Reflection on a pretend observation of a k-3 classroom with children of diverse backgrounds - Essay Example

REFLECTION ON A PRETEND OBSERVATION OF A K-3 ROOM WITH CHILDREN OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS This paper depicts of a reflection about a pretend observation of a K-3 classroom for 5 hours a week. It aims to present a log of activities within this week, constituting 5 hours. The reflection is for one-week attendance of this K-3 classroom. An Observation Log for the First 2 ½ Hours: Upon the teacher’s entry, children were noisy and playful, with stories to tell each other. Students are of different ethnic backgrounds. Three of them were blacks, one was a Korean child, another one was a Japanese girl, one boy was a Filipino, three were British, and six were Americas. There were a total of 15 children in the pretend observation class. The teacher told the pupils to sit down and be quiet so that they will be able to enjoy their activities for that day. The children heeded to the teacher’s request. The subject matter for this day was Reading. The teacher read a story from the textbook about obedience. She took the big pictures she prepared last night for this activity. As she animatedly told the story, she flashed the pictures and stressed certain significant words. The children were listening with awe. From time to time, the teacher would ask the children to repeat after her on certain words which she deemed important to be stressed and remembered. Some of these are “bun, bone, huge, leaf, left, enter, and several.” When the reading activity was finished, the teacher asked the children about what they think of the boy who did not obey his mother, and about the consequence of his non-obedience. Some children answered actively, saying “it is bad not to obey parents.” The Asian children were more stressful about obeying their parents than were American children in the observed class. The teacher then got some illustrations about letters of the alphabet. She asked each of the pupils to say the sound of certain letters, such as “mmmm” for the letter M and “Oh” for letter O. She would flash some pictures to reinforce the sounds of the letter. She also asked children with different nationalities to give a word that starts with letter O in their native dialect. She asked a Filipino child and he said, “Orasan” (clock). An Observation Log for the Second 2 ½ Hours: The teacher prepared a film for the children in terms of phonetics. The film ran for 30 minutes. It was about learning the sound of the English alphabet with children of various ethnicity and nationality reciting the alphabet. After the film-viewing activity, the teacher grouped the children into five groups and asked each group to draw an orange to represent the letter O. Each member should contribute in the illustration, such as one would draw a circle, another one would draw the small dots, and another would color it, and so on. Each group was made to come in front to show their orange, where one would say the contribution of each member. The teacher asked the children to give applause to each illustration of an orange (no matter how disproportionate they appeared). The teacher asked the children to take their textbook in reading. She then requested each row to read orally certain short words in the textbook, such as: “read, apple, Indian, child, black, and brown.” The teacher took her prepared pictures again for this particular session, and told a story about a black boy who loves to read. She took a sequenced picture to match with her story. The children listened attentively while looking at the pictures. Reflection In the pretend observation, the teacher used literacy strategies in the K-3 classroom, matched with ensuring enjoyment on the part of the children who happened to have diverse backgrounds. She did this through pictures that captured their attention, knowing that the cognitive level of children in this stage corresponds with visual learning (Golbeck 2002). The most effective strategies for literacy include reading them a story and making them utter the sound of certain words to develop their phonetic skills, making them recite certain words and stress on their pronunciation, asking them to draw a particular object to familiarize them with the letter of the alphabet. The task of reading to children aims to develop language acquisition rather than literacy (McGee 2003), which is however important in the development of the latter. This is also a good activity for a classroom with diverse backgrounds. Thus, with the teacher reading to her class in this pretend observation, she is able to establish two objectives, namely: enabling the children to learn language skills, and making them acquire literacy skills. This acquisition of literacy skills is seen in her activities such as making the children utter the sounds of the alphabet (which is also related to language acquisition), and making them recite certain short words from the textbook. Reading readiness is also emphasized by the teacher in the observation logs. This is seen in making children recognize alphabet letters through direct instruction lessons (McGee 2003). The use of pictures while teaching the letters of the alphabet accounts for a more meaningful learning experience on the part of the children. It is also good that the teacher employed phonics instruction in the classroom activities, since children gain better in literacy acquisition through this activity (Hughes 2003). The strategy of reading to children in which children spend enjoying a good book in the company of a sensitive teacher and an inquisitive class also contributes to the reading success of a child (ibid p. 120), which is sensitively employed by the teacher in the observation. It is also observed that the teacher utilized both verbal and non-verbal activities, which, according to research, enhance children’s learning (Hughes 2003). This observation also highlights the teacher’s emphasis on dynamic dimension of learning, which involves “the sequence and changes that occur in all aspects of the child’s functioning with the passage of time” (Katz 1999 in Saarni, et al 1998). The active participation of children in the pretend observation also highlights the truth that when they are engaged in interaction, young children learn more effectively rather than when they are engaged in passive or merely receptive activities (Katz 1999 in Bruner 1999). Despite the age and cognitive levels of the children, it is observe that the teacher employed intellectually oriented approach enabling them to interact in small groups, which allow for the increase of their sense of learning experience, which, as Katz noted, is an important aspect of learning. The grouping on illustrating an orange to represent the latter O is a technique employed by the teacher to ensure equality and group dynamics regardless of ethnicity and cultural backgrounds. Asking the class to give applause to each group presenter exhibits the value of respect. How the Accomplished Practice was Addressed I addressed the accomplished practice by reading the assigned readings and consulting with them on concepts related to the assignment. It also helped to have relevant knowledge on how a K-3 classroom runs and the activities usually incorporated with it. Reading the assigned readings and applying the concepts embodied in them with the pretend observation is what is called for in this activity. References Bruner, J., 1999, April. Keynote address. In Global perspectives on early childhood education (pp. 9-18). A workshop sponsored by the Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy, National Academy of Sciences, and the National Research Council, Washington, DC. PS 027 463. Golbeck, Susan L., 2002. Instructional model for early childhood education. ERIC Digest. Retrieved on September 22, 2008 from http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-3/early.htm Hughes, Fergus, 2003. “Sensitivity to the Social and Cultural Contexts of the Play of Young Children.” In Isenberg. Joan P., and Jalongo Mary R. (eds.), Major trends and issues in early childhood education: Challenges, controversies, and insights. Teachers College Press. Katz, Lilian G., 1999. Anmother look at what young children should be learning. Retrieved on September 22, 2008 from http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/1999/katzle99.html McGee, Lea M., 2003. “Shaking the Very Foundations of Emergent Literacy: Book Reading Versus Phonemic Awarenes.” In Isenberg. Joan P., and Jalongo Mary R. (eds.), Major trends and issues in early childhood education: Challenges, controversies, and insights. Teachers College Press. Saarni, C., Mumme, D. L., & Campos, J. J., 1998. In William Damon & Nancy Eisenberg (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology. 5th ed. Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development. New York: Wiley. Read More