I just completed my first ethnographic narrative with one of my 4 year-old Pr-Kindergarteners. The aim of the interview and narrative is to find out about the child's perspective. Looking at culture through the child's eyes puts us into their world. I really enjoyed spending this time with my student and probing life through his eyes. I really think I am going to add this format to the unit we do at the beginning of the year. Our first unit is about Family and what better way to learn about my students by following the format of an ethnographic interview and narrative. This will allow me to get to know my students and see what their backgrounds are. By knowing about their prior experiences, I can understand how better to reach them and make learning meaningful.
From the interview, we can see through our students' perspectives. I can pass on information to his next teacher about his home life, his values, and the aspects of cultural which are important to him. Basically, it allows us to present a more complete picture of the student to the next teacher beyond just test scores and language proficiency. We are able to show them the whole child and not just some number. How can we meet the needs of our students if we do not even know who they are?
