Sunday, February 10, 2013
Thursday, July 12, 2012
So this is it Ed Psycher’s! This is our last blog posting
for the Summer I session. It has
been a great semester. We learned
about, discussed and reviewed Behaviorism, Cognitive Development, Social
Cognitive Theory, Memory, the brain, the Bell Curve, Applied Behavior Analysis
(a heated and debatable topic) and the list goes on. We also had excellent group presentations that reinforced
all of the important topics that we have learned. The presentations had informative and even humorous videos
and cartoons that added to the pleasure and understanding of the topics. We also read books and watched movies
that were inspiring and reinforced our efforts as New York City special education
teachers. It showed us (as we
already know) just how challenging it is to be an educator in a high-need
school and also how rewarding it can be.
We started the evening by reviewing the quizzes and taking
care of housekeeping. Then Pete
started the class with a warm-up activity where we were to discuss “Behaviorist
Models of Teaching and District 75 Students”. The crux of the debate was on Applied Behavior Analysis. One classmate talked about how in
District 75 one may not see a lot of self-efficacy. Therefore, it is useful to use extrinsic motivators to build
toward intrinsic motivators.
Another classmate mention that ABA is proven to work and that it is a
basic understanding of human beings and how they work. One classmate states how there are many
students in District 75 whose families have limited resources and school is
their best source for acquiring life skills. At home, many of these students lack consistency. ABA is the most productive use of
school time and resources. One
classmate countered that ABA is manipulative. Teachers can instill joy in children’s learning (Maslowian)
and learning can be its own reward.
Other classmates discussed how ABA is not used properly as prescribed
with the DOE and uses a one-dimentional approach. The debate went on to discuss how children are raise and we
talked about values, etc. Pete
ended the great debate and brought our session to a close by telling us to, “Be
a Reflective Practitioner and you are all set!”
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
David Gonzalez
Throughout
the semester, I’ve learned that much of what we know about human thoughts and
behaviors have emerged due to major psychological theories. For example,
behaviorists displayed how conditioning can be used to learn new information and
behaviors. It is important for both psychologists and teachers to have a deep
understanding of these important principals. As with all theories in science,
some theories fall out of favor while others still remain widely accepted and
utilized. Despite this, all have contributed widely to our understanding of
human learning and behavior. I will be concentrating on the two major theories
we worked on this semester, Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology.
Behaviorism
is a theory in psychology that is based upon the thought that all human (as
well as animal) are acquired through conditioning. These theories were famously
championed by psychologists such as Skinner and Watson. Behaviorists believe
that conditioning occurs through an individual’s interaction with it’s
environment, and our behaviors, including all learning, is shaped by
environmental stimuli and our learned responses to those stimuli.
Cognitive
psychology revolves around our internal states: particularly that of
motivation, critical thinking, attention and sociability. The focus on
cognitive education theories revolve around how people acquire, process and
store information. Until the 1950’s, behaviorism was the dominant school of
thought utilized in psychology, but due to the cognitive revolution, attention
began to move toward attention, memory and problem solving. Cognitive theory
focuses upon an individual’s internal state; this contrasts with behaviorism,
which concentrated hard observable interactions with an individual and it’s
environmental.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
kevin's overview
I found this class to be very helpful - both the class discussions, the instruction, and the Ormrod textbook. It is a book I will keep and refer to as I teach -- and I haven't kept many text books in my life.
I haven't had a psych class since introduction to Psychology many years ago, and it's fascinating to me how directly what we are learning applies to what we are doing. I remember studying Skinner - when I studied him, he was still cutting edge science. There was a book I read at the time, called Walden Two, that imagined a changed and better world where behaviorism made everything better. I think rearticulating ABA and being reminded, as we have been in this class, that students can be taught using rewards and reinforcement schedules, will change how I teach. I have done those things instinctively, but though it seems obvious, I have been teaching somewhat instinctively. I think it's been working, but sometimes reinforcement was hapazard, sometimes long after the behavior in question, and I have learned to make it more effective. And that's just the ABA. I gave the talk, with Ariella, on Maslow -- and I was really impressed how he articulated something I've thought about before -- but never had put into words. It was such an eye opener after studying simple behaviorism. I find the idea of an hierarchy of motivation so apparently true, and such a nice expansion on the idea that we just move toward incentives. I see parallels with capitalism and socialism. Are we working for rewards or for a higher good? I saw a few of the videos on Skinner, particularly the one assigned on our day off, and I was surprised at how clinical and detached he seemed.
I was delighted to read Chapter 2 on Piaget and Vygotsky, I had been unaware of their work. I enjoyed Chapters 6 and 9 almost as much. I think those chapters and the discussions that followed will directly affect the way I teach. Although all we've covered seems pertinent and applicable to what we do for a living, it was the learning processes that I will take away. I had never seen the Blue Eye/Brown Eye Study. I'll never forget it. Words count. What we say and how we express our feeling for our charges makes a huge difference. I think as teachers and as members of society, we have a responsibility to make the world a fair and more accommodating place. I also enjoyed Speak quite a bit -- and find it ties in nicely to the idea of there being a responsibility we have taken on to our students. Thanks everyone, and mostly to Prof. McDermott
I haven't had a psych class since introduction to Psychology many years ago, and it's fascinating to me how directly what we are learning applies to what we are doing. I remember studying Skinner - when I studied him, he was still cutting edge science. There was a book I read at the time, called Walden Two, that imagined a changed and better world where behaviorism made everything better. I think rearticulating ABA and being reminded, as we have been in this class, that students can be taught using rewards and reinforcement schedules, will change how I teach. I have done those things instinctively, but though it seems obvious, I have been teaching somewhat instinctively. I think it's been working, but sometimes reinforcement was hapazard, sometimes long after the behavior in question, and I have learned to make it more effective. And that's just the ABA. I gave the talk, with Ariella, on Maslow -- and I was really impressed how he articulated something I've thought about before -- but never had put into words. It was such an eye opener after studying simple behaviorism. I find the idea of an hierarchy of motivation so apparently true, and such a nice expansion on the idea that we just move toward incentives. I see parallels with capitalism and socialism. Are we working for rewards or for a higher good? I saw a few of the videos on Skinner, particularly the one assigned on our day off, and I was surprised at how clinical and detached he seemed.
I was delighted to read Chapter 2 on Piaget and Vygotsky, I had been unaware of their work. I enjoyed Chapters 6 and 9 almost as much. I think those chapters and the discussions that followed will directly affect the way I teach. Although all we've covered seems pertinent and applicable to what we do for a living, it was the learning processes that I will take away. I had never seen the Blue Eye/Brown Eye Study. I'll never forget it. Words count. What we say and how we express our feeling for our charges makes a huge difference. I think as teachers and as members of society, we have a responsibility to make the world a fair and more accommodating place. I also enjoyed Speak quite a bit -- and find it ties in nicely to the idea of there being a responsibility we have taken on to our students. Thanks everyone, and mostly to Prof. McDermott
Class 7/9/2012: Jenna & Lauren
Overview of class on 7/9/12, written by Jenna and Lauren
We opened with a discussion of the cognitive revolution. Cognitivism came about in the 1950s in response to behaviorism. Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner are all major theorists contributing to Cognitivist theory. Cognitivism focuses on the mind and goes beyond the behaviorist idea that environment alone impacts our behavior. Rather, cognitivists claim that learning is an internal process and environment may or may not lead to change in behavior.
According to cognitivists, people and environment influence each other; it is not a one-way process. We talked about self-regulation and how behaviors change gradually because of internal motivation. This is relevant to us as educators because we want our students to set their own goals for learning and to eventually monitor their own progress. This requires scaffolding, which is gradually removed.
How much of an impact does the teacher have on student achievement? Teachers are the largest in-school factor, but there are a number of external factors that we can’t control.
There are three kinds of knowledge: declarative, procedural, and conditional. Students need to be able to transfer skills to new settings and apply strategies to new contexts.
Problem solving is done either utilizing algorithms or heuristic problem solving. Task analysis breaks down tasks into step-by-step directions, often conveyed in visual flow charts.
In addition to learning about cognitivism, Sheila and Sheetal presented on the topic of motivation. Their presentation began by reviewing the cognitive facts in motivation, they are as follows:
1. Interest
Perception that an activity is intriguing; typically accompanied by both cognitive engagement and positive affect (Situational and Personal).
2. Expectancies and values
Expectancy: A belief about the likelihood of success in an activity, given one's present ability levels and external circumstances that may help or hinder performance
Value: Belief about the extent to which an activity has benefits, direct or indirect
3. Goals
Achievement Goal: Mastery and performance in a desired area
Work-Avoidance Goals: Desire to avoid classroom task or to complete them with minimal effort
Core Goals- Long term goals that drive much of what a learner does
4. Attributions
Personally constructed causal explanation for a particular event, such as a success or failure
Sheila and Sheetal then asked the class to complete a Behavior Interview and Reinforcement Survey. After completing the Survey, the group engaged in a group discussion on the value of rewards and how it relates to teachers. As teachers, we all receive a paycheck which is a form of reinforcement; however, we all agree that other types of reinforcement would make an impact on how we feel about our jobs. For example, receiving praise from an administrator would boost the confidence level of a teacher and as a result the teacher's motivation might be increased. We then ended the discussion by discussing our students and the importance of finding value reinforcers for them as well.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Edu 631 July 2 Online Class
Corrine and Hope – Online Blog
July 2, 2012
This week’s class focused on the behaviorist views of
learning and its importance in educational psychology. Unfortunately being that Independence Day was
celebrated this week, Pete decided that it was best to conduct class online.
While the activities were both stimulating and engaging, Corrine and I were
unable to blog on any particular classmates’ comments.
Our second activity invited us into the world of Yale
University. We learned about three radical theories of behaviorism. The first
theory illustrated the idea that behaviorists place strong emphasis on
learning. Behaviorists believe that everything you know and everything that you
are is a direct result of experience. What you are is what you learn. The
second theory focused on the idea that desires emotions, etc. can never form
the basis for science. These internal mental states can never be proved
scientifically. Corrine and I also agreed with this theory. We agreed that
internal mental states also drive behavior.The third theory focused on lack of
differences across species. Behaviorists believe that environments control
behavior and this is what causes a difference between species. While I am apt
to agree with this, I also believe that human beings don’t rely necessarily on
instinct for survival and our behavior can be self-regulated.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
June 27 - Pizza and Psychology - A formal study
By Paul Z. and Ariela A.
An oft overlooked pre-requisite for student success is the necessity for the student to be sound in body, as well as hopefully in mind. In a concrete example of the importance of nutrition to the maintenance of concentration, our class began with a pizza party. Unfortunately, while typing this blog, we were unable to eat and type at the same time. A monkey was brought in as a control, but he just threw the food at other students. We will have to withhold final conclusions on the efficacy of our "food-for-thought" until a later date.
Our class, recovering from a surfeit of delectable dough and tomato sauce, then began the rigorous task of attempting to maintain concentration after being subjected to a full year of unique and sometimes bizarre behaviors (I am referring to other teachers, of course - the students are always perfect).
As for the online class posted Monday, we discussed the use of "popplet". Prof. McDermott's grandson featured prominently in this portion of the class. You can copy and paste to your hearts content. Voicethreads are also achievable, if you can speak and think at the same time.
Note: the website is "Voicethread.Com"
Portland lesson audio provided a moment of comic relief, thank you Kevin. Kevin then had another slice of pizza. (And for some reason, he used a fork).
Actual course: (@ 5:59 PM)
Creativity (Chapter 8) of textbook.
Question: What is creativity? And, can you (the generic you) teach it?
Referenced meta-cognition.
Kevin opines that individual "mis-behaviors" are attention seeking and should not be arbitrarily suppressed. Rachel believes in the use of open-ended, non "yes or no" questions.
Amy believes that creativity may be expressed in different ways. Allison noted that students are used to rigid structure, and may not know what to do with unstructured formats. Allison guides students into new possibilities, utilizing non-standard materials.
Hillarie does not use formal structure in art - allowing various choices.
Ann teaches music, and exposes children to many new styles - and finds that students take the "example" as the absolute and only answer. Ann asks students to draw what they hear.
And finds some intriguing and amazing results, i.e. rainbows, or scribbles (or is it modern art?).
Charles discussed a project with experimental painting, with options to use either collaborative pieces, and finds students come up with interesting ideas.
Paul blathered on. Ariela had to suppress her annoyance with Paul.
Amy 2: Alternate assessment for high school -- for sub-par students -- creative work, such as art, may be the only positive expression they can share.
Viewing a NPR podcast ALL THINGS CONSIDERED: "How Creativity Works; It's all In your Imagination" (March 21, 2012), an interview with Jonathan Weir.
Thoughts: When you 'hit the wall' walk away from your desk (or take a long warm shower - hygiene is important) -- essentially, relaxation is a trigger for creativity.
Steve Jobs concepts of forcing collaboration and meetings through planned design of the work facility.
Triggers of creativity - reassembling old ideas through "chance" occurrences.
JUST DO IT - the source of the ad campaign - required a shared slogan - Norman Mailer enters into the creator's head - Gary Gilmore - famous last words "Let's do it!". And voila. A volley of shots, and an ad slogan is borne.
Amy 2 pointed out that class time scheduling is not always optimal for the child's best "learning time".
Creativity (from Ormrod).
A consensus seems to emerge that break time is useful for encouraging creativity.
Focus student on internal rewards, etc., and other methods to nurture students. Ie. give students freedom and security, and provide creativity time.
And now - the Stanford Prison Experiment.
How does it apply to teaching? (View a BBC video).
The Stanford experiment - a landmark, along with Milgram.
Allison discusses authority figures. Amy references wars in the social studies context - and discusses causes of war. Her students would not identify with someone going to war.
Ariela discusses Abu Ghreib, and the ramifications.
Prof. McDermott references the "blue-eye brown-eye" experiment.
A theory of classroom management - intervene early.
Amy elaborates on District 75 - her kids are standard assessment - if they receive a doable task, they just rebel - because "I am in special ed" - and Amy tries to reject their assertion - it is not an excuse.
Maureen mentions promotional criteria, and the students taking advantage of the percentage game.
Ann: remembers a student with a very unique "prisoner-guard relationship" with the homeroom teacher ( a fabulous teacher); night and day with other teachers.
Amy 2 conducted a re-evaluation (and a tri-annual rejected by the mother). A child at a 30% level who would have a chance in a gen ed school.
Paul references Orwell. Group think.
Allison discusses the various behaviors exhibited on various floors in the school.
Kevin mentions witnessing teachers behaving less than perfectly, and the tendency not to intervene.
Ariela discusses the Milgram study - 2/3 went all the way in applying the "shocks" to the subject.
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE PRESENTATION - Hillary
inconsistency of attitudes, thoughts and behaviors.
behavior conflicts with beliefs.
Leon Festinger study (rewards and expectations, and justifications).
(Fun and interesting versus payment).
Justification of contradictions, by self-persuasion if not through monetary compensation.
Dilbert makes an entrance. (Accept things you cannot change)
A youtube video on 'dissonance' and 'justified'. (Humor and cartoons).
The link to education --> students' abilities clash with expectations
--> acting out, "work is boring", "not their favorite subject"
Hillarie then conducted a cognitive dissonance experiment to determine if your actions and thoughts are in sync. For example: Are you concerned about world hunger; and do you in fact donate to that cause?
A class discussion follows regarding student perceptions and the realities - a example of cognitive dissonance.
An oft overlooked pre-requisite for student success is the necessity for the student to be sound in body, as well as hopefully in mind. In a concrete example of the importance of nutrition to the maintenance of concentration, our class began with a pizza party. Unfortunately, while typing this blog, we were unable to eat and type at the same time. A monkey was brought in as a control, but he just threw the food at other students. We will have to withhold final conclusions on the efficacy of our "food-for-thought" until a later date.
Our class, recovering from a surfeit of delectable dough and tomato sauce, then began the rigorous task of attempting to maintain concentration after being subjected to a full year of unique and sometimes bizarre behaviors (I am referring to other teachers, of course - the students are always perfect).
As for the online class posted Monday, we discussed the use of "popplet". Prof. McDermott's grandson featured prominently in this portion of the class. You can copy and paste to your hearts content. Voicethreads are also achievable, if you can speak and think at the same time.
Note: the website is "Voicethread.Com"
Portland lesson audio provided a moment of comic relief, thank you Kevin. Kevin then had another slice of pizza. (And for some reason, he used a fork).
Actual course: (@ 5:59 PM)
Creativity (Chapter 8) of textbook.
Question: What is creativity? And, can you (the generic you) teach it?
Referenced meta-cognition.
Kevin opines that individual "mis-behaviors" are attention seeking and should not be arbitrarily suppressed. Rachel believes in the use of open-ended, non "yes or no" questions.
Amy believes that creativity may be expressed in different ways. Allison noted that students are used to rigid structure, and may not know what to do with unstructured formats. Allison guides students into new possibilities, utilizing non-standard materials.
Hillarie does not use formal structure in art - allowing various choices.
Ann teaches music, and exposes children to many new styles - and finds that students take the "example" as the absolute and only answer. Ann asks students to draw what they hear.
And finds some intriguing and amazing results, i.e. rainbows, or scribbles (or is it modern art?).
Charles discussed a project with experimental painting, with options to use either collaborative pieces, and finds students come up with interesting ideas.
Paul blathered on. Ariela had to suppress her annoyance with Paul.
Amy 2: Alternate assessment for high school -- for sub-par students -- creative work, such as art, may be the only positive expression they can share.
Viewing a NPR podcast ALL THINGS CONSIDERED: "How Creativity Works; It's all In your Imagination" (March 21, 2012), an interview with Jonathan Weir.
Thoughts: When you 'hit the wall' walk away from your desk (or take a long warm shower - hygiene is important) -- essentially, relaxation is a trigger for creativity.
Steve Jobs concepts of forcing collaboration and meetings through planned design of the work facility.
Triggers of creativity - reassembling old ideas through "chance" occurrences.
JUST DO IT - the source of the ad campaign - required a shared slogan - Norman Mailer enters into the creator's head - Gary Gilmore - famous last words "Let's do it!". And voila. A volley of shots, and an ad slogan is borne.
Amy 2 pointed out that class time scheduling is not always optimal for the child's best "learning time".
Creativity (from Ormrod).
A consensus seems to emerge that break time is useful for encouraging creativity.
Focus student on internal rewards, etc., and other methods to nurture students. Ie. give students freedom and security, and provide creativity time.
And now - the Stanford Prison Experiment.
How does it apply to teaching? (View a BBC video).
The Stanford experiment - a landmark, along with Milgram.
Allison discusses authority figures. Amy references wars in the social studies context - and discusses causes of war. Her students would not identify with someone going to war.
Ariela discusses Abu Ghreib, and the ramifications.
Prof. McDermott references the "blue-eye brown-eye" experiment.
A theory of classroom management - intervene early.
Amy elaborates on District 75 - her kids are standard assessment - if they receive a doable task, they just rebel - because "I am in special ed" - and Amy tries to reject their assertion - it is not an excuse.
Maureen mentions promotional criteria, and the students taking advantage of the percentage game.
Ann: remembers a student with a very unique "prisoner-guard relationship" with the homeroom teacher ( a fabulous teacher); night and day with other teachers.
Amy 2 conducted a re-evaluation (and a tri-annual rejected by the mother). A child at a 30% level who would have a chance in a gen ed school.
Paul references Orwell. Group think.
Allison discusses the various behaviors exhibited on various floors in the school.
Kevin mentions witnessing teachers behaving less than perfectly, and the tendency not to intervene.
Ariela discusses the Milgram study - 2/3 went all the way in applying the "shocks" to the subject.
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE PRESENTATION - Hillary
inconsistency of attitudes, thoughts and behaviors.
behavior conflicts with beliefs.
Leon Festinger study (rewards and expectations, and justifications).
(Fun and interesting versus payment).
Justification of contradictions, by self-persuasion if not through monetary compensation.
Dilbert makes an entrance. (Accept things you cannot change)
A youtube video on 'dissonance' and 'justified'. (Humor and cartoons).
The link to education --> students' abilities clash with expectations
--> acting out, "work is boring", "not their favorite subject"
Hillarie then conducted a cognitive dissonance experiment to determine if your actions and thoughts are in sync. For example: Are you concerned about world hunger; and do you in fact donate to that cause?
A class discussion follows regarding student perceptions and the realities - a example of cognitive dissonance.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)