This activity will help you become familiar with the community served by the school, and to prepare for the ethnographic observation for later. The format for recording your observations will be either video or still photography. Spend a minimum of four hours, and work individually, or with one or two partners who teach in the same general location. Identifying the school boundaries may help define the area for you.
Take time to reflect on what you believe community to be, and wrestle with your own definition of community. As you tell the story of this community from your perspective, seek to imagine and reflect on other points of view as well. How are your students’ communities reflected in your classroom’s academic, cultural, and social environment?
Objectives
Observe and describe the school’s community and its resources.
Create a unified presentation, which informs others about the community, from two or more of the following perspectives.
Procedure
Select one of these perspectives, and consider how you might gather information to understand the community’s culture from each perspective. Also include questions and perspectives of your own.
(a) Anthropologist: In what ways do people participate in religious, the arts, entertainment, ethnic, or other social activities or organizations?
(b) Historian: What are you able to discover about the history of the community? How has the community changed over time, as shown by historical data, and/
or observed by school or community members?
(c) Geographer: How has, and how does the geography influence the community? (Land forms, water systems, resources, climate)
(d) Economist: What do you notice about socioeconomic conditions? The residences, the businesses, the cars people drive, neighborhood conditions, landscaping, etc.? Opportunities for employment? Financial organizations located in the community?
(e) Sociologist: What groups – families, schools, clubs, civic organizations, businesses, etc., operate in the community? What do parents and students say about the community? About the school? Look for connections between the school and the community.
(f) Political Scientist: What government-related activities, services, facilities, or representation are available in the community? Zoning? Public spaces available?
(g) Linguist: What are the primary languages used by residents in the community? What literary resources and communication pathways are available to community members?
Document your observations through video or digital photography, observations, or reflective notes, “through the eyes” of the role you selected. Support your documentation with other resource materials as needed or based on your curiosity: Maps, pamphlets, charts or graphs, interviews, historical documents, recordings, photographs, newspaper ads/articles/ pictures, recorded music, etc. How will you tell the story of the community?
Presentation
1. Share your video or photos and reflections in a seminar presentation of your choice (PowerPoint, Prezi, scrapbook, video, poster, music video, etc.)
2. Place an excerpt of your presentation and/or reflection in your professional portfolio.
Student teachers explored their school communities through their cultural observations. See Photo album