and focus in on that beat ("Anticipatory Set" type dynamic.) The kids have to focus, and strive to reproduce this sound. You then point to someone and this kid then gets to produce the next "paradiddle", which the other kids in the class have to really listen for, and strive to reproduce.
Do not be too surprised to find that the kids who are seldomly noticed and quiet, will practice at home for hours until they get their turn to set the challenge for their classmates.
Also please take note yourself about your students' responses to your questions and directions - your kids will be much more focused when you talk and ask specific things/ questions from them.
Some people might think this is 'cheating' or manipulative in some way. It is - it is something that tweaks the kids interest and so has the capacity to be very brain compatible in a positive stimulating way.
However, if you abuse or overuse this technique, the kids will soon rebel, feeling distrust for you, and punish you in some dastardly way for trying to manipulate them, even if they do not know why consciously.
really like the term - paradiiddles and makes me think of the clapping patterns that are used in "Bringing students back to the group" - so students talking amongst self because a question of sorts has generated exploratory talk and teacher clapping - and student collective repeating of the clapping pattern returns to attention to the whole.
I want to connect a serial individual student selection of- and whole class practice of - a chain of moves that become a class handshake - developing over the course of the year . Are you familiar with any other such individual informing collective - building physical moves??
Have you thought about researching step dancing, an African American cultural dance movement that is based on collaborative group movement that is percussive.
are you aware of any classroom studies that connect to step dancing? step dancing and paradiddles very helpful connecting.
Maybe this will be helpful:
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED446431.pdf
i wanted to share with this stream that I finally published that handshake paper, thanks for being interested: Boyd, M. P., Jarmark, C.J., & Edmiston, B. (Advanced on line version available). Building Bridges: Coauthoring a class handshake, building a classroom community. Pedagogies: An International Journal.
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