October 24, 2011

This pass Monday I observe the children playing in different areas. Outside the children played with the bicycles and on the climber. It was actually the first time i saw that the children were not interested in sand play.
Indoors, I observed children playing in the block area, doing play dough, dramatic play, and tracing different shapes on the table. The activity that I enjoy observing the most was the block area. The teacher had set up a structure build out of block. She had put different block to make a stair way and many more. She also included people toys. As she dismiss the children to go play she let them know that she had started to build a hospital and that who wanted to continue to play their. Two children seemed very interested in the block area. As they play they build the parking lot and park cars. They also put clear tubes on the side and said that they were the elevators.The children pretended to be Dr, nurses and the ill person.  
The children use their imagination along with their fine motor still. They also use math when counting blocks measuring the sizes of the blocks and matching the blocks.
To further the children learning the next day I would bring in a book of Doctors. A book that describe what a doctor is and what does he/ she do. I also would bring in Doctor materials like bandages, play injection band-aids and stethoscope. i would set up and area like a Dr. office with all the materials adding clipboards, magazine and pencils. Then i would allow the children to play and develop their imaginations pretending to be a doctor or going to the hospital.

observation of oct. 17, 2011

This pass week I observed a variety of activities. During outside play the children play in the sand box, tricycles area, climber structure, block area and read books at the table. During inside play the children played with clear color magnets on a light table. They also played with puzzles, read books on the carpet and did art at the table. While I was doing my lab hours the class seemed to be very calm. There was a substitute teacher that the children are familiar with.  But one thing I noticed is that the dress up clothes and the play shoes were not in the classroom. The teacher had taken them out to be wash.

Still the children seemed to enjoy the other areas. The children at the art table were making books. One of the boys traces a snake. Then her ask the teacher “how do you write snake?” the teacher spelled it out for him but at the same time she wrote in on a piece of paper for him to see. Them he drew lights around the snake. He told the teacher “look this are lights so he can see at night.” The teacher asked him “where’s he going?” he reply “I don’t know,” but suddenly he said “oh his going to eat.”

While the children were making their books they talk among them self about what they were drawing. Also the teacher encouraged them to talk. She asked them many open ended questions to each child individually and waited for their responds. The children seemed to be entertained making their own book. During this activity the children develop social skill by talking to their peers and adults. Also eye-hand coordination by drawing and writing and use their imagination.

I really wouldn’t change anything from this activity. I think it was well set up and the children were engage drawing, writing and talking among themselves and doing art the same time. One thing I would add to the end is to have a small circle time with them, so there able to share there books with their classmates.

October 10

This pass Monday I observed a cooking activity. It was outside play, but the teacher asked the children if they wanted to go inside with the teacher assistant to make pancakes. Only six girls out of fourteen children went inside, to do the cooking experiment. The teacher assistant had the table set up with all the ingredients and materials they needed to make pancakes. The material she had where a big dip bowl to mix all the ingredients, a small bowl, a mixing spoon, a spatchula, measuring cups, a pitcher with water. The ingredients she had out were pancake mix, water in the pitcher and a bottle of vanilla flavor. As the girls went inside the classroom they all went to the bathroom and washed their hands. Once they washed their hands, they sat on the table. Except one girls didn't sit down, she stood aside from the table. The teacher encourage her to sit down but the girl refused to. She wanted to see from far away she said. As they started to make the pancake mix, the teacher introduced all the ingredients to the girls. Then, step by step they poured the ingredients into the big bowl. First, they pored the pancake mix into the big bowl.Two girls help measured it and poured into the big bowl. Next, the other three girls poured water into the big bowl. Third, the teacher poured a little vanilla for the flavor, with out measuring the vanilla. She also allowed each of the girls to smelled it. Then, the teacher mix the ingredients until it was mix completely. After she mix the ingredients one girl at a time took turns and help mix, except the girl who stand on the side. Once the pancake mix was ready, the teacher put the dirty materials aside. Then she brought out the electric griddle and put towels around it to prevent any child getting burn, that's what she told the girls. Once the griddle was hot she sprayed cooking spray. Then, with a measuring cup she poured pancake mix onto the griddle. She did five or six pancakes at a time. While the pancakes cooked the teacher ask the girls open ended questions. Some of the questions were; how many pancake are here?what color are they now? How does it smelled? As they talked about the pancakes, the teacher flip the pancakes. As they talked the girl remember how their mom made pancakes. Some of the girls said their moms put milk instead of water. Others said their mom made bigger pancakes. Once they were cook the teacher placed the pancakes into three bowls. They cook about twenty pancakes. Finally, that's what all the children ate for snack. To further the learning on this experiment, the next day I would talk about the cooking experiment. I would set up the table with playdough with rollers, spoons, spatchula, plates. As the children play with it I would asked them open-ended questions about the cooking experiment. I would asked them what ingredients we use to make pancakes? How do we make them? What ingredients goes first, second and third? How do we make pancakes? And many more question.

Week 3

This pass week i observed a very difficult circle time for the teacher of the class room. first of all her two assistance where out for the day. The children were not use to the substituted. Even though both substituted were out, everything seemed to run nice and smooth. Until it was circle time. The children came in from outside play and sat on the carpet like everyday. The teacher sand her morning song and the children sang along. Suddenly the teacher tells them she had a new book to read to them. She had the book "Dirt Boy." As she began to read the book the children listen and sat on there bottoms. suddenly the children became inpatient and started to move around. some roll over, other laid on their back and looked away,some started to talk. About four of them started to run in circles. the teacher and the substituted sitting with them couldn't get their attention. the other substitute was preparing snack. finally the teacher stop reading the book and told the class they didn't seemed to be interested, so she wasn't going to read them any more.

i think the children were not interested in the book because they never heard, read it and knew nothing about it. if i was the teacher i would first introduce the book. I would ask them questions of what they think it was about. finally ask them to sit down and listen carefully. as i would read the book i would make it interested my maybe changing the tone of voice. second of all point at things in the book. for example the way dirt boy looked. finally i would ask them open ended question of the story once i finish reading the book.

week 2:

This pass week one of the girls in the class I observe seem to be enjoying sand play. She play almost the entire time the class had few play outside. She started by purring sand I'm different containers. She poured sand with her hand into the containers. Then with another container she poured water into the containers. She use the side of her body to press the bottom ta poured water out. Then she took one of the containers n sat in the sand with it. She smashed and flattened the sand out. She also pour more sand into her container she grabbed the sand from behind her back n pour into her container. Suddenly she lay flat on the sand and started to make sandangels. While she was playing other children invited her to play but she said no to them. When she finish playing sand she was fill with sand het dress was dirty with wet sand as well as her feet. If I was the teacher in that class I would of asked question about her play. I would of ask how did the wet and dry sand feel. To further her learning I would bring in measuring cups to show her measuring skills.