Campus Session update... Where am i up to?

I just wanted to update everybody of what went on in the recent campus session, as it might help people with their own professional inquiries.
 
We started the session by taking in turns discussing where we are in the professional inquiry process, this process helped me think out loud and learn from others in how I can develop my inquiry further and improve my research.
 
I'm currently around stage 2 working on stage 3. I feel confident with my professional inquiry title which is:

The Influence of Music and Movement within Early Years child development

The key question that is the focus of my inquiry is:

In what ways can music and movement enhance different aspects of a child's development within early years education?

Working as an early years practitioner my inquiry is based on my everyday professional practice and I will be using research tools that use lots of insider observation as I can watch pupils in how they incorporate music and movement within their continuous play and during learning activities, I have started this process by using a working journal and making notes on events that are key to my inquiry. Recently I have been observing a sports specialist who teaches P.E. to our class and they use lots of movement and actions to help pupils use problem solving skills, team work skills, social skills, gross motor skills which improve co-ordination and balance also listening and attention skills. These skills the pupils learn through movement can help them with their learning within class e.g. problem solving skills, counting in sequence, colour recognition, sitting on the carpet, following instructions etc. 

From observing the sports specialist I've decided to use them for one of my interviewees within my inquiry as this will help me gain a different perspective and maybe discover new research. 

 

Interviews

Looking over the interview questions I've re-modelled them to allow the interviewees to discuss more information and to elaborate on their answers to give me more information that will support my inquiry.  I have currently verbally asked my interviewees their permission to be interviewed and I plan to start carrying them out the first 2wks after 1/2 term. Some will be face to face and some will be via Skype.

 

Literature Review

I've found some interesting sources recently which have made me look into the scientific side of music and movement and how it helps early years development. I still feel I need to get more literature information to help me look at different perspectives which will help me with my inquiry analysis. I've been looking at my school's policy documents on 'Teaching and Learning' and seeing how my inquiry can benefit pupils progress and development within the curriculum and throughout the school.

Plan of action....

• I need to research more literature that supports my inquiry
• Start carrying out interviews
• Continue with working journal
• Start writing Introduction and evaluation sections of my Inquiry process in order to get feedback from tutor.

Helpful notes I learnt from the campus session...

• Bibliography- put information of the sources used so someone else could find them and look at the literature/artefact themselves.
• Literature Review- don't put full article/source within the review just use quotes and extracts then Harvard reference to acknowledge source.
• Appendix- Put important sections/paragraphs within writing that support your findings/research then remember to put the source details within the bibliography.
• Writing in paragraphs- 1. Start with an introductory sentence. 2. Key points.                 3. Concluding sentence to writing. Make sure you write with meaning summarise findings and get to the point!.
• Use the word 'Experience' rather than 'opinion' when looking at your inquiry.