Note-Taking and Note-Making After Observation
REFLECTION 2: OBSERVATION PRACTICE
For this assignment, you need 2 things
First, you need notemaking for the observation ( you can choose home because I have kids I have 2-year-old daughter and I have 11-year-old son and then you will need to take pictures of the note making you wrote ( see instructions below)
Second, you will need to write a reflection about the notemaking
Then you will need to attach the note-making to the reference paper
• Read Frank Ch. 1: An Ethnographic Perspective ( see attached chapter ) , which focuses on the difference between “notetaking” and “notemaking” in observation. “Notetaking” is descriptive, where you are writing down “the facts” through an objective lens. “Notemaking” is interpretive, where your analysis comes in, your perspective that is informed by various factors such as your experiences, research you have conducted, and the lens(es) through which you see the world.
• Conduct a 20-minute observation anywhere - i.e., in a park, a coffee shop, a library, your home, a supermarket, etc...
• Begin with your “notetaking” process (you can fold a notebook paper in half, with one side for notetaking and the other for notemaking, so you can see your notes and your subsequent analysis side by side).
• Notetaking: Remember the following during this phase of your observation: your directly observed occurrences should be clearly and concisely written in a nonjudgmental manner. This is a factual account of the observed time frame, answering the who, what, where, when and how. A well-written anecdotal observation will provide the reader with a clear picture of what exactly transpired much like a video recording the reader will be able to “see” and “hear” exactly what was said and done. There is NO interpretation or subjective words used within an anecdotal observation.
You may take a clear picture of both sides of your paper where you took the notes. The reflection part of the assignment below does need to be typed. You can insert your picture into the reflection.
Notemaking: Here is where your analysis of the observed time period/event comes in. Reflect upon what you saw - what was happening from your perspective? What are some conclusions you have drawn about your observation, including questions that were raised?
• Finally, reflect upon what you thought about the process. How did you find this exercise? What, if
anything, was easy or difficult?
Reflection 2: Observation Practice
Name
Institution
Course Code and Title
Instructor
Date
Introduction
Note-taking and note-making help to document what has been observed. Note-taking entails writing down descriptive notes, while note-making entails writing an interpretation of what is being observed (Frank, 1999). While note-taking is done through an objective len, note-making involves one's analysis through one's perspective. According to Frank (1999), an ethnographer should be objective by stating and describing things as they exist and refraining from interpreting, evaluating, and instilling prejudice over them. In addition, an ethnographer should be more persistent, systematic, and thorough (Frank, 1999). The essay will apply both note-taking and note-making after observation of a 24-month-old baby girl. A reflection of the process will be included.
Note-Taking
A 24-month-old baby girl is playing with her toys in the living room. The living is messy, though child-friendly. There are toys scattered all over the room. There is adequate natural light flowing in through a huge window. The child has bright brown eyes and short, curled hair. She is dressed in a brown onesie. She is sitting on the floor, pulling her doll's hair and making unclear sounds. She stands to grab another doll and gives it to her mother. She wants help carrying it on her back. She is using unclear sounds and words to communicate. Her mother understands. She keeps on saying, "Carry doll." She has a large collection of dolls and toys. She is more interested in dolls than the other toys. She is treating her dolls like little babies. She is pretending to stop the doll she is carrying from crying and is deeply engrossed in 'calming' her down. She is saying "baby love, baby good."
She is smiling because her mother helped her carry two dolls on her back. She walks to the rest of her toy collection and picks a colorful milk bottle. She is feeding one of her dolls. She is singing a song to her doll, urging her to take milk. She stands and walks around, singing for her baby. The baby unties her dolls and drops them on the floor. She is walking towards the kitchen. Her mother is stopping her. She is crying uncontrollably. She points to a knife. Her mother is pulling her over, holding her hand, and preventing her from going into the kitchen. Her mother lifts her and pats her on the back. She has stopped crying and walks to her toy basket. She picks a toy drum and starts beating it as she mumbles a song. Her mother laughs at her singing. The baby is laughing and continues to beat the toy drum.
Note-Making
The baby seems to be excited and comfortable playing in the living room. I find it commendable that the living room is child-friendly, where the baby can play with minimal risk of accidents happening. I think that it is normal to have toys scattered all over when there is a baby in the house. I also find that having natural lighting is essential for the safety of the child and the mother. I really like that the baby is trying to communicate with her dolls and is engaged in playing with them. It is also impressive that she communicates what she needs, even though in an unclear language. However, it is ...