Course Description
This course serves as the culminating experience for music education masters students to develop their
M.A. Thesis or their Colloquy projects (in-Service Teachers).
Certification students develop a portfolio that includes a thesis written as a reflective practitioner. The thesis work is guided and evaluated by supervising teachers.
Other M.A. students develop a thesis proposal that is approved and written in the final year of study. The full thesis requires an oral defense.
In-Service Teachers may research and develop curriculum materials as their thesis requirement.
Course Objective
Students review and focus on their observations and teaching experience to develop a reflective practitioner research paper. As part of this process, students provide specimens of work completed during their study as a portfolio. All media can be included in this portfolio.
Through research and reflection, students develop a research thesis or curriculum materials, according to the specific program expectation and requirements.
Music Education Graduate Research Portfolio
The thesis requirement for most music education programs is the development of a Professional Research Portfolio. This portfolio should include (but not be limited to):
1.
resume
2.
philosophy of teaching
3.
journals, logs, and blogs
4.
curriculum and lesson plans
5.
research papers (important) and other term papers
6.
annotated bibliography (books read during graduate study with brief description of the book and its importance.)
7.
evidence of teaching
8.
transcript
9.
CD/DVD of teaching, performances, or creative work
10.
letters of recommendation
11.
arrangements, compositions

12.
testimonials and/or evaluations of work
13.
Thesis*
* Thesis requirement: 20-25 pages. An informed critical reflection in the context
of the literature: preparation teaching internship with recommendations for further
self-development. (1st Year: Reflection of observation; 2nd Year: Reflection of teaching internship)
Other items that are not listed above could be included where appropriate. Items listed above are the fundamental items that must be included, but the other materials may provide opportunities to show special talents and achievements.
Creating the portfolio is intended to be a means of reflecting on your educational process and experience. The research portfolio becomes an important resource for launching or advancing a teaching career. All materials should bear the evidence of research and involvement throughout graduate study.
Students register for MPAME-GE 2939 Colloquy in Music Education for 1-3 points in the final semester of study, so that the portfolio can be reviewed. The materials can be collected in hanging files with portable file storage cases, file cases, or large binders with envelopes. This would enable the portfolio to contain DVDs and
Videotapes, as well as arrangements and compositions of considerable size.
An electronic version may also be created and posted on the Internet.
Cameron, Julia. The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity . Penguin
Putnam, Inc. 2002.
Huang, Chungliang Al and Jerry Lynch. Mentoring: The Tao of Giving and Receiving
Wisdom . HarperCollins. 1995.
Kozol, Jonathan. Letters to a Young Teacher . Three Rivers Press. 2007.
Manen, Max Van. Researching Lived Experience. State University of New York Press.
1990.
McCourt, Frank. Angela’s Ashes . Scribner, 1996.
McCourt, Frank. Teacher Man . Scribner, 2005.
Nathan, Rebekah. My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a
Student. Penguin Books. 2006.
Schon, Donald A. Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Toward a New Design for
Teaching and Learning in the Professions (Higher Education Series).
1990.

Shirkey, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into
Collaborators. Penguin Books. 2010.
Zander, Rosamund Stone and Benjamin Zander. The Art of Possibility . Penguin Books.
2002.
Conference of Editors of Learned Journals. Guidelines for Journal Editors and Contributors. New York:
Modern Language Assn., 1984.
Duckles, Vincent, Michael A Keller, Adv. Ed. Music Reference and Research Materials: An Anotated
Bibliography. 4th ed. New York: Schirmer, 1997.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Reseach Papers. 5th ed. New York: The Modern Langage
Association of America, 1999.
- - - . MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 2nd ed. New York: The Modern Langage
Association of America, 1998.
Holoman, D. Kern.
Writing About Music: A Stylesheet from the Editors of Nineteenth Century Music.
Berkeley: U. of California Press, 1988.
Li, Xia and Nancy B. Crane. Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic Information.
Medford,
NJ: Information Today, Inc., 1996.
Lowell, John Bruce. Style Manuals of the English-speaking World: a Guide.
Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1983.
McGuire, Mary, Linda Stilborne, Melinda McAdams, and Laurel Hyatt. The Internet Handbook for
Writers, Researchers, and Journalists. 2000-2001 ed. New York: Guilford, 2000.
Mitchell, John Howard. Writing for Technical and Professional Journals.
New York: Wiley, 1968.
Music Educators National Conference, Richard Colwell (Ed.). Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning.
New York: Schirmer Books. 1992.
Phelps, Roger P., Lawrence Ferrara, and Thomas W. Goolsby. A Guide to Research in Music Education.
4th ed. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow. 1993.
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.
5th ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1987.
Li, Xia and Nancy B. Crane. Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic Information. Medford,
NJ: Information Today, Inc., 1996.
WEBSITES
Cohen, Laura. Conducting Research on the Internet.
<http://www.albany.edu/library/internet/research.html> .
The Columbia Guide to Online Style. Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor. New York: Columbia UP, 1998.
<http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/idx_basic.html>
MLA Style. <http://www.mla.org/>
Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association.
<http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html>
1.
ArtsEdge : The National Arts and Education Information Network -- Linking the Arts and
Education Through Technology
2.
ArtsEdNet : The Getty's Art Education Web Site (Developed by the Getty Education Institute for the Arts -- K-12)
3.
Canadian Electronic Clearinghouse for Music Instructional Resources (CECMIR) / A service of the Canadian University Music Society and the School of Music, Acadia University
4.
International Symposium for Progress in Music Education ?
5.
Internet Resources for Music Teachers
6.
K-12 Resources For Music Educators
7.
The Kennedy Center's Education Department
8.
Learning Musical Elements through Listening
9.
MENC Perception and Cognition Special Research Interest Group

10.
Music Education Launch Site
11.
Music Education Online -- A Guide to Music Education for Grades K-12
12.
Music Education Resource Base
13.
Music Education Resource Links (MERL) / Carla Piper, University of the Pacific School of
Education
14.
Music Educator's Lesson Plan Resources
15.
Music Educators National Conference (MENC)
16.
Music in the Co-NECT Schools ?
17.
Music Online / National School Network Exchange
18.
MusicEducator's DR, Inc.
(Wind ensemble recordings to be used as reference for band directors)
19.
Evergreen Curriculum, Saskatchewan Education's Online Bibliographies -- Arts Education
20.
Pentatonic Music Collection ?
21.
Rhythmic Music Education : Congress Report (International Music Council of UNESCO)
22.
Teacher Education Resource Links
23.
Technology in Music Education Integrating Technology into a Traditional Music Curriculum
(PDF file)
24.
West Chester University School of Music -- Music Education Department (articles)
25.
The WorldBand Project