Final Learning Log

What??

I believe that children are more apt to learn if they feel comfortable and happy. I heard somewhere that learning can not take place until students' basic needs have been met, and I agree with that. If students are worried because they are hungry or need to use the bathroom, there mind will not be in a place where it is concentrating in taking in new information. It's also important to have a classroom that is a safe environment so that those who are more shy feel comfortable enough to share and participate in class without fear of being ridiculed. I believe learning occurs through thought and discussion, and if there is a classroom where students do not feel they can contribute to the discussion, that is valuable information and learning that is not being shared with others. I know that when I am in a class and fellow students are discussing what they have learned or how they interpreted something, it really helps me to retain the knowledge because I am hearing it again and from another point of view. I also believe that students learn better from someone who they feel truly cares about them and their well-being.


So What??

Because of my theory of students' learning, I will do my best to build students' confidence from day one. I want to have a classroom where everyone is respectful and kind, and nobody is afraid of what someone else will say to them. I saw a teacher who had everyone sign a contract saying they would be respectful to themselves, others in the class, and the classroom. I loved that idea and plan to use it because I think respect is something that is crucial in a classroom and if the students are signing a contract, it is placing accountability on them. I want everyone to feel they can contribute to class discussions, and that they have something valuable to contribute. I think that if I focus on students' successes, that will help build their confidence and they will feel more comfortable in my class. I also want my students to be friends with each other, so I plan to do lots of activities where we get to know each other and work together.


Now What??

I guess the next steps I need to take are to graduate and get my own class. Then I will put all of my ideas into practice (having a class contract, doing group work, etc.). I'm excited to see what works well for me and to get ideas from others. One topic in Ed Psych I would like to learn more about is how the brain works. I once had a professor who taught my class a lot about our brains and different activities that stimulate different parts of our brains; I loved that and thought it was so interesting. I liked learning how things actually work and are processed in my mind. I also really liked learning about emotional intelligence and fostering it, because I feel that helping our students emotionally is as important as helping them academically. An area I need to improve in is remembering all the different theories and theorists. I feel that they all have important and valuable ideas about learning, but I have a hard time keeping them all straight. I need to study and learn more about them.

12-8-08 Chapter 10 "Social Cognitivism"

What??

Today in class we learned about Social Cognitivism. Social cognitivists believe that children will exhibit behavior they have modeled. They define learning as "an internal process that may or may not lead to a behavior change." Social cognitivists also believe that people learn by observing others and, in the process, begin to assume control over their own behavior.



So What??

So, knowing that children may learn from observing others, I need to be more conscious of my behavior. Children are like sponges that absorb everything; they never forget if you say a bad word or don't keep a promise. It's important to make sure the behavior we are modeling, would be appropriate behavior for them to exhibit.

Now What??

Now I can use this concept to teach students about appropriate behavior. I could have scenarios that they act out where someone exhibits appropriate behavior (raising hand to talk, not talking out of turn, being respectful, etc), and ask the students why it is appropriate. If they are seeing classmates acting out desirable behaviors, it may stick with them and they will be more likely to exhibit the behaviors they have seen.

Investigations Math

Investigations Math requires that children reason mathematically, develop problem-solving strategies, and represent their thinking using models, diagrams and graphs (according to the curriculum). After Alpine School District implemented Investigations, several parents became very upset. Many removed their children from schools and put them charter schools. However, I did talk to the principal of one school in Alpine School District who said that their school's test scores continue to go up every year that they use Investigations.

Arguments FOR Investigations:
It causes children to think and prove what they are thinking. If they know that 10+8=18, they have to be able to draw a graph, number line, or some other model PROVING how they know that. Those who believe Investigations are beneficial also believe that students can break down big problems into smaller problems that will be simpler for them to figure out.

Arguments AGAINST Investigations:
Those who do not like Investigations argue that it does not teach students the basic facts of math. I read several parent comments about how their children who have learned through Investigations do not know multiplication facts as well as those who learned them the "old-fashioned" way. Also, many parents did not grow up using Investigations, so it is very difficult for them to have to constantly prove why an answer is what it is.

12-1-08 Chapter 9: Behaviorist Views of Learning

What??
Behaviorism defines learning as "a semi-permanent change in behavior." One behaviorist is Pavlov. He did an experiment with dogs, their food, and a bell. He began by giving the dogs their food to make them salivate. Then he began ringing a bell when he would give them their food, and they would salivate. Before long, the dogs would begin salivating when they heard the bell whether there was food or not.

So What??
What Pavlov learned was that he was able to teach the dogs to respond in a specific way (by salivating) to something that would not typically cause them to do so (they began salivating after hearing the bell). However, after a while of ringing the bell to get them to salivate without actually giving them food, they quit salivating at the ring of a bell. So the dogs salivating to the ringing of a bell could be classified as a semi-permanent change in behavior.

Now What??
Now that we know we can alter behavior by using stimuli and reinforcements, that knowledge could be used in the classroom. When our students do what we want them to do, we can give them a reward. Pretty soon we will be able to remove the reward from the equation and hopefully maintain the desired behavior.

11-24-2008 Chapter 7: Knowledge Construction

What??

To promote knowledge construction, one important thing is to assign authentic activities. Authentic activities are real-life situations, hands-on activities that ask for comparisons, and have students analyze and find a solution. Authentic activities give students examples very similar to what they are apt to encounter in the outside world.

So What??

Authentic activities are important for students because they give real-life examples the students must think through. By seeing real life examples and problems, students are able to discover the reasons they are learning certain things. A student will care more about math if they are given specific examples they would need to use math in the real world (cooking, shopping, etc.)

Now What??

Now it will be my job to provide authentic activities for the students I teach. Although authentic activities are not always possible or practical, there are several instances in which students would benefit from these activities. Science activities would be excellent for students. If they are able to actually perform experiments and see what happens, students will not only be much more interested and engaged, but they will remember what they learn and how it relates to them.

Third Week in Field

This last week flew by! I can't believe we're already done with our field experience and are going to be back in classes. Carrie and I finished teaching the last lesson we had to teach, and were able to relax and participate in some of the fun things our school did this week. They had Junior Engineering Day where the students spent the day going from one activity to another. They got to shoot rockets made of 2 liter bottles, operate robots, and learn about sound. The day after Junior Engineering, they had someone come from some Gateway Center and that was way cool too. They had a "mad scientist" who did awesome experiements with the kids and had them predict what would happen. I'm glad we were able to be at the school for both of those days. The kids wrote us notes thanking us and telling us they enjoyed us being in their class. They're good kids. I'll miss them.

Second Week in Field

This second week in field seems to have gone better than the first. We started out the week by teaching lessons on Monday and Tuesday (Veteran's Day) that went well. Our cooperating teacher is still not planning much of anything from day to day. That has been so interesting to see. On Friday, he randomly had everyone go outside (it was about 40 degrees with a freezing wind blowing) and run around and play kickball. The kids were all shivering. That was strange to me that he randomly decides to go outside on such a cold day and run to the fence and back 3 times. It has definitely been interesting to see how one individual has structured his classroom.

'm getting to know Carrie better every day and I absolutely love working with her. She is so great and has so many good ideas. I'm having a good time.