Analysis Data # 4

Rachel Palmer, Julissa Lopez, Danielle Jenkins


Blog # 4

2.) What do these notes show about the way beginning ethnographers take notes? Jottings, head notes, remembered + observations?  What does the teacher need to give more support for?

                                                                       

Jottings

  In note taker 1's jottings there were just basic bullet points of things the note taker noticed but in note takers 2's jottings it was in complete sentences with much more detail. What jottings were supposed to be were quick, non complete and just a flow of thoughts perhaps a handout of what was expected should have been issued. A little less than 50% did the jottings in the incorrect format, if the professor commented on how full sentences were not required for this section it would have a better outcome and a higher percentage.  Single words, triggering words that would help the student remember what happened for the observations section or things I've remembered later. 

Headnotes

The content of head notes were they had to be in paragraph form, inter reflective with short phrases, note taker 1 shows a great example compared to the rest of the note takers  They state what is happening and then they describe what is going on around them, they put themselves in and out of the situation to make comments on them. While note taker 5 in head notes only wrote generalities of what was happened with not much detail. Note taker number 7 even though they wrote great details with plenty of information, these were not head notes but rather observations;  (ex: "She says you are Liz? And I said no Kristina. You have pink nails like me I say"). While note taker 9 dominated the conversation and controlled the conversation rather than letting it happen on its own. A lot of students spoke in generalizations, while 50% did not have format (paragraph form) or the correct content (stream of consciousness and usually in chronological order). 

Things Remembered

In Things I remember the note taker is supposed to fill in more details and state significant events. Note takers failed to really any more detail to what they previously stated, which makes it not really things they remembered.  Note taker #8 only commented on the students they spoke with and did not comment on what was happened around them. Around 70% did not add any more significant details (ex. volume, comments made, surroundings, body language or had the correct structure).   

Observations

In Observations of What Happened, it should discuss how others respond in the background. The note takers would need to give information such as where people were, what they talked about and much more which may be difficult due to the fact they are focused on the discussion at hand; and not what is happening around. Note taker 1 states the uncomfortable space issue because it was so small. In note taker 3 comments on how everyone was hesitant in beginning. Note taker 5 commented on how no one knew what to talk about. If the professor could have given a topic of discussion, it may have been easier for the note takers. This section which is supposed to have the most detail and be the longest, 100% of these note takers did not do that. 

Support Needed From Professor 

The professor should give more examples and differences between the sections jottings  head notes, remembered things and observations. If the professor could possibly give visual examples so the students know better. If the professor gave more direction and more time to realize the tasks at hand the students could have preformed better. This is why the beginner ethnographers notes are so varied. Perhaps a class dedicated to analyzing examples from previous ethnographic scenarios before doing our own. 

  

Ethnographic Notes #3

Jottings:

Standing on the side

Some of the students stood in the middle of the class
Very quiet and slow paced in the beginning 
First group of students I met was Jaleel and Jennifer
Second group was Danielle and Tania
The classroom became a lot more like a social party (lots of laughter)
More comfortable with each other toward the end
Did not look around at my surroundings very focused on the assignment on hand

Headnotes:
Everyone was nervous
We stood up very quietly at the start of the activity
Some of us got into smaller groups
Groups formed by who we saw first:
My first group was Jaleel and Jennifer. We talked about why we are Writing Majors
My second group was Danielle and then Tania came over and joined the group. We then went on to talk about what majors we are taking
We now felt more relaxed with each other
Really didn't look around the room since I was so focused on what the assignment was than what was going on around me
Professor Chandler went around timing us and telling us that time was up and to move on to someone else
Everyone in the class had lots of common goals
We were dressed casual
Danielle couldn't move because of her foot
There are two males in the room with a bunch of girls
It was laid back toward the end
Engaging in good conversation toward the end of the activity 

Things I remembered
I had fun doing this
I met a lot of different classmates
I tried to remember everything but it was kind of hard 
Wrote as much down as I could remember
We had lots of common goals
I had a hard time at first. Towards the end it was a "piece of cake"!

Observations about what happened:
I was nervous at first. I got up very slowly and I came to the middle of the room. On one side of the room I met Jaleel and Jennifer. We joked around to break the ice by saying that all of our names started with the letter "J".  Jennifer is an English Major with Creative Writing and Jaleel is a double major in Criminal Justice. While I was talking to him, the class was going around introducing themselves to each other and Professor Chandler came over and told us we had to switch and get to know somebody else. I looked to see who else I could talk to and went up to Danielle who was sitting down because of her foot. So I went on to introduce myself to Danielle and then Tania came over and joined the group . Danielle is in school to get a BA but she is not sure in what, maybe Business or something in that field because she is teaching 8th graders at this time wants to do something different.  While I was talking to her everyone else was laughing and having a good old time getting to know each other sort like a party. I went up to talk to Tania. We introduced each other and found out she is also in the education field like me and that English Writing is her second major. We thought it was "COOL"! She then went on to say she lived in Middlesex county and I told her "Oh I work for Wegmans in Woodbridge". She knew where that was and she had heard that it is a good place to work for. I said "NOT"!, which caused her laugh. The reason why I am in school is because this is my second career since my first one was cake decorating. Tania thought that was cool! Professor yelled "Times up get back to your seats and write down everything that just went on". 

Group Analysis #2

Friars

-History

-Formal Vocabulary

-Non-essential details. The joke drags on.

-Keyword for punch line. Word play on a famous quote.

-Culture Knowledge of the Smokey the Bear Ad Campaign is needed to understand the joke. 

-Irrelevant punch line

-3 plot Development

 

Panda

-Repetition

-3 plot Development

-Story Background

-Cultural Knowledge. Gives tone to the joke.

-Language/Vocabulary

-Panda is a stereotypical rude New Yorker. Gets to the point.

 

Knot

-3 plot development

-Story background

-Dialogue - imaginary character

-Background knowledge

-Play of words

-Repetition

-Usage of a pun in the as the punchline. It can be taken literally or more in depth as the punchline is describing the knot's frustration.

 

TFIG

-Play on words with the punchline

-Real Characters (Friday)

-Cultural Knowledge of the book to understand Crusoe's plight and his happiness to see God.

 

Czech

-Punch line had nothing to do with the story

-Literary Language

-Imaginary happenings in the story (bear eating someone whole)

-Cultural Knowledge (lawyer joke)

-play on words (punch line)

 

The features that all jokes have in common are the following:

-Cultural Knowledge

-Play on Words

-All speak about relatable human experiences

-All humorous punch lines
-Fables/Lessons/Morals

-All punchlines are closely connected to main character in

Interested Research Topic #1

Given the present climate of improved student test scores, the stakes are high to ensure that children are proficient in their core subjects such as reading, writing, and math. School administrators and staff now face increased transfers and poor evaluations if district standards are not met. Proper writing skills are crucial for continued success in school and in numerous professions. I am interested in how elementary school students develop their skills in ways that exceed the minimum passing score. While school children are continually drilled in these exercises in what can be called “teaching to the test”, there are teachers that employ methods that make writing fun for their students while giving them a firm foundation on this subject. I will conduct research in this area in order to educate myself and others on which techniques will get the most out of young children instead of on the agonizingly dull lessons we are no doubt familiar with from our past.