Students will spend 5 hours observing a classroom environment and record their observations in a journal along with their case studies.
* The observation must be typed, double-spaced, single-sided, using times new roman 12 pt. font, with 1-inch margins (unless otherwise indicated)
* Number the pages and use spell check.
*Attach a copy of your observation notes (which should be handwritten)
A. Description of the classroom. Is this a “comfortable learning environment?” What does what you see in the room tell you about what usually happens there?
B. Focus on the learning aids/manipulatives, audio-visual equipment and materials—demonstration materials, models, charts, maps. How effective to the materials see, to be? Evidence?How else might these materials be used? Might some other materials have been used with greater impact?
C. Focus on the class as a whole and record every interaction (or every other, if it moves too fast) between the teacher and the class. E.g. what is being asked, what general reaction occurs, who answers the teacher’s questions. How is the tone set at the beginning of the class? How many interruptions during the class period? For what? By whom? How much instructional time becomes “non-instructional” time? How does the teacher deal with these interruptions?
D. Focus on discipline and record what the teachers says or does to establish the “tone” of the classroom. What factors contribute to making the classroom an effective learning environment? If an “event” occurs: How did it develop? What did the student(s) do? What did the teacher do? Not do? What would you have done differently?
E. Focus on the use of questions. What type of questions were asked? By whom? Who responds? How often? Were the questions of variable difficulty? What happens to the responses of the students? What are the teacher’s responses? What kind of feedback does the teacher provide to his/her students? Can you identify specific types of feedback that we discussed in class? Is it timely? Generic? Praise/tokens? Positive in tone? Negative? Do students provide feedback to each other?
*** F. Evaluation: What did you like best about instructional approaches? What would you suggest that the teacher modifies? What specifically did you learn from this activity/assignment?
* Please refer to the syllabus for the rubric and part one of the field work. Feel free to write anything
