Personal Learning Theory

What?

My test results were pretty equal all across the board. I had 35 points for both B & C and had 38 for H. For each theory I wrote what I liked and disliked by using L for like and D for dislike.

• Piaget's Cognitive Development- L: The ideas of schemas and how we want our students to experience disequilibrium. D: That the stage only goes till 11 years old...that seems a little young to me for kids to be fully developed cognitively.
• Erikson's Psychosocial Development- L: I agree with his stages and how not going through them successfully can be harmful. I like that he has one for each stage of life. D: There really isn't anything I disagree with or dislike. I think it all makes a lot of sense.
• Kohlberg's Moral Development-L: That is stages increase by maturity level and that I can easily see real life examples for many of them. D: I feel like some of his stages are really similar and are kind of tied together which kind of confuses me.
• Goleman's Emotional Intelligence- L: That he addresses emotional intelligence because it can really affect your life. I like that it focuses on just on your own emotions but also on others. D: There really isn't anything about this idea that I dislike. At first I was thinking about how emotional intelligence would help you in school and I realized that it would be helpful because it would help you stay focused and not get sidetracked on what is going on outside of class.
• Information Processing- L: I really like the different ways we can help our students encode information. D: There isn't anything about this that I don't like. It is pretty straight forward and really makes a lot of sense. I think a key part is getting our students attention from the beginning.
• Knowledge Construction and Higher-order thinking- L: That students are involved in hands on learning. D: Seems like it would be difficult way of teaching for us. Great to do but not something we could probably do all the time.
• Behaviorism- L: The idea of using a token economy. D: The idea of bribing our students so much. It works and everything I just wish we didn't have to do it so much, even though that is kind of what a token economy is.
• Social Cognitivism- L: That learning is in our hands and is self-motivated. D: I pretty much agree with everything this strategy has to say.
• Group and Individual Differences- L: That it states that people really do learn differently because that is definitely true. Not one person is the same as another. D: As a teacher it is hard to make every lesson differentiated enough for each student. We have to gear certain lessons to certain students and then next time focus on the other students.
• Motivation- L: That there are different types of motivation; intrinsic and extrinsic. D: That most students seem to be extrinsically motivated....to get a good grade instead of learning and understanding the content.

So what?

I really feel that a combination of all these strategies is the best way to teach, especially because some of our students will respond better to others. People learn in a variety of ways and by using all these strategies our students will be able to learn in different ways and be able to figure out what works best for them. I really feel that the information processing is a great way students can learn. If we don't have their attention to begin with they won't get anything out of class and if we can't help them encode the information it will have no value to them. By understanding how memory works we can really help our students really learn and retain the information we are teaching them. I also believe that students learn from one another by working together and constructing knowledge on their own. When students are actually doing the learning it is much more enriching. Teachers should facilitate the learning process but should not be telling their students everything. I really like the idea of self-discovery.

Now What?

There are a few strategies I can take into my classroom based on the humanist approach. One thing I can do is let the students make some of the choices in the classroom, for example what they'd like to do for a final project. I can also help my students to make realistic goals and have them check up on those goals often. Another idea is to have my students involved in cooperative learning groups so that they can learn from one another. I can also act as a facilitator in my classroom and be a more behind the scenes teacher, especially when involved in group discussions.

I definitely want to keep learning more about these strategies. I really feel that they offer a lot of ideas and strategies for education that I never would have thought of before. One topic I want to improve my learning in is on information processing. I love what I know about it already and just want a better understanding of how it works. I also could improve on higher order thinking and learn more about that so I can help my students get more out of class and learn more.

What am I doing well?

I am doing well at understanding the content and getting all my assignments done.

What am I doing not so well?

I am feeling a little stressed with finals and all the projects that I have due. I need to make sure I give myself enough time to study for the final. I need to manage my time better these next few days.

Am I making sufficient progress on my goals?

Yeah. As the end of the semester is just about here reaching my goals is getting closer.

Specific things I need to change to reach my goals?

I don't feel there is anything in particular that I need to do to reach my goal. I think I am doing really well.

How is my motivation? Am I focusing on mastery or performance goals?

My motivation is great and I am still focusing on mastery goals. I really have enjoyed this class and feel that it will help me be a better teacher if I use what I have learned.

Social Cognitivism Case Study

1. Which teacher in the scenario demonstrates vicarious reinforcement?

Ms. Y is demonstrating vicarious reinforcement. By praising Robin for the great concept map she created the other students in her class will probably start creating them as well. Her praise is reinforcing the other students to make a concept map like Robin did.

2. Is Mr. Kessinger considering reciprocal causation in his class?

I do not think that Mr. K is considering reciprocal causation in his class. Reciprocal causation is interrelationship between student's environments, behavior and personal beliefs. Mr. K is not considering these things at all. He does not seem to care about his students beliefs and treats them really bad.

3. Which self-regulated learning process is Robing engaging in when she creates her concept maps?

Robin is engaging in self-instruction. She creating the concept map to instruct herself and understand the complexity of the topic of her map in a simpler form.

4. How do you think Robin's self-efficacy has been affect by this experience?

Robin probably does not feel like she can take notes or do well in Mr. K's class. This may even affect the other classes she as as well. Robin probably does not have high expectations for herself in this class now. Because she has failed at answering his question she may feel that she will fail every time he asks her a question now. She has low self-efficacy in regards to succeeding in Mr. K's class, answering his question, and taking notes.

Behaviorism Case Study

1. Does Mr. Kessinger's class represent a community of learners as defined in Constructivist theory? Why or why not?

Mr. Kessinger's class does not represent a community of learners. His students are not encouraged to work together. They are too worried about getting answers right and are scared out of their minds. It is every person for them self in that class.

2. Does Mr. Kessinger utilize presentation punishment or removal punishment with Robin? Justify your response using definitions and evidence from the case.

Mr. K uses presentation punishment. By yelling at her he is presenting an aversive stimulus. He also uses removal punishment by ripping up her concept map (desirable stimuli).

3. Explain Robin's reaction in Ms. Yamashita's class from the perspective of classical conditioning. Which stimuli are paired and how does that condition her response?

Because Mr. K yelled at Robin for using notes to answer the question and tore up her concept map, she thinks she will get in trouble in her other class as well. This mad her really upset and she cried. When Ms. Y takes her concept map she thinks she is going to get in yelled at again and so she runs out of the class crying. The paired stimuli is her teachers seeing her concept map and that conditions her to cry.

4. How might Ms. Yamashita encourage Robin to create concept maps in the future? Include behavioral concepts such as shaping, reinforcement, etc., in your response.

One way that Ms. Y could encourage Robin to create concept maps in the future would be by reinforcement. Praise and recognition would be a good type of reinforcement in this case. Another reinforcer could be a token economy. If the teacher could explain to Robin that she proud of her and that she loves her concept one on one Robin will understand things much better.

Course Contract Review #3

What are you doing well?

I am preparing for the exams well. Last test I was really prepared so I used the same study strategies to prepare for this exam. I also am doing well at staying on top of all the assignments.

What are you doing not so well?

I think with my last semester of classes coming to an end here soon I am getting pretty antsy. I am kind of having a hard time staying focused on my classes this last week or so.

Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?

I am making good progress on my goals. I feel that I know the material well. My grade is reflecting that but its not just the grade...I feel that I really get the content and that feels good.

List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals.

I need to make sure that I stay focused these last couple weeks. I need to listen better in all my classes and try to get the most out of each session as I can. This is the last bit of instruction I will be getting before I start my student teaching so I need to make it count.

How is your motivation? Are you focusing on mastery or performance goals? Does anything need to change?

My motivation is still good. My goals are still mastery goals and I don't feel that anything really needs to change.

Constrictivism Case Study

1. Describe two similarities between the traditional lesson and the constructivist one as described above. What are two differences?

One similarity between the lessons is that they both involved measurement. The teachers had the students measuring something that was interesting to them. In one case it was a whale and in the other it was a ship. Another similarity between the two lessons was that both of the classes had not worked with yardsticks or measurements. One difference in the lessons was that the constructivist teacher did not give her students instructions on how to see how long the ship was. The other teacher gave her students yard stick to measure the whale. Another difference was how the students reacted to the lessons. The students in the traditional class were unsatisfied with the lesson and really weren't sure what they had learned. The students in the other class were able to learn the importance of standard measurements and got a lot more out of the lesson. They were also much more engaged than the other class was.

2. What are two benefits and two drawbacks of the constructivist approach as described above? Why? In your opinion, are the benefits worth the costs? Explain your response.

One benefit of the constructivist approach as described above is that the students were engaged in the learning process. Another benefit is that the students got more out of it because they had to thing through the problem on their own. One drawback is that it took the teacher a lot more time to get through the lesson. As teachers we have a lot of material we need to get through and the constructivist approach sometimes is too slow of a pace. Another drawback is that there are a lot of misconceptions you will have to clarify. For example the students had a misconception about measurement. In my opinion I think that sometimes the constructivist approach is worth the cost sometimes but not always. There may be certain things you are trying to teach your students in which they would get more out of by using the constructivist approach. At other times you may not have enough time to let the students learn in that way. I think some subjects and topics are better suited for constructivism.

3. How does the constructivist lesson described about promote critical thinking? Give specific examples of critical thinking from the case study and include a definition of critical thinking to support you response.

Critical thinking is the purposeful and reflective judgement about what to believe or what to do in response to observations, experience, writ en or verbal expression or arguments. In this example the teacher promoted critical thinking. One way she did this was by having the students think of their own method for seeing how long the ship was. She also lets the students work through their measurement problems on their own. For example she lets them measure with their hands how long the boat is but the students get a different number, she lets the students figure out what to do next. She never told them what to do, she just let them observe and reflect.

4. Would the constructivist activity be considered an authentic activity? Why or why not?

Yes this would be considered an authentic activity. Authentic activities are activities in which the learner solves a problem that is realistic. The problem is solved through their own knowledge and thinking. The students collaborated over this real life problem of how to see how long the ship was. The students were also able to use many different resources in solving this problem. It also took a sustained period of time for the students to solve this problem. The teacher also did not really define the task well. The students did not explicit instructions. These factors lead me to believe that this is an authentic activity.

Cognitive Psychology/Information Processing Case Study

Case 1:

1. After participating in this activity, what do you think the students will remember? How might those memories differ from those students would have if they only read the Civil War in their textbook?

When I was in 8th grade my history class did something like what Mr. West did. I loved it and it has been something that I have always remembered. I definitely think that that experience had something to do with me becoming so interested in history. I think the students will remember what they experienced. They will remember marching, setting up camp, cooking. They will probably remember that it wasn't very easy. They will also remember what they felt during this reenactment. If the students just read about it in the textbook the will forget so much of it. They won't connect to the material or become engaged. The students involved in the reenactment will have a broader understanding of the Civil War.

2. How does Mr. West’s use of a Civil War re-enactment engage students’ emotions? What is the relationship between emotions and learning.

Mr. West's use of a Civil-War reenactment engages students' emotions. Students are going through the process that soldiers of the war actually went through. They are experiencing how it would be if they were a soldier first hand. Students will definitely experience some emotions during the process. They will connect more with the actual soldiers who fought during the Civil War. Experiencing emotions and knowing how to regulate those emotions are a form of intelligence and learning. Mr. West's students were feeling emotions and learning at the same time. Emotions help us to remember what we are learning. Events with strong emotions are much easier to remember. This event that Mr. West has given his students will be something they remember because of the emotions they felt.

3. Based on the principles of dual-coding theory, what activities would be effective for Mr. West to use as a follow-up to the re-enactment?

A good idea for Mr. West to have his students do as a follow-up to the reenactment would be to have them do reflection. The students have experienced things first hand in their reenactment. This has got a lot of senses involved in the learning. In having the students write a reflection about what they experienced they would be able to tune into their emotions. This would be a great way to tie everything together. The students would be able to see everything they learned by writing a reflection. This would make the experience even richer.

Case 2:

4. Who do you think provides better instruction for his students? Support your answer from an information processing perspective.

Mr. Richards provides better instruction for his students. Mr. Richards does different things everyday which I believe would make his students be more engaged. Mr. Dunkin's students probably get bored listening to him lecture everyday. Mr. Richards students are learning in many different ways. This is allow them to learn the information better. He uses many different types of encoding, while Mr. Dunkin does not.

5. How would you expect the students’ learning outcomes to differ depending on which teacher they had?

I believe Mr. Richards' students would have more fun in class. They would be more engaged because he does different things and differentiates the instruction. By using multiple ways to encode information his students would retain the information better. Mr. Dunkin's students are just learning the information long enough until they have their test on Friday. Mr. Dunkin's students are engaging in rote learning.