My ideal classroom is a United States history class for high school students. The school is located in a warmer climate, where it never or rarely snows. The school would be one where all feel safe to come to class. It would be a school where everyone has a friend. The students at the school would have school spirit and participate in the activities available to them. There would be much support for the various school clubs, activities, sports, etc. My classroom would be welcoming and a safe environment so all students want to come. I will set the desks up so all students have an easy view of me and the board, but also so I have an easy view of them. I will have many posters having to do with American history, like the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Presidents of the United States. I will also have a corner dedicated to "my history" so the students can learn more about me. There would be many computers to allow many students at once to access and use online databases for material that would be helpful to them.
The students in my classroom would have a desire to come and learn about history. All students would also participate in the discussions and turn the assignments in on time. They would also be respectful to me, to each other, and to the classroom materials. They would bring all the materials they need on a daily basis. There would be few classroom management problems that would be easily fixed. All of my students would pass and retain the information they learned in my class. They all would then go on to graduate.
The parents of my students would care about their children and how they are doing in my class. They would do all they can to help their child and encourage them to be the best student they can. When I needed to contact the parents, they would be willing to listen know that I want what is best for their child.
As a teacher in my ideal classroom and school, other teachers would be easy to communicate and work with. The teachers at the school would be helpful and willing to listen to ideas other teachers have. The principal would do the same. The principal would also be available to talk with teachers when needed.
My ideal school and classroom is one where all feel welcome and a place where everyone wants to learn and help each other grow.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Final Learning Log
WHAT:
I scored an 88 on the quiz.
Piaget's Cognitive Development
- I like that Piaget splits his cognitive theories into four groups. But, I find his separation intersting, and somtimes confusing.
Vygotsky's Cognitive Development
- I like the idea of scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development. His cognitive tools are also something i believe to be very helpful in the classroom.
Erikson's Psychosocial Development
-Erikson's stages were interesting to learn about, but not the throey i agree with the most. I do like the ones relating to the age I will be teaching, and believe they can help me as a future teacher.
Kohlberg's Moral Development
-I did not enjoy learning about Kohlberg and his theory. I t was my least favorite, and very vague. It was hard to distinguish what stage a person was in because they all seemed to overlap.
Goleman's Emotional Intelligence
-I liked Goleman's ideas for intelligence, and how it's important to know your own emotions ans manage them before venturing into relationships. I believe this is very important.
Information Processing
-Learning about where and how memory is stored is something that as a teacher will be very important. The information needs to be stored in the long term memory, otherwise it will soon be forgotten.
Knowledge Construction and Higher-order thinking
-I liked learning about social constructivism and individual constructivism and the differences and advantages between the two. I think they are both very important for the learning environment of the classroom.
Behaviorism
-Though this section was difficult for me to fully understand, once I did get it, I learned a lot. Reinforces and token economy are things that are used in many classrooms, and things I plan to use in my classroom.
Social Cognitivism
This chapter taught me much about the different types of punishments, and the good and the bad. I like the idea of modeling. I think it's important for the student to see a good example of what is expected of them.
Group and Individual Differences
-It was interesting to learn about the differences among individual learning and group learning. I think each student is different in the type of learning they like or are best at, so it's important to use a variety of types in the classroom.
Motivation
-I never really knew that the two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. I found them both interesting and know they will be important in my classroom.
SO WHAT:
I believe that every student learns differently. There are many different factors that attribute to how students learn effectively and i believe that it is important as a teacher to use as many variations as possible, while being consistent in the teaching, to allow each students to feel that they can truly understand the subject
matter. I believe Vygotsky has many key points in his theory, and I will definitely use many of his ideas in my classroom.
NOW WHAT:
-I will use my theory in my classroom by knowing the students ZPD and using scaffolding methods to help the students be the best they can be. I will also be positive and reinforce my students to hopefully increase their behavior and perfomrance in the classroom.
- I would like to learn more about the latter chapters that we touched briefly upon in our class. For example, the theories on intelligence, and the chapter on motivation. I need to improve upon the RSVP section.
I scored an 88 on the quiz.
Piaget's Cognitive Development
- I like that Piaget splits his cognitive theories into four groups. But, I find his separation intersting, and somtimes confusing.
Vygotsky's Cognitive Development
- I like the idea of scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development. His cognitive tools are also something i believe to be very helpful in the classroom.
Erikson's Psychosocial Development
-Erikson's stages were interesting to learn about, but not the throey i agree with the most. I do like the ones relating to the age I will be teaching, and believe they can help me as a future teacher.
Kohlberg's Moral Development
-I did not enjoy learning about Kohlberg and his theory. I t was my least favorite, and very vague. It was hard to distinguish what stage a person was in because they all seemed to overlap.
Goleman's Emotional Intelligence
-I liked Goleman's ideas for intelligence, and how it's important to know your own emotions ans manage them before venturing into relationships. I believe this is very important.
Information Processing
-Learning about where and how memory is stored is something that as a teacher will be very important. The information needs to be stored in the long term memory, otherwise it will soon be forgotten.
Knowledge Construction and Higher-order thinking
-I liked learning about social constructivism and individual constructivism and the differences and advantages between the two. I think they are both very important for the learning environment of the classroom.
Behaviorism
-Though this section was difficult for me to fully understand, once I did get it, I learned a lot. Reinforces and token economy are things that are used in many classrooms, and things I plan to use in my classroom.
Social Cognitivism
This chapter taught me much about the different types of punishments, and the good and the bad. I like the idea of modeling. I think it's important for the student to see a good example of what is expected of them.
Group and Individual Differences
-It was interesting to learn about the differences among individual learning and group learning. I think each student is different in the type of learning they like or are best at, so it's important to use a variety of types in the classroom.
Motivation
-I never really knew that the two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. I found them both interesting and know they will be important in my classroom.
SO WHAT:
I believe that every student learns differently. There are many different factors that attribute to how students learn effectively and i believe that it is important as a teacher to use as many variations as possible, while being consistent in the teaching, to allow each students to feel that they can truly understand the subject
matter. I believe Vygotsky has many key points in his theory, and I will definitely use many of his ideas in my classroom.
NOW WHAT:
-I will use my theory in my classroom by knowing the students ZPD and using scaffolding methods to help the students be the best they can be. I will also be positive and reinforce my students to hopefully increase their behavior and perfomrance in the classroom.
- I would like to learn more about the latter chapters that we touched briefly upon in our class. For example, the theories on intelligence, and the chapter on motivation. I need to improve upon the RSVP section.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Case Study 7/8
1. Describe two similarities between the traditional lesson and the constructivist one as described above.
-In both lessons, the teacher was trying to teach the students about measurements. Also, the students needed to use measurement tools to find the measurement of either the whale or the ship.
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.
-Benefits: It allows children to really think and find solutions to problems. It also allows for much discussion to take place so all are included in the learning.
-Drawbacks: It takes up a lot of time waiting for students to come up with the solutions. Also, you risk the students coming up with a wrong solution, and them thinking it is right.
3. How does the constructivist lesson described above promote critical thinking? Give specific examples of critical thinking from the case study to support your response.
-It promotes critical thinking by allowing students to have time to come up with solutions that work. The children in the case study came up with many different solutions before coming up with one that worked. This proves they were able to think about many aspects, discuss with one another, and then find a solution that finally worked.
4. Would the constructivist activity be considered an authentic activity? Why or why not?
- I believe it would be considered an authentic activity because in the real world, people need to know measurements of certain things. Maybe not boats, and the king won't need to know, but measurements come up in different areas of everyday life.
-In both lessons, the teacher was trying to teach the students about measurements. Also, the students needed to use measurement tools to find the measurement of either the whale or the ship.
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.
-Benefits: It allows children to really think and find solutions to problems. It also allows for much discussion to take place so all are included in the learning.
-Drawbacks: It takes up a lot of time waiting for students to come up with the solutions. Also, you risk the students coming up with a wrong solution, and them thinking it is right.
3. How does the constructivist lesson described above promote critical thinking? Give specific examples of critical thinking from the case study to support your response.
-It promotes critical thinking by allowing students to have time to come up with solutions that work. The children in the case study came up with many different solutions before coming up with one that worked. This proves they were able to think about many aspects, discuss with one another, and then find a solution that finally worked.
4. Would the constructivist activity be considered an authentic activity? Why or why not?
- I believe it would be considered an authentic activity because in the real world, people need to know measurements of certain things. Maybe not boats, and the king won't need to know, but measurements come up in different areas of everyday life.
Course Contract #3
1. I am understanding the material and am able to apply it to the material and to test. I am taking in what I am reading as opposed to having to re-read the material multiple times.
2. I am having a hard time remembering material from the first test. I remember a lot of it, but I need to spend more time on the RSVP characteristics to fully understand them helping me remember them.
3. I believe I am making progress on my goals.
4. I still need to focus on all the material instead of what I find the most interesting or easy to understand.
2. I am having a hard time remembering material from the first test. I remember a lot of it, but I need to spend more time on the RSVP characteristics to fully understand them helping me remember them.
3. I believe I am making progress on my goals.
4. I still need to focus on all the material instead of what I find the most interesting or easy to understand.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Chapter 10 Case Study
1. Which teacher in the scenario demonstrates vicarious reinforcement? Justify your response with an example from the case study.
Ms. Yamashita. She is positively reinforcing Robin for her concept map and making copies of it for other students to use. Robin received praise, and other students will most likely respond to this and act in similar ways as Robin to hopefully receive the same treatment.
2. Is Mr. Kessinger considering reciprocal causation in his class? Explain your response, including all aspects of reciprocal causation in your reasoning.
No he is not. The classroom and the teacher are supposed to create a safe, learning environment for the student to come to. He was creating an intimidating environment in which students were scared to enter, and that will influence their learning and behavior.
3. Which self-regulated learning process is Robin engaging in when she creates her concept maps? Explain your reasoning.
She is setting goals for herself by creating the concept map. She is learning by doing it, and it is helping her fully understand the material, therefore, reaching her goal.
4. How you think Robin's self-efficacy has been affected by this experience. Be specific about which self-efficacies have been affected and justify your response with examples from the case study.do
I believe she is confused about what is acceptable. She created the concept map for herself, to help her understand. It was liked by one teacher and the other teacher did not approve. She is probably confused because she thought her concept map was a good tool, but there was disagreement among the teachers, resulting in a different self-constructed judgment.
Ms. Yamashita. She is positively reinforcing Robin for her concept map and making copies of it for other students to use. Robin received praise, and other students will most likely respond to this and act in similar ways as Robin to hopefully receive the same treatment.
2. Is Mr. Kessinger considering reciprocal causation in his class? Explain your response, including all aspects of reciprocal causation in your reasoning.
No he is not. The classroom and the teacher are supposed to create a safe, learning environment for the student to come to. He was creating an intimidating environment in which students were scared to enter, and that will influence their learning and behavior.
3. Which self-regulated learning process is Robin engaging in when she creates her concept maps? Explain your reasoning.
She is setting goals for herself by creating the concept map. She is learning by doing it, and it is helping her fully understand the material, therefore, reaching her goal.
4. How you think Robin's self-efficacy has been affected by this experience. Be specific about which self-efficacies have been affected and justify your response with examples from the case study.do
I believe she is confused about what is acceptable. She created the concept map for herself, to help her understand. It was liked by one teacher and the other teacher did not approve. She is probably confused because she thought her concept map was a good tool, but there was disagreement among the teachers, resulting in a different self-constructed judgment.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Chapter 9 Case Study
1. Does Mr. Kessinger's class represent a community of learners as defined in Ch. 7? Why or why not?
No it does not. A community of learners is when a teacher and students work together actively to learn. Mr. Kessinger is not helping the students learn. Instead, he is creating an environment in which the students are scared. Even though Robin took notes and created a map that helped her learn, he chose to not look at it that way, instead, he saw it as cheating.
3. Explain Robin's reaction in Ms. Yamashita's class from the perspective of classical conditioning.
Robin has just been punished for her concept map in Mr. Kessinger's class, and now she was being rewarded for a concept map in Ms. Yamashita's class. She was confused at what to do because both teachers had different opinions.
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.
I believe her idea to make copies of Robin's concept map for the rest of the class was a good start. Also, by encouraging the class and reinfocing Robin to keep up with the concept maps consistently, so she knows that they are a good thing, especially if they help her learn.
No it does not. A community of learners is when a teacher and students work together actively to learn. Mr. Kessinger is not helping the students learn. Instead, he is creating an environment in which the students are scared. Even though Robin took notes and created a map that helped her learn, he chose to not look at it that way, instead, he saw it as cheating.
2. Does Mr. Kessinger utilize presentation punishment or removal punishment with Robin? Justify your response.
Removal punishment. Robin obviously learns from her concept maps and enjoys doing them because she did one for her other class. Mr Kessinger told her that her map was a form of cheating, thereore taking away something she didn't want to lose.3. Explain Robin's reaction in Ms. Yamashita's class from the perspective of classical conditioning.
Robin has just been punished for her concept map in Mr. Kessinger's class, and now she was being rewarded for a concept map in Ms. Yamashita's class. She was confused at what to do because both teachers had different opinions.
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.
I believe her idea to make copies of Robin's concept map for the rest of the class was a good start. Also, by encouraging the class and reinfocing Robin to keep up with the concept maps consistently, so she knows that they are a good thing, especially if they help her learn.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
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 about the Civil War in their textbook?
-The students will remember the activities in which they participated and those that helped them. This will help them translate what they learned from the text book, and help them apply it, and therefore, more fully understand it.
2. How does Mr. West’s use of a Civil War re-enactment engage students’ emotions? What is the relationship between emotions and learning?
-Their emotions are more connected to what they are learning becuase they are acting it out as opposed to just reading it. This connection is huge and will hopefully be stored in their long term memory.
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?
-Having the students discuss their activities in class and writing what they felt they learned from botht the text book and from the activity.
4. Who do you think provides better instruction for his students? Support your answer from an information processing perspective.
-I believe Mr. Richards provides better instruction because his students never know what to expect and should come to class prepared for anything, He offers dofferent methods of learning for all types of learners, and different types of tests to really assess the knowledge the students have learned.
5. How would you expect the students’ learning outcomes to differ depending on which teacher they had?
-I believe the students in Mr. Richards' class would be able to learn is a wider variety of ways and be assessed in the same. In Mr. Dunkin's class, the students would have only learned in the same way and been assessed in the same way resulting in a more constricted way of learning.
-The students will remember the activities in which they participated and those that helped them. This will help them translate what they learned from the text book, and help them apply it, and therefore, more fully understand it.
2. How does Mr. West’s use of a Civil War re-enactment engage students’ emotions? What is the relationship between emotions and learning?
-Their emotions are more connected to what they are learning becuase they are acting it out as opposed to just reading it. This connection is huge and will hopefully be stored in their long term memory.
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?
-Having the students discuss their activities in class and writing what they felt they learned from botht the text book and from the activity.
4. Who do you think provides better instruction for his students? Support your answer from an information processing perspective.
-I believe Mr. Richards provides better instruction because his students never know what to expect and should come to class prepared for anything, He offers dofferent methods of learning for all types of learners, and different types of tests to really assess the knowledge the students have learned.
5. How would you expect the students’ learning outcomes to differ depending on which teacher they had?
-I believe the students in Mr. Richards' class would be able to learn is a wider variety of ways and be assessed in the same. In Mr. Dunkin's class, the students would have only learned in the same way and been assessed in the same way resulting in a more constricted way of learning.
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