From: Mercedes Monaco
Submit: Post Field Note
VisitDate: 00/00/96
Adult-Run:
Children-Run:
Collaborative:
Unclear-Philosophy:
Bottom-up:
Top-down:
Unclear-Approach:
Informal:
Formal:
Unclear-Type:
LearningArea:
Date: 09 Dec 1996
Time: 14:24:15
Remote Name: tsb-61.ucsc.edu
Norma, female grade 5
Norma and I were basically the only kid/student pair on the computers to begin with. She was playing Hero when I sat down with her. She stuck with it for an amazingly long time, considering she kept dying. She seemed to be doing a good job, and I couldn't see much else she could have done. (A few of us students discussed, while she was playing, the fact that its hard to exactly determine how the game works). After about 10-15 minutes she got bored with the game and since she was the only kid, she got her choice of any of the CD's. She chose a story CD in which a boy and his grandma go the beach. Its pretty basic (The story is read to you and you can click on objects to see them do something). She had an ok time with it, and went through the story to the end. She then picked the Lion King CD. She had never played before and she selected the easy version. I was expecting it to be too easy for her, and in some cases it was, but the puzzle game was pretty difficult for her. I didn't explain the game to her at first. I just let her figure it out for herself. But eventually I noticed she was having a hard time. She was putting the peices together, but not in the places they went within the square. I told her the square was there to help her. Soon she figured it out and went through two puzzles quickly. The third one though didn't have much color variation and was really difficult for her. She was putting the peices together more by the color and the picture than the shapes. This one took her a long time, but eventually she started using the lines of the box to guide her and finished. She wanted to continue, but it was time to go.
One interesting thing is that Norma didn't communicate much verbally. She did in some situations, so I don't think it was because she couldn't. She did communicate a lot nonverbally. She always looked at me and smiled when she liked something. She looked inquisitive when she didn't understand. I don't know exactly why she didn't speak much, but we got along fine with out it and I didn't feel the need to push her.
I thought the experience with the Lion King Puzzle was interesting. I expected it to be easy for her. I wonder if they work much with spacial items (like puzzles) at school.