Description
Assignment #3 Field Experience Report,
You must arrange to conduct an observation in a special education classroom serving preschool-aged children with one or more types of disabilities, or in an integrated or inclusion classroom serving young children with and without disabilities, during the first six weeks of this session.
You must spend a minimum of four (4) hours in your observation. You cannot do your observation in your classroom and with your students. It must be in a different classroom setting. Be sure to include at least one setting with children who are English Language Learners (ELL) (You may choose to visit two different classrooms---e.g., classes for children with different types of disabilities---for two (2) hours each, if you prefer, but this must be approved by the instructor in advance.) You will need to arrange to meet with the teacher for a few minutes when the students are not present to answer some of the questions listed below. The required time may not include nap time.
If you wish to propose an alternative field experience, it must be related to the course and must be approved by the instructor prior to the fourth week. Your report must include sufficient detail about what you saw in the classroom to reflect the four hours of your observation.
- Students completing field experiences and field-based capstones must submit the demographic information about their site to their Instructor. The directions for doing so are provided in the syllabus Appendix C.
- Write a report about your observation(s). Your report must address the following:
- Date(s) and time(s) of the Observation(s)(e.g., Tuesday, Sept., 2021, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
- Description of Setting(s):
1) Community: Is it rural, urban, suburban? etc.
2) School: Is it a preschool center or an elementary school? How many students does it serve?
3) What percentage of the student body receives special education services?
4) Classroom: How is the room arranged? What is on the walls? Are there computers, learning centers, a library, a bathroom, etc.?
Include a floor plan in an appendix (Draw a simple Picture )
- Description of Students:
1) Include: age(s), type and severity of disabilities, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), gender, linguistic characteristics (e.g., English Language Learners), etc..
2) What were the criteria for placement in this setting?
3) What developmental areas/concepts/skills do these students have the most difficulty with?
4) Are any of the students Limited English Proficient? If so, what are the home languages?
- Description/Background of the Teacher and any other
Adults Working with the Students:
- Teacher & Aide: educational training, experience, area(s) of certification Volunteers: How were they recruited? Did they receive any training? What do they do in the classroom? Others?
- Schedule: What is the teacher’s schedule and during what hours do the students attend? What does a normal day look like? Do the students have regularly scheduled art, music, and physical education periods? (Do they attend these with their non-disabled peers?) Were there any changes to the regular schedule on the day of your observation?
- Mainstreaming or Pull-out Programs: Do some/all of the students spend some portion of the day in a different setting? (e.g., Are they in a pull-out program for resource room or time with a speech-language, physical or occupational therapist; mainstreamed into a general education class--if they are in a self-contained special education classroom for most of the day.)
- Curriculum: What is the overall approach or combination of approaches being used in the classroom (e.g., High/Scope, Montessori, High Reach, etc.)? Do the students participate in the planning or have opportunities to make choices? How does the teacher incorporate art, music, and creative movement into his/her instruction?
- What did you observe? (Provide sufficient detail to reflect the four hours that you spent with the teacher and his/her students.)
(e.g., activities; materials--commercial and/or teacher-made?; concepts/skills being taught/worked on/reinforced; instructional strategies; classroom and behavior management techniques; types and quality of interactions between the students and the teacher, between the students and the Aide/other adults in the classroom, among the students; were there any accommodations/modifications for the students (and/or their families) who are Limited English Proficient?; etc.)
- What are your conclusions about this teacher, the students, and anyone else involved in this classroom? What seemed to be working effectively? What would you consider changing or adding if this was your classroom?
Explanation & Answer
View attached explanation and answer. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Field Experience
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Professor
Date
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Field Experience
Date(s) and time(s) of the Observation(s)
Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2021, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Description of Setting(s):
1) Community: suburban
2) School: preschool center. Serving 92 students.
3) Percentage of the student body receives special education services: 100%
4) Classroom:
The classroom is subdivided into section with different learning resources.
On the floor, there are paintings of numbers and alphabets on the sections of the floor that is
not carpeted. Along the wall on one side of the class, there are shelves with colorful labels.
There are two doors, one main entry door and another door to the learning resource room.
There was a sink and cabinetry on one side with fewer wall labels. The teachers workstation
was on one corner with a short movable shelf behind it. There were different labels all-round
the walls with short open shelves below them. A writing board, desk, and shelves were used
to partition the class into two. On one side, there was a square table with 6 seats for the
students to seat around. There was also an open space for the students to sit on the carpeted
floor. The other half of the class had a tv and smart screen for the project along the wall.
There was also a carpeted area without any items. There was also a semi-circular table where
all students could seat. There was also paired desks for all the students.
Description of Students:
1) Include: age(s), type and severity of disabilities, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES),
gender, linguistic characteristics (e.g., English Language Learners), etc..
The ages of the students was between 3 and 5 years. They are children with autism with
varying degree of severity. 13 of students speak English at home and 2 speak Spanish.
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2) What were the criteria for placement in this setting?
Different criteria was used in placing students in the special education class. Pediatricians
conducting regular checkups on a child would recommend a specialist evaluation of a child’s
development. It could also be a suggestion by daycare providers or babysitters. Any child that
is thought to have developmental or learning delay is subjected to a comprehensive
evaluation. Some of the skills evaluated include social and emotional behavior, gross and fine
motor skills, hearing and vision, and speech and language. It is then determined whether the
child has a disability or delay that would require specialized attention. Children found to
require specialized help that are between age three and five are then placed in the class. If
they are younger, they may first be taken through early intervention before placement.
3) What developmental areas/concepts/skills do these students have the most difficulty with?
The developmental skills that the...
