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.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
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).
Friday, September 30, 2011
Observation Week 2
During this week's observation I was a lot more relaxed then the first week. I am starting to recognize the students before they put their name tags on. This week there were some new faces. The start of my observation not to many students are present at 8 in the morning. The early arrivals are signed in, greeted by their teacher(s), and then head to the back of the class to wash their hands. The thing that always seems to surprise me is how much energy the children have in the morning. They go staright into play mode and where still able to focus their attention on the whole classroom (they were able to call out that a certain friend had arrived and greeted them).
One of the activities I observed were two three year old male students playing with large stuffed animals that were the same size of them on a large rug in the literacy area. Student one had a dog and studnet two had a turtle. They had the stuffed animals in both hands and were trying to carry them around in a circle. They walked around in the enclosed area for a couple of minutes then they stopped still holding the animals in the names. Student one asks student two "Wanna hold the puppy student two?" Student two doesn't reply with a verbal answer, he walks over to the book shelf and places the turtle down to get a book. He opens the book with his right hand while holding the book with the left. Student one walks over to student two and asks "What are we gonna do with the puppy?" as he places it on the floor. Student two then jumps on the back of the puppy into a sitting position. Student two states that " the puppy is going to be my car and take me all over the world." He grabs the back of the toys neck area and begins to bounce up and down while he makes a roaring engine sound. Student one looks on and begins to laugh. Then he states "I am going too." He sits behind student two on the stuffed animal and says "let's go". They extend both their hands out to the side and start to make whistling sounds with their mouths.
The developmentals skills the childen employed included balance and control in their motor skills, their speech consist of extensive conversations (ability to not only ask questions but answer them as well), and increased vocubalry, and ability to share and take turns (social awareness).
One of the activities I observed were two three year old male students playing with large stuffed animals that were the same size of them on a large rug in the literacy area. Student one had a dog and studnet two had a turtle. They had the stuffed animals in both hands and were trying to carry them around in a circle. They walked around in the enclosed area for a couple of minutes then they stopped still holding the animals in the names. Student one asks student two "Wanna hold the puppy student two?" Student two doesn't reply with a verbal answer, he walks over to the book shelf and places the turtle down to get a book. He opens the book with his right hand while holding the book with the left. Student one walks over to student two and asks "What are we gonna do with the puppy?" as he places it on the floor. Student two then jumps on the back of the puppy into a sitting position. Student two states that " the puppy is going to be my car and take me all over the world." He grabs the back of the toys neck area and begins to bounce up and down while he makes a roaring engine sound. Student one looks on and begins to laugh. Then he states "I am going too." He sits behind student two on the stuffed animal and says "let's go". They extend both their hands out to the side and start to make whistling sounds with their mouths.
The developmentals skills the childen employed included balance and control in their motor skills, their speech consist of extensive conversations (ability to not only ask questions but answer them as well), and increased vocubalry, and ability to share and take turns (social awareness).
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