There are two case scenario video recordings of early learning of preschool children. The first video, “Exploring Water Flow with Young Children,” comprises three children experimenting with water flow through different mediums. The video addresses how children manage to understand the concept of water flow under necessary conditions. The children later work to identify that water cannot flow out of a suction syringe without squeezing. Hence, the video helps children to understand that water cannot flow easily in an air-tight space, such as through the narrow tube and from the suction syringe. The footage also comprises an additional small part which reveals children experimenting on different roles of used apparatus. The second video, “Discovering Nature with Young Children” shows five children in a filed study with their teacher. The video shows children learning about different types of small animals. They managed to identify ants, worm, and a flying tiny insect. The teacher leads the children into understanding types of animals identified. The video comprise information about small animals for the children to understand the animal type and their habitats.
Video Observation Documentation
Video Title: Exploring Water Flow with Young Children
Venue: Boston public schools classroom
Vignette 2
The video recording comprises young children of Boston Public Schools and their teacher, Kristal Budd. The video was recorded on school premises in the children’s classroom. The video has three children, two boys, and one girl. The children try to get water to flow through a thin pipe or tube using different apparatus. The available apparatus includes a spraying pump bottle, a suction pump or syringe, and a pressing pump bottle. Both children try to use the available water pumps to get water to flow through the narrow tube. After a while, the children later realize that water cannot flow from the suction pump or syringe without squeezing it with the help of their teacher. The children actively involved their teacher in the entire experiment.
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Vignette 3
The video is short, comprised of 4 children, two boys, and two girls. They play with water using different apparatus such as toys of a plastic hand sprinkler, a plastic sieve, a plastic measuring jar, a tubed funnel, and storage tubes. Throughout playing, the children manage to identify some apparatus roles such as the sieve for filtration, the funnel for controlling the water flow to the designated region, and the plastic hand sprinkler for getting water out through its nozzle.
Video 2: Discovering Nature with Young Children
Venue: Boston, Hyde Park Side
The video comprises five children, three boys, and two girls. The children are searching for small animals from grass and in soil with some digging in the ground. The video starts with both children searching for small animals under a tree, with their teacher, Karen Repucci, guides them in the searching exercise. Some children discover that the tree’s leaf has a hole, and they suggest to their teacher that a caterpillar made that hole in the leaf. Some suggest that a squirrel lives in the respective tree. Throughout the children’s search, they discovered small animals such as a spider, ants (black and red), a worm, and a green flying insect. After their field discoveries, the teacher concludes the session in the children’s classroom by asking children what they managed to discover. Every child tells their teacher what animal they discovered. They suggest that small animals such as ants should be left in their homes to be safe from harm.
Prompts
Discovering Nature with Young Children
How many children are present?
The video has five children, two girls, and three boys.
What were they doing?
Both children make attempts to discover small animals that live in grass and soil.
Where did they spend most of their time?
Many children spent their time exploring animals that stay in grass and soil.
What did they say?
According to the questions asked by their teacher, some children suggested that small animals eat grass and soil, especially ants. Another child suggested that small animals such as ants need to be left in their homes for their safety.
What are the children's interests?
Many children were interested in small animals that live in grass, soil and on the tree.
What were they most interested in?
Many boys were interested in ants than ladies. Ladies were interested in digging out animals from soil such as worms. Boys managed to discover red ants and black ants. One girl managed to discover a worm from a dirty hole in the soil.
What specifically did you observe that informed you of this?
The video's interesting scenery is when one girl attempts to dig a hole using her bare hands to discover which animal lives in that hole. She later discovers a worm and continues for more worms hunt. Contrary, many boys searched for ants than girls. Boys gathered around to discover ants, especially the red ants, by circling the ants (Repucci, 2020, 1:55) .
Given what you observed and learned about the children’s interests during your observations, how can you take advantage of opportunities to support these children’s learning through discovery and exploration?
The video reveals children making attempts to discover small animals that live in grass and soil. The majority of children discovered many animals in grass animals such as ants and worms. One girl’s interest focused on worms than ants. The children’s exploration experience results in identifying many opportunities to use in children’s learning process, such as learning the importance of caring for small animals. The children’s interest in small animals shows how they have an interest in caring for the animals.
As a teacher, I would ask what best action to take to protect small animals and big animals. Through the teacher’s questions about what food ants eat, I can teach the children the kinds of food insects eat. One of the best care for insects and other small insects is to advise children to irrigate their gardens to provide a healthy habitat for small animals (Manning et al., 2017). Moreover, I would advise children on protecting soil, which is a habitat for many small animals. Teaching children the essence of protecting the soil and natural resources that hold millions of small and big creatures. Moreover, I can instruct children to share with their parents and guardians the importance of protecting natural resources, a habitat for many living creatures.
Another advantage of exploration learning is teaching children to learn about groups of animals. There are several types of animals; they include land animals, water animals, and birds. After learning about insects, many children became more interested in small animals. As an educator, I would teach children about which animals live in soil dangerous to humans, that are poisonous, and animals that are not dangerous. Also, I will teach them about which animals eat grass, such as grasshopper, cattle, antelope, goat, and sheep. Another advantage is teaching children about earthworms that eat soil.
Additionally, the field exploration subject helps small children to learn about the dangers of playing with small animals, which can sting them, causing skin rashes. For example, teach them to avoid playing with a caterpillar that has poison in its fur. Despite children’s interest in ants and worms, I would teach them the essence of taking precautions when dealing with such animals since they are so friendly to other animals. Besides, I can teach them how to handle small animals with care to prevent them from injuring small animals.
What was the teacher’s role in each of the videos?
The teacher’s role in the video is to guide children throughout the entire animal exploration exercise. Each animal identified by the child is recorded by the teacher and the respective names of the child. A teacher must guide both children in safe animal exploration exercises to prevent them from injuries. The teacher makes sure a child understands which type of animal a child has identified by asking the child about the animal’s name. Children who fail to understand which animal they have identified are explained to by their teacher about the animal’s name and color. The teacher tries to ask the children to provide information if they know about the respective animals' food. Overall, the teacher makes sure that every child is actively involved in the exploration lesson.
Exploring Water Flow with Young Children
How many children are present?
The video has three children in vignette 2, two boys and one girl. In vignette 3, the video has four children, two boys, and two girls.
What were they doing?
In vignette 2, the three children attempt to get water to flow through a thin pipe using provided apparatus. In vignette 3, children are playing with different apparatus in an attempt to determine each apparatus role.
Where did they spend most of their time?
In vignette 2, children spent most of their time playing with water and apparatus to direct water flow through the pipe. In vignette 3, children are playing with water using different apparatus to direct the water flow direction. Playing with the available apparatus results in the identification of how each tool’s role. They later identify that a funnel directs water into the desired region, such as the storage jars.
What did they say?
In vignette 2, children say that water cannot flow from the suction pump unless you squeeze the suction syringe. Vignette 2 comprises mainly suction and pump tools, which require the application of pressure or squeezing to allow water to flow out. Vignette 3 comprises of different water flow apparatus. Children only manage to identify their roles without saying anything.
What are the children’s interests?
In vignette 2, the children’s interest in managing to get water to flow through the narrow tube. The whole observation exercise involves numerous attempts amongst children to achieve successful water flow. In the end, they both manage to discover that water only flows out of the suction syringe by pressing the rubber part. In vignette 3, the children’s interest focuses more on the apparatus roles by repeatedly pouring water in and out. The results led to identifying some apparatus roles, such as the plastic sieve for filtration of water and the tubed funnel to direct water to the desired destination.
What were they most interested in?
In vignette 2, many children were interested in getting water to flow through the narrow pipe using the provided apparatus. They later managed to identify the secret behind a suction syringe throughout their failed attempts, which needs to be squeezed to allow water to flow (Budd, 2020, 2:40) . In vignette 3, children’s interest focuses more on the water flow. Children engage in different trials using the provided apparatus to pour water in and out successfully.
What specifically did you observe that informed you of this?
In vignette 2, I observed the children attempt to use a pressing pump bottle, suction syringes, and a spraying bottle to force water to flow through the tubed apparatus provided. In vignette 3, I noticed that children played with different water apparatuses with no idea of how to use them for successful water flow. In the end, the majority of the children had managed to identify the effective ways of using the provided apparatus for successful water flow.
Given what you observed and learned about the children’s interests during your observations, how can you take advantage of opportunities to support these children’s learning through discovery and exploration?
The video shows children trying to facilitate effective water flow through the provided apparatus. Each tool used by children performs important roles in real-life experience. For example, the suction syringe is used by doctors to remove liquid from the undesignated regions, such as during surgery. As a teacher, I would teach children the importance of each tool and how to remove or store liquid. Overall, children’s enthusiasm leads to knowing better about each apparatus role through my guidance.
What was the teacher’s role in video?
The teacher’s role in vignette two comprised asking the children why water cannot flow out of the suction syringe. The teacher directed the children during their playing time to use the available apparatus to identify their specific roles. The teacher also tries to identify why it is difficult to use the provided apparatus to facilitate successful water flow. Overall, the teacher guided children to identify which method leads to efficient water flow from the provided apparatus used in their real functions.
Theme
The best could be “Early Childhood Practical Learning.” I believe that both videos address the earlier stages of childhood learning and use of different apparatus and animals.
References
Manning, M., Garvis, S., Fleming, C., & Wong, G. T. (2017). The relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood education and care environment. Campbell Systematic Reviews , 13 (1), 1-82.
Repucci, K. (2020, February 27). Discovering Nature With Young Children [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_acvJPPsQ5U
Budd, K. (2020, February 27). Exploring Water with Young Children [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iTj3noOkI4
