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Name: Amanda Skowbo

FIELD NOTES
Cluster A: Context (Home, Classroom, School, Neighborhood)
Cluster B: Sociocultural Variables (Race & Ethnicity, Social Class, Gender & Sexuality, Social Interactions)
Cluster C: Neurodevelopmental Variables (Language, Attention, Memory, Higher Order Thinking, Motor, Spatial & Sequential Ordering)

Home
Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

10/01/14

10/24/14

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Classroom

Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these


with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

Most of the studentsstudents home


life has no structure in the home 3rd- 3rd grade teacher walking me to
classroom.

Student L comes up to me during recess and


introduces a 2nd grade student as his brother M.

According to school files student L


comes from a single mother home,
and has a younger 7-year-old brother
that also goes to the same school.
Student L has missed 11 days of
school, and been tardy 8 times

11/12/14

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?

Students are working on Thankful letters to their


parents and writing their addresses. Student L says,
only have to write to Mom because has never
known dad. Also, tells me he lives in downtown
Grand Rapids about 20 minutes away from
school.

L must live with single mom that works a lower


paying job and they live out of the neighborhood
and have to commute into school, which may
explain why tardy or absent. Based on the
teachers comment this is probably a common
scenario for other students.

Date & Time


Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

10/01/14

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

4th Grade Classroom is about the size of a little


league baseball diamond. Door is also on the angelel
between the west and north wall.
West Wall: 10 long -3 foot cubbies, each divided
into 3 smaller 1-foot cubbies with a hook
underneath line the entire west wall of the
classroom. In the long cubbies are is supplies and
extra books that the teacher uses. Extra supplies
includes Kleenex boxes, paper towel, poster
materials, and hand sanitizer. The smaller cubbies
below it are numbered from 1 to 30 and each student
has one, and the hook below that has their jacket and
backpack on it. A poster above it reads, if you
cannot say anything nice, then do not say anything
at all. Clock on left side above the cubbies that has
on it a post-it note that reads, check answers.
There is a two-foot wide pathway of tile under these
cubbies, while the rest of the classroom is all blue
carpet.
North Wall: When facing the north wall, the door is
on the right and next to the door is a 2x4 white
cabinet. The teacher has her supplies and material in
there. On the outside of the upper right cabinet has a
teacher helper chart with the childrens names on
popsicle sticks and each of them in the pocket of the
chore. Chores included things like line leader and
hand out papers. The upper left one has a math
master list that has each student and a star next to
name and under what math facts have mastered

How much did the school


provide compared to what the
students had to bring and buy?

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?

Make connections here to class discussion,


readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these


with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

Students eat breakfast and lunch in


the classroom. And have a high
percent in the free and reduced
program for meals in the school.
Ms. M

Students probably come from lower income


families since all but 4 students buy a lunch from
the school and 85% of the students have free or
reduced lunch program.

Based on the free and reduced lunch percent, I


think that the teachers and school help provide
the extra supplies that sometimes others
schools require each student to bring.

With check answers post-it, I assume many


students rush through the tests and need it as a
reminder to slow down and double check.

Why are there so many cabinets


and shelves? Are all really
needed and used?. Which ones
do students have access to?

Students must all feel like a part of the classroom


as they all have a role to help. No one is secluded.

(addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).


More than of the class had no stars and one had
three. On the left side of the cabinet is a horseshoe
table with it facing with smaller ring in middle. with
the U flat part against the wall. Three chairs on
outside with laptops were at it and headphones.
Teachers chair sat in inner loop. Then on left, a
computer desktop was next to the horseshoe table.
In the left side oif north wall and corner of north and
east wall was a sign that says reading corner with
shelves 3 high full of books, school supplies
including markers, crayons, colored paper, glue, and
sharpened pencils, flash cards wereas there. Two
small lower beach like chairs sat facing south wall,
and rocking chair faced the north wall. Posters on
the wall included math posters with fractions, place
value/money, and geometry and measurement.
Noticed that aAll walls are white, and only colors
are the faded blue carpet and the posters and bulletin
boards on the walls.
East Wall: The reading center also lines this wall
with a 3ft high shelfve. 2 windows about 2 yards x 2
yards are half way up the wall, have white blinds
half way open and are spaced at 1/3 the wall length
and 2/3 wall length. Poster on right side of wall
above reading center had Big Post-It that reads
classroom expectations and has an small 3 sentence
list for room to grow. In middle of windows, there is
a chart full of dictionaries and encyclopedias and
then a 2ft high cabinet about 4 feet high with
calculators, counting blocks, dice, flash cards, and
books with audio tapes.the students use and helpful
hands-on materials. There is then a table facing the
teachers desk with reading material and white
boards on it. Teacher desk faces the north wall and
is in the corner of the east and south wall. Has
pencil holder, lamp, and many binders on it.

Timed math sheets and facts is something


students are working on and based on stars, they
need improvement/more practice.

Do the posters help students?

Do the white walls help keep the


focus of students better on the
teacher at the front of the
classroom?

How often do students use the


reading center, actually reading
the books on the shelf?

Why does the teacher have two


desks? Is there a difference or
importance for each one?

The information on chart and posters do talk


about what learning, so I assume that have some
advantage for some students and others do not
notice as often.

South Wall: The front of the classroom. On the left


is a rectangular table with audio books. Above it is a
lime green bulletin board that is 2 years yards by 1
yards. On it is a chart with the childrens
expectations of the teachers, and a clothespin with
their name on it. The list incudes from highest level
to lowest reading Going above and beyond Ms. Ms
expectations, Exceeding Ms. M s expectations,
Meeting Ms. Ms expectations, Not doing what Ms.
M has asked and off task, and have had many
warnings from Ms. M and parent phone call home.
Throughout Throughout the day, Ms. M tells the kid
to move it up or down based on classroom behavior.
Above the upper right corner of the green bulletin
board is an American Flag just larger than a piece of
8.5x11construction paper. In the center is a 4 yard
by 4 --yard white board. The board is unevenly,
divided into thirds (the smaller portions on the
outside). Upper left of white board has the title
moral focus and reads: wisdom to be careful and to
do what is right. Under the moral focus is the date
written both numerically and letters. Then the
schedule of the entire day is written below that with
the time and activity the students will be doing. The
middle section is black open space and is what
projection is projected onused to be written on for
what the class is doing or as a projection screen. The
right third is divided evenly vertically into two.
Upper left in the third is has the Classtitle Class
objectives, which reads: ELA: I can read, write,
and discuss topics about how we can learn to
appreciate the talents of others. The lower left is
tilted the students homework, for example:
practice spelling and math worksheets. The upper
right is the a list of words spelling words for the
week, numbered 1 through 20 with words such as
monkeys and friends. The lower right is another
list of words numbered 21 though 26bonus spelling
words that are longer and harder according to Ms.
M. Theythat include words such as ambulance.

How often are the clothespins


used and when they reach the
lowest level, do you actually call
the parents?

How often do students use the


audio books? Are some in
different languages or just
English?

When are students tested on the


spelling words? Are the bonus
words only used for advanced
students?

What is the importance of


CHAMP STARS? Have seen it
at many charter schools in the
area?

The school must hold high values for the students


and try to teach them a moral principal. These
focuses are used to help the students become the
better of themselves and learn life skills as well,
besides just the academics.
The white board must be where the majority of
the day is taught and where important information
for the students are located.

Sitting in each front of each corner of the white


board, are BIG Post-its on easels with ELA on the
heading and they date. Under those titles are English
Language Arts material including things learning
that day and working on. For for example, rules for
a limerick. In front of the white board is a
rectangular table with a rolling chair in front of. On
the table is files of paper work, a basket marked
turn in, basket, a projection, an Elmo, and
teachers laptop. To the right of the white board on
the wall is a pink bulletin board with the letter
CHAMPS STAR which stands for the acronym
(Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement,
Participation, Success, Sit up straight, Track
speaker, Ask questions, Respect everyone) on it. It is
the same size as the green one, and in front of it is
the teachers personal desk. Desk.
26 Desks arranged in center of room with pod of 6
desks front center, pod of 6 angled on left and right
front, and pods of four straight on positioned in the
openings the windows made from the front row.
Noticed dress code must beStudents were wearing
navy, black, or khaki pants or skirt with green, navy,
or white polo. Yet one student was not dressed in
this at all and instead in red sweatpants and red
sweatshirt. Some students had a sweatshirt on as
well. students could wear sweatshirts over it if
needed.
Students in Math (21):
4 appear white White
1 appears Indian
I appears Hispanic/Latino
13 appear African American
2 appear mixed (could not tell)

Desks have names on them, but


when they change classrooms,
does someone else use thes
desk? Are there ever any issues
with theft or things being
misplaced?
How enforced is the dress code,
because one student is not
following it at all?

Why is the area of Kent County


mainly white, while the majority
of students are not white?

CHAMPS STAR is the way the students are


supposed to act in the classroom and show that
kind of behavior often.
School Race/Ethnicity:
Black, non-Hispanic: 389
White, non-Hispanic: 174
Hispanic: 69
Asian/Pacific Islander: 22
American Indian/Alaskan
Native: 3
Two or more: 22
Enrollment by Year:

4th grade: 76
(NCES.ED.Gov, 2011-2012)

Dress code exists, but must not be strictly


enforced since a student is not in it and has not
been punished/asked to change for it.

Is there a dress code? If so, how


strict is the dress code, because
How enforced is the dress code,
because one student is not
following it at all?
Ms. M told me that one girl was
Ethiopian instead of African
American.
Do students learn about other
cultures from one another?

The diversity of the classroom shows that the


school values that aspect. Students most likely
learn from and about other cultures than their
own.

Students in Science (21)


1 appears Asian
1 appears Wwhite
2 appear Indian
1 is Ethiopian (teacher pointed out)
16 appear African American
10/8/14

Students move around, someone is up sharpening


pencil or moving at least every2 minutes throughout
the teachers lesson.
To get students attention Ms. M puts hand up with 5
fingers up and counts down on fingers. Students
raise hand as well and quiet down when doing this.
Tells students she will take away recess if they are
not quiet in time.

12:30pm Students are eating lunch at their desks


and clean up as they are getting ready to switch into
their math level classesmove around and grab
material as if going somewhere. Students greet me
saying, Hi Ms. Skowbo.
12:33 Students switch classrooms based on f
proficiency in math.
12:35 Lesson begins as Ms. M tells students to
pull out their math books to page 101 and students
get settled into desk as MS. M puts a Review
Problem is put up on the white board.
12:37 3 students at board solving the same long
division 2 digit by 4 digit problem, while 1 girl is
walking around the room and says, MamaMaam,
I cannot find my book!
12:38 Ms. M reviews students work and goes

Ms. M can be strict by threatening to take away


the fun free time, but it is the way she can get the
students attention and make sure they are
focusing.

Is it a distraction to the
classroom with how frequently
someone is up and doing
something in the classroom?
Does this process of counting
down by five on her fingers
always work and how often is
recess actually taken away or
just something Ms. M says to
make the students quiet down?
Ms. M told me that the students
change classrooms between all of
fourth grade based on their math level.
She has the middle level math class.

Being in the correct level math helps students


excel at the pace and level they need. That way
they can learn the most that year and not be bored
or fall behind.

How often do the students switch


classrooms based of level they
are in? Are they ever able to
move up or down into other
levels based on performance?
What decided and placed them at
the level math class they are in?
Before lunch, the students learn the
new math subject and lesson of the
day and teach them the method and
what to do. It is more teaching then.
When you are here, they are now
applying what learned earlier that day
to the problems and work doing in the
workbook. Then go further into
practice with a take home worksheet.
Ms. M

The pods built help one another teach and learn


from each other for they do not always have to go
to Ms. M for help. They instead can use one
another.

over the problem on the board using two different


methods, labeled on the board as the extended
version and place value version of the problem.
12:40 one boy sneezes 6 times in a row and the
students in the class laugh and chuckle at him.
12:42 - Then she tells the students to do the next
three pages of problems on their own. During this,
many students fidgetevery few minutes would move
in their seats and make movements or talk to others
at their pod.

Ms. M has to be a strict teacher to gets students


attention; otherwise, kid may be too noisy and not
get the work done. Students must love recess
since that is the treat being taken away.

Is working on just math


problems out of the book
effective or no helpt? When do
students actually learn the new
material being taught, or just
expected to be taught it out of
the book?

12:44 Ms. M raises hand with five fingers up and


then counts down with fingers which get the
students to pay attention and quiet down. Says she
will take away recess if have she has to do it one
more time.
12:45 Students continue to work on their pages by
themselves. Seven come up to the teachers front
desk to ask questions and flock the desk. Then Ms.
M tells students to sit at desk and raise hands
instead. 75 percent of the students are having
conversations in pods while doing work pages when
even though Ms. M already said, no talking. 2
girls are sitting on the floor right by front board
doing the work. I walk around helping those with
raised hands and so does Ms. M. At least oOne
student is at least up every 5 minutes walking
around the classroom or going to sharpen pencil.
Many of the students hands are in the air and begin
to wave in air while working individually do it. Ms.
M stands by one student with hand raised and makes
way around room with hands raised with one
student.
1:08 Ms. M goes back to the front of the
classroom and reviews the problems on the board
that the studentsy were supposed to do.

Are the students allowed to sit on


the floor right at the board
whenever they like, or is it only
certain students at certain times?

Each student has a different level of ZPD, but


most of students have long division in the ZDP or
below ZPD range in the math class I obsereve.
The Students here are in the ZPD
stage and need hints before they are
able to master the material. ZPD: the
area of trying to understand
something with support and not
meeting at all.
(Pearson, 2013)

The Students here are in the ZPD stage and need


hints before they are able to master the material.

The switching of classrooms must help students,


because when back from other class sit down and
are focused (as best as a fourth graders can be) on
the new topic of discussion.

1:10 after going over two of the problems, Ms. M


asks the students to close their eyes and raise their
hands if they are not getting long division. 5 hands
are raised.
1:11 I take the 5 students into the hallway and
review the process of long division while Ms. M
keeps going over the problems they did in class and
moving ahead in class and work.
1:30 Recess is going on outside on the
playground. Only 4th grade is out at the time, out and
2 teachers come out while one stays in with those
finishing work.
1:45 (Who?)The class S switch classrooms again
(back to normal roomstheir actual teacher and
rooms) for science. Class this day had a science test,
so I went to one of the other rooms and continued
helping with mathematics. Ms. M said the normal
day would includeing reading out of the science
textbook and doing activities that relate to it.
S(students reading out loudaloud listen to a tape, or
she Ms. M will read aloud for the class.), and after
after reading, students reflecting on it afterward, and
takinge notes in their science notebook with new
vocab words and sometimes do labs. The journal
notebooks are for helping remember in a way they
can remember the information better.
In other classroom, I helped one-on-one with
students still working on long division. Students
were working in math workbooks again, on math
computer games, or free reading/coloring if finished
all. This is what teacher said options were. Students
rotated on computers using popsicles with their
names on it:
1:47 Student 1
1:56 Student 2

When do other grade levels go


outside for recess?
Does switching classrooms
actually help or hurt the
students? Does it get their
attention better or distract them
more?

What does teacher do at time?


Does this large independence of
learning by the students actually
help them learn better and
improve?

Does the amount of computer


work they do help the students
learn as well?

Teachers at this school seem to allow the books


and materials that are given to students to help
teach themselves when I am observing.
Especially in mathematics.

1:59 Student 3
2:04 Student 4
2:09 Student 5
2:12 Student 6
2:27 Student 7
2:33 Student 8
2:40 Student 9

School
Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?
Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these
with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

9/28/14

10.01/14

Playground outside is surrounded by a


metal fence that is rusting
Playground material is faded from
exposureer to the weather. Playground is
only about the size of the college dorm
lobbyslobby.
Only about 3075 parking spots are at the
school
Schools drive way makes a circle going
counter-clockwise when driving into the
school and circles back out.
School has red brick on bottom of building
about half way up and then a white/tan
color until roof. Roof is a grey and shingled
roof
Woods/big tree line is behind the school
Three Four trees sit in the rock laid circles
School building is in an L shape with the
bottom of the L pointing towards the East
Paris road and the Vertical part of the L
lining the East Paris road. Point is to the
back
Electric sign (not working) in front of
school, but not on road, with school name

Office has a security scanner know as Lobby


Guard that requires taking a picture and license
for your information. It prints out a paper that
has the picture, your mane, and date on it and it
goes into a red I have to go through and a
visitor lanyard that must be warn while visiting.
Principal greeted me and appeared to be African
American.
School had two secretaries in it that gave me
the volunteer lanyard. Both secretaries are
present at a desk with a desktop computer on it

When was school built?


Is the faded playground older
that the newer one? Was that
playground added after the faded
one?

Charter School authorizer


is Lake Superior State
University
School built in 1998
Young 5, K-8
662 Enrolled
No transportation given
Have a dress code
Established in 1998
Ridge Park Elem
School Website., 2014
19.68 student ratio
Highest Race/Ethnicity is
Black, non-Hispanic with
389, White, non-Hispanic
174, Hispanic 69,
Asian/Pacific Islander 22,
American Indian/Alaskan
Native 3, and two or more 22
Large Suburb School

Enrollment by Grade:
Kindergarten: 73
1st Grade: 83
2nd Grade: 75
3rd Grade: 82
4th Grade: 76
5th Grade: 76
6th Grade: 81
7th Grade: 67
8th Grade: 66
-

NCES.ED.Gov, 20112012

I see little signs and people from the authorizer


Lake Superior State School, meaning besides
funding and setting up the curriculum must not do
too much more.

The school is a newer school, being only built in


1998,l and the school appears to looks modern.

The fence around the playground is most likely


used to keep the students from going into the
woods and keeping the animals of the woods not
on the playground.

The school seems to have a high diversity


between race and equal size classes of students.

The school must be safe because only entrance is


at the main office where two secretaries sit and
there is a check in security system.

and both were talking on their schoola noncellular telephone when I first walked in.
Office is painted light blue. In addition, 4 doors
line the hallway in the office.
Hallways are double the arm span of a 53
person and are covered with artwork.
One hallway had 4 rectangle tables on left side
of hallway with food and trays on it that
students were purchasing taking food and
taking it back to the classroom to eat. A teacher
sat at the end of the tables with cash register.

How control what students eat,


and what if have enough food to
keep them full through the
daystill hungry?

No hallway lockers or hooks are in the halls.


The building is only one floor.
Each age has their own wing in the building. K2, 3-5, and 6-8. Large 3 foot by foot, metal
signs hang above each doorway/hallway
entrance to these wings marking which one is
which.

Is Are there no hooks/lockers in


the hallways because of theft
issues or other things like that, or
fire hazard?

Teacher in Hallway: These kids can be


challenging at times because they
have no structure in their homes

With little structure at home, I am guessing that


they keep most of the activities in the room, even
coat hooks, to keep an eye on things and so that
have a structure where no misbehaving/problems
go on where no one is watching.

Backyard field is where the students have


recess. There is a soccer field out back, a wire
fence that surrounds the entire year, a 3 foot hill
is on the outside of the field and where the
fence is. There is a swing set with 8 swings on
it, and two playgrounds with slides, monkey
bars, and other playground equipment. One is
plastic and faded in color, while the other is
metal. Over 100 kids are outside with three
teachers outside as well during the time of
recess.
10/8/14

In the hallway leading to the 3-5 wing, where I


walk down to get to the classroom have the
walls covered in flags from countries all around

Are the students that have ties

The school must value diversity and hold it as an


important variable in the school, as well as other
cultures. The school must celebrate and bring in

the world. Students pictures are under 75


percent of the flags. In addition,T There were
40 different countyries represented in the school
population. Flags with pictures under them.
School has no rusting and bricks and halls
haves no trash, dirt, or other features that would
age the school. There is a lotmany of
technologyof computers in classrooms,
televisions, and security systems in the school
as well.

and represent each student? If so,


are the students who represent
each country actually from that
country, or just their parents are,
or just have heritage linked to
these places.

The students pictures represent


where students are from or families
are from to show the great diversity of
the school. Ms. M

other cultures. The school holds a value of


acceptance of other differences.

Neighborhood

Date & Time


Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

9/28/14

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Many 20 differnent business buildings


surround the school, but of the businesses
are for sale or vacant
A block down from the school ist the St.
Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church
Behind From the road, there is Gym Co. that
is placed behind the schoolthe school is a gym
The schools shares the same Camelot Road
drive way with the company Rehmann
Across from the schools drive wayEast Paris
Road is a residential neighborhood lined with
about 5 homes on each side of the street for
every block. Cars are lined on the right side of
the road, going away from the school making
it hard for cars to get through. About of the
homes have do not have damage to windows
or the roof
A Rapids bus stop sits right at the corner of
the schools on Camelot Drive and East Paris
Camelot Road turns into a round aboutThe
round-about driveway at which the school sits
at the middle endat, the rest of the land has for
sale signs and grass is about the same height as
me which is 53 tall.
The sidewalks around the school are cracked,
have goose poop all over them, and about 30
pieces of trash surrounding the sidewalk on

Questions:
What do I Wonder?

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?

Often, we understand incompletely.


Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still do not understand. Identify those
here.

Make connections here to class discussion,


readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these


with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

Why are so many things closed


and for sale? Is business not
good in this area?

Research on Neighborhood:

The area must not be a busy enough area/street to


get business or the area may be poorer where
people do not have the money to spend on these
businesses and why most vacant.

Race

90.1% white
1.7% Black or African
American
0.2% American Indian or
Alaska Native
4.3% Asian
0% Native Hawaiian and
other Pacific Islander
0.1% Other Race
1.5% two or more races
2.0% Hispanic or Latino

Do any of the students use the


Rapid bus to get to and from
school since right by the school?

PopulaitonPopulation
Total Population: 16,661
Population Density (per sqsq.
mile): 1,086

Why is there so much trash? Is


Are there no cleaning services
that come around? Or is a trash

Population of Age
5 and under: 5.9%
5-17: 21.4%
18-19: 2.6%
20-24: 4.4%
25-34: 8.0%

After looking into the school sources and the fact


that there is no busing and the school does not fit
the data sources given, I am guessing most the
students parents drive them in from somewhere
else.

Based on race of students, I am assuming that the


students do not come from the residential area
around the school and most do not take the Rapid
because it may be too far.

each blockit per block.


Sidewalks do line the neighborhood across the
street along withand the way to the school
There is not aNo clear sign of indicating the
schools location from Eat Paris
There are cross walks on East Paris that allow
people to cross the street to the driveway to the
school
School back from road East Paris about 1/10th
of a mile and sits up on a settle hill and highest
point in that area

dumpb close by?

35-44: 13.1%
45-64: 29.3%
Over 64: 15.3%

(CRI CommunitCommunity Profiles,


2010)

Neighborhood is empty and 1/8th of the houses in


the neighborhood road across the street East Paris
from the school are up and for sale.

With the population of 9,027 of


people 25 years or older:
8.4% have no high school
diploma
37.8% have only a high
school dimpolmadiploma or
GED
7.8% associated as a highest
degree
17.4% graduate or
professional as highest
degree

After driving on the road, noticed that traffic is not

The employment percentage is 99.4%

10/01/14
Signs throughout school talk about neighborhood
programs that are offered a local churches down the
road

10/8/14

Saw 6 people total outside on the sidewalk walking.


75 percent of them had grocery bags.
There is a sidewalk on both sides of East Paris the
street that allow many people to walk on.
A mile down the street is the MVP Sport Complex.
A construction project about aAbout half mile down
the road is construction being done on the side of
the road, same side of East Paris as the school.
According to signs, new office buildings are being
put into place. When I drove by, construction
workers were working on it at that time and aAbout
18 construction workerspeople in orange vests are
walking around the construction area. weare

How many children are actually


involved in these programs?

This is the second gym within


less than a mile from of the
school., Aare they trying to
promote fitness to these
children? Do they have access to
any with a discount?
Why is a contrustionconstruction
happening , when so many other
places around are plots of land
waiting to be sold and already
buildings built that are closed
and for sale?

The number of people in poverty is


430:
3.2% are below poverty
14.9% under 5 years of age
are in poverty
19.8% 5 to 17 are in poverty

47.7% 18 to 64 are in
poverty
2.3% 65 to 74 are in poverty
15.3% 75 and older are in
poverty
(Community Research Institute (CRI),
2000)

The community must walk the neighborhood or


use public transportation because many cross
walks and opportunities to take the rapid bus.

Students do not walk to school, because come


from city elsewhere and are instead dropped off
in parents in cars.
Since I saw a good percent with grocery bags and
based on the poverty rate, some may not own a
car and walk around instead.

I think that town should not be building that new


office building to save time, space, and money
because so many other office buildings already
open and could use. However, this company

working on it.
Leaves cover yards in the neighborhood and lawns
are not cut, dead plants are in gardens, and about 10
percent of the houses have Halloween or Fall
decoration out and in their yards.

There is a total of 6,342 housing units


How is there are 94.7 occupied
unit percent when the majority of
all the buildings surrounding the
school are not occupied?

94.7 are occupied housing units

probably did not like the other buildings and


think this new area may be better for business
since other buildings/companies did not make it
there.

(CRI, 2010)

There are less than 5 streetlights in the


neighborhood across the street.

The three year average total births is


156.7

I saw two dogs on their own in the yards of the


neighborhood across the street from the school as
well as 3 cats wandering the street.

Fertility Rate (per 1,000 females at a


three year average is 59
The teen birth rate of three years is 9.8
(CRI, 2004-2006)

People must not go out into yards and on streets


much since little decoration and care for the yard.
Otherwise, may be busy working and not have
time to take care of the yard.

Race & Ethnicity


Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?
Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these
with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

10/01/14

10/8/14

10/24/14

Students in Math (21):


4 appear White
1 appears Indian
I appears Hispanic/Latino
13 appear African American
2 appear mixed

With the school and classroom


with the most African Americans
in it, does that influence other
students who are non-African
American to develop
characteristics/dialects of those
who are African American?

Students in Science (21)


1 appears Asian
1 appears White
2 appear Indian

16 appear African American


In the hallway leading to the 3-5 wing, where I walk
down to get to the classroom have the walls covered
in flags from countries all around the world.
Students pictures are under 75 percent of the flags.
In addition,T There were 40 different countyries
represented in the school population. Flags with
pictures under them
Students take a Reading state practice test when
there. It was not timed, but 75 percent of student
finished after the slotted time given for the
Michigan State tests. While students at recess Ms. M
looked at results and found that class scored at an
average of 14 percent lower than state average.
Student L was 32 percent lower than the state
average.
Student L appears to be African American
Student L talks with appears White female, appears
Indian male, and two appears African American.
After talking with Student L, I ask those students

The school is diverse and they


seem to embrace diversity, but
what and is there some kind of
racial segregation that seems to
cause these lower scores on
tests?

Students at school demographics is:


Black, non-Hispanic - 389
White, non-Hispanic - 174
Hispanic - 69
Asian/Pacific Islander - 22
American Indian/Alaskan
Native - 3
Two or more - 22
- NCES.ED.Gov, 20112012
Surrounding Neighborhood:
90.1% white
1.7% Black or African
American
0.2% American Indian or
Alaska Native
4.3% Asian
0% Native Hawaiian and
other Pacific Islander
0.1% Other Race
1.5% two or more races
2.0% Hispanic or Latino
(CRI CommunitCommunity Profiles,
2010)

There is a good diversity at the school, but after


listening to conversations, I hear that African
American Vernacular has a dominance in the
school between the majority of students use in
daily conversations. I think this is because even
though great diversity in the school, African
American is the most prominent race.

Looking at the flags and mixed race classroom


and school, the school must value diversity of
race and ethnicity and allow each child to be
proud of where from and support them in that.

According to Ms. M, The School is


working on getting test scored up, but
the students score always below the
state average
According to School files:
Student L identifies himself as
Black/African American

Student L seems to be a very friendly and kind


student that does not let race get in the way of a
friendship. Looking a L, it makes the school seem
that they learn and accept race and get to know
the person not based on the color of skin.

about L and said most friendly and gets along with


everybody in the fourth grade.
About 80% of the teachers appear younger than 30
at the school and the 95% appear White. Yet,
students have told me, we like our teachers and
they understand us

Does the fact that the majority of


the teachers appear white and
young/newer teachers make it
harder on students?

Ms. M said to me that this is her first year at Ridge


Park as a teacher, but has taught at Grand Rapids
Public School and said this is much better.
11/5/14

Student L tells me that he does not care how he does


on the test. I asked him why and he said, all I care
bout is bein tall for basketball and bein good at it
like all the other older black guys on my block. I
ask him about future education and he says, only if
it is for sports, people like me are not supposed to be
good at school
Students took a national reading test in the library
on computers that were scored right away. The
highest scores in the class were by the 2 white girls
and 1 Asian male. The lowest 2 were two African
American Girls. The scores around the average were
the other Indian and African American Students.
The average score for the national 4th grade-reading
test is around 200-210. Student L without being
read to him scored a 112, which is at first grade
level. After having read to him, L received a 197.
Ms. M tells me there are 5 students that have the
accommodation of having their tests read to them.
All 5 students appear to be African American.

11/12/14

Students were working on a thanksgiving project


and sharing things thankful for and traditions that
come from their families. Students sat in a circle and

How many students feel this


way? Who taught them this
belief and thinking that he will
not be good in school?

Is there a hidden meaning to why


the students that are African
American performing lower than
the white students? Is there a
type of underlining segregation?
Why the students with
accommodations and performing
the lowest in the class are are
African American?

The students like the teachers even though the


majority of the teachers are white, but know the
students and know how to relate to the students.
The teachers are effective because
they recognize the view the students
have on them, white teachers that are
not afraid of black students (Delpit,
2006)

Stereotypes a widely held view and


simplified image for a type of person
(Delpit, 2006)

Consequences and Barriers of


Segregation/Race Stereotypes lower
high school graduation rate, lower
academic levels, and less access to
higher education. (Annie E. Casey
Foundation, Race Matters, 2014)

Student L believes the stereotypes and makes him


less motivated for the success he could have in
school. Thinks that he can only be good at sports,
when he could be good at school as well.

When I look at the school and teaching style, I


feel, they make all children all feel equal and
there is no differences based on race. However,
with all the test scores and lower academic
performance from one race it makes me believe
there may possibly be some underlining ideas of
segregation (students come to the school from the
downtown city) and stereotypes the students
believe that make them perform this way.

Find that in the classroom they celebrate and


appreciate the diversity of ethnicities the students

went around. All shared something from their


home/culture. Example, one girl from India said
they do not eat a turkey. Students then wrote 6
sentences about what learned and why important to
know about other cultures.
Ms. M handed out an assignment that required
students to bring in a recipe their family cooks on
Thanksgiving so that they could make a cookbook
full of all cultures for the class.

Do all students understand these


different cultures and respect it?

Multicultural Curriculum the


incorporation of texts, stories, and
beliefs of different cultures (Delpit,
2006)

have and want to share it between all students so


they can learn and grow from it.

Social Class
Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

10/15/14

Observations:
What Do I See?

Questions:
What do I Wonder?

Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not


interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Often, we understand incompletely.


Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Ms. M informs me that 15 of her 21 students eat


breakfast at school and 13 of them have the free
and/or reduced meal program with the school.

I wonder where these students


live and how can afford a
Charter School.

Student L easts a school lunch that the school


provides.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?

Make connections here to class discussion,


readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these


with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

Ms. M tells me that L gets


free/reduced lunch and breakfast at
school.

I think that L and family are poor in the social


class, because of the free/reduced lunch program
as well as receiving scholarship/grant to go to the
school.

According to School files:


Student L receives a scholarship/grant
from school so can attend.

Gender & Sexuality


Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

10/01/14

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Often, we understand incompletely.


Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?
Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these
with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

There are 12 female students and 9 males in the


classroom.
At recess, girls play with the girls and the boys play
with the boys. There is one student, Student L,
which moves around and plays with multiple
students of mixed genders.

10/8/14

Questions:
What do I Wonder?

During class, the females in her class raise hand and


read aloud passages twice as many times as any of
the males do.
There are 14 boys in the advanced math class and
only 6 girls.

Is this because of age or things


they were told to believe?

Is this due to possible


stereotypes they were taught
from their communities, parents,
or media sources?

Stereotypes a widely held view and


simplified image for a type of person
(Delpit, 2006)

Is it the belief in the mindset or cultural


norms/stereotypes that make these differences
between genders more noticeable.

Social Interactions
Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

10/24/14

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Student L at recess laughs with other students and


plays basketball and tag with other students.
Student L tells me and another group of boys at
recess a joke that makes us all laugh.
Student L answers the question asked by the teacher
in a manner that is academically correct. He does
not make jokes or comments that are not nice like
four other boys in his class.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Does Student L lead the


conversations or participate in
them and chime in here and
there?
Is he always this well behaved
and know how to switch from
fun and games to a good student
behavior?

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Humor Regulation the social


language function that allows the
ability to understand humor and the
ability to use it appropriately at the
right time and place (Levine, 2002,
p.232)

Student L talks to me about liking basketball, dogs,


running, and his younger brother.

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?
Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these
with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

Student L is a friendly student that has good peerto-peer social relationships because he can play
well with others and gets along with others very
well.

Student L has good communication skills that I


can understand and keeps me engaged.

Student L tells Ms. M that he is sorry for not


listening to her [your] directions the first time.
11/5/14

Student L understands the social rules of a


classroom and is respectful to teacher and other
students

Student L sits in seat when told and raises hand


when he has a question.
Student L tells another student after receiving a
good score on a math test he told her, you did a
great job. You should be proud.
Student L talks with an African American
Vernacular Dialect at recess such as hey bro dont
be tellin me what ta do and then switches to
Standard English when he asks Ms. M a question in
science, such as what is the importance of roots in

Does Student L always make


sure other students know that
they do a good job? Does he
treat himself/think of himself this
way too?

Complimenting the social language


function that allows the ability to
praise another person (Levine, 2002,
p. 232)

Student L knows how to compliment another


student and make them feel appreciated, which
makes L a kind student

Code Switching the ability to


change your way of speaking to fit the

Student L knows how to change between


Standard English and when in class and go to his

a plant.

people and environment you are in


(Levine, 2002, p. 231)

Classroom engages in a science tag-like game that


involves following the rules given and listening to
directions. Students follow well and run around
playing game. Ms. M tells me she is pleased how
well her class gets along together and behaves.
11/12/14

Student L keeps eyes looking at me when having a


conversation.
Student L ask Ms. M, may I go and get a drink
from the water fountain.
Sits without making noises when others are talking
and commenting on something in the classroom.
Students were put into groups of four to complete a
Venn-diagram of trees versus flowers. Student L
talked and let others say their opinions as well.
Student L also said, since not good at spelling and
reading aloud, could someone else do that. I can
draw the pictures and label the differences if
someone helps me.

Does student L always


communicate with polite
manners and body language that
helps the other person knows he
is listening?

Does Student L know his


weakness and ask for help? Does
this bring down his self-esteem?
Is he always this good at finding
others strengths?

Social norms/behavior knowing the


correct behavior and cues from others
in a similar situation (Levine, 2002,
p.203)

Collaboration the ability to


cooperate and work with others as a
partnership or team effort (Levine,
2002, p.237)

more common dialect African American


Vernacular English when he is with his peers well
and make a good change and when to do it.
Student L and other students in Ms. M class
follow direction and classrooms well. They know
Ms. M is the teacher and to listen to he and
respect her.

Student L knows how to work well in a group and


find the strength of each to make the group
project the most successful. L gets the best way to
work as a team and have all contribute.

Ms. M tells students to line up at door quietly and


grab a reading book for the library. Student L grabs
a book from his desk and lines up at door without
touching others and does not say anything.
Student L walks around room when rest of students
sitting. Ms. M tells him to sit down. He says sorry
Ms. M and sits down back in his seat
Student L plays basketball at recess. He runs around
court and runs into another student playing. He says,
sorry and backs off saying a foul on me.

Does he follow directions this


well all the time? Can some of
his attention problems interfere
with his ability to follow
directions?

Student L is polite, knows when he is wrong, and


how to follow directions given to him at the time.

Conflict Resolution the ability to


resolve conflicts with other people
with resorting to aggression (Levine,
2002, p.237)

Student L knows how to solve a possible conflict


in a smart way that does not involve violence and
still is fair.

Language
Date & Time

Observations:
What Do I See?

Questions:
What do I Wonder?

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?

Keep dating
your entries.
These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do


not interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large,
many, small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Often, we understand incompletely.


Beginning to answer some questions
may raise multiple questions about
what you still dont understand.
Identify those here.

Make connections here to class discussion, readings,


outside research, information from informants. Identify
the source of information

Describe your developing judgments. Can you support


these with observations and other data sources? Consider
your knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether
you need more data.

10/15/14

Student L: I tooked it from him

What, if any, learning


disabilities does student L
struggle with?

Tooked is having difficulties with


Morphemes the smallest bit of meaning.
(Levine, 2002, p.134)

Student L must have issues with reading and


language. He seems to be okay with phonemes,
but struggling very much with morphemes and
all other levels of languages after that.

Student L: When reading aloud, stumbles and


struggles. - cCompared to neighbors takes as
twice as long to read a sentence.

(Sound to Symbol Correspondence look


below as the idea was formed better.)

Student L: On a spelling test, got 0 out of 10


correct. Words included monkeys and friends.
Student K: Dont laugh at me or Ill throw one at
a!
4 students always refer to Ms. M and other
volunteers as maam when asked a question.

Do all the students talk this


way at home as well? Or do
they only talk this way around
their friends?

AAVE African American Vernacular


English. This is a variety of English spoken,
mostly spoken by the African Americans in
America (Mrs. Sevensma, 2014)

Other students, not African American (which


African American is 75 percent of the classroom
demographics) use a similar language as the
African American students
Language used in Math class included: long
division, place value, base 10, population, and
non-renewable resource.

The students must learn from one another and


notice the most common language, which
seems to be AAVE (African American
Vernacular English).
This is a use of seen Academic language in the
classroom

What is the other kinds of


words used in other subjects
such as Social studies, science,
and reading?

Use Marzano Vocabulary and techniques in


class Ms. M

Is Student L need the spate


room for less distraction or

According to school records, L gets his test


read aloud to him.

Relates part of math to Mario Cart when doing


numbers of races won divided by total races to
find the best player/racer.
10/24/14

Based on spelling test, and having test be read


aloud, L struggles with academic reading.

During Math test, student L was not in the room.

needing it read to him?

Took students into the hallway and had them read


a passage called Lets Go Skating aloud to me
and graded on the time read and the accuracy with
pronouncing words. Class average time was 1
minute and 12 seconds with the accuracy of 86%.
Student L read it in 3 minutes and 37 seconds and
had the accuracy of 52%.

Is the take him this long with


math problems/number
sequences as well or just
letters?

Student L and I worked on reading and spelling


words, that Ms. M gave me. Student L when gave
name of letter could give me sound. However,
when gave sound to write down on paper the
letter I sounded out, 85% of time got wrong.

Does Student L understand


what hearing, just cannot
connect the idea of writing and
reading a letter to know what
sound he needs to produce?

11/12/14
Student L struggles with reading aloud and the
length it takes him to read makes it harder for
him to remember what read and comprehend
what said.

Sound to Symbol Correspondence the


understanding of the sound that represents
the letter in the alphabet (Light, n.d)
http://aacliteracy.psu.edu/LetterSoundCorr.ht
ml

Student L struggles with sound to symbol


correspondence that has him struggle with the
seeing or writing of a letter for each sound.
However, can understand what give him the
letter he can say the sound. However, it is the
letter in its written form/symbol that he
struggles with.

While in hallway after reading passage, asked


Student L about his break, and understood what
told me back well.
Ms. M told me and another teacher than after
having science test and math test read to and
comparing the same test to him on his own, his
test score went up 36%
During science class, class was read a science
passage about the important parts of a plant. Ms.
M called on L to tell in his own words what she
said. L was able to do that with 100% accuracy.
I gave Student L was verbally given a math word
to solve and got it completely correct. Then had
do one on his own and did not get it correct.
I have Student L read on paragraph from a
reading Ms. M gave me to himself and tell me
what happened in that paragraph. He told me that
it was about a snow day when the story was about
the invention of a light bulb. I then read the

With this large difference in


percent/grades, does L
understand the material and
absorb it, just cannot produce it
back in written form?
Auditory Learner the learning style in
which a student/person learns through
listening (Mrs. Sevensma, 2014)
Is reading of symbols the only
conflict, because when read to
he can repeat it back correctly?
Receptive type of Learning anything that is
incoming reading, listening, and
understanding. (Mrs. Sevensma, 2014)

Student L can comprehend the information


given, but all through listening. The way he can
show he understands is by having it
read/lectured at him and then speaking about
what learned. He is an auditory learner where
he can understand and perform excellent as a
student when knows what the question asking.

paragraph to him and told me about a light bulb,


electricity and even the inventor Thomas Edison.

Attention
Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?
Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these
with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

10/24/14

Students in Ms. Ms class taking Math test and


Student L finishes first in the entire class and within
20 minutes, while other students finish in 45
minutes. Looking over his test score and answers
Student L got of the answers wrong. Ms. M calls
L over and to look over work, but L says certain got
correct
Student L sits at back of the room computer for
about 5 minutes
Student L now at the audio reading area and there
for about 7 minutes.
Student L is back at the back room computer and
only there for another 4 minutes
Student L moves to the reading table and sits there
for 3 minutes
Student L gets up to move and Ms. M tells him to
make a choice before moving again. And Student
listens to Ms. M
Student L during science portion when class is
defining definition, Student L stands up, sits down,
flips and taps pencil, spins around in chair, and goes
to sharpen pencil often.

Does Student L perform like this


in multiple subjects?

Pace Control Being able to move


around and do things at the best speed
(Levine, 2002, p. 79-80)
Quality Control being able to know
how things are going or how they just
went (Levine, 2002, p. 81)

How often does this happen in a


day with Student L?

How long can Student L sit still


for? Is what he is doing
distracting to the other students
around him? Does this
movement help keep his focus?
Is he listening while all this
movement?

Alertness Control Being able to


have enough brain energy to
concentrate without feeling tired
(Levine, 2002, p. 59)

When Ms. M asks L a question about what should


be doing when not, does it immediately and gets
back to work in what should be doing.
When one of the students behind student L coughs,
Student L looks back and then head stays off Ms. M
at front of room and not down at desk. About 3
minutes later, puts pencil back on paper and looks
up front.
Air vent goes on, and L looks to the air vent and
again head wanders not on notes or front of the
board?

Student L struggles with the output controls of


Pace Control and Quality control based on how
fast he took the test and his judgment of his
performance from the test. L worked so fast and
thought did well, even though scored low.

Student L struggles with Alertness control


because constantly moving and not being able to
stay focused on one thing for long. Needs to
always to attention elsewhere.

Student L can regain focus back very easily when


redirected by someone (Ms. M) and get back to
work need to be doing.

How easily and what sounds


distract student L?

Selection Control Being able to pay


most attention to what is important
(Levine, 2002, p. 64)

Student L struggles with Selection Control


because he can easily become distracted by small
sounds and is then not able to pay attention to the
important things going on in class.

During same science lecture, about 9 minutes into it


without other sounds going on, Student L head is to
the back of the classroom and another time when
called on by Ms. M does not know where class is
and misses the question asked even though head at
front of room where attention should be.

Does Student L zone out a lot


when not fidgeting?

Span control being able to


concentrate for the right amount of
time; zone in and out (Levine, 2002,
p.73)

Student L has ADHD and sometimes


forgets him medication which makes
it harder to keep attention Ms. M
and school records

11/12/14

All the attention issues that are observed may be


caused by the fact that Student L has ADHA, and
why some days more extreme than others if
forgets the medicine.

Student L receives the following


accommodations, frequent breaks,
small group test setting for less of a
distraction, and extended time Ms.
M and school records

Student L was doing similar patterns as to other time


watched him in classroom. He moved around in seat
every few moments. Stood up and sat down about
every 4 minutes, and when the heater turned on
turned head away from Ms. M and stared at it for
over 30 sec.
Student L had a ball like shape in his hands that he
moved around in his hands, as well as a cushion like
plastic square on his chair that made no noise when
moved side to side. Ms. M gave to him before
started science lecture and took back before moving
to next classroom. Student L did not get up as much
and move around as often as before without these.

Student L struggles with span control because


when it looks like he may be paying attention, he
does not know where the rest of the class is and
what has just been asked.

Are the things he using fidgets


to keep him put his energy
elsewhere helping him focus
better on what is happening?

Alertness Control Being able to


have enough brain energy to
concentrate without feeling tired
(Levine, 2002, p. 59)

The fidgets given to him help him keep focus and


help not distract other students around him. It is a
way to keep his energy elsewhere.

Memory
Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?
Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these
with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

10/15/14

Student L answers a question with the information


just read from a passage back to the teacher.
Ms. M asks students to get out their math books, a
pencil, a ruler, and come and get a red pen from her.
Student L follows all instructions and pulls
everything out in the order Ms. M said and then sits
without making noise waiting for the next
instruction from Ms. M.
Parent volunteer walks in door and Student L
remembers her name and that is Student Ks mom.

10/24/14

Student L says my name as I walk through the door


and asks me how college classes were going.

Can student L do this all the


time? Can attention cause him
not to have as good of a
memory?

Student L was working on multiplication facts in the


hallway and got 95% correct. Did no counting on
fingers, rather just told them to me within the first 3
to 5 seconds.

Using his Auditory skills and when not distracted


by attention, Student L has an excellent shortterm memory. He can remember the multiple
directions given in the order given, and can repeat
information well.

Is student L good with all


names? How fast know and
remember?
Active Working Memory the place
where short and long term memory
come together and work; the
organizes the task while you work on
them (Mrs. Sevensma, 2014, Memory
Lecture notes)

While working on reading a passage in the hallway,


Student L has a hard time connecting the written
letter to the sound it needs to make. However, if
given letter verbally can give me the sound
11/12/14

Short term Memory the temporary


memory that keeps it long enough to
figure something out and this it is
gone. (Mrs. Sevensma, 2014, Memory
Lecture notes)

Can he use this skill of memory


and remembering with reading
and spelling at all? Is there a way
to connect that?

Long term Memory the permeant


memory that stores huge amounts of
information (Mrs. Sevensma, 2014,
Memory Lecture Notes)

Ms. M asks students what learned last week in


science. Ls hand is up the air and when called on
says that roots suck up the water for the plant

The connection of doing reading and


understanding is not as strong for Student L and
struggles with the active working memory.

Student L has a great long-term memory, because


can remember many names, math facts, and
information from the week past. He can tell facts
from a while ago, showing that it in the long-term
memory.

Higher Order Thinking


Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?
Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these
with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

10/01/14

10/08/14

Students are working on a science experiment in


science that requires making a container that does
not allow an egg to break when dropped from a high
height. Students in teams have an orange juice
carton, cotton balls, rice, and rubber bands.

Teacher Aide reads a word math problem to Student


L. L then writes many numbers down, and
eventually does and gets base ten blocks in order to
solve the word problem given.

Do they use their creative skills


often to make them think harder?

Creativity thinking outside of the


box and the ability to self-express
them (Levine, 2002, p.209)

Ms. M wants the students to use creativity in her


classroom and express it in small group
assignments.

Does Student L use other


techniques to solve a math
problem?

Problem-Solving using skills and


thinking about the best solution to a
problem given (Levine, 2002, p.196)

Student L uses other objects to help him figure


out a problem.

Motor
Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole
semester.

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you
still dont understand. Identify those
here.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?
Make connections here to class discussion,
readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?
Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these
with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you
need more data.

10/8/14

Student L plays basketball with other students and


makes a three-point basket. Student L also plays
tetherball and wins and he hits the ball higher than
the other player is.
Student L plays line tag on the black top of the
playground and stays balanced on the line and never
stepped off.

10/24/14

Student L tells the class a story about his younger


brother and talks at a constant pace I can understand
him and participates in the class discussion.

11/5/14

Looking at Student L is spelling test, the


penmanship was readable and stayed straight on the
lines.

Is Student L good at many sports


besides just basketball? Does he
then have good eye-hand
coordination?

If student L does not have lines


on the paper, does he still write
neatly and straight?

Student L draws a picture of food chain with a plant,


mouse, and hawk. Student L puts details into the
drawing and other student says L, that is a very
good drawing

Gross Motor involving large


muscles making the actions needed to
engage in larger physical movements
(Levine, 2002, p.172)

Student L has good gross motor skills as he plays


well in the majority of sports I watch him play
during recess.

Oromotor the muscular activity


within the mouth that help with eating
and speaking (Levine, 2002, p.173)

Student L can hold a good conversation at a good


pace and well spoken, meaning he has good
control over the muscles in his mouth.

Graphomotor the motor skills


needed for in writing (Levine, 2002,
p.173)

Student L may not spell correctly all the time, but


what he does write is a similar size, written
straightly, and neatly.

Fine motor the small muscles


needed to do smaller movements with
hands and smaller tasks (Levine,
2002, p.172)

Student L must have good fine motor skills since


he can draw well.

Data Sources:
What Do I Know?

Judgments / Interpretation:
What Do I Think?

Spatial & Sequential Ordering


Date & Time
Keep dating your
entries. These are
running records
across the whole

Observations:
What Do I See?
Factually describe what you observe/experience. Report, do not
interpret. Avoid adjectives that are ambiguous (ex. large, many,
small, etc.). Be detailed and use rich description.

Questions:
What do I Wonder?
Often, we understand incompletely.
Beginning to answer some questions may
raise multiple questions about what you

Make connections here to class discussion,


readings, outside research, information from
informants. Identify the source of information

Describe your developing judgments. Can you support these


with observations and other data sources? Consider your
knowledge, skill level, beliefs & values, and whether you

semester.

10/08/14

still dont understand. Identify those


here.

Ms. M tells kids to hurry up, as they are 6 minutes


late to recess.
Student L is 6 minutes late into classroom compared
to other students.

11/05/14

The basketball was flat for recess and Student L


pumped it up. The ball was still flat and Student L
was looking at the ball closely. Eventually came up
to me if had tape because the ball had a hole in it.

Is this a constant occurrence for


the class itself? Is student L late
frequently/last in a lot?

need more data.

According to school files: L has been


late to school 8 times so far this
semester.

Ms. M and L may have some difficulty with time


management if this is an often occurrence.

Sequential Organization - time


management and being aware of the
time it take and time itself (Levine,
2002, p.159)
Does he try this hard at solving
the problem on things beside
sports?

Higher Spatial Thinking using


problem solving skills to think about
what the problem could be (Levine,
2002, p.165)

Student L must have the ability to think about


many solutions to a problem and have the
patience and persistence to solve it.

FIELD NOTES
Includes rich, descriptive observations that
are free of judgments. Observations
provide a broad sweep of the setting as well
as focused concentration on the learner(s).

FN
1
FN
2

Avoids ambiguity in the use of adjectives


(ex. many, most, small, large, etc.), which
can be interpreted differently depending on
the reader.

FN
1
FN
2

Makes tentative interpretations/judgments


that are connected to observations.
Interpretations/judgments reflect many
possible explanations of observations.

FN
1
FN
2

Incorporates sources (readings, media,


information provided by the teacher, etc.)
that are relevant to the observations and
support the interpretations/judgments.

FN
1
FN
2

Asks questions that will foster deeper


understanding of the learner(s) and their
context.

FN
1
FN
2

The FNs, as a whole, cover the required


variables assigned by the instructor for the

FN
1

Total

Grading Criteria

(multipliWeight

Exemplary (10)
Proficient (8-9)
Developing (2-7)
Unacceptable (0-1)

Student
Assessme
nt

Prof.
Assessme
nt

21

18

12

18

21

12

27

24

10

20

24

given FN assignment.

FN
2

Formats the field notes by color-coding the


observations by date. Uses APA format for
citations within the sources column.

FN
1
FN
2

10

20

Comments about Field Notes:


Your FNs are outstanding for the initial version. Keep up the excellent work and pay
attention to the additional comments/edits as you move forward. Start focusing almost
exclusively on your learner.

Your final FNs are as strong as your synthesis. Perhaps the biggest problem is that the
judgments were not always supported by observations and could have been asked as
questions. However, this is a very minor limitation in what are outstanding FNs. Well done!
Score
FN1

106/90

Grade
100%

FN2

132/140

94%

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