Technology 4 Teachers.. My thoughts

My thoughts on the class...

So far, so good! As simple as that sounds, I have really enjoyed the work in this course. I think that as we get into courses that are more designed towards our major, they almost have to be more enjoyable. I think that learning about different technologies available to help us, as future teachers, improve the learning experiences of our students while making our jobs easier is wonderful!

My favorite project so far...

At this point, I am going to have to say that this blog is the best thing for me so far, because it is something I am familiar with already. Having created this blog last year in another educational course allowed me to familiarize myself with the features of this program. Being able to add to that allows me to add more material to help me reflect on my learning experiences thus far.

Most difficult project thus far...

For me, I struggled the most with creating the teacher webpage. For me, that was kind of difficult to believe, expecially since I am a kid of the Internet era. I mean, I have been making webpages since I was in 6th grade, at least. I used TeacherWeb, and although I ended up with a good site, I think that I would have enjoyed having a little bit more freedom for a layout choice, etc. rather than just picking from a list. I was a yearbook editor from 7th-12th grade, and layout is my forte. Ah well, maybe when I have my real-life webpage I can use another product? =)

Expectations for this course...

Again, so far, so good! This course has met and/or exceeded my expectations so far. I came into this course a bit concerned that it would be hard to talk about a new technology for 16-18 weeks, but I am still learning new things! As we continue on throughout the rest of the semester, I hope to continue to learn and become familiar with those technological tools that will ultimately play a huge role in my career as a teacher.

Reflective Teachers (week 16)

*Chapter Summary*

This week we covered our last chapter in our Educational Psychology book. The chapter was full of information about becoming a better teacher through reflection. The book encourages the use of student evaluations and suggestions. Another technique or way of evaluation is the use of self-evaluation or peer e valuations. This can be done through the use of classroom observations, audiotaped lessons, videotaped lessons, reflective lesson plans, and the use of guided reflective protocol.

Another suggestion for becoming a reflective teacher is to develop a reflective journal. This, according to the text, can serve two purposes. One, to serve as a bank of lesson plans and ideas that you have developed or learned from another source, and two, it can provide you a format to record your observations and reflections on teaching.

The text goes on to discuss how to use a portfolio with your journal, and even lists examples of what to include within your own portfolio. As the chapter comes to an end, as usual, technology is incorporated into the lesson. In this case, we are encouraged to use discussion forums and chat rooms. Personally, I think using a blog to record my thoughts will be the way I go. However, I definitely see the benefit of talking with others interested in the same field as I.



*Changes*

One of the main changes in me that this class has attributed to is my willingness to take a stand on issues I feel passionately about. I have always been willing to listen to another's opinions, but when it came time to defend my own, I was shy. I think throughout this course, when any of my thoughts or feeling have been challenged in the discussion boards, or what have you, I have defended them.

Another of the changes made in me as a perspective teacher is the expansion of my ideas and creativity for lesson plans. In this course we have had to develop lesson plans which required certain material - whether it be specific themes, being accessible to all students, etc., I feel like I have done a good job in doing so.



*Statement of the Week*

This week is exhausting. I have seven finals to study for on top of actual class work. I am ready for this semester to come to an end, but hope that I can continue working with some of the people I have met throughout this whole semester. I look forward to my educational courses and to the grand finale … my own classroom!

Standardized Testing (week 15)

*Chapter Summary*

The definition of standardized testing is: "Items presented and scored in standard fashion; results reported with reference to standards." These tests are used to identify strengths and weaknesses in students, teachers, and lesson plans.

Some of the different aspects of these tests that were discussed int eh chapter are as follows:

• Reliability
• Validity
• Content validity
• Predictive validity
• Construct validity

In this chapter, we also learned that competency tests determine whether or not potential graduates obtain the skills necessary to do so. Aptitude testing allows the capability to develop additional skills in a specific area. Norm-referenced tests compare one student to others. Criterion-referenced tests show the level of mastery of certain objectives. We also learned that achievement tests measure the amount to which a specific subject or skill has been learned. Within achievement tests, there are tests called "diagnostic achievement tests." These are meant to identify specific strengths and weaknesses.

We also learned some different terminology used with standardized-test scores. They are as follows:

• Percentile-rank : percentage of scores at or below a given point.
• Standard deviation: degree of deviation from the mean of a distribution.
• z score: compares the raw score from the averages of standard deviation units.
• T score: Raw score translated on a scale of 1-100; the mean is 50.
• Stanine score: students performance indicated with reference to a 9-point scaled based on a normal curve.

Other topics discussed int eh chapter included NCLB and it's impact on schools and testing, as well as high-stakes testing. High-stakes testing is when school districts or other individuals use test scores to hold students and teachers accountable for achievement and AYP.

*In My Life*

My opinions on standardized testing is derived from my personal experiences in school. I am a good student. I am not a great test-taker. When all the tests are multiple-choice or true/false standardized tests, I do not do as well as open response or essay questions.

For another one of my courses I had to interview a teacher. I asked her what she thought about the use of standardized testing, and she told me that she used to not like them, but recently, her school stared using the scantron. She can grade all 142 students' papers in 15 minutes. She says this opens more time for her to teach.

I can see how this is a benefit to using. With more time to teach, the students have a better opportunity to learn. I'm still hung-up on this issue though.

*My Perspective as a Teacher*

This course has allowed me to learn so much of the basic information behind teaching practices and trends that are currently in place. I think that through the discussion boards a blogging, I have been able to some up with some deep-rooted opinions that I otherwise probably would not have known I had. I have enjoyed this course and look forward to implementing the practices I have learned and using observation skills to determine what works best in my classroom and for my students.

*Question of the Week*

The question for this week is: Look at the following education blog for the week
http://tcmtechnologyblog.blogspot.com/

Would a blog like this one help you with your teaching?

Yes. I think that this blog, like others we have looked at has valuable information that could benefit both students and teachers. I think that anything that is proven successful with students or that positively benefits the learning process with others should be shared.

Would you be able to get ideas for teaching from this blog? How? Why? Explain.

Yes. Like I said above, I think this blog has some interesting information on it. This blog is full of presentations and other techniques that could help improve a teacher's success and that of her students.

Did you learn something new from the blogger? What and why did it strike you as memorable?

Yes. Without looking at this blog, I wouldn't have known about the lodge or anything new that was mentioned to me. I do not understand calculus or any advanced math for that matter, so the clips don't really benefit me.

Would you want to create a site like this for others? Why or why not?

Again, yes. I think that if I knew something that had been successful in my classroom, creating a blog for others to look to for ideas could be beneficial. Also, a blog like this is a good spot to put tactics or approaches that were not successful and your thoughts and feeling about it.

Assessment (week 14)

*Chapter Summary*

This week in the book, we are learning about assessment of classroom learning. The test discusses the roles of assessment in teaching while discussing measurements, evaluations and other ways to determine the effectiveness of assessments.

Some ways to measure students learning that were covered in the chapter include:
· Written tests
· Selected-response test
· Short-answer tests
· Essay tests
· Performance tests

The text warns that performance tests pose challenges for the teachers because reliability and validity of performance tests have not been established. In my opinion, and where my personal experiences come into play this week, are in this section. I think that performance test are great, but I have found that students do better when there are a variety of testing options available. I think that teachers that include multiple techniques within one test offer the students a better chance of succeeding.

The text also discusses the differences between norm-referenced grading and criterion-referenced grading. I think in my classroom, I will use criterion-based grading to do the actual grading, but will also take into consideration the scores of the other class members, as this way I will be able to tell what I needed to make clearer in my lesson and which students need help with what.

Another item discussed in this chapter was the incorporation of technology in classroom assessments. As I have stated all semester, I am a huge advocate of this. I think that it is vital to introduce students to this at an early age because it is the future of their schooling and every-day-life. I also think that this type of testing allows for a more broad repertoire of testing skills.


*Personal Changes*

I think this class has opened the door for me in looking at alternative ways to instruct my classroom. I have to say that the more we look into options of actual classroom management and assessment, I am enjoying the information much more.


*This Week in the DB*

The posts to the DB this week are scarce. I think because it is Thanksgiving week, a lot of students have their minds on other things. I would like to say though, that I have read another student's initial post and she and I vary a bit in our thoughts about assessments. I think the variation between students when learning new things is amazing. I love to read how someone else interprets the information.


*Question of the Week*

The question for this week is: Choose one of the following general education blogs to read for the week
https://mail.otc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.speedofcreativity.org/
https://mail.otc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.k12opened.com/blog/
Answer the following questions about the blog you choose. Please include the url of the blog you choose in your write-up. Also, give a sentence or two about why you decided against the other blog.

I chose https://mail.otc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.k12opened.com/blog/ because I think that it offers a lot of valuable information. I did not chose this one over the other because I disliked the other, rather, I would think this one's information could be more beneficial.

Would a blog like this one help you with your teaching?
Possibly. I think anything that offers information like this could be beneficial, especially for first time teachers.

Would you be able to get ideas for teaching from this blog? How? Why? Explain.
Yes. I think this offers information on programs options that are helpful in teaching ideas.

Did you learn something new from the blogger? What and why did it strike you as memorable?
Yes. I learned about the automatic vocabulary presentations in PPT. I think this is something that a lot of people might not know.

Would you want to create a site like this for others? Why or why not?
Yeah, if I had time. I think that any information you can share with others that might make their life easier is worth sharing.

Classroom Management (week 13)

*Chapter Summary*

This week, we are learning about classroom management. We discussed authoritarian, permissive and authoritative approaches to managing a classroom. One of the main focuses of this chapter was problem prevention. We discussed the ripple effect, which is a group response to a reprimand directed at an individual. Here is where my *personal experience* comes into play this week.

When I was in the third grade, my cousin was in my class. He was always misbehaving, and for the most part, our teacher was kind of lenient when it came to discipline. I would imagine this contributed the behavior of a lot of students in the class. Anyway, at one point in the year, she had enough. My cousin was the ring leader usually- and this day he was definitely acting as the class clown. My teacher was out in the hall getting on to one student that kept throwing things at the back of her head while she was writing on the board. Zack, my cousin, entertained the class while she was out, and once class resumed, guess who threw an eraser at the teacher? Yep- Zack. Well, when she turned around, the class could tell she was furious. Everyone was silent - even Zack. He turned bright red and it was obvious he was guilty. She asked him if he did it and he said "NO!" Then Mrs. James threatened to keep us all after school for detention. Wouldn't you know it- she had 21 other students letting her know that Zack threw the eraser.

At this point, Mrs. James escorted Zach to the principals office and had our assistant principal come watch our classroom. The principal called Zach's mom. When it was time for lunch, we left the classroom. On our way past the office, we could hear Zach's mom yelling at him and saw that he was crying. We could see the paddle laying on the desk. (We later found out he was not paddled- it was just used as an intimidation technique.) This quickly became the buzz of the school yard at recess. Needless to say; no one threw anything else inside a classroom that year!

In the chapter we also learned how effective teachers manage a classroom. The book suggests being able to continually manage overlapping activities, not interrupting activities, maintaining the students attention and keeping them involved. Another technique is to make clear rules and procedures and continue to reinforce them daily.

To handle behavior problems the text suggests using supportive situations to help the students maintain self-control, criticize in private and then immediately offer encouragement, and the use of the "I feel" method. Other suggestions include being prompt, consistent and reasonable when dealing with the misbehavior.

The chapter finishes up by discussing the correlation between effective classroom management and the proper handling of conflicts between students and violence in the school system.


*Personal Impact*

This class has allowed me insight into various classroom situations. I think that we have been given a history of methods, the facts and information about individuals that made a profound impact on education. I have enjoyed the class and look forward to implementing these techniques in my own classroom.


*This Week in the Discussion Boards*

I think one of the most interesting things from the discussion boards so far this week is how one of my classmates made an observation that the techniques used to manage a classroom can also be beneficial to controlling your own child's behavior. I think this is very true. It made me wish that parent were required to take this class!


* Question of the Week*

The question for this week is: Choose one of the following general education blogs to read for the week http://joannejacobs.com/ or http://mspappas.preknow.org/.

I chose http://joannejacobs.com/

Would a blog like this one help you with your teaching?
Possibly? I think that the information is wonderful- but I'm not sure how this can help me being a kindergarten teacher.

Would you be able to get ideas for teaching from this blog? How? Why? Explain.
I'm not sure. I think that there are lessons to be told from this blog. For instance, the girl that plays football for a University. Nowadays, women can do anything!

Did you learn something new from the blogger? What and why did it strike you as memorable?
I learned about Cal State U having to turn away eligible freshman due to the lack of funding. I also learned about the symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome being different in males and females.

Would you want to create a site like this for others? Why or why not?
Possibly. If I had time and a lot of information to share, I think that it could be beneficial. My husband keeps one like this. It is full of random bits of information, although he offers much of his personal opinions in his.

I chose this blog because I though it was easier to read. The topics were brief and varied. I liked it. The other blog, although full of information, was longer and seemed to be less interesting to me.

Motivation (week 12)

*Chapter Summary*

In week 12, we are discussing motivation and the various approaches to incorporating motivation within a classroom. The text describes motivation as the willingness to expend a certain amount of effort to achieve a particular goal under a particular set of circumstances. The following is a list of views of motivation:

• Behavioral View


• Social Cognitive View


• Cognitive Views


• Humanistic View

The behavioral view includes the reinforcement of desired behavior. We discussed both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. The text also encourages followers of this approach to use rewards sparingly, especially in tasks that the students are naturally interested in.

The social cognitive view is rooted in the belief that students can observe and imitate modeled behavior in order to increase their own level of self-efficacy. Other cognitive views include that by setting mastery and various performance goals lead to high-performance and success rates.

The Humanistic view relies on the thought that a person is motivated when deficiency needs are not met. This view also includes that self-actualization occurs only when the lower needs are met.

The book encourages teachers to design instruction to improve academic self-concept as well as achievement. Self concept is defined as the way we view ourselves in specific domains.

The last thing this chapter discusses is the incorporation of technology into the classroom and ways to motivate the students with it. Technology can help to make the lessons more meaningful to the students because they are able to learn in a fun way. This is said to increase intrinsic motivation.

*Back To Me*

Looking back to my elementary school days, I can think of a lot of days that my teachers incorporated behavioral motivation. I had a lot of teachers that used a token economy of sorts, or kept us motivated by the use of a progress chart. This was a constant visual reminder of what was expected of us, and how well we were doing in meeting those expectations.

*How Do I Benefit?*

This week's lesson will benefit me by providing various tactics when trying to motivate my students. Not only does it provide suggestions, but it also provides various results of motivation tactics. I like that it includes lesson suggestions.

*This Week in the DB*

I am the only one that has posted to the DB so far, so I am limited on what I have found there as of yet. I would like to include that another student asked me about how I thought working in mixed-ability groups could benefit those that are higher-achievers. I responded that I think just because they are great in a particular subject, or even all subjects for that matter, does not mean they can not personally benefit from the social interactions with their classmates. Also, maybe someone that isn't necessarily an A+ student could teach them something new or even a new approach to something old.

*Question of the Week*

Find another school district's website (this will be your fourth) outside of your hometown and/or Springfield. Answer the following questions about the school district in your blog:

http://drs.dadeschools.net/Highlights/Highlights_2007-08.pdf

Why would you want to teach in this particular school district? This school district is very diverse. According to this website, over 75% of the annual budget is spent on providing for the students.

What makes this school district stand out from others that you found on the Internet? I think the report I was able to read that explained their budgets as well as the parental support and surveys of the district.

Are there specific features that this school district has to offer that you hadn't thought of before? Yes.

What are they? If not, what would you like? I enjoyed reading about the budget and the different educational programs available for the students.

Would you ever consider applying for a job at this school district? Why or why not? Yes, If I lived there. They seem to be focused on the success of their students and value input from external sources.

Based on what we've learned so far in this class, how does this school district measure up? Very well.

Approaches to Instruction (Week 11)

*Chapter Summary*

This week, we have studied the various approaches to instruction. We learned the importance of devising and using objectives. We learned that goals are set that describe the general educational outcomes and that the objectives used to meet those must be observable. We discussed taxonomy, which is the term given to arranging categories in a hierarchical order.

We discussed the behavioral approach to teaching, which focuses on direct instruction. This type of instruction is aimed toward teaching the students basic skills, and keeping them on-task in a structured and guided independent practice.

We also discussed the cognitive approach to teaching, which
encompasses meaningful and self-directed learning. This way, teachers tell the
students what they are expected to learn and will be tested over and the
information is presented in organized meaningful lessons. By exposing the
students to multiple points of view, meaningful learning takes place. We also
learned that technology supports a cognitive approach to teaching by allowing
the students to code, store and retrieve information.

The humanistic approach addresses needs, motives, and self-perceptions. Two big supporters of this approach were Maslow and Rogers.

The social approach to teaching involves teaching the students how to learn from each other, and discourages competitive reward structures. This way also encourages mixed-ability groups rather than homogeneous groups of high ability students vs. low-ability students. This approach also promotes student interaction, as well as individual accountability.


*Back to Me*

I think that a lot of my teachers were supporters of a behavioral approach in school. Most of them used positive reinforcement to encourage us, while giving direct instruction and keeping us on-task. I think this is a helpful approach, but personally, I think that I will fall into a mix between cognitive and social approaches to teaching.


*How This Benefits Me*

This post in particular will benefit me when I am determining my instructional approach within my classroom. As I stated above, I think that I will use a mix between cognitive and social approaches with my students.


*This Week In the DB*

I was amazed to see how many students preferred different styles of instruction. I also was surprised to see that one of the students asked me about my choices in what I would hop to incorporate within my classroom, and whether or not I experienced them.


*Question of the Week*

http://www.sandi.net/about/index.html

Pick a school and answer the following questions:

Would you want to teach in this particular school district?
No.

What makes this school district stand out from others that you found on the Internet?
Its size. It is the 8th largest district in the nation.

Are there specific features that this school district has to offer that you hadn't thought of before? What are they? If not, what would you like?
No. I would like to see their NCLB ratings and AYP reports.

Would you ever consider applying for a job at this school district? Why or why not?
No. I think that it is too big. I would not want to live in an area that size, so I do not expect to ever face this opportunity. I can however appreciate the teachers there. They have an incredibly diverse student population.

Based on what we've learned so far in this class, how does this school district measure up?
I suppose it is good? I mean, I was unable to find a lot of information about the students achievements. It was primarily about the repairs and building new schools.

Constructivist Learnign Theory, Problem-Solving and Transfer (week 10)

*Chapter Review*

In this chapter, we learned about Constructivist Learning Theory. This theory was proposed by Jerome Bruner in the 1960's. It consisted of the idea that "meaningful learning occurs when people use existing knowledge schemes and the viewpoints of others to interpret the world around them." The major points behind this theory are as follows:

• Meaningful learning occurs when people actively construct personal knowledge structures.
• A teacher's understanding of a subject can only partially be transferred to a student through direct instruction.
• Most knowledge structures are similar, but are changed from interaction with peers.

Three conditions that support constructivism are as follows:

1. Cognitive apprenticeship between teacher and student
2. The use of realistic learning tasks
3. Exposure to multiple perspectives

In this chapter, we also talked about Problem-Solving and Transfer. A problem exists when a learner has a goal, but does not have a plan to reach that goal. The kinds of problems vary by age and by the individuals, but can usually be solved with using these five steps:

1. Realize problem exist
2. Understand the nature of the problem
3. Compile relevant information
4. Formulate and carry out a solution
5. Evaluate the solution

Transfer of learning occurs when students use previously learned knowledge and apply it to another situation. There are many forms of transfer. See below:

• Positive transfer- A new learning task is similar to a previously learned one, and the student is able to respond similarly.
• Negative transfer- A new learning task is similar to a previously learned one, but calls for a completely different response.
• Zero transfer- The previously learned information is so different from the current situation, that it is no help.

We also learned about specific transfer, and more specifically low-road transfer. This is when you allow the students to use previously learned information in a new task. In general transfer, we talked about high-road transfer. This is when teachers educate the student on forms a plan to solve the problem that can be reconstructed later to solve other problems.

*How Will I Benefit?*

I can benefit from this blog entry specifically when I am facing challenges within my classroom. I can use this as a reference tool and will be able to recognize different approaches as needed. I think that I have already used low-road transfer numerous times in my life, and my partner adn I have used it in our activity for this class.

*This Week in the Discussion Boards*

I was both suprised and happy to see my classmates opinions on different approaches to problem-solving. I think my favorite article was Ashley's. She included that the author wrote that telling your children what to do is not the best idea, rather, tells them how to figure it out. I think that is the whole basis for problem-solving and transfer.

*Question of the Week*

The question for this week is: Find another school district's website outside of your hometown.

Madison, Connecticut -> http://www.madison.k12.ct.us/

Would you want to teach in this particular school district?

Yes.

What makes this school district stand out from others that you found on the Internet?

They have small classrooms and perform well above average on the CT Mastery test.

Are there specific features that this school district has to offer that you hadn't thought of before?

They have numerous resources available to aid teachers. I think this a a great benefit for the teachers there.

Would you ever consider applying for a job at this school district? Why or why not?

Yes, if I lived there. I think CT schools are some of the best in the country.

Based on what we've learned so far in this class, how does this school district measure up?

Very well. It appears as though they are definitely doing something right to have the success of the assessments and the AYP that they do.

Social Cognitive Theory (week 9)

*Chapter Summary*

In this chapter we learned about Social Cognitive Theory. It was developed by Albert Bandura to help explain things about an individual like their personal characteristics and behavioral patterns. We learned that by using self-control and self-regulation skills people have control of their actions. The self regulatory process consists of forethought, performance, and self-reflection.

Forethought involves goal setting and planning ways to achieve these goals. The students must learn to be self-efficient. Self-efficient means they are capable of meeting demands of certain tasks, like educational goals. Performance involves learning techniques and focusing on the task at hand. Often students will record (mentally) new behavior or study patterns for later review. Self reflection involves evaluating that recorded behavior and determining ways to improve the results of the learning process.

According to the text, self-regulation skills can be learned best by following this four-step model:

1. observe a model that exhibits a skill and verbalizes performance standards and motivational beliefs.
2. Reproduce the general form of the model's behavior
3. Exhibit the modeled behavior under similar conditions without the model present
4. Adapt the modeled behavior to different tasks, settings and conditions

Self-regulation and self-efficacy are both directly related to one another and performance and achievement of the individual.

We also learned that the use of memory- directed learning or studying techniques such as mnemonic devices and rehearsal vary in their effectiveness. Rehearsal is not as effective since it typically is used as direct memorization of the facts. The facts are generally not listed word-for-word in the test, nor in "real-life." Mnemonic devices are more helpful in that they require built-in retrieval ques. Rhymes, acronyms and keywords are often used as mnemonic devices.

Comprehension tactics that were discussed in the chapter consist of self-questioning, peer-questioning, note taking and concept mapping. Self and peer questioning can often be used simultaneously in class. These are all tactics I plan to include regularly in my classroom.


*How Will I Benefit*

I will use this blog to refer back to the lessons learned in this course. I think that by providing quick and shortened summaries of the chapter, I will be better able to remember the points discussed. I do plan to keep this blog after this course and refer back to it to see my progression in understanding how to be an effective teacher.


*Following the Blog*

This week, Kiri has written about her lesson plans. She started off by saying what she typically plans to do, and then has to re-vamp the whole week to allow for what her school and state requirements entail. The whole thing is very frustrating. She writes that it is a lot harder than it looks, and for other aspiring teachers to not be fooled.

I learned that in Kiri's class, they learn a letter each week. At the beginning of each morning, Kiri sings the "Good Morning" song, and then replaces the first letter of the students name with the letter of the week. She writes that the students giggle and seem to really enjoy it. I love this idea. It is something so simple- just one more reason I can not wait to have my own class!


*This Week in the Discussion Boards*

In the DBs this week, our groups are posting their activities and papers. I think that it is very interesting to review the other projects and see how they plan to incorporate the things we are learning into their lesson plans. There is another group that chose kindergarten as their group. They are teaching the students about weather. Their project seems very involved, and while I don't think I would do it the way they are planning, I can not wait to see their final activity. Its amazing to me to see the variation in interpretations of the information we learn.


*Question of the Week*

The question for this week is: Find a school district's website outside of your hometown and/or Springfield (or the city you reside in). Copy and paste (or type) the link into your blog. Answer the following questions about the school district in your blog:

http://www.rogers.k12.ar.us/

Would you want to teach in this particular school district? Yes.

What makes this school district stand out from others that you found on the Internet? I hope to move here and teach one day is why I chose this district, but it is in the top 5% of schools in the county.

Are there specific features that this school district has to offer that you hadn't thought of before?
Yes. A teacher to student ratio of 1:16. I think that is appropriate, and much more desirable than other school districts. They also have 14 elementary schools.

Would you ever consider applying for a job at this school district? Why or why not? Yes. I hope to move there one day. I think that of all the districts in the area, this is the most inviting. You can tell they has a strong sense of pride and rightfully so. On their web page, they have a whole page dedicated to their "pride points."

Based on what we've learned so far in this class, how does this school district measure up?
I think this school measures up very well. Their test scores are above average and they have a lot of "bragging rights."

Information Processing (week 8)

*Chapter Summary*

In this chapter we have learned about the information- processing theory. This is how an individual learn, store and recall information. We discussed memory stores and control processes. Memory stores are the sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory. Control processes are recognition, attention, maintenance rehearsal, elaborative rehearsal, and retrieval. According to our book, some information can be held in the STM indefinitely through the use of maintenance rehearsal. We also learned that information is transferred to the LTM from the STM by learning new information and linking it to previously learned information.

We also learned about metacognition. This term is referring to the knowledge someone has about how individuals think and how those processes can be used to learn. It is something that improves with time, and is most prominent in older students.

In my experience, STM and LTM are valuable at any age. I use both in school and at work. Before now, I had not known a lot about metacognition, but after learning the definition and examples of it, I see that it is something that I use frequently.


*How Will I Benefit?*

By keeping this blog, I am able to have a quick reference to the things learned in this course. I think that by referring back to this I will be able to read about different processes involved in learning and use this as a base to build my teaching styles from. While a this point I do not have any new ideas for specific assignments, I have been able to broaden my repertoire in effective teaching tactics.


*Following the Blog*

This week Kiri has only written a few times. There are two "most memorable" posts that I read from her. One was about how she let her sons catch two spiders and she caught a beetle and took them to her classroom for her students. They kept them in an aquarium and watched them daily. After only about two days one spider was "toes up" according to the students and the other had made a web and trapped the beetle in it. Her students got to experience this first hand and in person rather than learning about it in a text book. I think this memory will stick with them much longer.

The second post was about her assistant teacher Nan leaving her classroom. Nan wrote a very inspiring email to Kiri and she shared it in her blog. Nan wanted Kiri to know that just because this year has been rough, with removing two students from her classroom in hopes that they can succeed better in a special education class, that Nan had been with Kiri four years. She reminded her of some great successes she has had and encouragement to get through the rest of the year, starting each day as new- wiping the slate clean. Nan said Kiri is a great teacher and I think Kiri knows she is. Sometimes you just need a little reminder! =)


*This Week in the Discussion Boards*

I think that the most interesting thing I have learned in the DBs this week is some different techniques that some of my other classmates plan to use in their classroom when working with students to improve their students' STM and LTM.


*Question of the Week*

What are some specific techniques that you would like to incorporate into your teaching based on information processing? Why do you think these techniques will work?

I would like to incorporate the use of maintenance rehearsal into my classroom. This will work to improve a students STM by using repetition. I will also use elaborative rehearsal to help link the students STM with LTM. I think that this will be beneficial to the students and easy to incorporate because we will continue building on previously learned concepts. Elaborative rehearsal involves organizing information with shared concepts into groups. I think this will be beneficial in my classroom to help the students to understand the similarities in ideas or concepts we are learning. This a tool that I use a lot in studying for tests, and something I find to be very beneficial.

I think that I would have used these tools and techniques prior to this chapter, but I am glad to knwo the correct terms for them and now, I will have this blog and that chapter to use as a reference tool in my teaching.

Operant Conditioning (week 7)

*Chapter Summary*

In this chapter, we learned about Operant Conditioning and basic principles that have come into effect as a result of B. F. Skinner's work. We have studied positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, type I punishment, time out, type II punishment, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization and discrimination.

We learned that both positive and negative reinforcement strengthen behaviors, while the others weaken target behavior. We have also learned that once the desired behavior is established, it can be maintained by using a schedule. The four types of schedules are fixed interval, where the teacher reinforces the behaviors at set period of time, variable interval, where the teachers reinforce behaviors at random periods of time, fixed ratio, where the teacher provided reinforcement after a certain number of problems completed or pages read, or variable ratio, where there is not set pattern of reinforcement after a set number.

We also learned other techniques that will aide in behavior modification, including shaping, contingency contracts and using token economies. Shaping involves reinforcing attempts that progressively get closer to the desired outcome. Contingency contracts involve having the student sign contracts agreeing to complete their homework in order to receive their reward. Token economies are classrooms in which after exemplifying the desired behavior the student is given a coin or piece of paper that has no real value at that point, but can later cash them in to receive a reward of their choice. This is the most flexible of the behavior modification techniques.

*How Do I Benefit?*

I believe that I will benefit from this chapter and the concepts learned from it by being able to better condition my class on desired behaviors. I think that I will definitely use a token economy within my classroom, and plan to use various other methods discussed in this chapter to help me as well.


*Following the Blog*

This week, Kiri talks more about her student David and how he will be moving to classroom where he can better succeed. She talks about the difficulties with him and the fact that he has experienced so many "failures" in her classroom. He needs a fresh new place to start over. She also talks about the other challenges within her classroom and how the children react. After reading her blog, I fell like I am there with her. This week she has had several adults in her classroom. One is the school psychologist that is working with Max, another troubled young boy. Nan, her assistant that works with David and finally her college intern that works with the children that speak only Spanish. She has seen many struggles this week, and to top it off, she has just announced that Nan, her assistant, is getting a new job. She was having a bad week when she went to go pick her kids up from school. She saw a former student there that raved on and on about how great of a teacher she was. She said that it seems to make all the daily struggles worth while.


*This week in the Discussion Boards*

I was actually excited to hear about some of the conditioning techniques that others in the class have experienced in their lives so far. I loved to hear how one of the students tells her son that her hears to do hear "cranky words." She said she tells him that and then ignores anything he says in a whiny or cranky voice. She said it really works for him.

I also enjoyed reading about the conditioning experiences that other students had while in school earlier in life. I think that a lot of them are great. It is hard to imagine that all classrooms that used these techniques were all following the same basic principles of B.F. Skinner.


*Question of the Week*

Looking at both positive (PR) and negative reinforcement (NR), think about how you remember these being used when you were going to school. Write those examples down. How will you use positive and negative reinforcement in your "classroom" when you become a teacher? Give examples of PR and NR as related to your "classroom" in the future - relate these examples to concepts that you can remember.

I can remember PR being used in my school in several instances. One that sticks out the most is in fourth grade. Our teacher, Mrs. Morris was a new teacher. We were her first class. I can remember that everyday after recess, if we had all been "good" earlier in the day, she would read to us. During that time, she would turn the lights off and and we could rest our heads on our desks. We all saw this as a treat, and so we complied with her instructions the rest of the day. By the end of the year, several other teachers were implementing this into their classrooms as well.

A NR that I can remember was in sixth grade. Our teacher had problems with several students in the class falling asleep or talking during the lessons, so she began to ask that at the end of each new science chapter, we would write a two page paper summarizing the text. We only had to do this twice before the other kids stopped acting up in class. She removed the negative reinforcer (the paper) after everyone behaved as expected.

I think that I will use these techniques and others that we have learned about in this chapter. As I mentioned earlier, I think that the token economy is a great idea. Because I plan to teach kindergarten, I think this will be a great way to reinforce the students behaviors positively. I can also take token away from them should they start acting in an undesirable manner.

I also think that I will use a reading time with my students. I think that as a result of a positive and desired behavior, I will allow them to pick out a story book and we will read that at the end of the day. This will be more directed to the class as a whole.

Needless to say, I plan on using several of the techniques taught in this chapter within my own classroom. I think that each technique could impact each behavior from each student in a different way.

Accommodating Student Variability (week 6)

*Chapter Summary*

In this chapter we studied different ways of accommodating student variability. We covered the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” (IDEA) and its impact on students with mental retardation, learning disabilities, social and emotional disturbances and students who are gifted and talented.


IDEA includes that all individuals, regardless of their disabilities, have access to a free and appropriate education, the receive placement evaluation before being placed into a special education environment, every child that is considered to have a disability will have an individualized education program that describes the program in place to meet the student’s special needs, and that the student be allowed to work in an environment that is the least restrictive environment that their disability allows for. The practice of mainstreaming involves having as many disabled students in a regular classroom with other non-disabled students as possible, providing them with access to the same education while being able to meet their unique needs, regardless of the disability. Mainstreaming is the goal of IDEA.


The chapter goes into detail about teaching student with mental retardation and how to recognize characteristics and ways to encourage self esteem, offer learning tasks that can be completed in short periods of time to obtain their attention, use small steps to obtain immediate feedback, teach memory improving techniques and use simple grading and recording techniques to show the students that they are making progress by completing things regularly and on time.

The book also goes into teaching students with learning disabilities. It offers tips in identifying students with LD and the issues presented when they attempt to contemplate basic psychological processes. The text offers numerous suggestions in teaching students with LD including emphasis on differences between similar letters and numbers, working in a clear work space to avoid distractions, memory improvement techniques, forming plans based on the student’s ability and learning patterns, and giving brief assignments. It also suggests that building self esteem of students with learning disabilities by allowing them to tutor other classmates in areas in which they excel, using cooperative learning techniques, using a variety of methods to present the material to the class, which allows the students to understand in a more visually detailed way, and allowing the students to demonstrate what they have learned in giving oral presentations and hands on activities.


In the section of the chapter that tells about instructing students with emotional disturbances, we are given possible characteristics of students with ED. The book then offers suggestions for instructing these students more successfully, like designing your classroom to encourage social interaction and cooperation and to reduce the probability of disruptive behavior, prompting and reinforcing appropriate social interactions, training the other students in the class to initiate social interaction, and when necessary, punishing inappropriate behavior.


Discussing gifted and talented programs in school is when my personal experience comes into play. When I was in elementary and junior high school, I was in the gifted and talented education program (GATE). Once a week, my mom would have to drive me across town to another school and I would spend half the day there, then be bussed back to my school in the afternoon. I learned to speak some German, French and even got to dissect a shark and a starfish. I loved the things that I learned, but I hated that I was taken to a strange school, missed my class work at my school and the other kids and I that were in GATE were singled out once we got back to class by the other students for being “too smart” or “lucky.”


I think that GATE is an amazing opportunity for students, but I think that it is disruptive to the normal classroom environment for that student as well as the others. My solution to this is making GATE into a before or after school program. Because only a select few are in these programs, I think that transportation could be provided by the school system if the parents are unable to bring the children. By having this be an extra curricular activity that does not take away from normal class time, I think the GATE students will benefit more from the experience.
The book suggests having the gifted and talented students act as tutors, encourage them to do supplementary reading and writing and encourage individualized study projects or learning contracts.


In this blog posting, when I am referring to “the book” or the chapter, or even the text, I am writing about the following book. Because I have used so much of the information provided in the book for this particular post, I have decided to cite my source. It is a wonderful book, full of educational research and data.


Jack Snowman, Rick McCown, Robert Biehler. (2009). Psychology Applied to Teaching. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Copmany.


*How Do I Benefit?*

By keeping this blog, I am able to have a reference point to look back on and see different suggestions for teaching in my classroom, and techniques that are beneficial for students with learning disabilities, mental retardation and social and emotional disturbances.

*Following the Blog*

As mentioned previously, I am following the blog called “Elbows Knees and Dreams” which is written by an early childhood teacher. Interestingly enough, in the past week she has written about struggling with a student that has some sort of emotional and social disorder. His name is David and she has written previously that he hits and kicks other kids. He struggles expressing himself at times, but then at other times he is an angel. She and the school psychologist along with the principal have decided that after David punched another teacher in the face, it is time for him to be taken out of her classroom. He has been moved to another classroom, but no details yet whether the decision was the right one for David. We’ll see…

*This week in the discussion boards*

I have learned that a lot of my classmates feel the same way about ability grouping. I think this could benefit all of our students knowing that they all have an equal opportunity to a quality education. It offers peace of mine to me as an aspiring teacher.

*Question of the Week*

When looking at ability-grouped classrooms, how do you feel about this issue? Is this a technique that you would use in your "classroom"? Would it be beneficial - why or why not? Are there any parts of ability grouping that could be modified to work in your "classroom"? How?

Ability grouping within the classroom is not something that
I agree with. I think that by segregating the students based on their ability as
determined by their standardized test scores is a bad practice for several
reasons.
#1 – It basically mandates that the teachers that
use this in their classroom have differentiating expectations for their students
based on their perceived abilities.
#2 – The students are
shown that segregation based on abilities is appropriate. This could potentially
discourage those that are struggling in giving them the impression that they
will never be able to succeed to the level of their classmates. For those
students that are not struggling, it gives them the impression that they are in
a sense better than the others.
#3 – It offers little or no
room for mainstreaming education. To me, mainstreaming means teaching all
students the same material at the same time. If a student struggles, it is not
an opportunity to separate them from the remainder of the class, but a cry for
help from the student to you, the teacher.

Ability grouping will not be
used in my classroom. I’m not sure if this is considered “ability grouping” or
not, but the only time I will pair students based on their “ability” is for peer
tutoring. If one student does well in math, and another is struggling, I will
give them the option of working together to understand the concepts presented.
In this case, it allows for all students to have the opportunity to benefit
another student, regardless of their perceived overall ability, disabilities or
socio-economic status.

Diversity: Ready or Not? Here I come...

In this chapter, we learned about socioeconomic diversity, and the way it affects the classroom. While I have to say that I was not very surprised to read about the statistics of minorities to be lower than that off the average white American, I can say that the situation still perplexes me. I understand that different people have different access to education, but I would think that those that have equal access, should have equal grade completion and similar scores on tests and other components of education.

Our question for this week was: How will you become an effective multicultural teacher? What teaching methods will you use to guarantee you are effective with your students? I would be an effective multicultural teacher by incorporating the different cultures from around the world in my classroom. I would incorporate the different ethnic music, traditions and important facts from various cultures throughout the year. To guarantee this was effective, I would have different cultural leaders from our area come in and discuss their heritage. At the end of the "chapter" or particular culture study, I would then test my students to see what they have learned and encourage them to do their own research. Because I plan to teacher Kindergarten, I think it will be a challenge for some students, but I think that it is important that they gain a sense of understanding and respect for other cultures.

I think what I found to be the most shocking in this chapter was the affect that teacher expectancies have on the students. I do not pretend to be blind to the differences in socioeconomic status, or the cultural and ethnic diversities in the world today. I can say that as a teacher, I will do everything in my power to create equal expectations for all that are in my class. As a child, I had what most people would consider to be a rough childhood. Of course, at that age, I felt like that was pretty normal. Looking back, I think that I used my school time to get away from everything that was going on at home. I loved school- so much so that I have decided to become a teacher. I feel like my teachers probably knew what was going on for me at home, and maybe they didn't expect as much out of me. Either way, I proved to them- and to myself- that nothing could stand in my way. I was always at the top of my class.

For this reason and others I do not think that expectations should vary from student to student. I think that rather than expecting less from students, teachers should create their lessons and learning environment in a way that can benefit all students, so long as they choose to be an active participant in class.

I have to say that I was most shocked this week to learn that a lot of my classmates want to change assignments or alter the expectations on assignments for students that, as our prompt suggested, lived in a shelter. I think that this surprised me because we just read the chapter that explains the impact of altering expectations for individual students based on their race, gender or socioeconomic status. I wrote that I would make allowances for all of the supplies and information needed for this assignment in my classroom, and make sure that all of my students were provided an equal opportunity. I am curious to see how our instructor responds to those that want to change the assignment for those students. We'll see!

https://mail.otc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://elbowskneesdreams.teacherlingo.com/default.aspx

The blog I have chosen to follow is called "Elbows Knees and Dreams" and it is written by a woman that is teaching preschool. I have only read a few entries, but this is a perfect real -life blog. She writes about lessons, books and arguments within her class. She has little boys that punch their classmates for no reasons, struggles with students that have a very limited English vocabulary, and somehow still manages to impress her senior teachers with her lesson plans and the reading time in her classroom. It is very humerus- and only makes me that much more excited to have my on classroom someday!

I think that by keeping my own blog, and following ones like this one, I will have a better opportunity to reflect on my own thought processes and gain insight into the "real" classrooms. I am becoming more and more eager to have my own classroom. I know it will be a lot of work and I will probably make those mom's on the Suave hair commercials look like heaven. (I am referring to those that look like they have been hit by a ton of bricks- you know, the hair commercials that say "Is motherhood messing with your hair?")

There will be days that I would rather pull my own hair out then face a
classroom with screamers and biters... but there will also be days that I
actually reach students. I will have the opportunity to impact so many little
lives. I can not wait! In keeping this blog and reading others, I have learned
various methods of successful "teaching." I think that this blog has helped me
to come up with ideas that are impertinent to the educational and cultural values of
the students in my class. It has also helped me to be more open minded in ways
to approach a lesson.

In this chapter we have learned about the learning styles of students and about the accuracy of intelligence and aptitude tests. I was surprised to see that all of the research that has proven that these test are not entirely accurate, and in fact only measure a students scholarly aptitude and learning styles correctly some of the time, that these test are still being used in schools.

When I was in school I hated to take the aptitude tests. I was an excellent student, but I'm not a great test taker. One test that I really enjoyed was the ones to take at the end of the year that supposedly predicted what field you would work in or be best in. I find it funny to think about about the results. They were always so wide-spread. I do remember that most of them said I had the best scores in the English category and most predicted that I would be best as a writer. Interestingly enough, I plan to become a Children's book writer after I obtain my teaching degree. This blog will help me to look back and remember my feelings on teaching techniques, and testing specifically as I gradually come into my own practices as a teacher.

In the discussion boards, I liked one student's post to 4.1 in particular. She elaborated on differentiated instruction. Providing a variety of instruction to help the students in class distinguish what the learning style they identify best with is a great practice that I think should be incorporated into every classroom.

Again this week we are working with partners. I have been very happy with my partner two weeks running and enjoy benefiting from their feedback on the assignment as well. I think that our DB post for teaching science to fifth graders has been the best assignment so far. I love to think about making lesson plans and developing teaching techniques to help to provide differentiated instruction to my students.

My classroom will be a safe environment, full of learning opportunities for my students. I plan to have different "labs" set up around the room. The students will rotate through the labs as we study each topic. As I plan to teach kindergarten, I hope to have labs that tap into the creativeness of the students. Hands on learning will be big in my classroom too.

I hope to have the kids cubbys in the back of the classroom. I will have the students at tables in the middle of the classroom and the different lab tables in the corners of the classroom. As I have previously stated, I hope to have a computer lab next to my desk so that I am able to help the students with any questions they may have.

Learning about the different learning styles and theories on students have helped to prepare me to teach. As excited as I am to being my career, one thing that I feel like I need to learn more about is the typical curriculum for each grade. I also hope to learn to speak Spanish, as I plan to teach in Northwest Arkansas and there is a large Hispanic population there.

Chapter Three - Age Groups

In this chapter, we have covered some of the different characteristics of different age groups. I was very impressed with the amount of detail put into each development stage for each age group. I was also surprised to see some of the different characteristics of the older age groups, like the depression statistics among females in the high school age group. I was also surprised that the text says that the girls in middle school that mature later, are more likely to be popular and "care-free."

My experiences in life thus far have indicated to me that girls that develop earlier are generally more popular, or at least they were when I was in school. Most of the other characteristics listed in the book coincide with my perceptions of development thus far.

Working in groups this week in the discussion board, I have been able to learn a lot about my partner. She and I are both taking 6 online classes this semester, and were both dreading this project until we realized how efficient the other was. I think this is actually my favorite assignment so far this semester. I find it interesting to hear about the ways others read and interpret the information we learn weekly. This assignment has allowed me to do that on a more personal basis.

Through this week's discussion boards, I was also able to find some very interesting websites to aid in bringing technology into the classroom. Another recommendation I found to be interesting, was the sit that our instructor posted, which had details that involved using a wii remote for educational purposes. A lot of my classmates put some great effort into their replies about technology, and I think that those have given the rest of us some great ideas for our own classroom.

Keeping this blog will allow me to focus on the material that I learned each particular week, and to look back and see what I learned and what perceptions that I originally had that have changed as a result of this course.

I plan to teach kindergarten. The age-level characteristics that I have learned in this chapter will enable me to better create my lesson plans for how the students of that age learn. I learned that students of that age do not have fully developed eyes, and that is the reason for the large print in books, and bright primary colors. I found the text helpful in offering suggestions of effective teaching styles for students of that age.

I think that as result of this class, and this chapter, as well as the handbook assignment in particular. This handbook and the information I have learned in this assignment will serve as a helpful reference tool for me when I enter into the teaching field. Because of the research I have done as part of this chapter, I have learned effective teaching techniques, helpful hints for teaching this age group.

Discussion Board

In our discussion board, one student wrote that she will force her students to write papers as a punishment in her English class. The following is the question I posed to her...

It sounds like you have a good idea of what you want to do in your classroom. I do have one question for you though. Aren't you afraid that forcing the students to write a paper for punishment will alter their feelings towards "writing" in the future? My younger brother for instance, was always in trouble for talking in class. His teacher made him write 200 sentences a night if he was in trouble. Did that stop him from talking? Nope. He would have a jolly time at school yapping away and then spend the evening hiding his sentences from mom so he wouldn't get in trouble there.

Today? Well today he HATES to write anything. He is in
pre-Med and has to do a lot of research. He still can not stand to write a paper. In college it is acceptable to type of course, but as far as taking notes or writing a rough draft- forget it!

I on the other hand, never had to write sentences. I also never had to write a paper as punishment. For each of my classes, even online classes, I write notes by hand. (Granted, I learn
better that way.) I love to write and once I get my teaching
degree, I hope to become a children's book author.

Now, maybe we are just completely different, but I can't help but to think back to him having to write all of those sentences in school. Could that be the reason he hates to write today?

She still has not replied to me, but I want to keep this as a reflection for myself - so that I know where I once stood on writing papers. Maybe she has information to tell me that could change my outlook?

Chapter Two - Who do you relate to?

I feel that keeping this blog will help me to reflect back on what I have learned and different ways to incorporate it into my classrooms. It is much like a journal, in that it is a place where I can include my personal experiences with something new that I have learned, and together, develop a new practice.

In this chapter, we learned about different theorists such as Vygotsky, Piaget, and Erikson.

Erikson developed Eight stages of Psychosocial Development. This covers the human lifespan from birth until old age. In each stage, he depicts different characteristics of that particular age group.

Piaget developed his own stages of cognitive development. They consist of the following: Sensorimotor (birth -2 years), Preoperational (2yr - 7yr), Concrete Operational (7yr - 11yr), and Formal Operational (11yr - older). These after different levels of organization and adaptation skills, as learned by age.

While they all have theories in which I can relate to, I found myself leaning more towards Vygotsky. Because I plan to teach early childhood to 4th grade, I plan to incorporate Vygotsky's theories into my classroom.

Vygotsky did not really set up stages, or specification of what and how one should learned based upon their age. Instead, he developed techniques for teaching pre-school aged children, and school aged. For those from birth - pre-K aged children, Vygotsky said they learned through spontaneous concepts. They learn these basic "rules" through interaction and mimicking their playmates, parents and teachers.

One quotes from Vygotsky, which I absolutely love is "Through others we become ourselves." I love that line because it is simply stated, and straight to the point.

I was surprised to see how many students in our class also found themselves identifying to Vygotsky. I liked to read their posts and see how they incorporate what they have learned in this chapter to what they have experienced in life. One student wrote that he sees his 3 year old daughter mimicking his 6 year old daughter everyday! It makes sense. We have all seen children doing this, but until now, I know that I personally have never really stopped to think about it.

I wrote in the DB this week about the country song by Rodney Atkins "Watching You". In the song the little boy, his son, says "I've been watching you, Dad. Ain't that cool? I'm your buckaroo. I want to be like you. Eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are." In these 5 sentences, the "spontaneous concepts" as dubbed by Vygotsky are played out. The little boy watches his dad, and because he loves his dad, and wants to be like him, he repeats everything that he sees Dad do.


Later in the song it says "Then my four-year old said a four letter word. It started with an S and I was concerned." This is another example of our children learning to do what they see us do. While I don't have any children yet, my nephew has done this a time or two. He hears his mommy say this four-letter word under her breath when she spills her coffee on her pants on the way to work, or gets stuck at a red light when she is already running late. To him, this is acceptable. I mean, Mommy says it, right? :)

Vygotsky says that school- aged children learn scientific concepts. These are the psychological tools needed to learn. By learning these techniques, they will be able to apply them to their studies, and life itself. He also dubbed the practice of helping students to learn answers to difficult questions by telling them how to research them, or asking leading questions as scaffolding. In my classroom, scaffolding will be one of the top ways of educating my students. I've had teachers that just answer the question for you, and others that lead your to the answer by showing how to find it. I can promise you that the latter of the two are what has stuck with me throughout life. I even use techniques I learned in junior high to help me today with my college work.

Technology can be applied to Vygotskys theories in two ways. The students can use the computer as a tool in helping them to research the answers to their questions. And by using the computer to link themselves to other learners working towards the same goals. Although at such early grade levels the children will be limited to computer knowledge, I can make that a part of my basic instruction. I will pair the children up and they can have "computer time." In these sessions, the children will learn via the computer programs I have installed for them. I will have the computer area next to my desk so that I can help them if need be. Although my nephew is only 2 1/2, he already uses computer learning disks. If you put their favorite cartoon character on a disk, he will watch it for hours at a time. He doesn't even realize he is learning! Almost immediately, he begins to mimic the computer. This is just one more way to learn those "spontaneous concepts."


The computer in itself is a tool to help you in learning. In collaborating with others that are encouraged to use the same learning techniques as you are, the students are more successful. It's just like having an online study group for instance. This semester, I am taking 18 hours of online courses. Obviously, online classes work better with my schedule, so why wouldn't an online study group? At some point, I plan to ask other classmates of mine to join a study group, whether it is a discussion board or school related chatroom. Being involved with other students trying to reach the same goals as I am not only motivates me to stay involved, but also helps me to succeed.

Chapter One - Research and Reflection

"I was entering into a profession in which there are few, if any clear-cut answers, a professional riddled with ambiguity and moral dilemmas that would make Solomon weep."

– Selma Wasserman

This week we read chapter one of “Psychology Applied To Teaching.” I learned that more researchers are studying Educational Psychology today than ever before. With all of the research done on various situations, still no definite answers can be given as to how to respond to every situation in teaching. Learning about studies performed and research results will aide in becoming a better teacher. Acting first and doing the research later is the cause of most educational "fads." In this chapter we are encouraged to base our teaching practices on principles with which have been researched.

We also learned about the importance of reflection as an educator. The book says that good reflection is the blending of artistic and scientific elements and that reflection has been proven to benefit those whom aspire to teach. Although this practice is meant to be kept personal, this chapter suggests that by sharing your thoughts with teachers, parents and in some instances students, you could gain more insight into the results of various teaching methods.

Both my Educational Psychology course and Foundations of Education course are studying reflection this week. Although some think it is necessary only as a new teacher, I believe I will devote a period of time each week throughout my career to reflection. I believe that my own reflection will provide feedback for practices that have proven to be challenging, as well as successful in my teaching.

I am excited to begin this process, as I believe it can also help me in my schoolwork with study habits, note taking, etc. Encouraging my students to journal or reflect over the week could also have a positive influence on them as. In the future, when making lesson plans for my classroom, I plan to set aside time for reflection once a week for both my students and myself.

In the discussions this week, we were asked to reflect back to a previous experience that we would or would not put into practice in our classrooms. I wrote that I felt that pulling a child out of recess to attend a resource or remedial lesson was a poor decision. My school did that to the students and to the rest of us, seeing that made us feel that those whom were inside were in trouble or just not as smart as everyone else. I was surprised to hear all of the feedback from my initial thread. It seemed that this was a common practice, and for that matter, still is. The students that replied back to by post offered some experiences they have had in similar situations, as well as some excellent suggestions for improving the system in which students are offered remedial help.

For a positive experience from previous schooling, another student wrote how she had a lengthy paper due, which seemed to be too intimidating for the students. Her teacher broke the assignment down into several mini-assignments, and the paper became easier to take on for the students. I think this is a great teaching tactic, as well as advice for everyday life.

The discussion boards are my favorite part of this course. I find it to be very interesting hearing about others previous experiences, and their opinions on various subjects. It fascinates me to hear how other people interpret the reading differently than me, and for this reason, I am looking forward to the future discussion boards.

This chapter and the discussions associated with it has helped me to understand the amount of educational research being conducted at any given time, as well as the positive and negative results of other teaching practices. I am excited to get further into the text, and hear more techniques that will aide in becoming a more successful educator.