My observation experience is progressing at a very good pace. The first week that I was in the classroom, the students were a little apprehensive to me since they were unsure of what my role was or why I was even in the classroom. However, since their teacher discussed my presence more and made sure the students understood I was not another teacher but an observer, they were more comfortable. The students are very comfortable with me in their room and are more willing to come talk to me and ask me to play or help them at various times in the classroom. I too, am becoming more comfortable in the classroom and am really enjoying the observation process. Even though it is the same classroom and the same bunch of kids each observation, …show more content…
What I mean by this is, if you give a child curriculum that is at a level he or she has not yet reached, it will be very difficult for them to succeed even if they are assisted. An example of this with physical development is if you want a child to paint a picture with a paint brush of "what they see in the sky." However, if this child has yet to master his fine motor skills with holding and pinching things, this would be very difficult for them to accomplish. Rather, if you ask this same child to please paint a picture of "what you see in the sky" but via finger painting then this child will have a better chance at succeeded then building on his skills to eventually reach using a paint brush. On the social development spectrum, you may see this with the group and solo activities. If a child is only on the solitary play level, then requiring them to work on a project or in a big group may bring about challenges. Since this child has yet to really develop socially in a large group, he or she may be too shy and timid to really show his full potential in the group setting. Since all development builds on prior skills and levels of development, it is essential that when selecting curricula to make sure that it is at the right level and either accomplishable by the child alone or with the use of
Anthropology is the study of cultural diversity and what it is that makes us human. In order for Anthropologists to come to conclusions they must do research. There are two types of anthropological research that exist: looking at existing studies and theories and personal interest. Ethnographic research is a unique aspect of anthropology that aims to answer questions by doing field research. Unobtrusive and participant are the two types of observations and this essay will be looking at the later. Alfred Shultz (1971) describes participant observation as a balancing attempt to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange. This essay will aim at explaining what participant observation is and demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of this method. Then, compare and contrast Els Van Dongens and Laura Bohannans experience of fieldwork and their different approaches and findings when becoming a participant observer.
For a long time, the popular belief about anthropology was that it was the study of “far away” or “exotic” cultures. After my 10 weeks in Professor Michael Perez’s Anthropology 101 class, I now know this to be anything but the truth. My immediate thought’s for a cultural event to observe were reflective of these misconceptions – I considered an Indian wedding, a winter festival, a family friend’s Quinceanera. Nothing stood out to me.
The group observation occurred at an International school. The primary school counselor was the facilitator. He meets with individual classes every month. The ages of the students range from 3-11 years old, which represented Pre-k through 5th grade. Each class is pulled out to the counselors classroom for a 45 minute session led by the school counselor. The counselors classroom has minimal distractions with lots of positive quotes. The chairs are set up in a semi-circle so that all can look at each, along with some students sitting on a carpet in the middle.
There are times when people watching can be the most exciting thing ever. Whether that’s sitting at a coffee shop and taking in the view around you. Silently watching those as they go about their life not realizing that a college student is watching their every move. There are times when one might find themselves in the park, sitting on a bench and wondering what that couple on the other side could possibly be arguing about. People watching though entertaining at times, can have its challenges as well. Sometimes the distance might prohibit us to hear what is actually going on. Other times there are hindrances such as way too much going on around our surroundings. Yet, there seems to still be one thing that continues to persist, and that’s the
After a few days spent home with my parents it was time to return to the University of South Florida to continue with classes. I arrived at Regan International Airport at 7:45 am for and 9 am flight where I would conduct the research strategy of participant observation. Participant observation is a strategy involving both participation in and observation of the daily life of the people being studied. I made my way to the gate, sitting an elderly couple was across from me, next to me was a young woman and behind me was an older gentleman. Many people walked around the terminal trying to find seats close to the gate but far enough away from people they were unfamiliar with. There were little kids around the age of 3 and 4 walking around engaging in conversation with everyone. One little girl had stopped by me, saying “Hi” and then attempted to sit with me. However, her parents ensured she was not allowed to sit with me which I assumed was fear of losing their child. Also, with no rapport between me and the parents it was understandable as to why they would remove the child from trying to sit with me. Meaning the relationship of trust and familiarity with members of the community were not developed.
“Educational practice is necessarily based on the assumption that students are willing to engage in educational activities that they will lend their cooperation and support to the process in their education. Students who do not offer such cooperation, who are unmotivated, present significant challenges” (Williams and Ivey, 2001, 75). High school school-children show the most trouble with cooperation and motivation; they only have a few more years of schooling and for some pupils that is the end of their education. That was one of the main reasons why I wanted to observe a high school classroom; the other main reason is because I have actually considered teaching high school grades. I observed Ms. Edith Stone and her Algebra II mathematics classroom.
I officially began my career as a student teacher in Spanish on August 25, 2014 at Memorial High School in Smallville, Ohio. I work under the guidance of Mrs. Santer, my mentor teacher, who has been introducing WMHS students to the wonderful world of languages for over 30 years. This year Mrs. Santer is teaching various levels of Spanish (Advanced Placement, IV, III, and I) as well as French I.
It is crucial for us to understand the fundamentals of the development of a child as there are countless ways to conduct lessons and to understand why children would react differently at this time to another time when they are completing a certain task. Furthermore, children develop uniquely and their development milestones differ from one another. Thus, a teacher must be cognizant of each child’s progress before conducting the class. This will help the teacher to plan and organize the lesson materials and the lesson time appropriately. There are two theories I would like to share in regards to child development: peer social interaction and cognitive development.
A child's development affects how they learn. All children don't fit the norms of development but not all children should be looked down on because of this. The development of the body and mind leads to the development of skills a child learns in life. Teachers need to help the child expand their skills and the knowledge to do the skills well.
“Once a child is born we begin helping them with tasks that are too difficult to master alone but that can be learned with guidance and assistance which is the (ZPD) zone of proximal development.”(Morrison, 2009 sec 14.6.1) this is the major concept of Lev Vygotsky theory. As our children grow we will interact with them throughout their lives. We may feel that a child should be at a certain stage in life; which would fit perfectly into Piagets theory that a child develops in stages. However we have always helped them with task; we sit back, observe the child trying the task, and when they c...
"The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as every child should be instilled with the wish to learn."
The school that I visited was new. It was the first year of the school opening. The school board had combined two schools into one, so the students had to adjust to their new environments and new individuals. They seemed to be getting along well with each other. Since the school is new the teacher has to adjust to new problems that araise. Times for the subjects and times for using the computer labs change. So the teacher must always be fixable for anything. In this observation of this classroom I learned about the enjoyment of teaching. How you have to adapt to each of the students.
Observation, combined with anecdotal records, is essential, especially in the early grades. By observing and keeping track of these observations, teachers are able to tell a lot about their students. For example, they can see how they interact socially with other peers as well as how well they carry out a given task. I am inclined to be an early elementary teacher, in grades K-3. The first years of school are my ideal age group. The early childhood stage is a time when children develop the most. They are developi...
The students that I observed in the classroom were of middle to high school. I went to see 8th, freshman, 10th , and seniors classes, they seemed excited and very curious to why I was there. The middle school was more alive and rambunctious while I observed them. The High school kids were more relaxed, more comical. Some were paying attention while others seemed tuned out to the lecture or involved in socialization with friends within the class. By the end of the class Mr. Hasgil had restored the attention of everyone by using tactics such as history jeopardy with candy as the prize with the high school kids. In both he middle school and high school the kids were mostly Caucasian with a mixture of black, Asian , and Hispanic in the classes.
I attended a second grade class at Smallville Elementary on February 22, 2014; the class began promptly at 0855. There are 26 children in this second grade class. There are 15 male students and 11 female students. The student diversity is 2 Hispanics, 1 African-American, 1 East Indian, and 1 New Zealander (White but with an extreme accent). Three children were left-handed.