Observation and Reflection

Running head: OBSERVATION AND REFLECTION

Classroom Observation Paper
Donielle E. Howard
University of Phoenix
MAT 531: Curriculum Constructs & Assessment: History/Social Science
Jackie Mangieri, MED

June 19, 2005

Observation and Reflection My observation involved me observing a wonderful teacher that teaches music for kindergartner to 5th grade, at Forrestal Elementary School. This teacher has been teaching for over 20 years. She has experience with many kinds of lesson and how to bring out education for the students to learn and grow. The teacher I am referring is Mrs. Ferguson. Mrs. Ferguson teaches many things while using music. She teaches through integration, reading, arts, history, social science, and even diversity. She is a teacher that has many talents that helps you to relate to education while understanding it. Therefore, the observation I had the opportunity to observe was about integrating music and geography. This teacher has used this style of teaching to help the students to identify and learn their states and capitols. In her lesson she is providing the students with more knowledge about the world map and how to identify the different states. From this lesson Mrs. Ferguson was able to promote the state standards and bring out her lesson objectives. Her lesson plan objectives met the states standards of understanding the geography, the uses of maps, and other geographic tools and technologies. She utilizes music to teach the states and capitols so that the students can memorize. Now when I observed the lesson sequence she did. She had the students identify either the state or capitol while using a world map. The lesson started with her giving the students a colorful card that had the state or capitol on it. Then she led the students in a song about the sates and capitols. Next, she instruct each student to take the state or capitol that he or she has and place it on the map, when he or she hear the name of the state and capitols. Last, she assessed the students on how well they were able to rename some of the states and capitol without looking at the map. And when she did her assessment, I pay attention and learned that most students are able to recall things if they do use music. Now, from this activity the students were able to do at least all of the states and capitols without help or probing. I thought that was very cool and I learned some very interesting things about teaching from her. If I had to do this lesson I would change nothing. While I was observing her style of teaching, I was also learning how to create and bring forth a lesson that promotes education through integration of the subjects. When I interviewed her she said, ”Music education helps children to learn without feeling pressure”. Plus it helps them to learn and study better. Somehow music has been proving to help improve our children test scores and understanding of what they are being taught. Mrs. Ferguson teaching style and how she used the different tools to promote the cognitive learning process does help me to understand teaching a little more. She is a teacher that does use technology in her lessons. The technology she uses in classroom is the tape recorder, flash cards, and the world map. Mrs. Ferguson does use some good method that promotes education. The way her lessons are set up every student has a chance to participate in the lesson. Therefore, I would not change anything about her lesson. The integration of history and social studies is what I observed. And from her lesson I learned that integration of subjects does help with the students’ developmental process. She has proved it to me because of the activities and the assessment she used to test the students with. The assessment she used was the oral assessment. This is a good method sometime because students do better when they get to tell you in their own words what they do remember. Now, when the students did this assessment they were able to get 40 out 50 states and capitols correct. And for fun she had them do search words puzzles and maps on the states and capitols. This way the students are getting to review and practice what she has taught them. However, the observation and interviewed of Mrs. Ferguson was very intriguing and educational for me. Her style was very different from the other teachers I had an opportunity to observe. She created a comfortable setting that promotes education and learning. This observation was very wonderful and I enjoyed the great experience that she promoted for me.

References
The Art and Science of Teaching. (2002). [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. Retrieved June 25, 2005 from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp
Maintaining an Effective Learning Climate. (2002). [University of Phoenix Custom e-text]. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. Retrieved June 25, 2005 from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp
University of Phoenix (Ed.). (2004). Curriculum constructs and assessment: History and social

science. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. Boston, MA: Pearson

Custom Publishing. Retrieved June 25, 2005 from:

https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp

References: The Art and Science of Teaching. (2002). [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. Retrieved June 25, 2005 from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp Maintaining an Effective Learning Climate. (2002). [University of Phoenix Custom e-text]. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. Retrieved June 25, 2005 from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp University of Phoenix (Ed.). (2004). Curriculum constructs and assessment: History and social science. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. Retrieved June 25, 2005 from: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp