Course contract review #3

Review your course contract from the beginning of the semester. Answer the following questions:

1. What are you doing well?  

 Well, I have to admit, I'm getting all of my homework done. I am working hard on all assignments and studying nightly.

1. What are you not doing well?  

I don't seem to be attaining as much information as i would like to, considering I am studying each night.  Test seem to be kicking me in the butt the most.

1. Are you making sufficient progress on your goals? 

I'm making good progress on getting my homework done and understanding it, but being able to apply it to authentic practices is a little sketchy. I am learning how it will make me a better teacher, so two out of three isn't bad. 

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

• put each theory into multiple story problems
• have a friend quiz me on definitions
• have a friend quiz me on story problems
  

Chaper 4/5 Case Study Analysis

Questions:

1. What classic symptoms of a learning disability does Nathan exhibit?

Nathan exhibits the loss of attention in class, as well as can answer the questions correctly but does not complete tests, or turn in homework. 

2. What accommodations has Nathan received in the past?

He was put into a resource class because of a learning disability and put on drugs to help me not be so hyperactive. He did not like these drugs because they would make him sleepy and does not want to be put on them again. Him and his family do not want to pull him out into another resource class.

3. What strategies would you recommend to help Nathan work with his learning disability? Why?

1. I would have him put together a homework folder, in which his parents would make sure that his homework is in there, and Nathan would hand it to Ms. Cecere at the beggining of each day. That way he is making sure to turn in his homework and everyone is there to support him. 
2. Communications between the teacher and parents to say exactly what is due the next day, as well as assignments that are due later, as well as communicating behaviors and instructions in class.
3. I would ask for the help of an aid when we have tests to help Nathan keep on track and finish his tests. As for every day work I would assign him a partner that they could work together, giving him a boost to keep working and staying on task.
   

4. Is Nathan experiencing a cultural mismatch? Justify your response with examples from the case study.

 

No because Nathans parents have the expectation that he is doing his homework and turning it in. That is the same expectation that Ms. Cecere has for Nathan. Because they have the same expectations of Nathan, then it is not a cultural mismatch.

Chapter 10 Case Study

1. The strategies that Mr. Corbet uses to teach his students appropriate school behavior are most consistent with which two theories/theorists that we have learned about so far this semester? Justify your response.

 

Behaviorism and Social Cognitivism. I'd say this because Mr. Corbet uses cueing and reinforcing to shape the children into good behavior. He also sets the children up in groups and lets them learn from one another.

2. Describe one incident in the case study that represents vicarious reinforcement. Explain your reasoning.

I would say when the students went to line up. Mindy sees that Mr. Corbet likes it when students walk to the door and not runs, so she makes sure to walk to the door.

3. Describe one incident in the case study that represents vicarious punishment. Explain your reasoning.

When Johnathan got in trouble for pointing fingers, Mindy had to be careful not to point fingers at the girl who pushed her friend on the playground so she wouldn't get into trouble.

4. Do you think Mindy has low or high self-efficacy with regard to appropriate kindergarten behavior? Justify your response with examples from the case.

 

She has high self-efficacy with regard to appropriate kindgergarten behavior because she is seeing how to behave in class and outside, and tries hard to remember what to do. Even when she doesn't know about some behaviors not to do, she knows that when the whistle is blown it's not a good thing.

Chapter 9 Case Study

1. Is Haley's fear of men most likely due to classical or operant conditioning? Justify your response (yes, it will all be hypothetical as we do not have enough information in this case).

I'd have to say classical because Haley's "involentary" response is because of two different situations with men, so she involentarily responds the same way to all men. I would have said opperant, but I don't believe that the hypothetical abuse she sees or has at home from men would be considered a positive reinforcement (increasing behavior). I would look at it as punishment. The reason I think this is because the Male Violin teacher didn't see her behave in any way that the males at her home would see.

2. How might you explain Meredith's aggressive behaviors from the perspective of operant conditioning?

Well, because Meredith get's what she wants (positive reinforcement) she continues to act out aggressively. If she's not getting negative reinforcement for her behavior then she will continue. She could also see siblings or family members hit or control others to get what they want and would want to do the same to get what she wants.

3. What strategies from Chapter 9 might a teacher use in working with Haley? Be specific and describe how each strategy could be used.

I think that shaping would help Haley most. She can slowly see how the Male Violin teacher means no harm to any other students and won't harm her.

Another one could be token reward system. By rewarding her to go to Violin class she is enforcing the Premack Principle, (doing something she doesn't like to get something she likes) that works with the token reward.

4. What strategies from Chapter 9 might a teacher use in working with Meredith? Be specific and describe how each strategy could be used.

I think cueing would be my first step. I would cue when she is about to behave in an inappropriate way and say something like "remember students we aren't supposed to hit in class." Then I would slowly "shape" her into behaving nicely to other students.I would also  use the reinforcing inappropriate behavior by letting her use her energy in a different direction, maybe by drawing or creating something.

Chapter 7/8 Case Study Analysis

Ch. 7/8 Case Study Analysis

Questions:

1. Describe two similarities between the traditional lesson and the constructivist one as described above.

• both cases have students learning about measurements
• each had hands on (children measuring length of the whale and measuring a boat)

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.

• the benefits of the constructivist approach:
• Students see outcome of measuring, can actually see what they are measuring.
  
• Students thought about and questioned ideas about what measurements to use, and how to use them
  
• The drawbacks of constructivist approach:
• Time consuming (took several days of little improvement each day until the lightbulb went off)
  
• Misconceptions the students will make while critical thinking.
  

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.

• The teacher let the students come up with how to measure. A lot of methods the students came up with were based on prior knowledge. 
• For example: When Mark wanted to measure the boat with his hands, he was thinking about why it didn't measure up each time. So he had to realize that his hands had to be the same length away each time. Then the students realized that each persons hands where not the same, some where bigger and some where smaller.
  

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

• Yes because authentic by definition is some accepted beliefs that has been agreed upon with known facts or experience.
  

Chapter 6 Case Study Analysis

Ch. 6 Case Study Analysis

Post your responses to the following questions on your blog.

Case 1: Mr. West wants his students to truly understand Civil War battles. He engages the help of a local Historical Re-enactment Society and assigns each of his students to the Union or Confederate side. His students join the re-enactors from 7:00am-7:00pm for a full day of activities which include a long march (complete with rudimentary battle gear), setting up camp, cooking over campfires, scouting territory, and engaging in a historically representative battle.

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 if it was cold, how long the walk was, what the food tasted like, the stories the other re-enacters would tell.The students would be able to explain what a battle would be like, the feelings, the people, the unknown.

If a student would have to tell you about the battle from just a book they probably would only remember one or two big things because they were not there to experience them.

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

Mr. West uses the Civil War re-enactment to engage students emotions by letting them feel what it was like to be a soldier. He puts them in the activity and lets them feel what it was like. The sorrow, loss, pain, cold, hunger. All of those things adding into how it really was. By having these emotions and connecting it with what they learned the students are able to recall it easier and remember it longer. Whenever they feel that emotion again they will think about the things they learned. The relationship between emotions and learning are that they leave longer lasting impressions because of the connections in the brain that are made.

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

A good way for Mr. West to follow-up the re-enactment would to have the students watch a video clip of what they experienced, maybe even a home video of the students re-enacting it. Then once they watched the video they could discuss what they learned, what it would have been like when it happened, what happened. By doing this the students will recall the information and have some critical thinking.

Case 2: Mr. Dunkin and Mr. Richards, teachers at the same school, are debating in the teacher’s lounge about who provides the best type of organization for the students’ learning. Mr. Dunkin lectures and assigns reading and chapter problems Mondays through Thursdays. On Fridays he gives a short answer exam. In Mr. Richards’ class the students never know what will take place on any given day until they arrive in class and look at a detailed outline of the hour’s activities on the chalkboard. His class engages in mix of role-plays, lecture, videos, group projects and demonstrations. Mr. Richards occasionally gives surprise quizzes and his unit tests can include true/false, multiple choice, short answer, or essay.

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

 I believe that Mr. Richards is teaching with the best type of organization because he is able to teach to every kind of multiple intelligence. He also teaches in so many ways that the experiences become memorable to the students, and not just repetition of information. The more he hits a subject, in different ways, the more connections the students will make, and will be able to remember.

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

If I was the student, then I would not be able to learn effectively from Mr. Dunkin. I like hands on activities as well as different learning methods. It's hard for me to just listen to a lecture, read the book and do a worksheet. I need the different experiences. However, other students like the formatted way Mr. Dunkin teaches. It all depends on what Multiple Intelligence you learn best by.

Chapter 3 Case Study

1. The second paragraph lists a number of strategies that Ms. Knowles and Ms. Brophy have tried to teach social skills. Which one do you think might be most effective and why?

 I Believe that this statement is the most effective:

"They suggest that outgoing and socially self-confident children ask more reserved children to join a play activity."

The reason I think this is because I've seen it happen. I worked at a daycare for two years and have tried many tecniques to get shy children to play with others. If you put them together using some activity, the shy one still won't interact with the other children. It's when the outgoing one asks for another to play. The reason I think this is true is because when a child asks another to come and play it makes the child feel as if he/she is wanted. If a child feels wanted and loved they will be able to become more outgoing.

2. The teachers occasionally use storybooks to promote discussions about social skills and making friends. How might children's literature also help them resolve one of Erikson's stages of psychosocial development?

 If you were to assume that the preschool child was at the level of initiative vs. guilt then you could safely say that a children's book that tells children that they can do anything if they try hard to get there.  Say the story was talking about how "Bobbie" wanted to tie his shoes by himself, so his mother showed him how to do it. Well, "Bobbie" sometimes had trouble still tying his shoes but wants to do it without help. The story should demonstrate how the mother encouraged the child by side-coaching instead of doing to help "Bobbie" tie his shoes by himself. Any story that shows encouragement to the child trying to do something would help resolve the stage of Initiative vs. Guilt.

3. How might children's literature help them develop moral reasoning?

To help with the development of moral reasoning a teacher would pick like Olivia. In Olivia the main character is taught many things. She likes to do things on her own as well. But Olivia gets in trouble when she paints the wall. She gets into trouble because she paints the wall. By sharing stories where the main character has to choose between right and wrong it gives the children examples of what might and might not be acceptable where they live.

4. The teachers read the children a letter they claim has been written by their friend Mr. Stone. What are potential advantages of this strategy? Incorporate ideas from Chapters 2 and 3 in your response.
The advantages of using a letter written by a "friend" gives the children a chance to think about another persons problems. With these problems the children are trying to solve they use assimilation because they will relate it to their feelings with the same problems. They are using disequilibrium by going back to their feelings about the problems that Mr. Stone's daughter is having. I like the idea of using a letter from a friend with problems because it helps the students think about something that is not in their immediate view. This helps with their formal operational thought process, because the students together will come up with multiple ideas about what they don't necessarily see.