Read Chapter 2 of your textbook. It covers the behaviorist, cognitivist and constructivist theories. Think back to your K-12 days as a student – select one of the teachers you had in the area you plan to teach in the future. (Example – if you are going to be a middle school teacher, select one of your previous middle school teachers; if you are going to be a high school math teacher, select one of your previous high school math teachers)
Which of these theories did that teacher use? Give an example of a class experience that demonstrates the teacher using that theory. Will you use this theory in your classroom? Why or why not? Provide criteria/support for your choice.
Post your response here on the class blog page by 5:00 pm, Thursday, January 26, 2012. Respond to one of your classmates' responses on the class bog page by 11:59 pm, Tuesday, January 31, 2012. You must log into your blogger.com account in order to post your response as a comment here on the class blog page.
The main reason I chose to become a future educator was because of my junior and senior year history teacher, Mrs. Anne Ashley. Mrs. Ashley taught using the constructivist theory. Within this theory students learn based on past or future personal experiences. As students, use concepts that come easy to us as learners because it has previously happened in our lives or we have some sort of previous knowledge of a certain concept. This type of learning is extremely personal and extremely active. Mrs. Ashley used this type of learning within her classroom everyday in order for us to broaden our academic growth when creating ideas and solving problems. For example, she consistently had us work individually and use our own personal experiences to explain a certain concept we were learning in her class. I remember one specific lesson where she was explaining what it meant to gerrymander district lines. She had us use our community to determine how it would be accurately divided. This required us to know where specific things were located in our community as well as where certain borderlines were- things that us as citizens of the community had to have previously known.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Ashley taught her lessons with the idea that learning is a process by which her students learn from each other. She required that each of us use our own free exploration and own ideas to produce our own level success. She continuously acted as an encourager for us to discover our answers and solve our problems using realistic experiences and past knowledge.
I will definitely strive to use this theory within my classroom in the future. I truly believe that this type of learning is crucial for student’s own personal development and independence. I feel that it teaches students to have a sense of responsibility and take control of their academic success.
I plan on becoming a high school English teacher, and I was heavily influenced in this decision by my own freshman and junior Honors English teacher, Mr. Yandek. Mr. Yandek taught in a constructivist style, allowing students to learn in their own way and still know the material. He was well aware that everyone learns differently, and with that in mind, he constructed his lessons around that theory. An example of Mr. Yandek's teaching style was when he was teaching us about Shakespeare. He wrote all the facts on the board, for example, Shakespeare was born April 23, 1566 and died April 23, 1616, and had everyone write it down in our notes. Then, he erased the board, made us shut our notes, and yelled questions out to the class, making us stand up when we had the right answer about Shakespeare. To make sure that we retained the information, he would put each fact as a bonus question on our exams. In this way, Mr. Yandek had something for everyone: the visual learners, the audio learners, and the people who learn by writing things down.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely use the constructivist theory in my own classroom. It makes sure that no one is left out, and everyone's needs are adhered to. It helped me learn, and it also made class enjoyable and fun. Mr. Yandek was everyone's favorite teacher, because he was able to pass on his knowledge in a way in which we would understand, and made sure that we retained the information, or "put it into our existing maps" (Duffy, 29). The constructivist theory takes into account that everyone learns differently, but that doesn't mean they can't learn at all.
Cara, my teacher also used the constructivist theory. The way you worded this theory as "everyone's needs were adhered to". That's how this theory works, and why I think it is the most effective! I too plan on using this approach, because in my opinion it is the only way to reach all of the variety of students that are going to be in your classroom.
DeleteIn the upcoming years I plan on being a high school history teacher. It is ironic that my favorite teacher in high school was a history teacher. She taught from the Constructivist Perspective. It states in the book that, "knowledge is unique to the individual who constructs it." This is the exact approach she took to teaching. Her class was taught on more of an individual student level than on an entire classroom level. She always worked with students individually and accommodated to every students specific individual needs. It was only high school and most teachers do not have "office hours" like college does, but her door was ALWAYS open to students with any questions. Working with students this way, in my opinion, will let them develop their own personal way of learning, which in essence is what I think creates a great student and learner. Teaching like this makes it easier on the students and the teachers. I will most definitely be using the constructivist theory. I want to be able to accommodate every student's needs when it comes to learning. Some students are note-takers, some students sit and listen, and some are visual learners. I want to incorporate as many techniques in my teaching that will help every student learn to the best of their ability and build their learning skills at their own level.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the quote that you referred to and I feel that this easily summed up the constructivist theory. Knowledge and learning is a unique experience to every individual and can't be modeled after one person. I hope to use this theory and be as open as your teacher appeared to be. I feel that this is important for students to feel that a teacher is approachable and expresses individual attention.
DeleteThe contructivist theory, especially the way your teacher taught you, makes a lot of sense to me. I like the use of your quote from the book, that everyone learns differently, and it was so great of your teacher to take that into consideration and modify her plans to fit the students' needs. I plan on being open like this to my students, as well.
DeleteMost of the teachers that I have had in my k-12 student career have taken the behaviorist approach as their teaching style. The most memorable teacher that I had that used the behaviorist theory would be my teacher that I student taught in her class. Her name is Rachelle Pepple and she is one of the emotionally impaired teachers in my high school. For one semester I observed how she taught and another semester I taught her class. The way she taught was that every time her students got 100 percent on an assignment or did good on a paper she rewarded them with candy. Also at the end of the day, if they did well all day they got to take three pieces of candy. If they messed up once then they did not receive any candy. All this ties in to the biggest reward that they received at the end of the week. Everyday they received point sheets and on Friday if they had 400/500 points they got to spend their last class doing whatever they wanted to. I think I will use this theory in my class because it really worked. Through out the week the students really tried their hardest so they could get the candy at the end of the week which led them to Friday and they could spend the last class doing what ever they pleased.
ReplyDeleteI can really understand the motivation and positive impact using a system like this can have. Using extrinsic motivation like this has work for hundreds of years, for all walks of life in hundreds of ways for animals and humans alike (not that I'm comparing kids to animals.) However, the systems definitely seems age limited, and can be abused. What I mean first off is, this could only work up to a certain young age, because at a certain point students need to understand the value of their own work and also understand the implications it will have on the real world. I can also see this system being abused in that, it can be the easy way out to teaching a hard group of kids (not that I'm saying your teacher is.) This can definitely be effective however, if done right at the right time. On a final note, I found it interesting you used the phrase "emotionally impaired." Now I know what that sounds like to me, and I'm interested in why you used that kind of wording.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through chapter two in Teaching and Learning with Technology, I, like all of you, was asked to respond by thinking of a teacher in my life that corresponds to my intended major as well as one of the theories from the book. I myself am an AYA Education major specializing in Physics (and possibly earth science.) Thinking of a teacher for this assignment was incredibly simple for me, because long before this assignment asked me to think of one, my decision to become an educator in Physics was already inspired by a certain teacher from my past. This teacher was Mr. Smith, my senior AP physics teacher. In my experience as a student I found Mr. Smith to be most closely related to a cognitivist educator. I say this because most of his teaching ideals and style focused on trying to use student reasoning and our own intelligence to figure out more difficult problems. He didn’t want us to just memorize formulas, but really understand why things were the way they were, and develop those ideas to figure out further applications.
ReplyDeleteAs an example of this, I remember one specific in class activity that was unlike any experiment or lab I had ever been part of before. When we walked in to class one day he told us we were going to learn how currents work through batteries in a real life situation. He had all of the materials for the lab out on the desk to do so, but there were no lab instructions. He then proceeded to tell us that in this case, his explaining it would teach us nothing, but that we had to experience it. So, to continue he told us that using what we know, we ourselves should be able to hook up these circuits and batteries to turn on a light bulb with no help, and the first one to do it would get extra credit. Although I was bewildered at the time, he was right. I have never tried so hard to learn something in all my life. Not just to win, but the thrill of the idea was so new to me I felt drawn to it. Although I didn’t win, I did learn and understand the material in a truly deep way. It wasn’t for a test, for once, it was for me.
Before this experience would I have ever used this theory myself? Probably not, however, understanding the implications and positive impact it can have on student like me now, changes my outlook. I do plan on trying something like this once or twice (per year) now, because I want other to experience learning deeper, like I did. This way of learning may not be great for standardized tests, but it engages kids to understand the point of learning more. Learning was never meant to be about impressing the state, but advancing ones self. Using your own skills to drive your own passions in my mind is a very important step to learning.
Kristen Padgett
ReplyDeleteMy fifth grade teacher Mrs. Martin demonstrated the behaviorist and constructivist theories. My teacher demonstrates being a behaviorist because she taught us students that if she told you that you did something wrong that your behavior should change in the future. She also told students when they did something right so the student would have the appropriate behavior in the future. This demonstrates behaviorist because the child’s behavior is the outcome of her telling the student how to change and react to the discipline.
My teacher also demonstrated the constructivist theory. She demonstrates this theory because she understood that every student obtains knowledge at a different rate, so she designed lesson plans that would help all levels of learners.
I would use the constructivist theory because knowledge is a learning progress, everyone has their own way of learning and they all learn at a different rate. This also shows that everyones level of knowledge is different.
McKenzi Bettinger.
DeleteThroughout my high school years I had a lot of teachers that demonstrated the constructivist theory the same way that you did. My classes always had mixed education levels and different people that all learned either at different rates or in different ways. The teachers were always good at accommodating all the students in the ways that they needed in order to be taught the information.
McKenzi Bettinger.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of my teachers that I had from K-12 practiced the behaviorist theory. A lot of my teachers thought that if you had good behavior you should be rewarded for it. For example, one of my teachers that I liked very well that I had for second grade, gave each student that was good for the whole day a sticker on the sticker chart, and if the student received stickers for all five days they got to pick something out of the container she had filled with prizes such as candy, toys, coloring supplies, etc. As I reached the high school level the teachers started to lean more towards the constructivist theory. As we were learning more and harder material the teachers realized that not all students learned at the same level or the same way and a lot of my teachers had several ways planned out in order to teach every student the same material in the way they needed to be taught in order to understand it. Since I want to be an early childhood teacher I think its important that I will follow the behaviorist theory the majority of the time and I realize that since not every student learns the same way even at the early ages I will have to practice the constructivist theory as well.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the different perspectives. I like how you didn't solely look at just one perspective but gave examples of two out of the three. I thought the example you gave of your second grade teacher. I think it is a good idea and I can see myself possibly using it in the future. I think your logic of using the constructivist theory as well. Many kids do learn different and I think it's a great idea to put it into consideration.
DeleteI think that you are completely right when saying it would be most beneficial to use the behaviorist theory as an early childhood teacher. Rewarding the kids when they have good behavior or good grades is a great way to motivate them. I also agree with you when you say that reaching high school, more teachers use the constructivist theory. Like you said, as the material the students are learning gets harder, it is important to make sure that each student understands it. This is done by realizing that all students learn at different levels and figuring out how to accommodate them accordingly.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your post!
Maddy Herrholtz
ReplyDeleteThroughout most of my schooling, my teachers demonstrated the constructivist theory. They were cognizant that children learned at different rates and at different times. I can specifically remember this for first grade. My teacher at the time, Mrs. Pfouts, was teaching students how to read. Everyone in the classroom was learning at a different pace, so we were separated into smaller sub groups. This allowed her to work more individually with the different levels of reading. This is just one example of many that the constructivist theory was explored through my education. More relevant to my intended major, my Junior english teacher, Mrs.Madore, expressed this theory as well. Her lesson plans were very flexible and made it more up to the student. This was a plan based around different learning paces. I can remember that this was extremely helpful because it allowed us to work with what we knew well and then work with others around us that had different strengths. It very much so reminded me of the system that my first grade teacher had reflected earlier in my life.
When I do become a teacher, i feel that I will want to express the constructvist theory. I felt that this was an effective theory that worked well with my learning. i noticed that it worked good with others as well. Another theory that I find particularly interesting is the behaviorist theory. I am not sure if I wholeheartedly will practice it, but I do want to explore it more.
I agree with you when you say you want to explore the behaviorist theory more but not sure if you want to practice it. I am unsure how well that theory will work in a high school environment. However, it is probably best in elementary schools. I think that its really neat that your teacher let you guys make up your own lesson plan (per say). Working with other students who have different strengths than yourself can definitely be helpful and beneficial.
DeleteI agree with the general topic of what you are saying. I am also skeptical about its effectivness within a much older grade level. Although the basis of your theory seems valid and worth exploring further.
DeleteJordan Webb
ReplyDeleteI plan on teaching in Early Childhood and therefore plan on using the behaviorist theory the most. I think it is important to know that you can use this theory to help control negative behavior as well as praise positive behavior. When I was in the third grade, I tended to be a very talkative person in my class. My teacher would put the names of the kids who misbehaved throughout the day on the chalkboard. As it turned out, my name was up there almost every day. It may have taken me awhile to figure out that my name on the board was not a good sign but i eventually got the idea. I realized I was not only distracting myself from learning but also my fellow students. The following year, my third grade teacher moved up to the forth grade as to have all the same kids. That year, due to the year before, my name was hardly ever on the board and I was rewarded a lot more. Most of the rewards would be being allowed to have outdoor recess or in my case I was allowed to help grade papers for my teacher. I know this may not be the case for every single student but this is an example of how the behaviorist theory works to help change negative attitudes of students. Since most students don't process material in their minds the same way I think it is important to also use a reward system. In the Imagine School in downtown Toledo, I got the opportunity to sit in on a forth grade class. In that class the teacher had a chart with different sections with different saying on them. Each student had a clothes pin with their name on and at the start of each day their pins would be at the top of the chart with good behavior. If a student would act up the teacher would move their name down a slot as warnings. However, at the end of the day if most of the students had good behavior the teacher would add a marble to a jar. At the end of a certain amount of weeks, if the jar was filled with a certain number of marbles they would get a prize, such as a pizza party. I think these are both important in dealing with smaller children and I plan to take both into account when I am teaching
I had a really similar experience in my early education. I always felt more motivated to behave well if i knew a reward would be on the other end. I think this is a good way to reach younger students.
DeleteI as well think it is important to know that you can use this theory to help control negative behavior as well as praise positive behavior. When I was in elementary school and middle school my teachers would write our names on the board if we missed behaved. Then for each misbehavior each week the teacher would put a check mark next to our name. If we misbehaved so many times we would lose our recess or have a lunch detention. Now, when I volunteer in school the teachers at my home school have a color wheel and clothes pins are on green (for good behavior) moved to yellow if they get a warning, or placed on red if they need repercussions. What you said about the clothespin charts reminded me of this. I think this is a good idea when teaching. I felt more compelled to behavior when I was rewarded and I am sure that most students feel the same. However, I think it would be cool to do something a little more creative.
DeleteI am currently studying Spanish Education here at Bowling Green. My sophomore year of high school, I had an incredible teacher named Mrs. Sierp who displayed such a love for the language that it could not help but rub off on me as well. It is because of her that I have decided to pursue Spanish Education. The Constructivist Theory explains that knowledge is a constructed element resulting from the learning process. I think that this is the theory that Mrs. Sierp used in her classroom. She understood that learning a second language is not easy and extra help and attention might have to be provided to students who needed it. All students learn at different rates and require different styles of learning to grasp the material. Therefor, she would not continue onto another topic until the majority of the class understood the content. If there were students who were struggling, she offered extra help during study hall hours and after school. She also provided worksheets to be used as extra practice.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that I will use this theory in my classroom because when learning a second language, it is especially important to make sure that each student understands the content. Otherwise, moving onto new material would be pointless because each new element of Spanish adds to the previous element and they build off of each other as your studies of the language continue.
I agree absolutly with this whole statement. You almost took the words right out of my mouth. I am a Spanish Education major as well, and my Spanish teacher in high school inspired me as well. I agree that this theory works well with a second language class because, as you said, it is hard to learn a second language. With this type of situation it is important to know that each student will learn in his ir her own way, and the teacher must be prepard to help them. I also agree that I will use this theory in my future classroom as well.
DeleteI went to Miller City school, and we had just recieved a new Spanish teacher, Miss Richardson. Her classroom environment was much different than the other teachers in our school. However, I look to her as my inspiration for the rest of my life. It was Miss Richardson (Miss Rich) who inspired me to be the Spanish Education major I am today.
ReplyDeleteOut of the three theories found in Chapter 2 of our book, I find Miss Rich to represent the Constructivist Theory. This theory represents that knowledge is discovered from a learning process, and it is unique to each individual who discoveres it. She represents this theory because she taught us each Spanish through a learning process, but we all absorbed the information in our own unique way. For example, she taught us all through the book everyday, but we each took in the information differently. She would then work with us individually to accompany the different ways we took in the information.
I will use this theory in my classroom. I will use it because it will help to inform my students of the information I am presenting, while also taking into consideration each of their own styles of learning the information.
In the future I am hoping to be a third grade teacher because I always admired my third grade teacher Mrs. Kretz. Mrs. Kretz was one of the kindest teachers I ever had. She always rewarded us when we did something right and if we did something wrong she simply just let us know. Because of that I would say she used the behaviorist theory. I hope I will be remembered like I remember her. I will also use that theory because I want to reward my students so they know they are on the right path. One example I remember her using this theory is when we did something right she gave us a gold star on a chart. And whoever got the most stars by the end of the week won a prize. That way us students really tried our best in class so we could win that prize. It gave us motivation. I am going to take that idea and possibly use it in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post! My third and fourth grade teachers were just like this! They were always rewarding us when we did a good job, instead of getting gold stars we got apples. At the end of the year if we had over eight apples we got to go on the field trip! It was a lot of fun, and I also want to reward my students with something to look forward too.I also agree that it does give the students motivation to do better and to get there stars or apples.
DeleteWe used to have a teacher like that in our elementary named Mrs. Tebbe. She also applied the same teaching techniques by making each kid feel special at the right times. She was a great teacher and I hope to have the same attitude like these teachers had throughout their years of teaching.
DeleteJared Jackson
ReplyDeleteLooking back on my K-12 years my teachers used a lot of very good methods in their classroom. When I was in fourth grade my teacher Ms. Edison used the behaviorist theory when she taught me. She was one of my favorite teachers because of her methods. Every friday she would give us a spelling test, and I would take those test serious because I wanted earn a good grade in her class. The first week of the spelling test I earned an A. Then she put my A paper up on the wall for the entire grade to see, after that I continued to earn A's on my spelling test. This is an example of the behaviorist theory because Ms. Edison rewarded my skills and knowledge with my positive performances in class. She figured that my behavior from the first week would be repeated so she continued to put my papers up. As a result, I stayed focused and kept my grades up in the class. I would use this theory in my classroom as well. Children have a tendency to repeat their behavior, if it's positive especially if it is positive because they want to continue to do well in the class. If my students are working hard then it will pay off later. I would reward my students just as Ms. Edison rewarded me because students should be proud of their positive achievements in the classroom. I do not see rewards as a way of spoiling kids, but as a way of telling them to repeat their positive behavior again. Once their positive behavior becomes a habit, they will become excellent student students.
I am currently studying middle childhood education with a focus in science and reading/language arts. Ultimately I would like to teach 4-6 grade science due to my fifth grade science teacher, Ms. Dedrick, who was my biggest influence in choosing this career path.
ReplyDeleteOut of all of the theories that were mentioned in Chapter 2, Ms. Dedrick utilized the Constructivist Theory the most in her classroom, in which she acknowledged learning to be an active process and tended to build off our class’ previous learning experiences to enhance her curriculum. For example, Ms. Dedrick would ask us open ended questions to prepare us for an upcoming lab assignment, such as why do we think water boils at 100°C based from our previous experiences and information that we learned in previous science classes. Ms. Dedrick would also use a lot of current events in her curriculum, such as the current hurricane that was slamming the Gulf Coast at the time and go into detail why hurricanes form. Ms. Dedrick based her lesson plans on her students’ curiosity of how and why the world functions the way it does and she always challenged the class to think outside the box of our previous experiences to learn new material.
Based on my experience as a student in Ms. Dedrick’s classroom I would use the Constructivist Theory in my classroom as well. I find that 4-6 grade students are becoming independent and are very aware of their surroundings, in which I could build off their previous knowledge to make the most out of my science lessons. I find that science requires a lot of previous and current knowledge in order to understand why the world functions the way it does, which will in turn allow students to begin to think outside of the box.
The grade I would like to teach is kindergarten, so my blog is going to be about my kindergarten teacher. I believe my teacher was a behaviorism teacher. She would always encourage the class and tell us to never give up and to always be positive no matter what the situation was. She would also always make sure she was setting a good behavior example to all the children. The classroom she taught in was very colorful and had signs that had behavior expectations on them. Since we were new to school it was often very stressful, with leaving your parents for the first time and all of the new children being with you everyday. I think I would use this theory in my classroom because it is always reminding the children to stay positive and never give up. Telling that to kindergarten children encourages them to do their best work. My classroom would have color in it and I would demonstrate good behavior through all the students.
ReplyDeleteI would like to become a early education major. My main focus is Kindergarten, and my kindergaten teacher used the behaviorist theory. I remember my teacher, Mrs. Tincher, giving tickets if children did good deeds. For example, if we were quiet on our bathroom break we were rewarded with one red ticket. Thiswas very exciting to us because every two weeks there was shop at the end of the day. This only happened on friday, and however many tickets you had determined what fun prizes you could buy. This helped children stay quiet and participating during the class, and i think it had some benefits.
ReplyDeleteI think I would use this in my own classroom because it helps develop those little skills that they need in the long run. For example, it teaches them to be quiet and to play nicely with other students. They also could earn tickets if they are helping other students in need. I think that it is a good little incentive to help encourage them to behave in an appropriate way. It is also small enough that the children will still want to behave in a proper way after they leave kindergarten.
Victoria I think that is a wonderful technique to use with your students. I admire how rewarding with tickets could help them maintain good behavior. Alot of teachers like to use the behaviorist theory because it helps promote future actions, so it will be a good way to see who are your well behaved students. Another helpful way to help your students stay on task is to create a responsible list for those students who follow directions and do their work. My teacher did that when I was in second grade and it really helped me stay focused in class. The behaviorist theory should work will with your students, and good luck teaching.
DeleteI want to receive a degree in early education. I hope to teach second grade. The teacher I had during my early childhood years that I look up to is Mrs. Nofzinger. I look up to her as a teacher because of the way she not only connected with the kids but also the way she understood how we would react when we got rewarded or praised for the good work we had done. The theory that Mrs. Nofzinger used was the behaviorist perspective. The behaviorist perspective believes that all behavior is a response to external stimuli. In easier terms when you make an initial actions how the student reacts to that action. I believe that children are more likely want to achieve goals when they are rewarded for their exceptional work. Therefore when the students receive awards or positive feedback for their accomplishments they are more likely to retain those positive skills, behaviors, and knowledge. One example of the way Mrs. Nofzinger taught her class is by having a board up on the wall. Every time someone did a good deed or accomplished anything learning related they would in return earn a star for their hard work and effort. There were around ten places for stars and when you got to ten you were able to pick out the treat of your choice. Since all of the students wanted the extra treat they tried harder to behave and learn the new concepts that were taught every day. I believe that I will use this theory in my own classroom because it motivates the students and reinforces their good behavior.
ReplyDeleteI chose my second grade teacher, Mrs. McConnell. Seeing that I want to teach elementary aged children this is a good fit. Mrs. McConnell demonstrated use of the behavioral theory. I remember that as a class and individually we would be rewarded if we could show that we mastered a concept. Examples included spelling words and math facts. I remember getting “bear bucks” which I could redeem for prizes in the treasure chest prize box. We would get “bear bucks” if we got all of our spelling words right or knew all of our math flash cards. Also at the end of the year, I remember that if we could do all the math flashcards we covered in the year without missing any and in a certain time we got to walk to get ice cream. These rewards made me and my fellow classmates want to succeed and master a concept which made us more likely to repeat that behavior. Another way that Mrs. McConnell demonstrated use of the behavioral theory was by asking us questions while we were in line waiting to go to lunch and recess. The students who answered a question correctly got to go to recess or lunch sooner. This technique made us as students know the material because we wanted to go to recess and lunch first. I do think that I will use the behavioral theory concept in my future classroom. I believe giving rewards for knowledge gained made students excited about learning and ensured that they knew the concepts that were being covered. It is important to have students to enjoy learning and look forward to school. Another reason that I would use this theory in my classroom is because it is important that students see the benefits the material they are learning. Sometimes it is hard for students to see the real life application of why what they are learning is important, so by giving them immediate rewards they will be more inclined to learn the concept and over time see how it fits into everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said ! My kindergarten teacher did a similar reward system. I think that you have a good point about it being beneficial to the students because they can look forward to learning. I also liked how you talked about how it gives students the ability to put what they are learning and connect it to real life.
DeleteAs a future Intervention Specialist, I have unfortunately not had the chance to actually be taught by a Special Education teacher, but I have had the chance to help an instructor at my elementary school throughout my high school years. The one theory that I think Mrs. Tebbe used the most was the cognitive theory because she took the time to fully understand each student, their behavior tactics and their thought processes throughout the years that they spent in her classroom.
ReplyDeleteAn example of her demonstration of the cognivist theory was when she worked with a boy named Austin who suffered with ADHD. Austin was never cooperative in his classes and lost his temper very easily. So Mrs. Tebbe created a whole new lesson plan for Austin, which included short breakdowns of the material that he was learning in his different classes with a lot more hands on activity than what they were doing in the other classrooms. She was extremely patient and very smart with Austin and really perfected the cognitive theory.
I will definately try to use this theory in my classroom. It is something that I think will take a lot of practice but hopefully I will be able to perfect it throughout the years like Mrs. Tebbe was able to do.
I definitely agree with this. I haven't been taught by a Special Education teacher, but my sister, who has ADHD had a tutor who also used the cognitive theory and it really helped my sister, because no one had tried to learn her own behavior tactics to help teach her. I'm sure if you used this in your own classroom you'll be very successful and your students will appreciate that you were interested in their personal interests as well.
DeleteI am a future elementary school teacher. Considering this is my path i have chosen to discuss my 2nd grade teacher. He saw learning from the behaviorist perspective. It is much harder for young children to know they simply have to go to school becuase it is crutial to their future. Because of this it is important for elementarty schools to be very behavioristic themselves. My 1st grade teacher, Mr. Brown believed very strongly in external stimuli. I can remember he had a jar that every time we behaved good for another teacher, had perfect attendance or just behaved well as a class we put a pom pom into the jar. If by the end of the week we got to have a small party to encourage us to do the same week after week. I do plan on using this method in my classroom as an elementary school teacher becuase i feel it is the best way to reach young students. They respond well to feeling rewarded.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this method, I believe that this method motivates children (especially around this age group) tho strive to do their best. This teaches them that they will be rewarded, both concretly and intilectuallty, through hard work and dedication. With little children they need that reinforcement to keep them on track so they will know that their work is not going unnoticed.
DeleteI believe education should always be made fun, especially if the subject being taught is a foreign language. I plan to teach children the beauty of the Japanese language. It is said that learning new concepts is hard but I know for a fact that learning a new language is even harder since there are also cultural aspects that are incorporated into the language to make it fully proficient in use. In my high school, I took Spanish 3 and my Spanish teacher Ms. Harper was amazing. She used the behaviorist theory a lot to help her students learn the Spanish language with more ease. For example, if a student did extremely well on a test or quiz; she would reward them by allowing them to get a homework pass for an upcoming assignment. She also used the cognitive theory by allowing more active classes to do skits in Spanish as an assignment. As a future educator, I would definitely use the behaviorist theory because if you incorporate learning with rewards, students are more willing to learn the information. I would differ by allowing students to participate in Japanese Cultural events other places, or field trips. I would not ALWAYS offer rewards because after awhile the student will just do it for the reward but for the majority I would.
ReplyDeleteI think its really good idea to get a homework pass if you did good on a tquiz or test. I wish my teachers would have done that. I deffinatly agree with you and I think a lot of people would have studied more if there was an incentive to a good grade to. Thats an idea I would like to use in the classroom.
DeleteI agree with your reasoning for using behaviorist theory. Students no matter what age like to get rewards for what they did right. But also it may be hard for students if they never get rewards and are always getting punishments. I like that your foreign language teacher had such a big influence on what and how you want to teach though.
DeleteI plan on becoming an early childhood educator and was strongly influenced by my senior English teacher. She taught from a behaviorist perspective and taught me that is it vital for younger children to succeed and go through school. In Ms. Yoh's class, bad behavior resulted in a punishment similar to the crime. This allowed students to see why they shouldn't do the wrong act they previously did. I feel like this is a good theory and would like to use it in my classroom. From observing its effectiveness in my old teacher's class, I think it would be just as effective in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI am majoring in Middle Grades ed, math and social studies and looking back on my social studies teacher in 7th grade, I realize he was a behaviorist. He would always influence us with rewards or punishments. If we did our homework we got a piece of candy for that class period but if we did not, no candy, lose points, then we would have to stay after class to explain why we did not have our homework done. If we did not have a good excuse, he would give us another homework assignment. The other homework assignment was about twice as hard as the original so our punishment made some actually do their homework.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to tell for me if I will use this theory or not. I do not wish to single kids out in my classroom. By not giving a piece of candy to a student, their peers see they did not do the work and may be embarrassing to that student. But on the other hand, the threat of harder work as a punishment made students do their original work. So I do believe that students do learn in behaviorist theory but I am not sure it is good for students mentally with their peers.