This week of observations was okay. I woke up later than usual than the cold weather had me feeling like I didnt want to do anything, but lay in the bed under the warm blankets while drinking tea and watch some television. But of course that wasn't the plan for the day because the children would be there and full of energy. Once I made it to the site my focus on being cold was quickly redirected by the really active students. I would've thought that it was monday if just observing the children because they ha that start of week energy. Children seem to love the different types of weather and it had me reflecting on when I was their ages, but I've always had a dislike for the cold. I had to take a break to go get hot tea so I could finish my observation.
The activity that I observed this week included two male students sitting on the couch in the literacy area. One of the students has two books in his hands and is flipping through one of the books as the other student looks on. He is turning the pages one by one. They are not talking or speaking to each other about the book, but both maintain their eyes on the pages of the book. One of the observation students from 52b walks by the area and the student says to observation student "can you read us a book?" The student informs them that he has work to do today so he wouldn't be able to read to them today, but would read to them another day. Both students just look at the observation student as he walks away from them and neither one says a word. One of the students that had the books in his hand gets up from the couch walks over to the writing table and grabs a yellow marker. He then proceeds over to the kitchen area where one of the teachers was preparing snack. He tells her "I want to write in book", she informs him that the book belongs to the library and that they shouldn't write in books and if he wants to write to go over to the writing table and write on paper. The student walks back to the writing table and places the marker down on the table and walks back to the literacy area with the book. He sits in front of the book shelf and looks over the book select for a couple of seconds then one of his classmates calls him to go play with him. So he places the book on the book stand and walks off quickly to go play.
The skills the student used during this activity included the following social skills while interacting with classmate, motor skills while holding and turning the book, and literacy by expressing interest in writing and reading.
An activity that I would plan for the next day for the students would be a trip to the local library. I would have parents fill out an application for students to get a library card or have them bring library card so that students can check out books. I would make arrangements with the library prior to our trip so that we can have a book reading done. After the book reading students can select a book or two to check out. This will help students develop an interest in reading and learn responsibility for taking care of books.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Observation week 5
This week's observation seemed to go smoothly as far as being able to report the children's reactions and their cognitive development. The children are all so different and the way they interact with their environment and find things that keep their attention. The class is composed of mainly male students and they spend the majority of the time engaged in the same activities daily. I think that the children have their own system setup when it comes to things they want to do. I enjoyed observing the children this week despite feeling under the weather.
An activity that I observed were a group of students standing around the train table. Each student had a train or two in their hands and were pushing the trains around and around the train tracks. Students spend several minutes at this location. Students were engaged in discussions about which color their train was and where their train was going. Some trains begin to race their trains against each other, they would start off pushing the trains along with their hands and then they were holding them in their hands walking quickly around the table trying to get in front of the other student. The skills the students used were use of their motor skills, language development, and social development.
An activity that I would plan for the next day for the students would be to plan a field trip down to the train station and let the students learn about the history of trains.
An activity that I observed were a group of students standing around the train table. Each student had a train or two in their hands and were pushing the trains around and around the train tracks. Students spend several minutes at this location. Students were engaged in discussions about which color their train was and where their train was going. Some trains begin to race their trains against each other, they would start off pushing the trains along with their hands and then they were holding them in their hands walking quickly around the table trying to get in front of the other student. The skills the students used were use of their motor skills, language development, and social development.
An activity that I would plan for the next day for the students would be to plan a field trip down to the train station and let the students learn about the history of trains.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Observation week 4
This week I got off to a slow start due to the tiredness from the weekend. It seemed that time was standing still and I was trapped in a dream state. I was lucky that the class of students I observe are full of energy and life. They definitely will wake anyone up that enjoys children. They had so much energy like they were hopped up on sweets, walking and running from one place to another, laughing, and very now and then crying. I think that once I got into the swing of things observing the children was alot of fun and had me grining from ear to ear. I am starting to find new ways to observe the students so I get the effect that I am exactly participating with them without having to use words or get in their way. The students are becoming comfortable with the additional faces "observation students" and want us to interact with them. This is the one thing I hate about the class that we can't interact with the children and have to be like flies on the wall just watching everything.
The one activity I observed this week were two male students playing at the train station table. Student one asks the other student "student two can you fix my choo choo train?" and student two doesn't answer him at first so student one repeats his self. Student two answers this time with "this is my choo choo train" and student one holds the yellow train up in his hand to show student two. Student two replys again " this is my choo choo train." Student two continues to push his train along the tracks on the table. Student one begins to walk away from the table and tells the other student "let's go play horsey" in an excited tone. Student one begins to walk quickly to the shelf where the toy horses are located and grabs two horses from the box. Student two walks over to the location of student one and selects a horse and a toy human male. They sit down on the large rug and begin to play with the toys.
An extention to the activity I observed would be reading a book about the Old West or Cowboys and I could include costumes of Cowboys or Native Americans in the dramatic play area . I would also include an outdoors activity where the students would race each others with stick handles that have a horse head attached to the front.
The one activity I observed this week were two male students playing at the train station table. Student one asks the other student "student two can you fix my choo choo train?" and student two doesn't answer him at first so student one repeats his self. Student two answers this time with "this is my choo choo train" and student one holds the yellow train up in his hand to show student two. Student two replys again " this is my choo choo train." Student two continues to push his train along the tracks on the table. Student one begins to walk away from the table and tells the other student "let's go play horsey" in an excited tone. Student one begins to walk quickly to the shelf where the toy horses are located and grabs two horses from the box. Student two walks over to the location of student one and selects a horse and a toy human male. They sit down on the large rug and begin to play with the toys.
An extention to the activity I observed would be reading a book about the Old West or Cowboys and I could include costumes of Cowboys or Native Americans in the dramatic play area . I would also include an outdoors activity where the students would race each others with stick handles that have a horse head attached to the front.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Observation Week 3
This week during observation I felt a sense of comfort that I was getting the information with an objective eye. I was alittle tired and the rain with the cool air didn't help. I was surprised at how energized the children were and that nothing would be able to interfere with their learning through play. The room was filled with three children when I arrived and as the day progressed many more flowed in with rain attire. The students remained in doors most of the morning until the rain settled and then they were moving at lightning speed when the teacher announced that they were preparing to go outside. I wasn't exactly thrilled about heading out in the cold, but I had to follow the children so I could take notes to what the activitity choices and conversations they engaged in. I couldn't help but notice that the whole time I was out observating the childrenI had a smile on my face. They were doing so many different things and were requesting the attention of onlookers, their teachers and peers. I wouldn't verbally express myself to the children so I thought to use non verbal communication which seemed to work just as well.
One activity that I observed is a male student aged three playing in the dramatic play area, he gets a pot from under the sink and places it on the stove. He proceeds to get another pot with his right hand and going through the dishes with his other hand that were also located at the bottom of the stove. He finds a lid and bends back up from under the stove places the lid on the pot on the stove. Another male student then comes over and the first students says "it's hard to make this. Don't touch it." the second student says "I want to try it." But the first student insist by repeating the word "no don't touch it" and the other student walks away.
The developmental skills that the student was using with this activity included creative play, motor skills, and social awareness.
An activity that I would plan for this child would be assisting making playdough for the classroom. This would help the student gain and expand his developmental skills in the following areas: gross and fine motor, sensory, cognitive (measuring, counting, science density of a dry material versus a wet one), and self esteem (having responsibilities and cleaning up after self).
One activity that I observed is a male student aged three playing in the dramatic play area, he gets a pot from under the sink and places it on the stove. He proceeds to get another pot with his right hand and going through the dishes with his other hand that were also located at the bottom of the stove. He finds a lid and bends back up from under the stove places the lid on the pot on the stove. Another male student then comes over and the first students says "it's hard to make this. Don't touch it." the second student says "I want to try it." But the first student insist by repeating the word "no don't touch it" and the other student walks away.
The developmental skills that the student was using with this activity included creative play, motor skills, and social awareness.
An activity that I would plan for this child would be assisting making playdough for the classroom. This would help the student gain and expand his developmental skills in the following areas: gross and fine motor, sensory, cognitive (measuring, counting, science density of a dry material versus a wet one), and self esteem (having responsibilities and cleaning up after self).
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