Case A |
Case B
Case A: Learning Centers for Early Childhood
Case Introduction/Commentary
In order for children to learn and grow, it is very important that
they have a variety of experiences that meet their needs as well as developmental
level. One of the greatest challenges for teachers is making sure that their
instructional strategies are developmentally appropriate for the students in
their classrooms. Teachers are able to overcome this challenge by engaging in
courses and workshops that provide them with information about developmental
theories, as well as through their experiences in the classroom. The following
case describes an early childhood teacher's attempt to use developmentally appropriate
curricula and strategies in her classroom. The student observer wonders whether
or not the teacher has come up with a useful combination.
Case A from Preservice Teacher
In the early childhood
class that I am observing the teacher uses learning centers on a regular basis.
There are several different centers: a kitchen center, a language arts center,
a science center, a math center, an art center, a computer center, and a play
center. The teacher provides very little structure in terms of what the children
should work on or accomplish at each center. Rather, she prefers to give the
students the opportunity to make their own decisions about what they will
do with the materials that are provided. The teacher does, however, make sure
that every student has an opportunity to participate in each of the centers
every week. She accomplishes this by having a chart where she or her assistant
records the daily center activity for each child. In addition to the participation
chart, the teacher and her assistant spend their time during center time patrolling
the room to make sure that all of the children are engaged in some type of
activity at the center they have been assigned to.
I think that using learning centers in an early childhood classroom provides
the children a great opportunity to explore and use their creativity. I
also like how the teacher gives the students the opportunity to make decisions
about the activities that they will be engaging in. I do wonder, however,
whether there is too much playing and not enough "working" occurring in
this classroom. It seems like the children are always making up games rather
than doing tasks like copying their letters or writing their numbers. Maybe
children at this age should be exposed to some of the activities that they
will be involved in at school and not be allowed to play continuously. Since
I hope to be an early childhood educator some day, I think a lot about what
is appropriate material for children at this age level. I guess I am still
trying to figure this out.
Case A Questions
- Do you think using centers as an instructional strategy is developmentally
appropriate for this group of children (assuming they are between the ages
of three and five)? Why or why not?
- Think about the different areas of a child's development (physical, cognitive,
social, emotional). How can centers be used to stimulate these different areas
of development? Be specific.
- Besides centers, what are some other instructional approaches that would
be appropriate to use with children of this age? Be specific, and provide
an explanation for why you think each instructional strategy is appropriate.
- Do you agree with the student observer that this classroom is too play-focused?
Why or why not?
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Case B: Where Have You Gone, Sam?
Case Introduction/Commentary
Many educators and researchers see
the value in teachers' learning as much as possible about human development.
There are a number of changes and influences that accompany a developing student
that can influence how a student acts in the classroom. A number of changes
are associated with puberty and the teenage years. The following case takes
a look at a situation in which the student has made a number of changes in
his life that have had a negative impact on his role as a student in his language
arts class.
Case B from Preservice Teacher
My observation takes place in an eleventh-grade
language arts class. The teacher is very enthusiastic when teaching, and the
students really seem to enjoy attending his class. There is one student who
does not really participate and often skips class. I did not think much about
him until my last observation when Mr. Kerr asked me if I wanted to talk to
him or ask him any questions during his prep period. One of the topics that
came up was Sam and his lack of involvement in the class. Mr. Kerr said that
Sam is a really smart kid who used to be very involved in school and sports.
Mr. Kerr was able to talk from experience since he also had Sam in his tenth-grade
language arts class. The change between the two years was like night and day.
He joked around with Sam last year when he was a B+ student, while this year
he is lucky to get a "hello" from him as a D student.
Mr. Kerr did not know the exact cause
for the change in Sam, but he has had a couple of different meetings with
Sam's parents. They share Mr. Kerr's concerns and said that Sam has become
more distant over the last several months. Mr. Kerr has tried a number of
things in the classroom, including group projects and presentations to try
to get Sam more involved in the class. He even tried talking to Sam, but Sam
acted as if nothing was wrong and just kept asking, "Is there anything else
or can I go?" Mr. Kerr feels like he has exhausted his options and has since
decided that as long as Sam isn't failing or disrupting the class, there isn't
much else he can do.
Case B Questions
- What are some possible causes of the changes in Sam's approach to school?
- How would you address each of these causes as a teacher? What resources
could you benefit from?
- What suggestions do you have for Mr. Kerr, who feels that his options have
been exhausted?
- Why is it important for teachers to study human development and the social
factors that influence it?
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