Assignment 4 Journal of Field Activities (30% Due Week 8) (Accomplished Practices: a.3 Instructional Delivery, a.1 Planning, a.2 Learning Environment; InTASC- Knowledge of Subject Area, Planning, Learning Environment; NAEYC 1a, 1b, 1c Child Development, 4a DAP Approaches, 5a, 5b, 5c Curriculum; 6a, 6b Professionalism)
The purpose of this assignment is to complete selected experiences to take place in a variety of settings and involving children. On a weekly basis, complete the activities listed as “Field Experiences”. Complete all activities and write a three-page summary about your experiences. Include comments about how the field activities contributed to learning about ELL learners and use of ELL teaching strategies. Submit along with your journal.
Week 1: a. Interview 3 teachers (preschool; kindergarten, and primary) and find out how what is their definition of social studies. Summarize their views and based on your findings and readings, write your own definition about social studies and include in your journal.
- Conduct observations in your community. Based on your observations create a onepagecultural profile about your community. Indicate cultural groups, languages spoken, faith-based denominations, presence of ethnic stores, newspapers in languages other than English, TV and radio stations with programs in other languages. Reflect on the data collected and describe how this would impact your planning.
Week 2: a. Visit and observe in a preschool and primary classroom. Note how teachers integrate social studies into daily experiences. Observe the classroom arrangement and identify materials and manipulatives related to social studies. Identify materials that support the needs of ESOL learners. Use the checklist “Observation of ESL Strategies” to identify the strategies used to support the needs of ESOL learners. Write a summary of your observations and include in your journal.
Week 3: a. Interview three children of different age groups: a preschooler (ages 3-4); a Kindergartner, and a primary age child. At least one of the children must be an ESOL learner. Ask them to tell you about what they did the day before; what they are planning to do tomorrow; what they are planning to do in the future (for instance, for the holidays, birthday). Note the children’s responses and how they define time through their comments. Note if children use any culture related terms or events to define their idea about time (Especially in the case of ESOL students). Based on their responses, suggest activities to enhance acquisition of the concept of time.
- Interview community members and parents of children and find out about celebrations observed by them and by cultural groups in your community. Prepare a list of the celebrations. Use the list to create a pictorial timeline about community celebrations and holidays.
Week 4: a. Select two children’s storybooks with historical content. Books should be appropriate for preschoolers (ages 3-4) and primary-age (5-8). Based on the stories, and using the CALPS model, develop appropriate critical thinking skills
questions (at least three). Be sure to include at least one question to check their sense about when the story took place. Implement the experiences with an ESOL learner. b. Use the questions to check their comprehension. Write a commentary about the children’s responses.
Week 5: c. Find out about the children’s view about space and location. Interview at least 3 children including at lest one preschooler (ages 3-4). Ask them to give you directions to where they live, to their school. Have a set of blocks available and ask them to “map” the directions from your location to their house. d. If possible photograph their maps. Comment about their responses and about their representations.
Week 6: a. Visit the children’s section at your local library and select at least 15 books about civics and values appropriate for preschoolers and primary level children. Be sure to select books that are appropriate for ESOL learners. Prepare an annotated bibliography including the suggested age level. Include in your journal.
Week 7: e. Review the section on folk arts in your textbook (Chapter 10). Investigate the folk arts most representative of your own cultural group. Select 3 of the cultural groups represented by children in your classroom and community and find out at least one type of folk art representation for each of them. f. Interview community members to learn more about the folk arts. Describe ways to share them in the classroom.