Introduction to Field Work

Over the course of this past semester, we–Kirk Ring and Ben Ashmore–were able to go on a fieldwork journey in which we interacted with an 8^th grade English class at our local middle

school in Lexington, Virginia. To best describe our journey since January, it would be best to compare it to the wooden roller-coaster at your local six flags; bumpy with a lot of ups-and-downs. Much of this can be contributed to the unfortunate outbreak of Covid-19, and to the rest of the students dealing with this epidemic worldwide: we feel your pain! Nonetheless, through our engagements in class discussions, activity teach-in, and coordination with Mrs. Diette, we hoped to illustrate the importance of the student’s oral language, reading, and writing skills in relationship to participating in society as literate citizens.

From our constructive car rides with MAJ Hodde on the way to our rental car pick-up,  to our van pep-talks before heading into the classroom, to our after-class reflections with Mrs. Diette, we were able to design an expeditionary learning unit proposal centered around citizenship through education.

Our highlights of the journey throughout the semester and proposal are detailed on our page below.

 

 

First Impressions of the Classroom

Kirk Ring:

Walking through the door of Mrs. Diette’s eighth grade classroom on the first day was exactly what I expected. The small feel of the upstairs classroom brought back memories from a time not so long ago. While I could envision the art covered walls and small corner bookshelves, I did not expect to find a classroom so full of curiosity and joy. My biggest fear was never being able to connect with the students in class, however we all quickly became friends before long. As the semester progressed I would not only learn more about my own teaching approach, but also notice the growing skills in each and every student. By the end of our time in the classroom Ben and I both had a stronger appreciation for classroom teaching and a newfound confidence in the abilities of Mrs. Diette’s class. Our team unit proposal showcases the project based learning skills that Mrs. Diette’s students are capable of.

Ben Ashmore:

Being back in 8th Grade seemed to be a relief for me. I mean, 8th grade was fun, right? I loved my group of friends, there was not a constant focus on my GPA, and I enjoyed playing sports after school. However, I realized that as soon as I stepped into Mrs. Diette’s lively and well-decorated classroom, I had taken a lot of my 8th grade experience for granted. Mrs. Diette had the entire weekly schedule up on the white board (this should’ve never stopped being a thing after high school!), key literary devices hanging up on the back wall, and a quote, “books are a uniquely portable magic,” above their small library in the corner of the room. Walking into the classroom, I realized how important 8th grade was to the rest of my education. Much of the foundation of analyzing reading, analyzing and reflecting, was laid in 8th grade. This not only provided me with my purpose for designing a project, but pushed me to try and illustrate to the students how important the lessons they are learning to their growth as a learner. With our proposal, and the help of Mrs. Diette and MAJ Hodde, we hope we were able to shed some light on the importance of using education to impact the community as a citizen.

It was with these broader goals in mind that Kirk and I began working on our proposal.

Our Classroom Portrait: A Look Into Maury River’s 8th Grade English Class

The following link is to our class portrait, offering an inside look into a typical 8th grade middle school class in the small town of Lexington, Virginia:

http://sites.vmi.edu/expeditionary-learning/2020/04/23/collaborative-portrait-a-look-into-maury-rivers-8th-grade-english-class/

Unit Proposal

Our final product for our field work class consisted of our “Models of Excellence” unit card, and our final cumulative project for the students. Our unit card is pictured below, and is a poster that we designed to give a brief look into the work we did throughout the semester.

Please follow the attached link to view our poster!

https://www.canva.com/design/DAD7OLmcrAY/aI9LfbOGcgPcRVMosbzDJA/view?utm_content=DAD7OLmcrAY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

For our first page design, I believe our image is the clear focal point and perfectly resembles our goals outlined in the beginning of the semester. The image features a small child dressed in a suit, speaking to an audience. However, the podium is entirely too large for him, so he is standing on a stool, on top of the podium in order to reach the microphone. This slide is important to the lessons we were trying to teach our 8^th grade English class about having a voice in society. When we first started interacting with our class, a lot of them proposed several changes that they wanted to see in their school community. However, they mentioned that the faculty in the school did not want to hear what they had to say, and their voice was not big enough to make a difference. Based on this sentiment, we designed a PBL project for them that involved writing a letter to their principle addressing one of the issues that they cared about. With this being the end goal, we began by showing the students the effect they can have in their communities as concerned citizens, and illustrated how the writing, reading, and analysis skills they have learned thus far in their education are directly applicable to exercising their voices in the community. Our entire unit card design was based around the broader idea of “stepping up to the podium” and voicing concerns, or engaging in constructive conversations in order to bring about positive change in the community, no matter how small.

Proposal Background

Throughout the semester, the students had looked and interacted with over 40 writing prompts. The prompts ranged from a number of topics, such as incorporating recess throughout the school day, or changing dress-code policies in their school. The students analyzed the prompts as a class on a weekly basis, and their final project was to take one of the many writing prompts and write an essay about it, and Kirk and I were able to walk around and interact with the students while they were in small groups, discussing their ideas for the final writing prompt which gave us the motivation for our unit proposal.

Mrs. Diette has done a great job in developing and organizing her writing prompt PBL project, emphasizing the three-legged stool that the state of Virginia outlines in their standards. In order to build upon their reading and writing skills, and focus on the preparation to “participate in society as literate citizens, equipped with the ability to communicate effectively in their communities” (VDOE), we designed a unit to showcase the importance the outlined standards. To effectively accomplish this goal and build upon the skills that Mrs. Diette has helped them develop, we designed a scaffolded teach-in activity and a final cumulative project that are detailed below:

Class Teach-In Activity

Despite not being able to deliver our scaffolded lesson in class to the students, we were able to use PowerPoint to deliver our class teach-in activity. We designed this around the “we teach, you teach” idea, in the hopes that Kirk and I could pass down some first-hand examples on how citizens can impact the community. We used the VMI mission, a guiding principle to our daily life as VMI cadets, as our anchor text and walked Mrs. Diette’s 8th graders through the first half of the mission. Providing them with a quick analysis of the written word, we then reflected on the meaning and broader implications of the document. By using the simple steps to understanding a piece of writing that Kirk and I outlined in slide 2 of the below PowerPoint, we analyzed the strict meaning behind the mission, and then showed the class how we interpret and incorporate its meaning into our daily lives.

For the second part of our teach-in, we allowed the students to use their reading skills to analyze the second half of the VMI mission. With the first part of the mission, Kirk and I set the example of how to analyze and reflect on the anchor text we choose. Then, we split them into groups and gave them time to collectively read and reflect, following the steps we offered them. Once they accomplished this, Kirk and I wanted to bring everyone back together to discuss how the students dealt with the reading and how they think it relates to citizenship in a community.

Please refer to the PowerPoint slides below:

 

CULMINATING EVENT

Our final culminating proposal for Mrs. Diette’s 8^th graders features a brief, one-page letter to the principle of Maury River middle school, addressing an issue that they would like to solve within their school community. In designing this brief task, we hoped that the students would learn to understand that as a citizen, they can have an impact on their community. Education is a fundamental tool in raising issues or concerns within society, and if the students engage in this activity and write to the principal, we hope that they learn how to use their voice and experience to influence positive change at their school. This cumulative project and the activities leading up to it, attempted to answer the broader question “What does it mean to a citizen within your community?”

 

 

Final Reflections:

Kirk’s Final Thoughts: 

Through the course of our field work experience there has been a clear transition because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While these events have been both unforeseen and unfortunate, it has given Ben and I the unique opportunity to teach both inside the classroom and through online distance learning. This situation has forced Ben and I to adapt both as students ourselves and as teachers, ultimately making us better.

Starting our classroom visits with project based learning (PBL) objectives in mind, Ben and I had high hopes for a positive outcome of this fieldwork partnership. A friendly classroom and a helpful teacher got this process off on the right foot. Initially helping from the backseat, Ben and I would observe classes and offer minimal input into the weekly lesson plans. As the semester progressed, Ben and I slowly took the reigns from Mrs. Diette when teaching. This gave us the chance to not only practice skills and lessons of our own, but to also work/mentor students more closely. In the final stages of our classroom visits, Ben and I led an entire classroom discussion and activity for the students. Involving prior skills like critical thinking, analysis, and writing, Ben and I challenged our classroom to think outside the box as they learned about new cultures and countries. The feeling of leading a class for the first time was satisfying, but not nearly as great as seeing our students learn something new. While Ben and I tried our best through virtual learning, nothing can beat the face to face interactions of the classroom!

The shock and awe of COVID-19 left Ben and I no time to react or plan for the rest of the semester. Quickly learning and researching new online approaches to teaching, Ben and I plunged into online learning both as students ourselves and teachers. While online remote learning offered an entirely different platform for teaching, we were able to continue our fieldwork course through recorded videos and virtual classrooms. This partnership continued to carry over to the middle school as Ben and I made lesson proposals and videos online. As a teacher, the hardest part about this process was judging the feedback and comprehension of our students.

In all, the course of this fieldwork has opened new doors and opportunities for Ben and I both. While challenges were frequent along the way, I personally have found more confidence in myself as a student and teacher. The COVID-19 virus, while difficult, only forced me to adapt and expand my approach to learning and teaching alike. As for the students in Mrs. Diette’s class, I have no doubt that they will be prepared to begin the next chapter of their educational career in high school.

Ben’s Final Reflection: 

Not being an English major, this class has introduced me to a form or reflection and learning that I have not previously dealt with as an International Studies major. I have not had the opportunity to dive into how teachers effectively reach students and the process of designing units for them, until this class. Not only did I enjoy the experience of being in the position to teach students and observe the day-to-day operations of the local middle school, but I also learned more about how I am as a learner. While designing teach-in projects, speaking in front of the class, and leading class discussions, I came to realize that I was trying to reach the 8^th graders in a way that I felt I would have understood at their age. Although this is a very minuscule accomplishment to the work we have accomplished throughout the semester, I felt much more confident about myself as a learner with this class. I was able to spend time and reflect on the way that I learn in the classroom, and the way I take information and “renegotiate” language/knowledge in my mind to better understand material, similar to what Jerome Bruner illustrates in his assessment of knowledge consumption by learners.

Despite the interruption of our fieldwork class by the coronavirus, and the added difficulties that come with finishing a semester at home, I believe that this trying time will prove to be more of a positive than a negative. By not being able to contact our teacher’s regularly, or the students, we had to rely a lot more on partner collaboration. This final portfolio would not have been completed without an effort to stay in constant communication with our peer’s, and more specifically, our partners. Furthermore, the time away from the classroom allowed us to dive deeper into the technical aspects behind our projects, and forced us to develop our purposes much more in-depth than we would have otherwise. For Kirk and I, we believe we had a pretty basic purpose behind our plan to have the students address problems within their communities. We wanted to show them how we as cadets interact in our VMI community, and raise issues to the faculty, as well as illustrate what it means to be a citizen within a community. However, this sentiment is much simpler if explained in person, and through a constructive conversation to our 8^th graders.

The coronavirus outbreak not only forced us, but gave us more time, to fully develop our purpose and brainstorm a way to adequately reach our students. Due to this, the recorded teach-in was one of my favorite assignments we did throughout the semester. Kirk and I had to carefully and thoroughly use Boss’ example of a scaffolded teaching lesson, through a PowerPoint slide with our voices attached. Brainstorming how to reach a class of 8^th graders without being able to step into the classroom and physically teach the lesson, pushed us to experiment and step out of our comfort zones. This fieldwork class, has been difficult at times, but has given me a much broader understanding of the process of educating our youth, and given me the invaluable experience of being able to step out of our closed-off VMI community, and interact with our local middle school.

To the 8th graders in Mrs. Diette’s English class: Thank you for traveling on our fieldwork journey with us, you all were incredibly helpful and insightful. I trust that you will excel at the next level and find high school very rewarding. 

 

Thank You

To Mrs. Diette:

Thank you for all your help this past semester. You were truly an inspiration! We would not have been able to design this unit without your constant insight and advice. Throughout every step of the way, you provided us with support and tools to accomplish our goals in our fieldwork class. Being able to sit and observe in your class helped us better appreciate the process of teaching and different methods of educating students. The 8th graders are lucky to have you, and thank you for opening up your classroom to us!

To MAJ Hodde:

Although we started off the semester with an unclear vision, you helped us find a purpose during our fieldwork journey and provided us with the proper guide to accomplish our goals in the classroom. With your help, Kirk and I have been able to grow as both learners and educators. Thank you for sharing this experience with us and pushing us to find a deeper meaning behind our education!