Assignment:
The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to conduct an in depth case study on one elementary age child. The assignment will give you the opportunity tohone your observation skills and apply the theories of social, emotional, cognitive and physical development you have been learning about in this course to the child in your case study.You will also have the opportunity to determine the classroom management strategies, instructional strategies and assessment strategies that would best support the child you study and reflect on insights you gained about teaching and learning from completing this assignment.
Directions:
1. Identify a Child to Study
Work with an elementary teacher to identify a child for your case study. The only requirements are that the child is in 2nd, 3rd , 4th or 5th grade and that the school is an elementary school.
2. Gather Background Information on the Child
Gather background information about the child you are studying through teacher and student interviews. Include the following questionsin your interview and any other questions you think would be appropriate for the study:
Teacher Interview
1. What can you tell me about the child's family background? Family composition? Cultural background? Socio-economic status? Home language, if the home language is not English?
Family involvement in school?
2. What can you tell me about the child's academic abilities?
3. What can you tell me about the child's behavior/social skills?
4. What can you tell me about the child's interests/talents?
5. What types of instructional strategies work best for this child?
6. What do you see as this child's areas of strength? Areas for improvement?
Student Interview
1. What are your favorite and least favorite subjects in school? Why?
2. What kinds of classroom activities do you enjoy doing the most? The least?
3. What do your teachers and other adults at the school do to make you feel safe?
4. What do your teachers do that help you learn?
5. What do you in class if you aren't sure how to do something?
6. What do you like to do in your free time?
3. Observe the Child
Observe the child in the classroom setting, at recess time and in the cafeteria for half a day (3 hours) and record what you see based on the questions below.
1. What do you notice about the child's physicalappearance and development?
Is the child physically mature or immature for his/her age?
What do you notice about the child's coordination?
How well developed are his/her fine motor and gross motor skills?
2. What do you notice about the child's social interactions with others?
Does the child engage with other students in class? In the cafeteria? On the playground? If so, describe the interactions you observe.
In what ways does the child participate in class?
In what ways does the child interact with the teacher?
In what ways does the child interact with other children? Does he/she initiate interactions with others?
Does he/she appear to have many friends? Does he/she interact with mostly girls, boys or a combination of both?
3. What do you notice about the child'sacademic/cognitive abilities from your observations?
Are there certain subject areas the child excels in (e.g. math, science, and reading)? Are there areas where he/she struggles?
What activities does the classroom teacher do that seem to motivate or engage the child? What activities do not seem motivating or engaging?
4. What do you notice about the child's emotional state?
Does he/she appear to be responding appropriatelyin social situations for the age level?
What do you notice about the child's mood while you observe them in the classroom, at recess and in the cafeteria?
Does the child appear to be self-assured? Does he/she take initiative?
How did the child deal with any adverse situations he/she faced during the day?
5. Write a 6 to 10 page paper that includes:
a. A title pagethat includes assignment title, your name, course number, instructor name and submission date
b. A summary of the information you gained about the child from your teacher and student interviews (use pseudonyms for the name of the child, school and teacher)
c. A summary of what you learned about the child from your observation
d. Application toLearning Theories
Review the learning theories described in the text (e.g. cognitive development (Piaget & Vygotsky), psychosocial development (Erikson) and moral development (Kolhberg)and explain which of thetheories can be applied to the child in your case study. Provide a rationale for each of the theories selected.
e. Application to Teaching
Describe which classroom management strategies, instructional strategies and assessment strategies in Ormrod, would be appropriate for the child you studied based on what you learned about the child. Provide two or more strategies in each of the three areas mentioned above. For each strategy give a rationale for selecting the strategy.
f. Reflection
What insights did you gain about learning from completing this assignment?
What insights did you gain about teaching from completing this assignment?
g. References
Attachment:- Case Study.rar