Ethnographic Observation Essay Example

I decided to do my ethnographic observation at Enterprise Elementary School. I went to the preschool on both Monday and Tuesday of SUU’s fall break. They have three preschool classes throughout the day that last about an hour and a half each. The classes each consist of around fifteen young students. Their ages range from as young as four up to six. There was a generally equal split between boys and girls, yet there were a few more boys overall. The children came from a variety of backgrounds. Some were Mexican or African-American and a few spoke two languages and one even spoke three. They often confused words and would mix the languages, yet these students seemed to pick up new concepts faster than some of the others.

Preschool was a great place to go as a college student and to see the vast difference in education from the beginning compared to now. This is another reason why I chose to observe a preschool class: what is accepted culturally for a child is completely different for an adult. It has been so long since I attended elementary school that I have forgotten a lot. I also was

Everything about the room was bright, colorful, and child-size. It was an ideal learning environment in my opinion. I have noticed that the higher the education, the more dull the interior of the classroom becomes. I think this is because at a very young age children are encouraged to learn and teachers want them to have a desire to explore and learn and this is often accomplished through entertainment. As a college student, it is clear that learning is a choice and professors are not there to entertain, but to teach. I think this shift in education style is good for creating independence, focus, and motivation in students, but I personally feel stifled by plain, uniform classrooms. This difference became even more noticeable to me after visiting a bright, colorful, and stimulating environment of a