1. What are you doing well?
I have been keeping up on the homework all semester and turning it in on time. I have come to class everyday and participated in the class activities. During field experience I really tried to watch for things that applied to psychology class and to notice how the kids responded to those techniques. I have been trying to apply the information I have learned in class to everyday life.
2. What are you not doing well?
One thing that I am still not doing well in the class is reading the full chapters in the textbook. I read for the information we need to know for class and that is it. I know that the rest of the information is very helpful and beneficial but it had been hard to do anything this semester that wasn't required, since it was so busy. I would like to go back through the book and read some parts I skipped over during the semester.
3. Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?
One of my goals this semester was to learn more about the brain and how I can use that information to better teach my future students. As I was studying for the final I was actually surprised at how much of the information I remembered. Usually when I study for finals I hardly remember the stuff from the beginning of the semester at all, but this time I really seemed to remember and understand it just from seeing the word and not the definition. I think that I'm really starting to learn how knowing about the brain can change the way I think about teaching.
4. List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals.
One of my goals was to get help with anything that is not clear. There are still a few things that we learned in class that I felt like I didn't totally understand and I plan to research those things more in the future in order to better understand how they apply in the classroom.
5. How is your motivation? Are you focusing on mastery or performance goals? Does anything need to change?
I really started to focus more on mastery goals after field experience. I think it really helped me realize that the stuff we are learning in class really does apply in the classroom. The things that the cooperating teacher used that we learned about in this class really seemed to work well with the students and they really seemed to understand the information better when the teacher used things like scaffolding. I feel like I'm motivated more now to learn for my own benefit rather than to just get a good grade.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Personal Learning Theory
What?
The quiz said that I was mostly a behaviorist but I don't think it is very accurate because when we were learning about behaviorism in class I disagreed with a lot of what the theory says. I know that for educational purposes their needs to be a way to show that the student has learned it, but I do not think that learning is always visible.
* Piaget's Cognitive Development: I really like Piaget's ideas of Assimilation and Accommodation. I think it's important to get students to experience disequilibrium so they can assimilate or accommodate the new ideas into new or existing schemas. I don't entirely agree with all of the ages the Piaget put on his stages of cognitive development.
* Vygotsky's Cognitive Development: I really like the idea of Scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development. I like the idea of using a scaffolding system to build up the child to the point where they can accomplish the task on their own. I like that the ZPD takes each students abilities into consideration and helps them work on things that are challenging to them but not to difficult to do with some guidance. I don't like the idea of Cognitive Apprenticeship if it is overused and the more competent peer is always paired with a student less competent.
* Erikson's Psychosocial Development: I like Erikson's different stages and I think they really apply to kids as they develop. I think that children need to have each stage satisfied or they will have problems developing in the next stage, but I also think they they are capable of developing a later stage even if a previous stage was not fully met.
* Kohlberg's Moral Development: I disagree with some of the ages that go along with Kohberg's stages of moral development. I also disagree with Kohlberg's gender gender stereotypes. I do agree that people go through these different stages of moral development throughout life.
* Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: I like Goleman's idea of emotional coaching and teaching children how to recognize their emotions and to respond appropriately by helping them see their options.
* Information Processing: I like the idea of using different rehearsal techniques in order to get information from the sensory memory to the working memory and then into the long term memory and ways to bring it back to working memory when you need to use that information.
* Knowledge Construction and Higher-order thinking: I agree with the idea of constructivism and discovery learning. I like the idea of giving students guidelines and having them discover on their own how something works instead of just telling them how it works. I like the idea of having a community of learners where the students can ask questions and learn from each rather than just learning from the teacher. I think that the idea of group work can be overused though and the students can get burned out with always getting stuck doing the work in their group or watching students that didn't work as hard get the same grade as everyone else.
* Behaviorism: I like the idea of using a token economy to help train students to behave in the classroom and to follow the rules. I also like the idea of using contingency contracts that the students help you come up with ideas of how and what they can do to improve their behavior in the classroom. I disagree with the idea that learning has only occurred if there is some physical evidence of that learning. I think that a lot of things can be learned without the person showing that is has been learned.
* Social Cognitivism: I think that the definition of learning for social cognitivism is too general, though I do agree that some learning does not result in a change of behavior. I really like the idea of self-regulated learning where the student helps come up with goals and evaluates how he or she is doing on those goals. I think a student must be taught how to be a self-regulated learner.
* Group and Individual Differences: I agree that in general girls are more sociable and have more intense emotions and that boys generally have higher self-esteems, etc., but I also think that gender differences are becoming less and less. I think a lot of it has to do with culture but I think some of it nature, that boys and girls really are generally different.
* Motivation: I think that extrinsic and intrinsic motivation need to work together in students to help them want to learn. Intrinsic helps the student to be motivated and interested to learn what they want to learn and to remember it but extrinsic helps motivate them to do well on the tests in order to achieve a good grade. Some people wouldn't agree with situational interest, but I think situational interest can be a good thing because it is something the teacher can use to create interest in a topic the students are learning. It helps motivate them to learn a topic that they might otherwise find dull or uninteresting.
So What?
I think that students learn best in environments where they are not afraid to ask questions and where they are able to use their classmates help and ideas as well. I think they learn best when they are able to work with a group to discover the answers to questions and come up with their own theories of how the world works. I think that each person learns differently and there are some kids that do learn better by simply watching and not participating, but in general, students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. I believe that students learn more by having been exposed to a new idea a number of times over time then by repeating it 10 times the first time they learn it. If they hear the idea, then hear it again a month later, then hear it again, before they are required to actually know and learn it, they aren't as afraid of the new information because it is something they have seen before and it isn't so scary.
Now What?
1) When I am a teacher I will use a variety of different teaching techniques in order to try to best suit each of my students learning styles. I will use of variety of different cooperative learning activities so my students have the opportunity to work together and learn from each other. I will set up different discovery learning activities for my students to discover answers for themselves, even though it will take more class time. For example, when teaching math, I would have them work together to figure out how to measure a circumference rather than telling them the formula first. I will also have individual activities sometimes in order to help students that learn better on their own.
2) I would like to find out more about the difference between cooperative learning and simply group work. I don't want to overuse group work in my classroom to the point where the kids hate it or where some kids are getting by without doing hardly any work. I also need to research more about Piaget and Vygotsky because I get their two theories mixed up. Another thing I would like to learn more about would be strategies to help get students who are more shy involved in classroom activities. I would like them to feel like they can participate and be themselves in a non-threatening environment.
The quiz said that I was mostly a behaviorist but I don't think it is very accurate because when we were learning about behaviorism in class I disagreed with a lot of what the theory says. I know that for educational purposes their needs to be a way to show that the student has learned it, but I do not think that learning is always visible.
* Piaget's Cognitive Development: I really like Piaget's ideas of Assimilation and Accommodation. I think it's important to get students to experience disequilibrium so they can assimilate or accommodate the new ideas into new or existing schemas. I don't entirely agree with all of the ages the Piaget put on his stages of cognitive development.
* Vygotsky's Cognitive Development: I really like the idea of Scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development. I like the idea of using a scaffolding system to build up the child to the point where they can accomplish the task on their own. I like that the ZPD takes each students abilities into consideration and helps them work on things that are challenging to them but not to difficult to do with some guidance. I don't like the idea of Cognitive Apprenticeship if it is overused and the more competent peer is always paired with a student less competent.
* Erikson's Psychosocial Development: I like Erikson's different stages and I think they really apply to kids as they develop. I think that children need to have each stage satisfied or they will have problems developing in the next stage, but I also think they they are capable of developing a later stage even if a previous stage was not fully met.
* Kohlberg's Moral Development: I disagree with some of the ages that go along with Kohberg's stages of moral development. I also disagree with Kohlberg's gender gender stereotypes. I do agree that people go through these different stages of moral development throughout life.
* Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: I like Goleman's idea of emotional coaching and teaching children how to recognize their emotions and to respond appropriately by helping them see their options.
* Information Processing: I like the idea of using different rehearsal techniques in order to get information from the sensory memory to the working memory and then into the long term memory and ways to bring it back to working memory when you need to use that information.
* Knowledge Construction and Higher-order thinking: I agree with the idea of constructivism and discovery learning. I like the idea of giving students guidelines and having them discover on their own how something works instead of just telling them how it works. I like the idea of having a community of learners where the students can ask questions and learn from each rather than just learning from the teacher. I think that the idea of group work can be overused though and the students can get burned out with always getting stuck doing the work in their group or watching students that didn't work as hard get the same grade as everyone else.
* Behaviorism: I like the idea of using a token economy to help train students to behave in the classroom and to follow the rules. I also like the idea of using contingency contracts that the students help you come up with ideas of how and what they can do to improve their behavior in the classroom. I disagree with the idea that learning has only occurred if there is some physical evidence of that learning. I think that a lot of things can be learned without the person showing that is has been learned.
* Social Cognitivism: I think that the definition of learning for social cognitivism is too general, though I do agree that some learning does not result in a change of behavior. I really like the idea of self-regulated learning where the student helps come up with goals and evaluates how he or she is doing on those goals. I think a student must be taught how to be a self-regulated learner.
* Group and Individual Differences: I agree that in general girls are more sociable and have more intense emotions and that boys generally have higher self-esteems, etc., but I also think that gender differences are becoming less and less. I think a lot of it has to do with culture but I think some of it nature, that boys and girls really are generally different.
* Motivation: I think that extrinsic and intrinsic motivation need to work together in students to help them want to learn. Intrinsic helps the student to be motivated and interested to learn what they want to learn and to remember it but extrinsic helps motivate them to do well on the tests in order to achieve a good grade. Some people wouldn't agree with situational interest, but I think situational interest can be a good thing because it is something the teacher can use to create interest in a topic the students are learning. It helps motivate them to learn a topic that they might otherwise find dull or uninteresting.
So What?
I think that students learn best in environments where they are not afraid to ask questions and where they are able to use their classmates help and ideas as well. I think they learn best when they are able to work with a group to discover the answers to questions and come up with their own theories of how the world works. I think that each person learns differently and there are some kids that do learn better by simply watching and not participating, but in general, students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. I believe that students learn more by having been exposed to a new idea a number of times over time then by repeating it 10 times the first time they learn it. If they hear the idea, then hear it again a month later, then hear it again, before they are required to actually know and learn it, they aren't as afraid of the new information because it is something they have seen before and it isn't so scary.
Now What?
1) When I am a teacher I will use a variety of different teaching techniques in order to try to best suit each of my students learning styles. I will use of variety of different cooperative learning activities so my students have the opportunity to work together and learn from each other. I will set up different discovery learning activities for my students to discover answers for themselves, even though it will take more class time. For example, when teaching math, I would have them work together to figure out how to measure a circumference rather than telling them the formula first. I will also have individual activities sometimes in order to help students that learn better on their own.
2) I would like to find out more about the difference between cooperative learning and simply group work. I don't want to overuse group work in my classroom to the point where the kids hate it or where some kids are getting by without doing hardly any work. I also need to research more about Piaget and Vygotsky because I get their two theories mixed up. Another thing I would like to learn more about would be strategies to help get students who are more shy involved in classroom activities. I would like them to feel like they can participate and be themselves in a non-threatening environment.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Social Cognitivism Case Study
1) I think that Mr. Corbet's teaching style goes along with Vygotsky's sociocultural learning theory. Vygotsky believed "social interaction to be the key mechanism for acquiring the language and culture of a community". In Mr. Corbet's classroom, the children watch and learn the culture and expectations of the classroom by watching and learning from each other. When the little boy raises his hand and Mr. Corbet gives positive feedback the other students see that and realize that is a culturally acceptable behavior in that classroom.
Mr. Corbet's teaching style also goes along with Erikson's stages of development. The kindergartner's is his class are most likely in Erikson's Industry vs. Inferiority stage. In this stage, children learn to "assert themselves in ways that are considered socially acceptable and learn to take initiative in their dealings with people and tasks". Mindy follows the examples of the other students by walking quietly and by raising her hand, thus showing that she is learning to assert herself in a socially acceptable way. The girl who was crying and demanding the the teachers attention to know where her mother was will most likely learn throughout the school year as she watches other students how to respond to situations in a less dramatic way. Mindy shows that she is learning to take initiative when raises her hand to call the teacher over when her friend is pushed off the swing.
2) One example of vicarious reinforcement is when the boy raises his hand. The teacher comes over to answer his question, thus teaching the students that raising your hand is the correct action to take when you have a question. Mindy repeats this behavior when she is on the playground and wants to get the teachers attention.
3) An example in the case study of vicarious punishment when the teacher uses the whistle on the playground. When the students are doing something they are not supposed to he blows the whistle and then has a talk with the student about their behavior. Mindy does not the teacher to blow the whistle at her or to be lectured about her behavior so she tries very hard to be good.
4) I think that Mindy has low Kindergarten self-efficacy. She does not know what is expected of her. For example, when she breaks the crayon she looks to see if anyone saw. If no one had seen, she probably would have hid the crayon so no one knew what had happened. But since a boy had seen her, she went to apologize to the teacher. However, I think that as Mindy goes throughout the school day, her self-efficacy begins to grow. As she observes the students line up for recess and the teacher comments on the students that walk slowly, she tries very hard to walk and not run. She is growing in her belief about how capable she is to do what is expected. Also, when she raises her hand on the playground, she is confident that the teacher will come to listen to her. She is learning that raising her hand is something that gets positive attention and she felt confident to perform that task when she needed to.
Mr. Corbet's teaching style also goes along with Erikson's stages of development. The kindergartner's is his class are most likely in Erikson's Industry vs. Inferiority stage. In this stage, children learn to "assert themselves in ways that are considered socially acceptable and learn to take initiative in their dealings with people and tasks". Mindy follows the examples of the other students by walking quietly and by raising her hand, thus showing that she is learning to assert herself in a socially acceptable way. The girl who was crying and demanding the the teachers attention to know where her mother was will most likely learn throughout the school year as she watches other students how to respond to situations in a less dramatic way. Mindy shows that she is learning to take initiative when raises her hand to call the teacher over when her friend is pushed off the swing.
2) One example of vicarious reinforcement is when the boy raises his hand. The teacher comes over to answer his question, thus teaching the students that raising your hand is the correct action to take when you have a question. Mindy repeats this behavior when she is on the playground and wants to get the teachers attention.
3) An example in the case study of vicarious punishment when the teacher uses the whistle on the playground. When the students are doing something they are not supposed to he blows the whistle and then has a talk with the student about their behavior. Mindy does not the teacher to blow the whistle at her or to be lectured about her behavior so she tries very hard to be good.
4) I think that Mindy has low Kindergarten self-efficacy. She does not know what is expected of her. For example, when she breaks the crayon she looks to see if anyone saw. If no one had seen, she probably would have hid the crayon so no one knew what had happened. But since a boy had seen her, she went to apologize to the teacher. However, I think that as Mindy goes throughout the school day, her self-efficacy begins to grow. As she observes the students line up for recess and the teacher comments on the students that walk slowly, she tries very hard to walk and not run. She is growing in her belief about how capable she is to do what is expected. Also, when she raises her hand on the playground, she is confident that the teacher will come to listen to her. She is learning that raising her hand is something that gets positive attention and she felt confident to perform that task when she needed to.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Brain Fair
For the brain fair, Chelsey, Erica, and I decided to research the effects of drugs on the brain. As we were researching, we realized there was so much information that we couldn't possibly include everything so we started to narrow it down. We decided to focus on four different drugs: Marijuana, Ecstasy, Cocaine, and Meth. (I learned how to spell ecstasy and realized I've been spelling it wrong my whole life. I had no idea there was no X in ecstasy). It was really interesting learning about the different effects on the brain.
As we were researching, I realized how important and helpful the internet is in doing research. We were able to quickly find information on how drugs effect the brain. We didn't have to spend hours reading through books and encyclopedias in the library to do our research. With technology and the internet we are able to get the most current information simply by typing in a few key words. We found a website where you can interact with cartoon mice that are on different types of drugs. You click on the mouse and it drops it into a machine where you can look at it's brain and see what exactly the drug is doing inside his brain. I found that learning this way is so much more interesting than just reading the information. I think that students would find learning about hard subjects in an interactive way more helpful to remember and understand the information. They are able to see the information, hear it, and interact with it, creating different pathways in the brain to remember the information.
As we were researching, I realized how important and helpful the internet is in doing research. We were able to quickly find information on how drugs effect the brain. We didn't have to spend hours reading through books and encyclopedias in the library to do our research. With technology and the internet we are able to get the most current information simply by typing in a few key words. We found a website where you can interact with cartoon mice that are on different types of drugs. You click on the mouse and it drops it into a machine where you can look at it's brain and see what exactly the drug is doing inside his brain. I found that learning this way is so much more interesting than just reading the information. I think that students would find learning about hard subjects in an interactive way more helpful to remember and understand the information. They are able to see the information, hear it, and interact with it, creating different pathways in the brain to remember the information.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Constructivism Case Study
1) Both lessons gave the students an opportunity to measure something and they both found a way to get the students interested in what it was they are measuring. One difference is that in the traditional lesson, the teacher simply gave them a yard stick and showed them how to measure. In the second lesson, she let them come up on their own with a way to measure and to figure out on their own why it's important to have standard measurements. Another difference is that the traditional lesson took a lot less time to complete.
2) The drawbacks are that it takes a lot more time to do it. Also, there is a lot more silence when the teacher would be tempted to jump in and help the students out. The benefits are that the students learn the information better. They have to come up with the answers on their own and they will remember the results longer and it will encourage them to think of answers to other problems on their own instead of just hoping someone will give them the answers if they don't know it.
I think that in a lot of ways the benefits are worth the cost, but if it takes away too much class time, they won't learn all the things they need to know for other subjects and topics. I think that for really important things or concepts that are difficult to understand and remember, that taking more time to come up with the answer is worth the extra time.
3) Critical thinking is "the process of systematically examining available information and coming up with conclusions that are based on evidence". The constructivist lesson promotes critical thinking because it allows time for the students to figure out the answers on their own, no matter how long it takes, without the teacher telling them the answer. They have to work together and come up with different theories of what might work, test them, and then evaluate what worked and didn't work and why. Examples of when the students used critical thinking are when the little boy realizes that the boat can't be 3 feet tall because he knows that he is 4 feet tall and the boat is way bigger than him and also when they realized that each time they counted they got a different answer and realized they needed to have a standard size and used the same boy to measure everything.
4) Yes, because it promotes problem solving that could be used outside of the classroom in the real world and not just on that particular assignment.
2) The drawbacks are that it takes a lot more time to do it. Also, there is a lot more silence when the teacher would be tempted to jump in and help the students out. The benefits are that the students learn the information better. They have to come up with the answers on their own and they will remember the results longer and it will encourage them to think of answers to other problems on their own instead of just hoping someone will give them the answers if they don't know it.
I think that in a lot of ways the benefits are worth the cost, but if it takes away too much class time, they won't learn all the things they need to know for other subjects and topics. I think that for really important things or concepts that are difficult to understand and remember, that taking more time to come up with the answer is worth the extra time.
3) Critical thinking is "the process of systematically examining available information and coming up with conclusions that are based on evidence". The constructivist lesson promotes critical thinking because it allows time for the students to figure out the answers on their own, no matter how long it takes, without the teacher telling them the answer. They have to work together and come up with different theories of what might work, test them, and then evaluate what worked and didn't work and why. Examples of when the students used critical thinking are when the little boy realizes that the boat can't be 3 feet tall because he knows that he is 4 feet tall and the boat is way bigger than him and also when they realized that each time they counted they got a different answer and realized they needed to have a standard size and used the same boy to measure everything.
4) Yes, because it promotes problem solving that could be used outside of the classroom in the real world and not just on that particular assignment.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Brain Project Proposal
Erica and I will be working together on the brain project to show the effects of different drugs on the brain.
Cognitive Psychology Case Study
Case 1
1) The students will remember the activities because they participated in them physically and weren't just told about them from a a test book or movie. They actually got to experience some of things and they'll remember it because of that. Students that only read about it a text book won't remember it as long because they aren't engaged in the learning process. It doesn't apply to them so they won't care as much. Hearing facts about something doesn't engage our emotions as much as actually experiencing something.
2)It engages the emotions because they are actually participating and getting a glimpse of how it would really be to be a civil war soldier. They actually have to participate, for example, setting up camp, marching, etc.
3) Show pictures from the civil war and have them analyze them.
Case 2
4) I think Mr. Richards does a better job because he uses a variety of activities to help the kids learn through all the senses and not just reading and answering questions. He uses variety so that all different learning styles are able to learn. He also uses different testing strategies so those who don't do well one one type, also have the opportunity to do well on the test. On the other hand, I think he should tell the students ahead of time what they will be learning that day so that their brain can be better prepared to learn that information.
5) I think that those who learn well through reading and answering essay questions would do well in Mr. Duncans class but overall, I think most students would do better in Mr. Richards class where they are able to apply auditory, visual, movement, etc. into the learning process.
1) The students will remember the activities because they participated in them physically and weren't just told about them from a a test book or movie. They actually got to experience some of things and they'll remember it because of that. Students that only read about it a text book won't remember it as long because they aren't engaged in the learning process. It doesn't apply to them so they won't care as much. Hearing facts about something doesn't engage our emotions as much as actually experiencing something.
2)It engages the emotions because they are actually participating and getting a glimpse of how it would really be to be a civil war soldier. They actually have to participate, for example, setting up camp, marching, etc.
3) Show pictures from the civil war and have them analyze them.
Case 2
4) I think Mr. Richards does a better job because he uses a variety of activities to help the kids learn through all the senses and not just reading and answering questions. He uses variety so that all different learning styles are able to learn. He also uses different testing strategies so those who don't do well one one type, also have the opportunity to do well on the test. On the other hand, I think he should tell the students ahead of time what they will be learning that day so that their brain can be better prepared to learn that information.
5) I think that those who learn well through reading and answering essay questions would do well in Mr. Duncans class but overall, I think most students would do better in Mr. Richards class where they are able to apply auditory, visual, movement, etc. into the learning process.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Special Needs Case Study
1) What classic symptoms of a learning disability does Nathan exhibit?
He does his work but forgets to turn it in. He gets distracted easily and doesn't finish tests and quizzes but he knows what the answers are and he is very smart. He probably has ADHD.
2) What accommodations has Nathan received in the past?
In the past, doctors prescribed him medication to help him with his disability. The medication seemed to help, but he did not like the side effects of it.
3) What strategies would you recommend to help Nathan work with his learning disability? Why?
I would help Nathan set up a planner to help him remember what all of his assignments are for all of his classes and encourage him to show it to his parents daily so they know what homework he needs to do. I would have him check off each assignment when he was finished with it and then again when he turned it in so that he could remember that he turned it in. For tests and quizzes I might try having him do some of the questions orally so that he could show he knows the answers but not have so much time to get distracted. For questions that needed to be answered on paper I would make sure he had a quiet place, perhaps away from the other students, to take the test and allow him extra time to complete the questions.
4. How many students like Nathan will you likely have in your classes? Justify your response by summarizing the information from a link or reference (include the link/reference).
http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/nichcy_adhd.html
This article says that as many as 5 out of every 100 children has ADHD. That is about 1 out of every 20 students, so I will likely have 1 to 2 students with ADHD in my class every year. It's important to know how to accommodate students with ADHD and what options are available to these students since it is such a common disability. Sometimes parents don't know what their options are for their child and as a teacher I can provide them with some basic background knowledge where they can start to find options that work best for their child.
He does his work but forgets to turn it in. He gets distracted easily and doesn't finish tests and quizzes but he knows what the answers are and he is very smart. He probably has ADHD.
2) What accommodations has Nathan received in the past?
In the past, doctors prescribed him medication to help him with his disability. The medication seemed to help, but he did not like the side effects of it.
3) What strategies would you recommend to help Nathan work with his learning disability? Why?
I would help Nathan set up a planner to help him remember what all of his assignments are for all of his classes and encourage him to show it to his parents daily so they know what homework he needs to do. I would have him check off each assignment when he was finished with it and then again when he turned it in so that he could remember that he turned it in. For tests and quizzes I might try having him do some of the questions orally so that he could show he knows the answers but not have so much time to get distracted. For questions that needed to be answered on paper I would make sure he had a quiet place, perhaps away from the other students, to take the test and allow him extra time to complete the questions.
4. How many students like Nathan will you likely have in your classes? Justify your response by summarizing the information from a link or reference (include the link/reference).
http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/nichcy_adhd.html
This article says that as many as 5 out of every 100 children has ADHD. That is about 1 out of every 20 students, so I will likely have 1 to 2 students with ADHD in my class every year. It's important to know how to accommodate students with ADHD and what options are available to these students since it is such a common disability. Sometimes parents don't know what their options are for their child and as a teacher I can provide them with some basic background knowledge where they can start to find options that work best for their child.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Course Contract Review #2
1) I'm doing well at making sure I understand the concepts and asking for help. Kiyna and I studied together before the test and made sure we both understood things. I helped her understand things she didn't quite understand and she explained things to me that I didn't understand. I have also been doing well at staying caught up with the assignments in the class.
2) I have still not been doing as well as I could with reading the text book thoroughly. I get the answers for the study guide and read those things in depth and then I scan the rest of the chapter very quickly. I need to spend more time reading all of the information in more depth.
3) I feel like I am doing a lot better on my goals now then I was after the last test. I am learning specific strategies that I can use to help my students learn better and help them to retain better what I've taught them. I have also been getting help from my classmates with things that I don't understand and working with them to understand and remember the information from the class better.
4) When I read the chapters I need to use the 4 R's to get myself reading more thoroughly instead of just skimming the information that is not on the study guides. I need to start applying the things I've learned about my own learning styles to other classes so I can learn better. I need to make outlines when I read chapters for other classes and write how it applies to me and to teaching.
5)I think I have been focusing more on mastery goals more now then I was after the first test. I am starting to ask myself with every assignment, "How can I use this information and apply it to me as a future teacher?" I think about assignments different when I think they can help me rather than if I feel like they are just busy work that I'm just trying to finish for a grade. There are some assignments in other classes that I need to think harder about how they will apply to me as a teacher because I don't put as much energy and thought into the assignments that I feel aren't helpful.
2) I have still not been doing as well as I could with reading the text book thoroughly. I get the answers for the study guide and read those things in depth and then I scan the rest of the chapter very quickly. I need to spend more time reading all of the information in more depth.
3) I feel like I am doing a lot better on my goals now then I was after the last test. I am learning specific strategies that I can use to help my students learn better and help them to retain better what I've taught them. I have also been getting help from my classmates with things that I don't understand and working with them to understand and remember the information from the class better.
4) When I read the chapters I need to use the 4 R's to get myself reading more thoroughly instead of just skimming the information that is not on the study guides. I need to start applying the things I've learned about my own learning styles to other classes so I can learn better. I need to make outlines when I read chapters for other classes and write how it applies to me and to teaching.
5)I think I have been focusing more on mastery goals more now then I was after the first test. I am starting to ask myself with every assignment, "How can I use this information and apply it to me as a future teacher?" I think about assignments different when I think they can help me rather than if I feel like they are just busy work that I'm just trying to finish for a grade. There are some assignments in other classes that I need to think harder about how they will apply to me as a teacher because I don't put as much energy and thought into the assignments that I feel aren't helpful.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Social and Moral Development Case Study
1) I think the most effective would be when the parents invite other kids over to play. This way they get to know the other children in the class more one on one and they will learn to resolve conflicts with that person. In the classroom if they have a conflict with another student, they can just move on and play with someone else. If they are playing at their home they don't really have the option to play with someone else so they have to work it out or not play.
2) The children in their class are in the Initiative vs. Guilt stage. In this stage, children learn what is socially acceptable. By using literature, they children can hear from the stories what kinds of things are socially acceptable in making friends and they can start to imitate and learn from those stories. Children will remember it longer if it is a story and not just something the teacher has told to them. They will learn better from the examples of literature and stories. They will learn how to work well with others to accomplish a task that needs to be done.
3) Using stories and literature can help students to start to reason morally if you stop and ask them questions about it. Kohlberg used stories and dilemmas, like Heinz's Dilemma, to get kids thinking about what is morally right and wrong. Teachers can use literature to do the same. When reading a story to the students, the teacher can stop and ask the kids questions that get them thinking. Open ended questions like, "What do you think Suzy should do in this situation?" will get the kids to start thinking and help with their moral reasoning.
4) Reading a letter from a friend makes it seem more real to the students than simply reading it from a story book. I think they are more likely to try to think of solutions the would be realistic and work if they think they can actually respond and give advice to the person who needs help. Making the situation real to the students will help them move from Piaget's heteronomous moral stage to the autonomous moral stage. They will start to see that people have different rules or set ways of making friends and that those don't always have to be the only way to look at making friends. For example, a shy student might learn that they can go out of their own comfort zone to try to make friends with someone else instead of just letting others come to them. Thinking of new strategies also helps in their cognitive development because they learn through discussion how to talk out more than one possibility to solve a problem.
2) The children in their class are in the Initiative vs. Guilt stage. In this stage, children learn what is socially acceptable. By using literature, they children can hear from the stories what kinds of things are socially acceptable in making friends and they can start to imitate and learn from those stories. Children will remember it longer if it is a story and not just something the teacher has told to them. They will learn better from the examples of literature and stories. They will learn how to work well with others to accomplish a task that needs to be done.
3) Using stories and literature can help students to start to reason morally if you stop and ask them questions about it. Kohlberg used stories and dilemmas, like Heinz's Dilemma, to get kids thinking about what is morally right and wrong. Teachers can use literature to do the same. When reading a story to the students, the teacher can stop and ask the kids questions that get them thinking. Open ended questions like, "What do you think Suzy should do in this situation?" will get the kids to start thinking and help with their moral reasoning.
4) Reading a letter from a friend makes it seem more real to the students than simply reading it from a story book. I think they are more likely to try to think of solutions the would be realistic and work if they think they can actually respond and give advice to the person who needs help. Making the situation real to the students will help them move from Piaget's heteronomous moral stage to the autonomous moral stage. They will start to see that people have different rules or set ways of making friends and that those don't always have to be the only way to look at making friends. For example, a shy student might learn that they can go out of their own comfort zone to try to make friends with someone else instead of just letting others come to them. Thinking of new strategies also helps in their cognitive development because they learn through discussion how to talk out more than one possibility to solve a problem.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Case Study
1) Disequilibrium: Amy gets confused because in the past, when her grandfather died, she knew that he went away to heaven and didn't come back and the fish is still here. It's inconsistent with her schema about death.
Assimilation: Amy and Lucy try to relate what they already to know to death by asking questions like "do you have to eat in heaven" and "do you have to go potty in heaven". They conclude that you would have to eat in heaven otherwise you would be hungry. This shows assimilation.
2) Amy shows egocentrism when Lucy asks "do you have to go potty in heaven?". Amy replies "of course not silly!" with her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes. She is showing egocentrism because she thinks that Lucy should see things from her point of view. She assumes that Lucy already shares her knowledge and feelings about it.
3)Ask questions to find out what the girls already know about death and build on that like scaffolding. Break it down into language that they can understand. Encourage them to think out loud as they process the concept of death.
4) Taking care of a class pet would help a students cognitive abilities because they have to plan ahead and remember to feed and take care of the pet everyday. It gives them responsibility and they learn to think of not just themselves.
Assimilation: Amy and Lucy try to relate what they already to know to death by asking questions like "do you have to eat in heaven" and "do you have to go potty in heaven". They conclude that you would have to eat in heaven otherwise you would be hungry. This shows assimilation.
2) Amy shows egocentrism when Lucy asks "do you have to go potty in heaven?". Amy replies "of course not silly!" with her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes. She is showing egocentrism because she thinks that Lucy should see things from her point of view. She assumes that Lucy already shares her knowledge and feelings about it.
3)Ask questions to find out what the girls already know about death and build on that like scaffolding. Break it down into language that they can understand. Encourage them to think out loud as they process the concept of death.
4) Taking care of a class pet would help a students cognitive abilities because they have to plan ahead and remember to feed and take care of the pet everyday. It gives them responsibility and they learn to think of not just themselves.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Educational Neuroscience
Marilee Sprenger:
What? Marilee Sprenger is currently working on raising student achievement using brain-based teaching strategies and memory research. She wants to teach in a way that helps students remember and retain more of what is taught. She suggests things like accessing their prior knowledge, having them explain things in their own words, providing a framework so the students know what is important to remember, and using multiple strategies to help them recall information.
So What? Her research is important to education because there is a big problem in education today where kids can go through a whole class or unit on something, get A's on all the tests, and not even be able to remember half of it 6 months later. If we can find ways to help students remember things better it would help education progress so much and it would help the students in their everyday lives to perform better. We could learn so much more if we could learn to retrieve information that we've learned in the past instead of forgetting it and having to learn the same things over and over again.
Now What? Marilee Sprenger has some different books that are filled with strategies to help students learn better. As a teacher, it would be helpful to know these memory techniques so I could teach my students in a way that they would retain the information long after the test was taken. I could learn how to teach in a way where they could connect new information to information they've learned in the past. This would help them to apply the things we are learning in class to their lives in different ways instead of just trying to get a good grade on the test or in the class. I think if students could remember things they've learned previously they would be able to progress quicker and learn more than just the basic information. They would be more willing and able to work towards mastery goals instead of just performance goals.
What? Marilee Sprenger is currently working on raising student achievement using brain-based teaching strategies and memory research. She wants to teach in a way that helps students remember and retain more of what is taught. She suggests things like accessing their prior knowledge, having them explain things in their own words, providing a framework so the students know what is important to remember, and using multiple strategies to help them recall information.
So What? Her research is important to education because there is a big problem in education today where kids can go through a whole class or unit on something, get A's on all the tests, and not even be able to remember half of it 6 months later. If we can find ways to help students remember things better it would help education progress so much and it would help the students in their everyday lives to perform better. We could learn so much more if we could learn to retrieve information that we've learned in the past instead of forgetting it and having to learn the same things over and over again.
Now What? Marilee Sprenger has some different books that are filled with strategies to help students learn better. As a teacher, it would be helpful to know these memory techniques so I could teach my students in a way that they would retain the information long after the test was taken. I could learn how to teach in a way where they could connect new information to information they've learned in the past. This would help them to apply the things we are learning in class to their lives in different ways instead of just trying to get a good grade on the test or in the class. I think if students could remember things they've learned previously they would be able to progress quicker and learn more than just the basic information. They would be more willing and able to work towards mastery goals instead of just performance goals.
Course Contract Review
I've been doing well at keeping up with the assignments and readings for the class and doing what I need to do but I haven't really been applying the information to my self or finding out how it can help me to be a better teacher very much. I've been procrastinating until the day before to do the assignments. Even though I get them done on time procrastinating is not a good habit to have. I need to do better at keeping my goals in mind when I'm doing the assignments so that I can make better progress towards them. For example, when I'm reading I could be asking myself "how does this apply specifically to me right now and how could knowing this be helpful to my students when I'm a teacher? I need to work on doing assignments when they're assigned and not waiting until the day before they are due. That way, if the assignment takes longer than expected, it won't be a big deal because I'll still have the rest of the week to complete it. I could be more motivated and focus more on mastery goals. I think so far I've been focused mostly on performance goals, getting everything done, doing well on the first test, etc. I haven't really been thinking about the assignments as a way to improve my understanding and learn it permanently. On the other hand, some of the information has caught my attention and made me want to remember it because it seemed really interesting to me.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Motivation
Why are you here (in the teacher education program, in this class, at UVU)?:
I chose to come to UVU because it was close to my home and had affordable tuition and accepted students that didn't have the best of grades in High School. I've wanted to be an Elementary Teacher since I was young. I've always enjoyed working with children and helping them learn and succeed.
What motivates you?:
I have both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for passing this class and staying in the Elementary Education program. I need to pass this class in order to continue in the program and to graduate and become a teacher but I also want to learn all that I can from this class that will help me to better understand and teach my students. I want to do well so I can obtain the knowledge I need to be a successful teacher and make a difference.
Why do you succeed? Why do you fail? (Use terminology from attribution theory):
Times when I've failed at things could probably have to do with Learned Helplessness, when I felt like no matter what I did, I was still going to fail. This is when I would give up and not put anymore effort into what I was doing because I was so certain that I would fail because it was too difficult. Times when I have succeeded have had to do with when I didn't give up and was determined to do my very best whether I failed or not or when I felt like I had the ability to accomplish that and felt like I had some kind of control over the outcome.
Do the goals in your course contract reflect mastery goals or performance goals? What does this say about you?:
My goals are a combination of both mastery and performance goals. Some of my goals have to do with just finishing the work on time and getting a good grade but some of them have to do with improving my understanding of the subject and learning it thoroughly as well.
How do you need to change your motivations and mindset for this class in order to become a great teacher?:
I need to focus more on learning and retaining what I learn and not just simply learning what the teacher wants me to learn in order to pass and get a good grade in the class. I need to find something in each class that personally interests me (dispositional interest) so that I can stay motivated even learning environment isn't motivational.
I chose to come to UVU because it was close to my home and had affordable tuition and accepted students that didn't have the best of grades in High School. I've wanted to be an Elementary Teacher since I was young. I've always enjoyed working with children and helping them learn and succeed.
What motivates you?:
I have both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for passing this class and staying in the Elementary Education program. I need to pass this class in order to continue in the program and to graduate and become a teacher but I also want to learn all that I can from this class that will help me to better understand and teach my students. I want to do well so I can obtain the knowledge I need to be a successful teacher and make a difference.
Why do you succeed? Why do you fail? (Use terminology from attribution theory):
Times when I've failed at things could probably have to do with Learned Helplessness, when I felt like no matter what I did, I was still going to fail. This is when I would give up and not put anymore effort into what I was doing because I was so certain that I would fail because it was too difficult. Times when I have succeeded have had to do with when I didn't give up and was determined to do my very best whether I failed or not or when I felt like I had the ability to accomplish that and felt like I had some kind of control over the outcome.
Do the goals in your course contract reflect mastery goals or performance goals? What does this say about you?:
My goals are a combination of both mastery and performance goals. Some of my goals have to do with just finishing the work on time and getting a good grade but some of them have to do with improving my understanding of the subject and learning it thoroughly as well.
How do you need to change your motivations and mindset for this class in order to become a great teacher?:
I need to focus more on learning and retaining what I learn and not just simply learning what the teacher wants me to learn in order to pass and get a good grade in the class. I need to find something in each class that personally interests me (dispositional interest) so that I can stay motivated even learning environment isn't motivational.
Hidden Assignment
Goals for this Course:
1) Learn more about the brain and how I can use that information to better help my students learn
2) Use the information to find out how I learn and use it to become a better student
3) Get help for anything that is not clear.
Weekly Management Plan:
On the day of class I'll write down everything that's been assigned. When I get home from school I will look over the assignments and quickly scan through the assigned reading so I can have a good estimate of how long it will take to complete. I will work on a part of the assignment or reading everyday so that I will complete it long before the next class. This way I'll have time to quickly go over the assignment or reading again the day before class so it's fresh on my mind.
Study Strategies:
While reading the chapter I will use the 4R's as much as possible. I will make sure I have a specific, quiet place to study. I'll preview the chapter by reading all the headings first and I'll make notes by things I have questions about. I'll set up a specific amount of time I'll read before taking a break and I will stop periodically to make sure I understand what I'm reading. I'll take notes and underline as I read. If there is a lot of definitions I'm trying to remember I will make notecards and keep them with me to study when I have spare time.
If I Don't Understand:
If I don't understand something in the book I'll read it more carefully and I'll use the index to find other sections in the book that talk about the same topic. Also, I will look it up online and seen if there are any good, reliable websites that explain it better. I'll talk to other people in the class to figure out if they understood it and have them explain it to me. If I still don't understand I will email or visit the instructors office to have it better explained.
I will reach my goals in this course by making sure I start studying early and using effective study techniques, I'll make sure I understand what I'm reading and ask for help when I don't understand something.
1) Learn more about the brain and how I can use that information to better help my students learn
2) Use the information to find out how I learn and use it to become a better student
3) Get help for anything that is not clear.
Weekly Management Plan:
On the day of class I'll write down everything that's been assigned. When I get home from school I will look over the assignments and quickly scan through the assigned reading so I can have a good estimate of how long it will take to complete. I will work on a part of the assignment or reading everyday so that I will complete it long before the next class. This way I'll have time to quickly go over the assignment or reading again the day before class so it's fresh on my mind.
Study Strategies:
While reading the chapter I will use the 4R's as much as possible. I will make sure I have a specific, quiet place to study. I'll preview the chapter by reading all the headings first and I'll make notes by things I have questions about. I'll set up a specific amount of time I'll read before taking a break and I will stop periodically to make sure I understand what I'm reading. I'll take notes and underline as I read. If there is a lot of definitions I'm trying to remember I will make notecards and keep them with me to study when I have spare time.
If I Don't Understand:
If I don't understand something in the book I'll read it more carefully and I'll use the index to find other sections in the book that talk about the same topic. Also, I will look it up online and seen if there are any good, reliable websites that explain it better. I'll talk to other people in the class to figure out if they understood it and have them explain it to me. If I still don't understand I will email or visit the instructors office to have it better explained.
I will reach my goals in this course by making sure I start studying early and using effective study techniques, I'll make sure I understand what I'm reading and ask for help when I don't understand something.
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