CSN Education Department - Alternative Field Observation Activities Packet

Greetings Future Educator,

One of the most rewarding aspects of EDU 201, 202, or 203 is the opportunity you’ll have to observe in a
school classroom where students are actively engaged in learning. Each of these three CSN courses
require students to complete a 10 hour "Field Observation" in a Clark County public school. If CDC
Guidelines for Covid-19 prevent you from physically attending a school campus during the current
semester, this packet will offer the alternative experiences required to satisfy your “Field Observation”
requirements for this class virtually.

If possible to pair you with a cooperating CCSD teacher, your placement will be processed by CSN’s
observation coordinator, and you will receive details regarding your assigned school from your CSN
professor. Only then, will you contact the school and meet virtually with your assigned CCSD
“cooperating teacher”. Both you and your cooperating teacher will design a mutually agreeable schedule
to complete your required contact hours once you meet for the first time.

Within this packet, you will find the required field experience assignments that you must complete in order
to pass this class.

Your Name: Elizabeth Lopez

CSN Course: EDU 203

Professor: Ms. Jacqueline Sgobba

Professor’s email: jacqueline.sgobba@csn.edu

CCSD School: Kit Karson Elementary

Cooperating Teacher: Ms. Jaymie Destura

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DEPARTMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION FIELD EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES

Standards of Conduct
You are student representatives of the CSN Education Department and the teaching profession.
Candidates are expected to maintain high standards of personal and professional ethics.

Attendance and Punctuality

Regular attendance and punctuality are mandatory. Once you determine a schedule with your
cooperating teacher, this becomes an agreement in which you are expected to adhere to. You are
expected to login and log-off to virtual meetings at the scheduled time. In case of illness or emergency
that would prevent you from joining a scheduled class virtually, you must contact the cooperating teacher
a minimum of 3 days in advance to let them know you will not be in attendance on that day.

Relationships
You should exercise respectful discretion when voicing your personal views. It is important that your
demeanor and opinions remain confidential. Under no circumstances can information about any students
be released to, or discussed with, any unauthorized person. It is forbidden to have any contact with
students outside of the classroom you are assigned. This restriction includes CSN students contacting
CCSD students in person, through any electronic means, or through the use of social media.

Dress Code
CSN Department of Education wants you to be a success. Therefore we have adopted the CCSD dress
code for students fulfilling their observation requirement in the assigned school district. Appearance
creates credibility; make a good first impression by dressing professionally, even when meeting virtually.

Required Acceptable Attire:

Males:
• Shirts with collars
• Ties (optional) with button down shirts
• Khakis, trousers, slacks; belts if pants have loops, (no sagging, rips or tears)
• Simple jewelry
• Shoes and socks that cover the toes and heels

Females:
• Shirts or blouses that cover the shoulders & waist; no see-through or mesh
• Sweaters worn over shirt
• Pants, pantsuits, khakis, trousers, slacks (no sagging, rips or tears)
• Jumpers, dresses, skirts (in length from 2" above the knee to the ankle)
• Shoes and socks that cover the toes and heels
• Leggings worn under dresses/skirts/jumpers
• Simple jewelry or none
• Little (daytime) make-up

Not Acceptable Attire: jeans, shorts, tank tops, halter tops, muscle T-shirts, tight fitting clothing,
warmups, sandals, flip flops, stilettos; no cleavage showing, no sagging or frayed hems; no head covering
except for religious reasons, such as a yarmulke or turban-like. No nontraditional hair colors/styles.
Undergarments and tattoos should be covered. Remove facial jewelry. *School principal/supervisor has
the sole discretion on questionable clothing or appearance that distracts from student learning.

Classroom Conduct: At all times, the cooperating teacher maintains legal responsibility for pupils in his
or her classroom. You should never assume that responsibility and be left unsupervised with children.

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You should not discipline students. You are an observer, who should take notes to discuss during your
next education class meeting, or to record in your Field Observation packet.
Professional Conduct:
Never speak to staff or students in an abusive manner.
Never touch or be alone with a student for any reason.
Never give a student food, drink, or other items without the teacher’s permission.
Never take photos/video of students or staff without written permission from the principal.
Never make or accept calls/text using any communication device while at the school.

CCSD WAIVERS
Review the terms of the CCSD Waiver Forms provided by your instructor.
“Student Statement of Responsibility” (Exhibit B) “Student Confidentiality
Statement” (Exhibit C)

These 2 waiver documents MUST be agreed to in order to secure your observation placement. While
submitting your Field Observation Request, you will be prompted to check that you have read the waivers
and that you agree to the terms. Completion of the CSN Field Observation is a PASS/FAIL component of
the course.

ONCE YOU ARE ASSIGNED A COOPERATING TEACHER WHO IS DISTANCE LEARNING

1. Pre-plan for initial contact with the school you are assigned and make sure that all interaction with
CCSD employees and students is respectful, courteous, and professional. You are a representative of
this class and the college. CCSD is allowing you to observe their teachers to further your understanding
of the teaching profession. It is imperative that your actions reflect a willingness to learn, and are
reflective of a future professional educator. The school will select a teacher for you to observe and
provide you with their contact information.

2. The first half of your field observation/experience will be centered around learning background
information about the school you were assigned, and focusing on the general and unique characteristics
of its culture. You will be looking at, and reflecting upon things that are going on in the virtual classroom
at the school level that you were assigned. You are simply observing during this time. Your cooperating
teacher may give you guidance on how your experience can be expanded beyond simple observations, if
he/she feels comfortable with your professionalism and skills.

3. Contact your Cooperating Teacher to introduce yourself. Since this is your first contact, ask the
teacher for the necessary information to access their virtual classroom, and when the live sessions occur
that they would prefer you to join. Share this “Field Observation Activities Packet”, with your cooperating
teacher as well as the last 3 pages which contain the “Cooperating Teacher Information”, the “Time
Log” and the “Field Observation Student Evaluation”. Let the teacher know that you will be taking
notes during the observation for your packet assignments, that you will be asking them to verify your
hours of attendance, and evaluate your participation once the total observation hours are complete.

4. When logging in with your cooperating teacher and their students during a virtual meeting, it is
recommended that you keep both your microphone and video camera OFF during the observation,
unless the cooperating teacher directs you to speak or be seen while observing. In that case, make sure
your home workspace is void of background distractions, or anything in view that may be considered
inappropriate for students to see. Your online attire should be the same as if you were visiting the school
in person. Employ the use of typical lighting and image framing to make the most of your broadcast. The
typical “Rule of Thirds” works well, whereby the camera height is adjusted so that your eyes are

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positioned in the top third of the window. Front lit subjects look better on screen than being backlit by a
window or artificial light.
THE FIELD OBSERVATION PACKET ASSIGNMENT DIRECTIONS

Read through all the assignments and take notes during your observation visits. You will gather
information on more than one assignment during an observation. Then, using your notes answer
the questions for each assignment.

• All assignments must be word processed. Your detailed responses to assignment

questions must demonstrate careful analysis of the questions and the observation
information.

• Questions and their responses must include thorough explanations and examples from
the classroom observation. All responses must be written as complete sentences.

• Include the question number, along with your response as a short essay response as in
this sample below:

Assignment #2 - Question 1: What is your first impression of the classroom

environment?

Response: “The classroom environment is friendly and welcoming to the

students and seems a fun place to learn. The classroom is decorated with
the students’ work, interesting posters and the teacher shows respect to
the students.”

When it is time to submit the Field Observation Packet for grading, these items must be
included:

• The cover page of the Field Observation Packet

• All observation assignments

• Time Log verifying hours spent within virtual meetings

• The Cooperating Teacher Evaluation

THE FIELD OBSERVATION ASSIGNMENTS

Cooperating Teacher assigned to CSN student

ASSIGNMENT #1 (Culture): Using the questions below, carefully observe and evaluate the culture
of the school. School culture refers to the way teachers and other staff members work together
and the set of beliefs, values, and assumptions they share. A positive school climate and school

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culture promote students' ability to learn. Remember you are evaluating the school for its
educational culture, place of learning, sense of safety, invitation for learning, promotion of
selfactualization, development of values and socialization. Use online resources such as your
assigned school’s CCSD webpage, http://nevadareportcard.nv.gov/di/, https://
www.publicschoolreview.com, and https://www.greatschools.org/nevada/las-vegas/ to answer the
following questions.

Physical Characteristics: Look at a picture(s) of the school to determine atmosphere, comfort, and
feelings the school creates for students in the educational setting.

1. Consider the school property: building, grounds, fencing, equipment, landscaping, trees,
parking lot, crosswalks, gates, signs and symbols. Describe in detail.

- The school looks very nice and neat. The teacher had many decorative itemsin her class. It
made the classroom seem cozy.

2. Next, (if available) study the interior of the school: halls, floor coverings, lighting, doors,
windows, hall colors and decorations and entrance security. Explain in detail.

- The hallways seem to be partially outside, so it gives off a kind of old school vibe. There are
postings on the walls outside, so it gives off a warm welcoming and friendly atmosphere.
Such as a drawing of a planet with the phrase, “sharing the planet.” To me this helps
determine how diverse the school must be and non-discriminatory.

Culture of the School: Read, listen and/or observe to determine the climate, values, and atmosphere
within the school.

1: What are your first impressions of the school? Enrollment, graduation rate, proficiency rates,
student/teacher ratio etc.

- The school seems very neat, and students are very attentive.

2: Please describe the student make-up of the school, including gender, ethnicity, students with
disabilities, ELL students, and any other attributes that are important to note you found.

- There are 403 total students at the school, and 23 teachers. Kit Karson is at the bottom 50%
of all schools, it is #364 of 660 schools. The school is made up of mostly African American
and Hispanic students. There are 43% African American students, 47% Hispanics, 5% white
and 2% make up two or more races.

3. Explain the school’s mission/vision statements, motto, and mascot.

- The schools mascot is a cougar and their mission statement says, “Working together as a
team, students, parents, staff, and the community of Kit Carson International Academy
commit to providing a rigorous, innovative, and respectful learning environment that promotes
academic excellence, intercultural understanding, and social success. Through inquiry-based
learning, we will produce diverse, global-minded, lifelong learners who are excited about
achieving their goals.”

4. Examine school traditions, achievements and awards; community recognition or community

partners; extracurricular activities/clubs and athletics. Look for and document sources of
community pride and sense of identity through ceremonies, assemblies, trophies, and artifacts.

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 5. Briefly describe three other pieces of information that can be found on your assigned school’s
website.

- There is a news and announcement section showing different events happening at school as
well as important information

Culture of the Classroom: Each classroom has its own culture and way of life.

1. What are the teacher’s expectations for learning and success?

-Each student must be attentive to the lessons and are required to let the teacher know when
something is not understood.

2. Evaluate the level of student participation in the class. Who participates? Who does not?

- A good majority of the class participates, because it is a kindergarten class and the students
are very young they tend to get a bit off task, but seem very attentive most of the time.

3. Evaluate the interactions between teacher and students, rapport, cohesiveness, distribution of
power, teacher personality.

- The teacher is very helpful and super patient with the students. She makes sure to call on
kids who are not listening to gain their attention.

4. Observe student-to-student interactions, inside and outside of the class. Are they using any
chat features to communicate with each other?
-The students are very young so they do not really use the chat.
ASSIGNMENT #2 (Observations)

1: What are your first impressions of the virtual classroom environment? Is it warm, inviting,
organized, etc? Describe the virtual environment in detail.

- The classroom is very warm and organized. There are many postings on the wall and and
she is also very eager and kind.

2: Please describe the student make-up of the class, including gender, ethnicity, ELL, students
with physical challenges, and any other apparent attributes that are important to note.

- I did not witness any students with disabilities, however the classroom is very diverse.

3: Are their posted class rules or course expectations? If rules/expectations are posted write
them exactly as they appear.

4: Does the teacher enforce these posted rules/expectations? What rewards or consequences
are used for compliance or noncompliance?

- I did not see any posted rules, but I noticed that when a student misbehaved the
teacher would make it clear that she was going to have a chat with the parents so the
student was required to stay after class.

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 5: What is the posted daily/weekly schedule for different subjects or periods?

6: Do you see evidence of the school’s mission/vision statements in the virtual environment?

- Most of the students are attentive, yet there are still some who misbehave and have
trouble paying attention.

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ASSIGNMENT #3 (Classroom Layout): Take screenshots of the learning management system used
by the teacher (Canvas, Google Classroom, Seesaw etc..)

1: Describe the workflow of the online environment. Is the space and time used efficiently?

The students are given time to work independently and as a work. They are required to
repeat after the teacher when learning new words or phrases. There is also a teachers assistant
who helps with the students and makes sure that each student is listening and participating.

2: In your opinion, how can the virtual arrangement of the room be improved?

- In my opinion, the arrangement seems fine.

ASSIGNMENT #4 (Instruction): Observe any instructional time with your assigned Cooperative
Teacher, and record your observations when presented with the questions below:

1: Is instruction delivered in small groups, centers, whole groups, individually?

- Instruction is given in whole grous as a class and each student is required to

participate. There is also independent work.

2: Describe your cooperating teacher’s teaching style.

- The teacher is a visual teacher. She makes sure to use objects to demonstrate to the
students what they should do.

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 3: How does the teacher incorporate the sensory modalities (learning styles)? Give examples.

4: Do the students seem engaged in the lesson(s) presented? Please explain.

- Yes, most students seem engaged, because they are very young students it’s a bit
hard to grab their attention, but the teacher makes sure to incorporate fun activities so
the students remain engaged.

5: Are there any students isolated or not present/participating in the class? Explain?

- Yes, I noticed one specific boy who took his laptop outside and began doing
kartwheels. The teacher then had to ask that boy to stay afterclass so she could talk to his
parents.

6: How does the teacher handle absences from the class?

- With one two many absences the teacher is required to phone the parent.
7: How does the teacher handle transitions from subject to subject or activity to activity? Are the
transitions efficient?

8: List ways the teacher uses “attention getting” commands, word phrases, signals, etc. Are they
effective?

- The teacher uses many different mouth sounds and hand movements when teaching.

9: What specific behavior issues does the teacher have to deal with? How does the teacher
handle the behavior issues? Be specific.

- If she has to ask the student more than once to behave, she makes them stay after
class so she could talk to their parents.

10: Are there any policies or procedures that help or hinder instructional time? Please explain
them and how they help or hinder instructional time.

ASSIGNMENT #5 (Observing a student): Discretely observe one student in your assigned

classroom during direct instruction.

1: What drove you to choose this student?

Jaxson, he is a very attentive person and loves to participate. He is actually one of the best
students I have witnessed.

2: Explain what the student did during the observation.

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 - Very alert and super quiet and respectful.

3. Summarize the lesson given and the student’s responses to the lesson.

-Students were given the chance to read aloud and he eagerly wanted to participate.

4. Make sure to document ALL behavior in relationship to what was being presented by the
classroom teacher.

5. Please describe what you discovered about the student’s learning styles, involvement in class,
and his/her educational needs.

- Very smart and they all learn better visually.

ASSIGNMENT #6 (Cooperating Teacher Interview): Arrange for a convenient time to interview your
cooperating teacher either on the phone or by video conference. Ask the questions below. Incl

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ASSIGNMENT #7 (Summary): Thoroughly summarize and reflect upon your entire 10 hour Field
Observation. What did you observe, learn, realize about teachers, students, instruction, the
school environment? How has this observation better prepared you to understand the teaching
profession? How does the observation relate to the text information and class activities? What
specific ideas on teaching will you remember to include in your classroom?
______________________________________________________________________

- This observation helped me better understand how teachers are very hard workers and it
does take a whole lot of patience. During this observation I had the opportunity to witness the
teacher work together with her students and cooperate with one another. This observation
helped be get prepared for what is expected to come when becoming an educator.

Remember that before receiving the final grade for this EDU course, the CSN
student must submit the completed Field Observation Activities Packet, Time
Log, and Student Evaluation to the CSN instructor for grading.

The cooperating teacher must also email the instructor to confirm the
successful completion of the observation. The student must provide the CCSD
cooperating teacher with their CSN professor’s email, so the cooperating teacher
can send an email to verify that the student has successfully completed the 10
hours of observation. The instructor’s email must be provided on the first page of
this packet, and on the next page for the cooperating teacher.

Remember that completion of the Field Observation is a PASS/FAIL component

of the course. Students must save this completed packet in digital form, and as a
hard copy for the Education Department’s capstone course, (EDU 299) or (EDU
220)

COOPERATING TEACHER INFORMATION - CSN FIELD OBSERVATIONS - VIRTUAL

Dear Cooperating Teacher,

Thank you for assisting in the preparation of a new generation of Nevada teachers. Our
education majors are required to complete 10 field observation hours in: EDU
203____ Introduction to __Special________________ Education

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This class is where many of our students actually make the decision whether they will continue
further study of the profession. We appreciate you joining us in providing these students with a
wonderful first experience in the virtual classroom. If at all possible, please utilize the student to
assist you in supervised classroom instructional activities if you deem them ready.

We are hopeful that the information we have enclosed with this letter, which has been approved
by the Nevada College Consortium, will help you with a clear sense of how this field experience
works.

When the student has completed his/her required 10 observation hours, please complete and
sign the “FIELD OBSERVATION TIME LOG” and “FIELD OBSERVATION STUDENT
EVALUATION” (along with the student). Then, return these two pages to the student who will
submit them to his/her professor.

For your convenience, the student has provided you with CSN contact information below.
Please contact the CSN instructor if there are any questions or concerns.

Also, before a final grade for EDU _203____ can be assigned, the CSN professor MUST
receive your official email verification that the student successfully completed the 10 hour
observation. Please also “cc” the student on this email. The student WILL NOT receive a final
grade in the course until the email is received from you.

CSN Course # & name: EDU _203_____ Introduction to __Special________________

Education

CSN Professor: Jacqueline Sgobba

CSN Professor’s phone: 702-651-4400

CSN Professor’s email: jacqueline.sgobba@csn.edu

Student’s full name: Elizabeth Lopez

Student’s email: elizabethlopez068@gmail.com

Should you have any concerns or questions about this process, please feel free to contact the
instructor directly, or the CSN Education Department at: (702) 651-4400.

TIME LOG - CSN Field Observations - VIRTUAL MEETINGS

CSN Student: >>> Elizabeth Lopez

CSN Instructor: >>> Jacqueline Sgobba

CCSD School Assigned: >>> Kit Carson ES

CCSD Cooperating Teacher: >>> Ms. Jaymie Destura

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CCSD Grade/Department: >>> 1st

School Principal: >>> Mrs. Ayoka

Snipes

CCSD School Phone >>> 702-799-7113

DATE START TIME END TIME HOURS

October 15,2020 8:55 am 1:50 pm 5 hours

October 21, 2020 8:55 am 5 hours

1:50 pm

10 hours

TOTAL HOURS:

Cooperating Teacher Signature: ______________________________________ Date:

___________________ FIELD OBSERVATION STUDENT EVALUATION - completed by Cooperating
CCSD teacher

Please complete the following evaluation using the Performance Indicator Scores below (with the student)
once the total observation hours are met. Your constructive comments are extremely valuable to the
student. Return this page to the student along with their Time Log to be submitted to the instructor with
the completed Field Observation Packet.

Enter the appropriate “Performance Indicator Score” in the spaces below

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 (4)=exemplary (3)=consistent level (2)=not consistent (1)=lacking

_____ Professional appearance, adherence to CCSD dress code

_____ Reliability, punctuality

_____ Communicates effectively with teachers and staff

_____ Demonstrates manners, graciousness

_____ Reflects upon observations using critical thinking

_____ Demonstrates enthusiasm and curiosity toward the profession

_____ Models respectful behavior with students

_____ Uses appropriate language

_____ Exhibits pre-service educator success indicators

Comments:
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____________________________________________________________________________________
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Cooperating Teacher’s Signature: __________________________________ Date:__________

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