Group Differences Discussion

I really enjoyed the discussion over the different topics and how they pertain to education. It was interesting to see how students are affected by these topics and how I will have to deal with them as a teacher. I was aware of these sometimes controversial issues, but I had never spent much time thinking about or discussing them. The discussion I helped lead was the one on rural populations. It was eye-opening to me to read about how the systems instituted to fix the social problems often assume people have social problems. This is not always the case, and it would be more beneficial in most cases to change the system to fit the people instead of trying to change the people to fit a system.  It was also interesting to learn about how students from different cultures interact in school systems. One of the articles stated that often if a student from one culture is transferred to another they often become socially isolated. Furthermore, classrooms with a multicultural population often become somewhat segregated. In order to fix this teachers and schools are looking into cross-cultural education. This allows students to learn about other cultures and appreciate the uniqueness of their own culture. 

I think the discussion in class often followed what the articles stated and argued. I think it was difficult for the class to come up with a solution to fixing the problem in rural areas, and that difficulty resonated with the articles. There is no easy solution, and I think through the class discussion that was made more obvious. I think it surprised me that some of the students in class were not aware of the problem with nearby rural education systems or recognize the cultural differences. One think that might have helped make this more visible would have been to present statistics on dropout rate and literacy rates in the Appalachian area. As a teacher I will face many of these group differences discussion topics in my classroom. This discussion helped me build a foundation about these topics that I can further improve upon in order to help me in my future classrooms when addressing the lifestyles and culture of my students. 

Chapter 7 Questions

Lower-Order Thinking Skills Question

What is the definition of problem-based learning, and how would you use this type of learning in your own classroom? (knowing/understanding/applying)

Higher-Order Thinking Skills Question

Compare what is meant by overgeneralizing and undergeneralizing, and then critique these practices to show the problems they cause in thought processes. (analyzing/synthesizing)

Behaviorism and CSEL Case Study

            There are many tools from a behaviorist view that can be used to encourage more appropriate behavior in the situation involving Lisa and the group. To encourage productive behavior the teacher could use both positive and negative reinforcement. One way to use positive reinforcement would be to praise the group or Lisa individually when performing on task. By praising the group, Lisa might learn by watching what behavior is appropriate, and by praising Lisa personally it might encourage her to stay on task. Furthermore, stickers could be given to on task students or more recess time could be rewarded to students demonstrating appropriate behavior. The teacher could also use negative reinforcement by taking away privileges from Lisa such as recess time or previously earned stickers.

            Self-efficacy could also play a role in why Lisa is acting inappropriately in the group. One possibility is that Lisa has a low self-efficacy because she does not understand her responsibility in the group and therefor she does not think she can perform to meet the standards. One way to combat this would to be to go over the job descriptions for each member of the group and make sure Lisa knows what is expected from her. Another way to help Lisa raise her self-efficacy would be to help her understand how to self-regulate. The teacher could encourage and help Lisa set goals for herself and eventually Lisa will eventually begin setting her own goals. When Lisa understand her responsibility and begins to reach the goals she sets for herself her behavior might improve because she understands what is expected of her performance.

Learning Environments and CSEL Case Study

Learning Environments

            I believe a positive classroom environment is a vital component of learning. Consequently I feel it is important for teachers to begin building this environment well before students arrive for the first day of class. During my first year of teaching, I am sure there will be some trial and error trying to figure out what works best, but I am hoping to improve my skills of creating an effective learning environment through experience and collaboration with my fellow teachers.

            One thing I would like to do in my classroom is arrange the desks in a way that would create a practical setting for group work and promote focus. In order to do this I would limit the number of desks in a group and try to have all the groups arranged with a clear view of where I will be teaching. Another important factor in classroom environments is to have rules and expectations that are clearly understood. It is important for students to have explanations for rules so they will clearly understand, and therefore be more likely to abide by the classroom standards. One way to do this is to let students help decide on certain actions regarding the rules. For example, the order in which they line up to go down hallways and when they will take bathroom breaks. Also, when students understand what is expected of them they will gain confidence when they behave correctly which will enhance the classroom environment. Furthermore, I want to create a classroom where students feel like they are listened to and supported. In order to do this I would want to encourage questions and respect what students have to say. Sometimes just listening to students can make a world of difference in a classroom environment. When students feel like they are heard a sense of community will begin to develop in the classroom.

CSEL Case Study    

Elementary Education Case Study

You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner.  You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems.  She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning.  She constantly interrupts others in her group.  She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.

            In this instance, Lisa’s behavior is affecting the potential of the group. I think it would be a good idea to find out if Lisa understands the role she plays in the group, and also if she understands the descriptions of the jobs that make her upset. One cause of the problem could be Lisa is not sure what these jobs require and she might think it would be embarrassing to ask questions. Going over the job descriptions could be a first step to try in order to solve the problem. Another way to handle this situation would be to talk to Lisa and let her know when she is finished with the job she does not like she will get assigned a job she prefers. She might change her behavior in order to get to the desire outcome. This would be considered a type of behaviorist motivation because Lisa would be behaving in a certain way to get the outcome she prefers. If things continued the group continued not working together the teacher could contemplate switching Lisa to another group. I think this should be one of the last steps because if Lisa is having problems with the assignment separate from the group they will continue not matter in which group Lisa is placed. 

Theories of Motivation

            It was really interesting to learn about the different theories of motivation because I wanted to figure out which theory best describes how I am motivated. I have never studied each theory and was excited to see how each one differed. After looking at each theory, I determined I fall into the behaviorist theory of motivation. Behaviorists often have an idea in mind of what they want to accomplish from a task, and they know the result they want to see at the end of a task. Personally, this helps motivate me because I know in order to get my desired result I have to perform certain actions and take responsibility. Presently, the result I am aiming for is to graduate college and start earning my masters of education. I know in order to do this I must pass all of my classes and maintain my grade point average. Consequently, I continue to study for my tests, promptly turn in my assignments, and attend all of my classes. My behavior reflects my desired result and keeping that desired result in mind is my motivation.
            If I wanted to enhance my motivation I could set more goals for myself so I would often think of my desired result. If I have the desired result in mind I am more likely to take action that will better the chances of the specific result occurring. Knowing which theory of motivation I fall into will be helpful when I begin to teach. I can set goals for myself throughout the day that my behavior will reflect. If I am intentional about reaching these goals my students might take notice and begin setting goals for themselves. I will be likely to set class and individual goals for my students because of the way I am motivated.
            Two theories of motivation come to mind when I think about using the theories in my future classroom. The first group is cognitive theories. Self-determination is what motivates students in this theory. Creating opportunities that will enhance students’ self-determination will increase motivation and learning. Giving students option and letting them choose from a set of activities or assignments will give them a sense of control which will increase self-determination. I could do this by letting them choose from a selection of books the one they wanted to read or by letting them choose from an array of project options. If the students feel as if they helped in making the decision they will be more motivated to finish.
            Another theory I would want to use in my future classroom is sociocultural. This theory can be implemented by creating a classroom environment that encourages learning and constructive discussion. If students feel the classroom is a place where their opinion is accepted they will be more motivated to engage in learning. One way to include this theory in the classroom is by asking questions and guiding the discussion by student answers. This will let students know their thoughts are important and they will be more likely to voice their opinion. As a result learning will increase in the classroom as students begin to learn from each other. Acknowledging and learning about each theory of motivation will help me determine how to motivate my students.

Barb Rentenbach

           During Barb Rentenbach’s presentation I learned so much about autism and the people who have autism. With help from Dr. Lois Prislovsky, her “smiley shrink,” Barb shared some her insights and some passages from her book I Might Be You and from the book she is in the process of writing.

            Through her writings, Barb addresses the differences between people with autism and the people she refers to as “the normals.” The positive light she put on autism was surprising, eye-opening, and motivating. Barb explains how “normals” have distractions that hamper them from enjoying life. She explains how because she is autistic she takes the time to absorb every moment and experience. For example, she referenced feeling sound waves on her skin, noticing the droplets of condensation on a coke can, and feeling the follicle of hairs expand. I loved how she gave us the advice to slow down and really enjoy our lunch, something that we often rush through as “normals.” Barb advises to be in the world of the moment, focus on the now.

          What surprised me most about Barb was her use of language. Some of the vocabulary she used was above my knowledge! Through support of typing, Barb produced beautifully written sentences. Before, Barb’s presentation I did not have much knowledge about autism, but throughout the presentation she continued to show me how autism did not hinder but strengthened her intelligence.

           “Know your part. Be your part. Play your part with pride and conviction. Hold your head up and project your voice.” These words Barb wrote were inspiring. Through her presentation I not only learned about autism, but was reminded that everyone has a part to play in this world, including me. I thought I was coming to this presentation to learn about Barb, but I was not expecting to also learn about myself.

Forms of Assessment

            There are many different ways to assess students and particular assessments work better for some lessons than others. Deciding on which assessment is best in a situation can depend on what teachers want to learn from the assessment, time constraints, and the setting in which the assessment is administered. Taking the time to decide which type of assessment will work best helps teachers understand what content their students are successfully learning and with what content they are struggling. In the end, choosing the right type of assessment will lead to a higher content knowledge for each student in the classroom.
            The first category of assessment is informal assessment vs. formal assessment. Informal assessments are unplanned assessments than can take place throughout the day. Formal assessments involve a predetermined type of assessment that will usually take place at a certain time. For example, encouraging students to ask questions throughout the daily lessons is a type of informal assessment. The teacher does not know what questions the students will ask or when they will ask, but the teacher is willing to answer them. Informal assessments help gauge what areas students are struggling with and will help the teacher know what to focus on or review. This type of assessment is great to use throughout the day on a daily basis because it helps answer questions students have that might not have been answered without their encouraged inquiry.
  The second category of assessment is paper-pencil assessment vs. performance assessment. In paper-pencil assessment students write down their responses while in performance assessment responses are observed through a non-written manner. Using counting blocks to learn basic math skills in elementary school is a type of performance assessment. Students can either work individually or in groups during this type of assessment, and each student, or group of students, is given a certain number of blocks. When the teacher asks questions about adding or subtracting students respond by rearranging their blocks to show the correct answer. This type of assessment would be especially helpful in this situation because it enables students to physically see what happens during addition and subtraction which allows for better understanding. The teacher can also easily see where students are struggling with their math skills.
  A third type of assessment is standardized test vs. teacher-developed assessment. Teachers do not develop standardized tests for their own classroom, and they are intended for use in multiple schools. However, teacher-developed assessments are created by individual teachers for the specific class they are teaching. An example of a teacher-developed assessment would be a short-answer science test created over a unit that was recently learned. This type of assessment would be beneficial in this situation because only the classroom teacher knows how much of the unit was covered and what concepts tended to be difficult for the students. Through this type of assessment a teacher will be able to see what each student has achieved during the past unit and what concepts need to be reviewed before a multiple unit test, midterm, or final.
  The fourth type of assessment is criterion-referenced assessment vs. norm-referenced assessment. Criterion-referenced assessment shows what an individual student has learned, and norm-referenced assessment compares what a student has learned with other students in the same grade-level. Having students individually read aloud to the teacher in elementary school to show reading skills can be considered criterion-referenced assessment. It shows where a student is struggling, reveals if they need extra help, and determines whether they have reached pre-determined goals for reading levels. This type of assessment is appropriate in this setting because students develop reading skills at various rates and struggle with different components of reading. Assessing students separately can help teachers see how students are progressing as individuals, and it enables them to administer the correct type of help to the right students.
  The final type of assessment is traditional assessment vs. authentic assessment. Traditional assessment measures achievement separate from real-world tasks while authentic assessment involves real-world situations. An example of authentic assessment would be learning to write letters in elementary school. Students could practice writing letters to their peers or parents. This type of assessment would be beneficial in this situation because it not only helps students practice their writing and spelling skills, but teachers them a real-world practice they will use in the future even after they finish school.
  With all of these different types of assessments teachers can get a thorough understanding of what their students have achieved. When administered correctly and in the appropriate situations assessments can lead to knowledgeable students with an increased motivation to learn. It is important for teachers to evaluate each situation and carefully decided on which type of assessment will be most beneficial to produce a healthy classroom learning environment.

Introduction

            During this semester in educational psychology 401, I hope to learn more about what strategies exist that help teachers manage classrooms as a whole and individual student behavior. Through observations I have discovered the better a class is managed the more learning can be accomplished throughout the day. When I am a teacher I want to be able to use each moment I am given to contribute to the education of my students, and by taking this class I think I will have a better understanding of how to accomplish this goal. At the end of educational psychology 401 I also want to have a better understanding of patterns of learning and how to apply content in the classroom in order to reach various types of learners. I hope this class will increase my knowledge of methods used to target each type of learning. I also hope the knowledge I obtain in this course will allow me to be more creative in apply content to engage students and help keep lessons interesting.  I think this course will greatly help my future as a teacher by introducing me to effective strategies to manage, engage, teach, and assess my future students.