SOCIAL STUDIES FIELDWORK ASSIGNMENT
Teaching and Learning Social Studies in Childhood Settings: Grade 1 to 6
The best research method for learning teaching methodologies in a classroom setting is systematic classroom observation. For a certain number of days, the observer is required to note down all the behaviors taking place in the selected class and should be recorded for future use (Zaare, 2013). There are various advantages for the researcher in such observational study, such as allowing the observer to take notes in a natural setting where students and teachers communicate regularly; therefore, more thorough and accurate data is collected as compared to other data sources. There is an additional benefit that change can be stimulated within the classroom environment, and its effects could be studied for deeper understanding. The results could be verified according to the change that occurred. The assessment of teaching is, therefore, well justified since the knowledge is based on effective instruction.
The purpose of this school study is to link the philosophical theories learned in the class with the observed classes of the selected schools. Moreover, the observation will be carried out in two different classrooms at different grade levels. The schools are located in different cities but the same state with the selection of public schools till 6th grades.
Part A: School Setting
Success Academy
Two school settings were visited for this assignment. The first one was the Success Academy, which was located in San Jose, California. The grade school was till 4th grade. It was a K5 primary or elementary school with the characteristics of a traditional public school, which has the responsibility of educating all children in a certain area without charging any fee, and the teachers are registered to provide teaching to those students. The school was required to stick to a specific curriculum issued by the state government and also the rules of policy and curriculum. The demographics of students included 64 percent Hispanic, 24 percent Asian, 8 percent Filipino, 2 percent two or more races, 1 percent Black, 1 percent White, and less than 1 percent Pacific Islander (Great Schools, n.d.). Fifty-one percent boys and 49 percent girls were studying in this school, and the language spoken was English. There were 77 percent of students from low-income families in this school. There were 24 students in the observed class, out of which 50 percent were English learners (ELL) and the rest having intermediate or higher language skills. Only 3 percent of the total student population were students with disabilities (SWD). The school staff demographics included 96 percent of teachers who had three or more years of teaching...
All of them were full-time teachers. The school support staff did not include any security guard, social worker, nurse psychologists, etc.
Esperanza Elementary School
The second school that was observed was Esperanza Elementary School that was located in Oakland, California. The grade school was till 5th grade and also a primary or elementary school. It also fulfilled the responsibilities of giving education to all the children of that specific area. It adhered to a particular curriculum that was advised by the state government. The tuition fee was not charged for any student, and the license registered teachers. This was a school with very little diversity since there were 98 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Black and other races students (Public School Review, n.d.). Fifty-two percent of girls and 48 percent of boys were studying in the same school.
The languages spoken were English and Spanish since it has a dual immersion program that allows the Native English and Spanish students to learn together. In K2, Literacy and Math were...
…approach proposes that the learner constructs or builds his knowledge based on prior information (Gunduz & Hursen, 2015). For example, in Success Academy, the
teacher first put a question for the students about how did they reach school, which led them to think about the means of
transportation of today. They already had prior learning of the present sources of transportation, which they extracted from their memories and told the teacher. The new
learning experience is gained when the teacher enabled them to activate their thought process and let the teacher know what they thought would be the past forms of transportation that they do not see any more in present times.
Additionally, this theory is also based on the notion that learning is an active process that might be built on previous learning. Still, the new learning is shaped with the receiving of passive information and making meaningful connections with the new knowledge. The students of social studies class knew what forms of transportation are known today, which was placed in their learning memories before. They extracted it and discussed the already known information with the teacher and other class members. The teacher then stepped in as a facilitator, bringing in new information and relating it with the already known. The cognitive development of the students originated from social interactions and directed learning within the classroom.
Conclusion
This paper proves to be quite helpful regarding learning and teaching perspectives in two different schools and two different grades, where diversity was quite apparent. It will not be inaccurate to say that teachers, parents, and children must work together for the better future of our young learners. Each student has a different learning capacity, and the teacher is a prime source for facilitation with the help of whom he can excel academically and in practical…
