Learning Theories - Week 3

This week our reading assignments and morning class discussions addressed three psychologist whose theories about how learners learn vary greatly: Piaget, Vygotsky, and Skinner.

Piaget - Piaget believes that development occurs in stages: beginning with sensory motor (in infancy), then pre-operation, concrete, and then formal (which includes abstract thinking).  Learners form scaffolds of understanding and new material either needs to be assimilated (accepted into the scaffold) or accommodated (the scaffold of understanding has to readjust).  A teacher's role is to identify where a student is in terms development and understanding and differentiate one's lesson.  A learner's role is to input and work to accomodate new information.

Vygotsky - Vygotsky believes that children learn through social context.  A teacher's role is to act as a more knowledgeable other (MKO) while students learn from each other.

Skinner - Skinner believes that learning was the process of acquiring accumulative consequences of behavior.  A teacher's role is to reward behaviors that lead to skill acquisition.  Learners have an innate ability to learn and respond to the stimuli of the classroom.

Each of us were invited to create assessment questions on one of the above psychologists based on Bloom's Taxonomy.   The following are answers to three questions randomly chosen.

Q1 - Q6: What are some aspects of Piaget's theory that could cause criticism of his theory?

According to Piaget, teachers should construct lessons at the developmental level of the learner.  Considering the diverse maturity levels of a typical high school classroom, this is not very practical advice.  Also, if a learner can't progress until he/she develops towards the next stage, there is nothing for teachers to do to move a learner along towards abstract thinking.

Q2 - Q6: Recommend the kind of learning environment Vygotsky would most approve of?

Vygotsky would love the Socratic method of teaching, where the teacher asks thought provoking questions and students collaboratively work out their ideas.

Q3 - Q3: Show how Behavior Learning Theory and Social Learning Theory can work together in a lesson?

By reinforcing participation and completion of homework assignments, students will learn mind-on behavior (Behavior Learning Theory).  Using jigsaw-based discussions can lead to increased understanding and comprehension (Social Learning Theory)

Internet in the Classroom

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is an organization committed to providing guidance to teachers and administrators “as they transition schools from Industrial Age to Digital Age places of learning” (ISTE, 2011).  ISTE has formalized its core objectives into the National Education Technology Standards (NETS), which have been differentiated for each group in the education system: NETS-T for teachers, NETS-S for students, and NETS-A for administrators (ISTE, 2011).   These standards are importance because they establish criteria for technology competence that should to be incorporated into my curriculum whenever possible. 

I recognize the value of including technology education in the classroom, however, as a pre-service teacher, the question I have to answer is how.  Dr. Donald Leu of the University of Connecticut has created several lectures regarding projects and methods for achieving the NET-S goals.

Dr. Leu recommends four models for teaching with the Internet: Internet Workshops, Internet Projects, WebQuests and Internet Inquirty.  Similarities among the four models include opportunities to develop competency in the NET-S goals: learning about internet safety; using technology effectively and productively to conduct research and use web-based information (ISTE, 2011); developing critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills in order to evaluate the validity (or bias) of web-based information (ISTE, 2011); and the importance of collaborating and sharing information (ISTE, 2011).  (Leu, 2002)

The differences among the models are a result of each model’s purpose.  An Internet Workshop is designed as a simple group-research activity that can be adapted to most curriculum units.  It is effective in developing content knowledge, strategies for finding and using Internet information resources, and develops skills for collaboration.  An Internet Workshop is best used with open-ended questions related to the curriculum unit, thus allowing students to find and collaboratively present multiple-sources of information.  Collaborative contribution to the curriculum unit is the primary object.  An Internet Project includes all the objectives of the Internet Workshop but its goal is to have an inter-classroom, possibly an international experience to solve a problem or simply to increase understanding.  Web-Quests are internet projects that have already been established online.  Clear directions and a list of resources required for participation is provided online.  Internet Inquiry is distinct in that the topic of research is student-directed (Leu, 2002).

My collaborative teacher has informed me that there is no smart board available for the classroom.  Technology in the classroom is limited to an overhead projector and a portable, shared projector unit for the computer.   I personally have a projector that will integrate with my computer and the classroom is equipped with a rolled-up white screen, so I will be able use power point presentations and web-based resources.  After considering the NET-S standard and Dr. Leu’s discussion, I believe an Internet Inquiry project will be very compatible with my curriculum to bring a discussion of current events in science into the classroom.

References:

Leu, D.J., Jr. (2002, February). Internet Workshop: Making time for literacy [Exploring Literacy on the Internet department]. The Reading Teacher, 55(5).

International Society for Technology in Education, 2011. Standards for Global Learning in the Digital Age. 

EDCI 5065 Week 2 - Theory 2 Practice essay

Last week the main question we addressed was "what is needed for successful learning to occur?".  This week the focus was on us as a teacher and what we should bring to the teaching/learning mix, again, for successful learning to occur.  In Judy Yero's "How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education, the point was well made that teachers create an environment by their actions, thoughts and words that greatly affect whether a student will feel, for lack of a better word, wanted in the classroom.  One example was whether to describe one's classroom as a zoo or a beehive.  There are values intrinsic in the words I use and I must be careful to keep my words nonpunishing, welcoming, and honest (but polite and respectful).  The students will know how I feel about them by the words I choose.


In David Hansen's "Teaching and the Moral Life of Classrooms, he presents very clear examples of how teachers can create a classroom in which life is as close to fair as possible.  As a society we want our citizens to take turns, treat each other with consideration, be supportive instead of judgmental, and make a personal commitment to learning.  As a teacher I must demonstrate fairness, rationality, respect for myself and the classroom, appreciation for diversity, and even punctuality.  I must model the behaviors I want to foster in my students.  Only then will the classroom have the feeling of being a safe environment for people to be free to get their geek on.  


We talked about how people learn.  I believe that people learn best in an environment in which mutual respect and mutual enhancement is present.  The student-centered approach is   particularly challenging to me.  But I own the benefits of having discussions that lead the students to their own "aha" moment instead of me lecturing for 45 minutes and telling them what they need to know.  I need to make room for off-topic questions, personal discovery and self-directed learning in a physics class.  


If a teacher accompanies students as an expert learner and "guide on the side" through their learning experiences, then the student is more likely to learn because he or she is being given some freedom (which is a demonstration of trust and positive expectations) within a structured, predictable, safe environment while the teacher is available to encourage positive behavior, provide modeling as needed, and engage in an authentic relationship with the student that will hopefully motivate the student to develop competency.

EDCI 5065 Week 1 - Theory 2 Practice essay

There are many ways to educate.  There has to be because each person will learn best acording to their unique scaffold.  I am still at the sponge mode of pre-service teaching.  I have learned some new words that are critical to thinking like a teacher.  Today I experienced a class that encorporated a variety of the learning styles: aural, social, language, visual, verbal etc.  Today was the first time I have experienced a successful group project in academia.  It was a wonderful experience.

I think several specifics made this activity successful and different from the failed attempts I've experienced previously:

• personal choice in team membership
• criteria of diversity for each team
• no established leader, just cooperative involvement by all team members
• a task that was group-think oriented and benefited from diversity.

We all did our homework, so personal motivation to succeed is a factor in our being prepared to share.  I also noticed that throughout the day we were encouraged to learn from each other instead of the teacher. This increased cohesion in the group

How Does Learning Occur

To be considered: what is the role of the teacher and what beliefs do I have about how people learn and develop competency.

Beliefs About How People Learn:

• Student learn best in environments that are structured (e.g, consistent and predictable) but not rigid
• Mutual respect between the teacher and students and among students will foster a safe learning environment and opportunities for mutual enhancement
• Students will need academic support in skill and fundamental knowledge acquisition.

Beliefs About How People Develop Competency

• A student-centered classroom encourages students to participate in discussions and ask questions that make the information presented meaningful to them.
• Students must learn to think for themselves and question the material
• Students must be allowed to personalize the classroom and explore ideas on their own
• Students need time to think and process

If a teacher wishes to create an optimal learning environment, then the information to be learned needs to be presented in a safe, structured environment that fosters mutual enhancement and personal interest because this presents opportunities to demonstrate competency.

Technology Resources

The following are three online resources that will be helpful.

NASA Science Online
http://science.nasa.gov/
This website has articles relating to current events in physical science. This will be a good resource to bring current science and technology discussions into the curriculum.

Physics World
http://physicsworld.com/
Similar to the NASA Science Online website, this website has articles related to current events in physical science. This will be a good resource to bring current science and technology discussions into the curriculum.

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/science/physics/
This websites lists lesson plans and unit plans for topics in physics and general science. The lessons range from 1 day to 3 weeks. They also list the grade level it is intended for, which will be helpful in creating differentiated lesson plans, activities, and homework assignments. Lesson plans include sample questions to ask the students to assess learning.

Possible Assessment or Snow Day Activity:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - She's a Witch scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g
This scene presents an incredible example of "applying" the scientific method and getting a disastrously wrong conclusion.

Observation: a woman is wearing witchy clothes, has a long nose, and a wart.
Scientific Question: Is she a witch?
Do Background Research: Witches burn, so does wood. Wood floats in water, and so does a duck.
Hypothesis: If the woman weighs as much as a duck, then she is a witch because she must be made of wood.
Test the Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment -
Experiment Procedure: comparatively weight the woman and a duck
Materials: a set of scales, the woman, and a duck
Conduct the Experiment: the woman goes on one side of the scale, the duck on the other
independent variable - the duck
dependent variable - the woman
control variable - the scale
Analyze Your Data: The woman and the duck appear to balance on the scale, therefore the woman weighs as much as a duck.
Draw Your Conclusion: Because the woman weighs as much as a duck, she is a witch.
Communicate Your Results: The crowd is informed the woman is a witch.

Did the scientific method fail? If not (big hint here), what was missed?
(possible answers include lack of error analysis, is a duck really an independent variable, failure to use multiple dependent variables, failure to provide verification of the accuracy of the scales, and the fact that a mob is not a unbiased peer review)
Briefly discuss the accuracy and precision of this experiment.

My concern: While my intention is to make learning engaging, I am using a venue that is humor based and not everyone has the same sense of humor or sensitivities. I have no wish to offend any Wiccan or Wiccan supporters. Thoughts?

My Video