Cycle 1 Interpretation
Findings
Can't get that song out of my head.
There is something to be said about using music as a tool for language learning. Ever since we first sang Guantanamera together, students let me know that they often find the song stuck in their head. This always feels like a small victory that the students are subconsciously continuing to learn and practice after class. The story that really got me excited and strengthened my belief in music for language learning was when a student was working after school at a restaurant and found himself singing a song from class out loud. A Spanish speaking co-worker approached him and started talking to him in Spanish. He had to let him know that he was still a beginner and not fluent, but the fact that it created an opportunity to practice the language and connect with someone from the community told me that the songs were sneaking into the students' identity whether they realized it or not. They were also setting up opportunities to practice, likely increasing motivation to improve.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Again, when I showed the video of Guantanamera being sung throughout Cuba, I couldn't believe how engaged the students were. It reminded me how important images and video are to use in class. The images sparked conversation afterward about travel and the culture of Cuba.
Can't get that song out of my head.
There is something to be said about using music as a tool for language learning. Ever since we first sang Guantanamera together, students let me know that they often find the song stuck in their head. This always feels like a small victory that the students are subconsciously continuing to learn and practice after class. The story that really got me excited and strengthened my belief in music for language learning was when a student was working after school at a restaurant and found himself singing a song from class out loud. A Spanish speaking co-worker approached him and started talking to him in Spanish. He had to let him know that he was still a beginner and not fluent, but the fact that it created an opportunity to practice the language and connect with someone from the community told me that the songs were sneaking into the students' identity whether they realized it or not. They were also setting up opportunities to practice, likely increasing motivation to improve.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Again, when I showed the video of Guantanamera being sung throughout Cuba, I couldn't believe how engaged the students were. It reminded me how important images and video are to use in class. The images sparked conversation afterward about travel and the culture of Cuba.
Differing Interpretations
Students first thought about what the lyric meant in Guantanamera that says, "My verse is a wounded deer that seeks refuge in the mountain." One student interpreted to mean that his verse was always about something that was sad, with the image of a wounded dear. Another followed up by saying that maybe poetry was the author's way of expressing his sadness and dealing with it making it less intense, like a deer finding needed refuge. I added that maybe it's describing how writing and expressing poetry can make us feel vulnerable as people might see a new side of us.
When we discussed the lyrics of Cielito lindo, I shared that I recently learned a more accurate meaning of the first verse. I had always pictured it being about a baby being brought down the mountain and the lyrics were telling the baby to sing and don't cry. I think all of the "-ito" suffixes made me think of something small, but those that suffix can also mean "dear." Turns out, the song is a person calming their "beautiful darling" (cielito lindo) because a bandit was coming down the mountain. When I researched the origins of the song, I found it originated near and referred to the Sierra Morena mountain range in Spain, famous for being a place for bandits to seek refuge at the time. I reminded the students that the beauty of poetry and music is for us to create and participate in forming our own personal interpretations. Although, I admitted that we don't want to be too far off in our interpretations, especially when outside of the realm of art.
For the song Maria Isabel, students interpreted the metaphor of the lyric that says, "I wrote your name in the sand, then I erased it so that nobody would step on your name Maria Isabel." After a bit of silence, one student volunteered that the author wrote her name because he liked her, and erased it so that nobody would step on her name, or disrespect her name. Another student chimed in, "He erased her name because he didn't want anyone else to touch her or even see her."
I noticed that after we discussed the meaning of the songs in more detail that students were quicker to participate with accuracy when I would preface our songs by asking students, "Which lines says..."
When students answered the 2 questions about the song lyrics on the first quiz during this phase, I found that 13 students received full credit, 6 received partial credit, and 5 students missed the questions completely. The following pie chart represents this data. For the following quiz and two more questions about song lyrics, students did a bit better with 16 students receiving full credit, 5 receiving partial credit, and 3 receiving no credit.
The following pie charts compare this data. Click to enlarge.
Students first thought about what the lyric meant in Guantanamera that says, "My verse is a wounded deer that seeks refuge in the mountain." One student interpreted to mean that his verse was always about something that was sad, with the image of a wounded dear. Another followed up by saying that maybe poetry was the author's way of expressing his sadness and dealing with it making it less intense, like a deer finding needed refuge. I added that maybe it's describing how writing and expressing poetry can make us feel vulnerable as people might see a new side of us.
When we discussed the lyrics of Cielito lindo, I shared that I recently learned a more accurate meaning of the first verse. I had always pictured it being about a baby being brought down the mountain and the lyrics were telling the baby to sing and don't cry. I think all of the "-ito" suffixes made me think of something small, but those that suffix can also mean "dear." Turns out, the song is a person calming their "beautiful darling" (cielito lindo) because a bandit was coming down the mountain. When I researched the origins of the song, I found it originated near and referred to the Sierra Morena mountain range in Spain, famous for being a place for bandits to seek refuge at the time. I reminded the students that the beauty of poetry and music is for us to create and participate in forming our own personal interpretations. Although, I admitted that we don't want to be too far off in our interpretations, especially when outside of the realm of art.
For the song Maria Isabel, students interpreted the metaphor of the lyric that says, "I wrote your name in the sand, then I erased it so that nobody would step on your name Maria Isabel." After a bit of silence, one student volunteered that the author wrote her name because he liked her, and erased it so that nobody would step on her name, or disrespect her name. Another student chimed in, "He erased her name because he didn't want anyone else to touch her or even see her."
I noticed that after we discussed the meaning of the songs in more detail that students were quicker to participate with accuracy when I would preface our songs by asking students, "Which lines says..."
When students answered the 2 questions about the song lyrics on the first quiz during this phase, I found that 13 students received full credit, 6 received partial credit, and 5 students missed the questions completely. The following pie chart represents this data. For the following quiz and two more questions about song lyrics, students did a bit better with 16 students receiving full credit, 5 receiving partial credit, and 3 receiving no credit.
The following pie charts compare this data. Click to enlarge.
Reflection
This cycle reminded me of how important it is to have students understand the songs they are singing to have personal connections with them. Just singing the songs did help with language gains in pronunciation but I was also looking at identity and community and how each could effect motivation and language learning. I noticed more vocal responses when students would find lyrics in Spanish that corresponded to what I called out in English before we would sing.
I was glad that at least two or three students would volunteer to share their different interpretations of lyrics with the class. However, when we discussed what different metaphors meant to different people, I would have liked to have more participation. While I have to consider that I have grown more passionate about lyrics, poetry, metaphors, and their meaning, I also think that I could have implemented the activity in a way to illicit more responses. A strategy I will use in the future will have student think-pair-share to allow them more time to ponder the meaning on their own and share first with a neighbor instead of the whole class. This way they would be more likely to hear an other classmates personal interpretation and be more confident to share to the class after first vocalizing with a neighbor. Maybe I could first give them other examples as a model where they see many different interpretations of a single verse.
In looking at the difference in the pie charts, there could be many explanations and variables. Maybe the students were becoming more motivated and proficient to understand the Spanish lyrics of the songs. A more probable explanation is that when I give a quiz, it is preceded by a practice quiz the day before to show students the general format and what they are expected to know. I usually change each question just slightly for the actual quiz. For the song lyrics, the questions were the same for the practice and actual quizzes. Maybe students realized that from the first quiz and studied accordingly for the second one.
This cycle reminded me of how important it is to have students understand the songs they are singing to have personal connections with them. Just singing the songs did help with language gains in pronunciation but I was also looking at identity and community and how each could effect motivation and language learning. I noticed more vocal responses when students would find lyrics in Spanish that corresponded to what I called out in English before we would sing.
I was glad that at least two or three students would volunteer to share their different interpretations of lyrics with the class. However, when we discussed what different metaphors meant to different people, I would have liked to have more participation. While I have to consider that I have grown more passionate about lyrics, poetry, metaphors, and their meaning, I also think that I could have implemented the activity in a way to illicit more responses. A strategy I will use in the future will have student think-pair-share to allow them more time to ponder the meaning on their own and share first with a neighbor instead of the whole class. This way they would be more likely to hear an other classmates personal interpretation and be more confident to share to the class after first vocalizing with a neighbor. Maybe I could first give them other examples as a model where they see many different interpretations of a single verse.
In looking at the difference in the pie charts, there could be many explanations and variables. Maybe the students were becoming more motivated and proficient to understand the Spanish lyrics of the songs. A more probable explanation is that when I give a quiz, it is preceded by a practice quiz the day before to show students the general format and what they are expected to know. I usually change each question just slightly for the actual quiz. For the song lyrics, the questions were the same for the practice and actual quizzes. Maybe students realized that from the first quiz and studied accordingly for the second one.
Cycle 2 Transformation
Findings
After a quick crash course in writing poetry in Spanish students were able to create verses of varying quality. Some students worked with partners, which I allowed after many students seemed overwhelmed like a deer in headlights with the task of creating original poetry, let alone in a foreign language. Many students used imagery from nature which aligned with the original themes of the songs. Some students were romantic and tragic, which one might say fits in with the stereotype of the arts of Hispanic culture. Some students tried to get credit at the last minute by quickly filling in the lines with the original lyrics instead of their own. What they didn't realize was that reading students creative works is my favorite type of grading by far. This is a new discovery and something I will remember when creating future assignments.
The following samples exemplify some of the common tendencies I observed in the students' work.
Findings
After a quick crash course in writing poetry in Spanish students were able to create verses of varying quality. Some students worked with partners, which I allowed after many students seemed overwhelmed like a deer in headlights with the task of creating original poetry, let alone in a foreign language. Many students used imagery from nature which aligned with the original themes of the songs. Some students were romantic and tragic, which one might say fits in with the stereotype of the arts of Hispanic culture. Some students tried to get credit at the last minute by quickly filling in the lines with the original lyrics instead of their own. What they didn't realize was that reading students creative works is my favorite type of grading by far. This is a new discovery and something I will remember when creating future assignments.
The following samples exemplify some of the common tendencies I observed in the students' work.
The student sample here was very simple but I like how the student used mostly vocabulary from the song Cielito lindo to create a verse with new meaning. We used this first line in our collaborative group verse.
Translation: I hope you are very happy/ Together with the hearts of contraband/ Pretty darling / Well deserved. It could have a darker meaning than the original. The student showed that he learned the meaning of many words of the song |
This student showed understanding and connection to the altruistic themes of the song Guantanamera. I like how she personalized it by talking about walking among the cars, neglecting her existence. She seems to be contemplating community and identity using Spanish language and Hispanic culture as a medium.
Translation: Uniting all hands / will bring people happiness 2x I walk among the cars / neglecting my existence. |
Combining different verses
Creating the collaborative group verse was a messy yet rewarding part of Cycle 2. A handful of students volunteered to help with this and shared with me some verses they thought would represent the class, the project related to teen health, or the original theme of the song. After we had a few different options to play with, we decided which would be the best fits according to meter, rhyme, and meaning. I took the liberty of slightly adjusting a word here and there to improve the flow of the entire verse. Overall the students seemed happy with the new verses and I imagine those that had a line included were proud.
Collaborative group verses and translations
Creating the collaborative group verse was a messy yet rewarding part of Cycle 2. A handful of students volunteered to help with this and shared with me some verses they thought would represent the class, the project related to teen health, or the original theme of the song. After we had a few different options to play with, we decided which would be the best fits according to meter, rhyme, and meaning. I took the liberty of slightly adjusting a word here and there to improve the flow of the entire verse. Overall the students seemed happy with the new verses and I imagine those that had a line included were proud.
Collaborative group verses and translations
Cielito lindo
Espero que estén muy alegres Cielito lindo en los corazones. No me divierto ni un poco Cielito lindo sin tu alegría. |
Translation:
I hope you all are very happy, Pretty darling, in your hearts. I don't have fun at all Pretty darling, without your happiness. |
Guantanamera
Soy señorita amable Mi abuelo es de Habana Soy señorita amable Mi abuelo es de Habana, Comemos mucho mango Mientras me cuenta historias |
Translation:
I am a nice girl. My grandfather is from Havana I am a nice girl. My grandfather is from Havana We eat a lot of mango While he tells me stories. |
María Isabel
Tu sonrisa es tan bonita En la luz del atardecer Hacemos castillos de arena Mi reina, María Isabel |
Translation:
Your smile is so beautiful In the light of the sunset. We make sandcastles My queen, Maria Isabel |
I was excited to share with the class that one of our students actually had a grandfather from Cuba and hadn't shared that with the class until her original verse. By reading the many different personal themes within verses, I could see that students seemed to be incorporating the language and culture into parts of their identity. They were also sharing that identity with others perhaps for the first time. Seeing language gains along the way with improvement of grammar and retention of vocabulary words also showed me that students were motivated to learn Spanish, maybe because they were connecting with the community and a new identity.
Reflection
This cycle was challenging likely because it was rushed. I didn't have much time to complete Phase 2 in general, so I had to condense into one class period any kind of scaffolding that would support students in creating original verses. If I had more time, I would have created activities to read different poems and create simple rhymes before actually creating new verses to the songs.
Another thing I would have done differently, having more time, would be providing more opportunities for peer critique and revisions. Some of the more advanced students were able to create meaningful, personal lyrics by the end of the class period or for homework. Some of the students were simply overwhelmed with the task and produced very little original work.
As I mentioned, I did find that I really enjoy grading student work that is creative, expressive, artistic, and most of all revealing of a student's identity. This would be an important discovery to remember when designing curriculum in the future.
This cycle was challenging likely because it was rushed. I didn't have much time to complete Phase 2 in general, so I had to condense into one class period any kind of scaffolding that would support students in creating original verses. If I had more time, I would have created activities to read different poems and create simple rhymes before actually creating new verses to the songs.
Another thing I would have done differently, having more time, would be providing more opportunities for peer critique and revisions. Some of the more advanced students were able to create meaningful, personal lyrics by the end of the class period or for homework. Some of the students were simply overwhelmed with the task and produced very little original work.
As I mentioned, I did find that I really enjoy grading student work that is creative, expressive, artistic, and most of all revealing of a student's identity. This would be an important discovery to remember when designing curriculum in the future.
Cycle 3 Exhibition
Findings
Practice must be varied
I noticed that students would lose interest and participation would drop if we did too much of the same form of practice. Going from singing once or twice a week in class to everyday lost its novelty and forced me to change the format, even if only slightly. For example, I noticed that engagement improve when I split the class in half to have them sing back and forth in a call and answer style.
Mysteries of performance
Gauging the overall volume, participation, and quality of the different practice performances in class was always intriguing. It was really hard to pinpoint certain factors that led to better performances. Sometimes students sounded great when we would practice a song out of the blue instead of when they knew it was coming in a routine. Sometimes they sounded great when we took a break from really challenging work.
Other times when I expected the students to perform really well or be more engaged with the many rehearsals before exhibition, they seemed distracted, uninterested, or bored. I think this was mainly due to taking the joy out of singing by turning it into an assignment to be repeated and imposed upon students.
Rising to the occasion for showtime
In the days leading up to the exhibition, there were more practice runs that worried me than there were that reassured me everything would come out fine. I would become anxious when student were signing out of sync with each other. It was also a challenge learning the new lyrics and delivering them with confidence. With all of that said, my worries melted away on the first note the students sang. The adrenaline and pressure of performing for an audience had students singing with passion, accuracy, and eye contact. My worries immediately turned to joy as I watched our audiences smiling and listening intently.
Audience is key
Each of the three audiences provided a different feel during performances. Each was unique and rewarding in its own way. The first location had the pressure of being the first song and performing in front of family and peers. The second was outside next to the Padres Unidos who were so happy to see the students again and hear them perform. They sang along and danced with many improvised cries of passion that are common from audiences of mariachi or other Latino music. It was a connection to community and identity for the students I'm quite sure. The last location was equally exciting because we performed for many strangers that began to stop and congregate to listen to the songs.
Signs of increased motivation and expanding identity
Some students enjoyed performing and perhaps sharing their newly expanded identities so much that they asked to perform a second time. I was able to allow a couple of these students to do so. Another moving moment was when one of these students going for a second time gave up their spot to sing for a second time to another student who wasn't able to perform the first time. When I informally asked student what they thought after the performance, they were all happy and said things like, "That was really fun," or "That was pretty cool."
End of year student reflection
At the end of the semester, which marked the end of the students' Spanish class for the year, I had them write a reflection based on the "Healthy habits of heart and mind." I told them they could choose which topic to write about to give them choice and to see where they saw most growth and motivation to keep learning. They could write about changes in intellectual curiosity, perspective, cooperation, or community connection.
Many students mentioned a greater curiosity to keep learning Spanish. I saw this as a positive change in motivation. One student wrote:
"As my understanding of the language has grown, so has my interest. Once a skill has begun to form, there is always a drive to better it."
This comment reminded me that the teacher's role in setting up lessons with scaffolding guiding students to learn, build confidence, and see progress will increase their motivation on its own. This student didn't mention anything related to community or identity, but noticed and increase in motivation by the nature of developing a skill in itself.
Other students mentioned that the music was effective in helping them learn and increasing motivation.
"From my perspective the singing is helpful. It helps me pronounce the words and even just say the words. I connected to that because when I was little, I used to sing songs to get words or get the sound of words. It also helps with memorization."
In the following quotation, a student mentions a change in appreciating the culture more and bringing the language more into his life.
"Taking this course has resulted in me liking Spanish culture more including music. I definitely enjoy Spanish more now and will continue to look into it on my own time. I have brought Spanish into my life more by trying to translate things that I hear while walking around or listening to radio. I can make more connections to my grandma..."
A few other students mentioned a new practice of trying to hear and understand the Spanish around them now in everyday life. I think this is a positive sign that students are changing and more motivated to learn on their own. This is also a sign that students are recognizing that their is so much of the Hispanic community surrounds them as part of their own community.
Findings
Practice must be varied
I noticed that students would lose interest and participation would drop if we did too much of the same form of practice. Going from singing once or twice a week in class to everyday lost its novelty and forced me to change the format, even if only slightly. For example, I noticed that engagement improve when I split the class in half to have them sing back and forth in a call and answer style.
Mysteries of performance
Gauging the overall volume, participation, and quality of the different practice performances in class was always intriguing. It was really hard to pinpoint certain factors that led to better performances. Sometimes students sounded great when we would practice a song out of the blue instead of when they knew it was coming in a routine. Sometimes they sounded great when we took a break from really challenging work.
Other times when I expected the students to perform really well or be more engaged with the many rehearsals before exhibition, they seemed distracted, uninterested, or bored. I think this was mainly due to taking the joy out of singing by turning it into an assignment to be repeated and imposed upon students.
Rising to the occasion for showtime
In the days leading up to the exhibition, there were more practice runs that worried me than there were that reassured me everything would come out fine. I would become anxious when student were signing out of sync with each other. It was also a challenge learning the new lyrics and delivering them with confidence. With all of that said, my worries melted away on the first note the students sang. The adrenaline and pressure of performing for an audience had students singing with passion, accuracy, and eye contact. My worries immediately turned to joy as I watched our audiences smiling and listening intently.
Audience is key
Each of the three audiences provided a different feel during performances. Each was unique and rewarding in its own way. The first location had the pressure of being the first song and performing in front of family and peers. The second was outside next to the Padres Unidos who were so happy to see the students again and hear them perform. They sang along and danced with many improvised cries of passion that are common from audiences of mariachi or other Latino music. It was a connection to community and identity for the students I'm quite sure. The last location was equally exciting because we performed for many strangers that began to stop and congregate to listen to the songs.
Signs of increased motivation and expanding identity
Some students enjoyed performing and perhaps sharing their newly expanded identities so much that they asked to perform a second time. I was able to allow a couple of these students to do so. Another moving moment was when one of these students going for a second time gave up their spot to sing for a second time to another student who wasn't able to perform the first time. When I informally asked student what they thought after the performance, they were all happy and said things like, "That was really fun," or "That was pretty cool."
End of year student reflection
At the end of the semester, which marked the end of the students' Spanish class for the year, I had them write a reflection based on the "Healthy habits of heart and mind." I told them they could choose which topic to write about to give them choice and to see where they saw most growth and motivation to keep learning. They could write about changes in intellectual curiosity, perspective, cooperation, or community connection.
Many students mentioned a greater curiosity to keep learning Spanish. I saw this as a positive change in motivation. One student wrote:
"As my understanding of the language has grown, so has my interest. Once a skill has begun to form, there is always a drive to better it."
This comment reminded me that the teacher's role in setting up lessons with scaffolding guiding students to learn, build confidence, and see progress will increase their motivation on its own. This student didn't mention anything related to community or identity, but noticed and increase in motivation by the nature of developing a skill in itself.
Other students mentioned that the music was effective in helping them learn and increasing motivation.
"From my perspective the singing is helpful. It helps me pronounce the words and even just say the words. I connected to that because when I was little, I used to sing songs to get words or get the sound of words. It also helps with memorization."
In the following quotation, a student mentions a change in appreciating the culture more and bringing the language more into his life.
"Taking this course has resulted in me liking Spanish culture more including music. I definitely enjoy Spanish more now and will continue to look into it on my own time. I have brought Spanish into my life more by trying to translate things that I hear while walking around or listening to radio. I can make more connections to my grandma..."
A few other students mentioned a new practice of trying to hear and understand the Spanish around them now in everyday life. I think this is a positive sign that students are changing and more motivated to learn on their own. This is also a sign that students are recognizing that their is so much of the Hispanic community surrounds them as part of their own community.
Reflection
I will continue to vary students' forms of speaking practice. Reading and writing are necessary and certainly fundamental, but speaking is how students will connect with the Hispanic community around them and be socially and emotionally influenced to change their own identities.
I could see myself using a quick song as an intervention to bring the class back together if they are anxious, distracted, or not in positive atmosphere. Of course it's not a sure fix or any kind of magic, but I've had success with it before and will try it in different circumstances.
While it was hard to gauge what factors would lead to a good performance, I did conclude that audience is an important one. I will continue to vary audiences as much as possible. It reminded me that having any audience period is crucial to motivate students to work on any project. That being said, with experience I can learn which types of audience are best for specific projects or classes.
Overall Reflection for Phase 2
I was changed after the performance on exhibition. I wonder if students felt slightly changed as well. I felt validated with all of the positive feedback from parents and students that night. Parents told me how much their kids talk about the class at home and enjoy it. Many mentioned music as part of the reason for that. Singing and performing an enjoyable experience that also come with hard work and nerves beforehand. These are all emotional experiences. When learning is connected with emotion, it has a better chance of lasting. When it's connected to others socially it likely to be transforming. When it is connected to performance, learning leads to improvement through practice and spontaneity.
For the next steps, I will continue to explore different ways students can relate to Spanish language and Hispanic culture. Music seems to be one of the most effective ways to do this. In addition I will have students write expressive that they feel expresses their identity. I want them to memorize a short five-lined poem in Spanish to carry with them and be able to recite if the opportunity presents itself. Being able to share something about yourself in another language to someone from a different culture, or even your own, can be motivating and transformative. One's own identity is expanded when it is shared with others.
I will continue to vary students' forms of speaking practice. Reading and writing are necessary and certainly fundamental, but speaking is how students will connect with the Hispanic community around them and be socially and emotionally influenced to change their own identities.
I could see myself using a quick song as an intervention to bring the class back together if they are anxious, distracted, or not in positive atmosphere. Of course it's not a sure fix or any kind of magic, but I've had success with it before and will try it in different circumstances.
While it was hard to gauge what factors would lead to a good performance, I did conclude that audience is an important one. I will continue to vary audiences as much as possible. It reminded me that having any audience period is crucial to motivate students to work on any project. That being said, with experience I can learn which types of audience are best for specific projects or classes.
Overall Reflection for Phase 2
I was changed after the performance on exhibition. I wonder if students felt slightly changed as well. I felt validated with all of the positive feedback from parents and students that night. Parents told me how much their kids talk about the class at home and enjoy it. Many mentioned music as part of the reason for that. Singing and performing an enjoyable experience that also come with hard work and nerves beforehand. These are all emotional experiences. When learning is connected with emotion, it has a better chance of lasting. When it's connected to others socially it likely to be transforming. When it is connected to performance, learning leads to improvement through practice and spontaneity.
For the next steps, I will continue to explore different ways students can relate to Spanish language and Hispanic culture. Music seems to be one of the most effective ways to do this. In addition I will have students write expressive that they feel expresses their identity. I want them to memorize a short five-lined poem in Spanish to carry with them and be able to recite if the opportunity presents itself. Being able to share something about yourself in another language to someone from a different culture, or even your own, can be motivating and transformative. One's own identity is expanded when it is shared with others.