Sunday, November 6, 2011

Reflective Fieldnote Blog Entry #4

     My overall impression of this observation is favorable.  It was a good way to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of a student who could otherwise “fly under the radar” because he is quiet.  In fact, the first several times I helped in class I don’t remember interacting with him at all.  Through the fieldwork I learned about how he interacts with others (teachers and students), and I suggested some ways that would help him become a more proactive student.  I also learned about his family life and how the importance of family shapes him. 
     The value of case study research and analysis in the classroom is the opportunity it gives the teacher to focus on one student. The teacher can more clearly see problems, triggers for disruptive or disturbing behaviors, patterns of behaviors (good or bad), or any aspect of the student that is preventing his/her learning.  This is so important because these intricacies of student behavior are not always evident when a teacher is up in front of a class teaching.  The ethnographic narrative is valuable because the teacher is able to learn about the whole person, and not just the student in his/her class.  Once an understanding of students’ family lives, hardships, cultural backgrounds, etc. is gained, the teacher is more likely to see the reasons for difficulties in school (ie. what may be thought of as laziness, could actually be explained as exhaustion from having to run a household and work after school). 
     The information from the case study and ethnographic narrative can assist future teachers and me in realizing that the student I interviewed is more quiet than some of the other students, and his family, especially his older brothers, are very important to him.  I am able to bring to his attention that he should try to raise his hand more often if he knows the answer so that he can be more engaged with the rest of the class in large group activities.  I can also vary the places he sits in large group activities so that he won’t go unnoticed. By doing family- focused activities often, he will have the opportunity to talk and write about his family.  This research allows the teacher to differentiate and personalize instruction to better meet ELL needs.

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