Write about any developmental differences you've observed between the case study child you focused on and the children in your field classroom.
Questions:
What can the children in your field classroom do that your case study child might not be able to do yet?
What difference do you notice in the way the primary grade classrooms are structured in comparison to ECDC?
In my field classroom, I observe 23 second graders, as opposed to the single three-year-old girl I observed at ECDC. Obviously, there is quite a large gap in the ages of these children, so the activities that they participate in are going to be very different.
I observed my case study child at recess and during snack time, so I didn't have an opportunity to observe her during class time, however, from my previous observations at ECDC, I feel like the classrooms there are much less structured that they are in my second grade public school classroom. The children move to and from activities mostly at their choosing, with the teacher occasionally interrupting them for a read aloud or snack time.
At Drayton Hall, the day is very structured and every free minute of the day is assigned a specific task. Students barely have time for choosing activities in which to participate, they must move from one subject to another quickly and quietly, and the only time we observe them doing anything other than actual class work is when the teacher gets to grab about fifteen minutes a day to ask the children if they are "thumbs up or thumbs down" where they go around the classroom and talk about what kind of day they are having, however, even this tiny, important sharing time is rushed due to the children having to hurry and leave for their reading class.
I definitely prefer the relaxed atmosphere of ECDC to the busy, structured one of public school, but I understand the need for the increased pace at the grade school level to meet all of the required standards with increasing pressure from the federal and local governments to improve test scores.
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I agree that ECDC is ideal but unrealistic for the number of students that are in public school. I could just see the chaotic look on their faces as they shuffle around in little light and such a relaxed environment. I don't know exactly why but I prefer public school to ECDC.
ReplyDeleteOur posts are almost identical! I almost feel as if there should be a school in which both aspects are incorporated. I believe and understand the need for the increased pace of the grade school level in order to meet the standards, but I also feel that children should have the time to play like at ECDC. I wish there was a school that incorporated both extremes.
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