Collective Fieldwork Experiences

Fieldwork journal report (see below)
1. Fieldwork journal report (see below)
This course requires 10 hours of fieldwork: 5 hours in a science class and 5 hours in a health/physical education class. See specific requirements below.
***You can compose your fieldwork paper as ONE concise 2-3 paper of your collective fieldwork experiences, but Part 1 and 2 below will support you with what to write about if you are stuck.
Part I. Science Field Observation Journal (5 hours in a science classroom/lessons)
You will keep a reflective journal describing your experience in the science classroom. Below are guides for your time in the field and for your observation journal entries. The journal does not have to be an extensive document, but it will be useful to type your thoughts/observations soon after your time in the field, approximately three-four paragraphs per prompt. You will submit the final journal later in the semester. This is part of your required fieldwork for the course.
Here is a helpful guide:
Week 1-- Observation Focus: Context: What is the context of the school: student body make-up, grades, general classroom demographics, the school environment, classroom setting, school morale, physical environment, social environment of the school and classroom you are observing, etc.? What is the science curriculum in the classroom? Be descriptive in explaining the profile of the classroom to provide a context of learning. EdTPA connection to context of learning .
Week 2-- Observation Focus: Student Diversity: Who is a student least/most like me? How do I teach science for this student, and other students of linguistic, cultural, academic, and social diversity? How different are the students I am observing and will teach? How can you assess what students know and understand in science? What kinds of assessment practices are being used in their science classroom?
Week 3-- Observation Focus: Science Instruction: Is science being taught? How is science being taught? How are students learning and understanding science? What teaching strategies is the teacher using? Do students really understand science? What are students learning in other areas that can be used for making science more relevant and easier to understand? Where could you see science integrated into the regular classroom curriculum?
Week 4-- Observation Focus: Science Communication: How well do students talk about science in the classroom? How well do students make connections between personal talk and language and the language of science? Record some specific examples of what students say in the science classroom where they are communicating their science understanding. How can you help students talk about science in ways that build their understanding of science?
Week 5-- Reflection: Re-read your four journal entries. What did you learn about elementary science from observing and working in this classroom? What did you learn from the classroom teacher and the science teacher? What factors seem to be important in teaching and learning science? How will this field experience aid you in preparing for the microteaching lesson?

Health and Physical Education Field Experience (5 hours)
The purpose of this field experience is to better understand the New York State Physical Education Standards by analyzing what is available to the students in the classroom and school where you are completing your field experience.
Before your observation, please review the three standards for physical education:
http://www(dot)p12(dot)nysed(dot)gov/ciai/pe/pels.html
▪ Personal Health and Fitness
▪ A Safe and Healthy Environment
▪ Resource Management
Possible sites for this observation include schools and/or community health or physical education programs (such as the YMCA, PAL, local sports programs).
When candidates complete the 5 hours of required observation, a written report in the following format should be submitted:
I. Identify, in detail, each site.
a. Date and times each of your visits
b. Address of each school, a description of the community, a description of the school
c. Description of the student population, including number, gender, disabilities
II. Describe school and classroom environment in as many physical education and “recess” activities as possible. Attend at least one physical education class and describe the class in detail.
III. Talk to a physical education teacher and the principle (if possible) about physical education activities that occur throughout the school year. You may want to take a look at the state standards together.
IV. Depending on the age of the students, talk to several of the children about physical activities that they engage in during school hours (including during lunch and recess). Be sure to talk to girls as well as boys. How do these children understand physical education and health? Do they talk about any objectives included in the state standards? Discuss your thoughts on the importance of movement in early childhood settings. 
V. Analyze your observation and your interviews in relation to the 3 health and physical education standards. Where does the school seem to meet or exceed the standards? Where does it seem to fall short of meeting the standards?
VI. Personal reflection about what was learned through the field experience