CASE STUDIES: Early Childhood: "Caterpillar Circle"
The following questions are in response to a case study in EdPsych Modules psychology book.
Assess
pp. 317
1. Based on this short scenario, how would you rate the teachers' classroom management skills?
The teachers' classroom management skills are not very strong. She was not aware that all of the children were ready for the next activity because a few of them were helping Steve clean up. The class seems to know the drill and gets everything cleaned up before moving on, and they know exactly what to do when they hear the bell. Sarah handled the boys who were fighting over a spot on the floor well.
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2. What examples of misbehavior did you notice?
The misbehaviors in the class include the girls splashing in the sink, the boys arguing over a spot to sit on the floor, Ella who shouted "pick me, pick me!" when she was supposed to be quiet, and finaly, Jun-ho who was playing with the blocks during the story time.
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3. Which elements in this scenario might have required advance planning and preparation on the part of Sarah and Steve?
Advanced planning for the transition between snacks and story time needs better preparation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. How might interacting with children of various backgrounds and abilities influence a child's learning?
Interacting with children of various backgrounds will help develop the children's social skills between peers and adults. The skills will help them to make certain decisions about what they say. Students will also learn more about different cultures. Which as a result have a little bit more respect.
pp. 317
1. Based on this short scenario, how would you rate the teachers' classroom management skills?
The teachers' classroom management skills are not very strong. She was not aware that all of the children were ready for the next activity because a few of them were helping Steve clean up. The class seems to know the drill and gets everything cleaned up before moving on, and they know exactly what to do when they hear the bell. Sarah handled the boys who were fighting over a spot on the floor well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. What examples of misbehavior did you notice?
The misbehaviors in the class include the girls splashing in the sink, the boys arguing over a spot to sit on the floor, Ella who shouted "pick me, pick me!" when she was supposed to be quiet, and finaly, Jun-ho who was playing with the blocks during the story time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Which elements in this scenario might have required advance planning and preparation on the part of Sarah and Steve?
Advanced planning for the transition between snacks and story time needs better preparation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. How might interacting with children of various backgrounds and abilities influence a child's learning?
Interacting with children of various backgrounds will help develop the children's social skills between peers and adults. The skills will help them to make certain decisions about what they say. Students will also learn more about different cultures. Which as a result have a little bit more respect.
Reflect and Evaluate
pp.384
1. Within-class ability grouping typically is used in elementary school for reading and math. Is there any reason to form homogeneous groups in preschool? Why or why not?
I believe that for preschoolers, homogeneous groups are not necessary. Students are still learning basic skills and if they are in groups with different abilities of other students it will help themselves and others learn from each-other about the subject as well as social skills. It teaches them that not everybody is the same and may lessen the chance of bullying & misbehavior. If homogeneous groups are for math and reading may be good for students at this age because in groups everyone will understand each other better.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Assume that you are in favor of ability grouping. On what criteria would you group preschool students (ability, prior knowledge, age, etc.), and for what types of lessons?
To group the students I will have to determine what they already know and try to find out what pace they learn at. These groups will be for reading lessons and math related lessons. These subjects build upon themselves and become more challenging. There needs to be a sturdy base for the preschool students before they move on.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Review the guidelines for effective use of within-class ability grouping in the section "Elementary School: Using Within-Class Ability Grouping Effectively". Explain why these guidelines would be easier to implement in a preschool classroom than in an elementary school classroom.
The first guideline states that a teacher should adapt the instructional methods and materials to meet the needs of students in each group. The problem with this in elementary school is that the same amount of time is spent for each group which can effect other groups, particularly the faster paced group. It would be easier in a preschool setting because most of the students will need more of that time to fully understand. The second guideline is to keep the group sizes small. With smaller groups for preschoolers I believe the students will learn more from each other because of the fact that they are at a very basic level of learning new material. Lastly changing the group placement frequently would be more effective in a preschool classroom because the students are learning more than just the topic they are talking about but social skills as well. The teacher is to assume the same level of expectations for every student in that group, however in an elementary classroom the students may lower their expectations because of the group that they are in. Preschool students are not comparing others abilities yet.
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4. What are the benefits of using cooperative learning, especially in a class as diverse as Sarah's?
The benefits of using cooperative learning in Sarah's class are that the students are learning to work together. For example the students all helped clean their table after having a snack. Cooperative learning helps every level of abilities to learn. Because the class is so diverse the students will benefit by working with different abilities other than their specific level.
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5. Keeping in mind the developmental level of the children, what specific things would you need to do to implement the five elements of cooperative learning discussed in the module? Be sure to give specific examples of how you would implement each of the five elements, and address any challenges you would expect with this age group.
Positive interdependence is great for team-building strategies. An activity in gym class requires a group of students to get to one side of the gym to the other, just using gym equipment, without touching the floor. This activity well reinforce that every student in the group needs to cross over successfully for the whole group to succeed. In a classroom activity like coloring in a piece of art each student will be held accountable for their section of the project and the whole project together will show the groups accountability. The third element is face-to-face interaction. For this element I would pair the preschoolers up and have them critique their artwork and tell them the good things about it, what they like, and what they could add to the picture. The fourth element is interpersonal skills. For preschoolers I would make an activity that exercises interpersonal skills and have the students complete examples to reinforce those skills. Lastly group processing, after each activity I would have the class engage in a discussion about that activity just completed. This chance will give students to reflect on the activity and it will give them a chance to speak about the difficulties.
pp.384
1. Within-class ability grouping typically is used in elementary school for reading and math. Is there any reason to form homogeneous groups in preschool? Why or why not?
I believe that for preschoolers, homogeneous groups are not necessary. Students are still learning basic skills and if they are in groups with different abilities of other students it will help themselves and others learn from each-other about the subject as well as social skills. It teaches them that not everybody is the same and may lessen the chance of bullying & misbehavior. If homogeneous groups are for math and reading may be good for students at this age because in groups everyone will understand each other better.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Assume that you are in favor of ability grouping. On what criteria would you group preschool students (ability, prior knowledge, age, etc.), and for what types of lessons?
To group the students I will have to determine what they already know and try to find out what pace they learn at. These groups will be for reading lessons and math related lessons. These subjects build upon themselves and become more challenging. There needs to be a sturdy base for the preschool students before they move on.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Review the guidelines for effective use of within-class ability grouping in the section "Elementary School: Using Within-Class Ability Grouping Effectively". Explain why these guidelines would be easier to implement in a preschool classroom than in an elementary school classroom.
The first guideline states that a teacher should adapt the instructional methods and materials to meet the needs of students in each group. The problem with this in elementary school is that the same amount of time is spent for each group which can effect other groups, particularly the faster paced group. It would be easier in a preschool setting because most of the students will need more of that time to fully understand. The second guideline is to keep the group sizes small. With smaller groups for preschoolers I believe the students will learn more from each other because of the fact that they are at a very basic level of learning new material. Lastly changing the group placement frequently would be more effective in a preschool classroom because the students are learning more than just the topic they are talking about but social skills as well. The teacher is to assume the same level of expectations for every student in that group, however in an elementary classroom the students may lower their expectations because of the group that they are in. Preschool students are not comparing others abilities yet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. What are the benefits of using cooperative learning, especially in a class as diverse as Sarah's?
The benefits of using cooperative learning in Sarah's class are that the students are learning to work together. For example the students all helped clean their table after having a snack. Cooperative learning helps every level of abilities to learn. Because the class is so diverse the students will benefit by working with different abilities other than their specific level.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Keeping in mind the developmental level of the children, what specific things would you need to do to implement the five elements of cooperative learning discussed in the module? Be sure to give specific examples of how you would implement each of the five elements, and address any challenges you would expect with this age group.
Positive interdependence is great for team-building strategies. An activity in gym class requires a group of students to get to one side of the gym to the other, just using gym equipment, without touching the floor. This activity well reinforce that every student in the group needs to cross over successfully for the whole group to succeed. In a classroom activity like coloring in a piece of art each student will be held accountable for their section of the project and the whole project together will show the groups accountability. The third element is face-to-face interaction. For this element I would pair the preschoolers up and have them critique their artwork and tell them the good things about it, what they like, and what they could add to the picture. The fourth element is interpersonal skills. For preschoolers I would make an activity that exercises interpersonal skills and have the students complete examples to reinforce those skills. Lastly group processing, after each activity I would have the class engage in a discussion about that activity just completed. This chance will give students to reflect on the activity and it will give them a chance to speak about the difficulties.