Module 5

            Chapter 12 hit home. I have always been fascinated by the concept of “motivation”. I believe it is crucial to teach students how to be ambitious, by doing so teachers are giving students the willingness to learn and grow. According to Woolfolk, motivation is an internal state that arouses, directs, and maintains behavior (pg.430). There are many factors that influence motivation. The Incentive Theory suggests that people are pulled toward behaviors by rewards or incentives. Extrinsic (external) motivation comes from outside source, e.g. If students complete assignment they will be rewarded with candy. Intrinsic (internal) motivation comes from within, e.g. Learning how to swim because it gives you a sense of satisfaction. Woolfolk emphasizes that incentives are negative because you are motivated to behave a certain way to avoid an unpleasant outcome. Instead teachers should support self-determination and autonomy. Woolfolk suggests that teachers encourage students to make choices, help students plan and accomplish goals, and hold students accountable for the consequences of their choices. (p 437). This chapter was especially helpful to me because I want to find a balance between having order in the classroom and giving my students personal freedom.

            Chapter 14 focused on teaching strategies and the teacher. The chapter begins by listing the characteristics of effective teachers: clarity, organization, warmth, enthusiasm, and knowledge. Then we learn about different research that focuses on teaching and planning which leads to the concept of “Bloom’s Taxonomy” or (cognitive domain). Bloom's Taxonomy is a multi-tiered model of classifying thinking according to six cognitive levels of complexity: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (p 515). According to Woolfolk, This system is helpful in planning assessments. We are then introduced to different teaching approaches: direct instruction (explicit teaching) and differentiated instruction, which was very helpful. I want to be able to teach and cover important points without loosing complete interest from students. I also learned how to successfully use grouping.
           Chapter 15 Classroom assessments, grading, and standardized testing, was definitely not the most intriguing chapter; however there was important information that I know I will put to use in the years to follow. Woolfolk emphasized the difference between measurement and assessment. Measurement is quantitative whereas, assessment is the processes of gathering information about students learning (p 548). There are many types of assessments and some tests are more reliable than others. About a year ago I took a class that focused on assessments. In this class I was introduced to, in my opinion the best form of assessment, the portfolio approach. Creating a portfolio for students allows parents to see the progress their child has made over the school year. It is rewarding proof for the teacher, student, and parents.

Module 4

         Module four focused on learning strategies, cooperative learning, and self-efficiency. I learned that there are three metacognitive skills used to regulate thinking and learning, which are planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Woolfolk suggests using skills such as setting goals, planning, evaluating achievements, and self-reflection to help students develop the habit of looking at their own thinking (pg. 319).  This information was invaluable. I believe teaching students how to think and reflect on their work is very important. Not only does developing metacognitive skills allow students to value their work but it also provides a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. When students feel passionate about their work they are more likely to succeed. I also found it very helpful to learn that students need to be offered a number of different strategies; and know when, where and why to use it. This section made me realize how detailed a teacher must be, to be honest I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information I was receiving. I want to do everything I can to be a great teacher, but it seems there is an interminable amount of techniques I must learn. However, I understand that learning in a never-ending process, which helps keep my sanity.
       Woolfolk also explains the difference between constructivism and constructionism. Ultimately the two sides agree with the following statement, “Learners therefore, are not empty vessels waiting to be filled, but rather active organisms seeking meaning (pg. 363).” I really liked this statement, I couldn’t agree more. Babies are born with innate instincts and reflexes and as they develop they become eager to learn and take in all that life has to offer. I aim to be a teacher that treats students as who they are, living organisms. I want to provide them with useful life lessons. Moving along, as I was reading the section on collaboration and cooperation. I thought of my experiences as a college student. I found that I was most successful when I participated in group discussions and activities rather than listen to a lecture for hours. Communicating with other students always makes the learning experience much more enjoyable; It’s great way to learn and voice your opinion. This type of learning not only builds self-confidence but it also teaches students how to express themselves clearly. In my future classroom I plan to do a lot hands on learning and group projects. Finally, Woolfolk discusses self-efficiency, a person’s sense of being able to deal effectively with a particular task. I learned that self-efficacy supports motivation and that teachers with high efficacy tend to be more enthusiastic and spend more time teaching in subject areas where their sense of efficacy is higher, and they tend to avoid subjects when efficacy is lower. This information troubled me. I do not want to be the type of teacher that avoids subjects that I don’t feel strongly about. My math skills are not that great but I have an obligation as a teacher to provide students with the tools necessary to be successful in that subject. It is therefore, my responsibility to do what it takes to become proficient in that area and not fail my students. I don’t take the title “teacher” lightly. It’s a huge responsibility to have young minds at your hands. In a sense I feel like the future depends on my success as an educator….

Module 3 Blog

Hello everyone,

            Chapter 7 begins by defining the word learning, a process through which experience causes permanent change in knowledge or behavior. According to Woolfolk the earliest explanations of learning came from Aristotle. (pg. 248). He said we learn by association, in other words we remember things together e.g., A is for Apple. I would say this is exceptionally true with three year olds. Woolfolk then talks about classical conditioning, which deals with reflexes, or responses that are evoked from a specific stimulus. People can be trained to perform a certain task or response by providing some sort of trigger, e.g. a picture, phrase, sound, etc. Classical conditioning works wonders in the classroom. If a teacher is consistent and repetitive with a certain stimuli, eventually the students will learn how to behave properly. It’s all a matter of repetition. In the pre-k class I work in the children know it’s time to clean up when they hear the clean up song. They also know its nap time and quiet time when the lights turn off.

           In the section about reinforcement Woolfolk says that researchers believe “The systematic application of praise and attention may be the most powerful motivational and classroom management tool available for teachers” (pg. 256). I couldn’t agree more with this statement, especially when dealing with students who misbehave on a regular basis. I have found that when I reward and praise a misbehaving child his/her behavior will change dramatically. Children yearn for attention, so it’s best to show excitement when positive behavior is demonstrated.

        Chapter 13, Creating Learning Environments was by far my favorite chapter. I am a very organized person. I believe working in a clean and organized environment will allow you to focus on more important things, and ultimately make life a lot easier. I live by the phrase, “ work smarter not harder”. This chapter focuses on the importance of classroom management and how to build a positive, and productive learning environment. Woolfolk emphasizes that routine is the foundation of a successful classroom. (pg. 476). She also adds that a classroom should have a list of general rules. Students need to be taught what are acceptable behaviors in the classroom setting. They also need to understand that there will be consequences if a student breaks a rule. These types of procedures are ultimately preparing students to become civilized adults in society. I really liked the section on bullying and teasing; it’s a topic I feel very passionate about. It breaks my heart to see children being bullied. A couple of semesters ago I took a social psychology course in which bullying was a hot topic. We talked about how adults need to teach children to look up to real life heroes and not just idolize characters like, batman, or superman. We need to teach children that real heroes exist and that heroes are people who do the right thing. 

Module 2

            When I was in elementary school I felt intimidated by other students. I did not feel smart. I would never raise my hand when questions would be asked, instead I would avoid eye contact so the teacher would not call on me. I never wanted to feel or look stupid in front of my peers. Unfortunately, many students feel embarrassed and insecure about their intelligence. As a prospective educator, I often think about what I can do to create an environment that allows students to view intelligence as a learning process rather than a means to judge one another.  I believe one of the main problems is the amount of emphasis adults place on assessments and grades. We are creating a culture in which students feel pressured to be the “best”. They are growing up with the mentality of “If you aren’t smart or the best at something then there is something wrong with you.” Children should view intelligence as a learning process and they should be taught that individuals have strengths and weaknesses in one or several areas (pg.121).
            I found the section on students with disabilities very informative; I think this topic deserves more attention, perhaps it’s own chapter. I especially liked the section on ADHD. It seems that over time more and more children have been diagnosed with this problem. As a teacher’s assistant I have witness children being diagnosed with ADHD. One particular student was placed on the drug Ritalin; I was very disturbed by the complete change of behavior this student demonstrated. The student was emotionless and since then I feel students who have ADHD should not be placed on medication. Instead students with ADHD should be offered other alternatives like counseling. 

            As a bilingual student I was able to reflect and relate to a lot of the material in chapter five. It was definitely interesting to learn that older children go through the stages of language learning faster than younger children (pg. 175). I recall learning the complete opposite. Throughout this chapter I repeatedly thought about the three year olds in the classroom I work in. Today a student drew a picture for me and said, “It’s a ghost, he a bad ghost, he in big trouble, bad ghost.” Woolfolk suggests that these mistakes show how logical and rational children can be (pg 170.) Reading this chapter made me question why more and more children are refusing to speak their native language. This is the case with not only children but adults as well. I know people who are fluent in Spanish yet refuse to speak the language in public. I don’t understand their motive.

            Culture and diversity are words that come up very frequently in the world of education. The goal is to create a society that values diversity. Prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination often go hand-in-hand, but it is also possible to have one without the others. Woolfolk discusses how prejudice can be difficult to combat because it can be part of our thinking process. We form schemas about people on a daily basis to make sense of the world. (pg 221). I found it very disturbing to learn that American classrooms are not designed for boys. Teachers have grown accustomed to the traditional classroom model: orderly classrooms and compliant students. This type of environment does not work for boys. Woolfolk suggests that boys need smaller classes, and more discussions, and mentoring programs. I believe male students need more play time or hands on learning. Chapter 8 focused on cognitive learning. This chapter focused on how we learn and retain information, which will prove helpful when I have to create lesson plans. Students can only take so much information; I have to be able to separate essential information from nonessential details. This week I felt there was a lot of information to cover; the chapters were very long nonetheless, informative and helpful.

Module 1

When I read the section on dramatic diversity in chapter one it made me think of my experience as a bilingual student. I grew up in a predominantly Latino neighborhood and Spanish was my first language. When I started school I was placed in bilingual classes and I thrived; I never felt out of place. When I was in 5^th grade all bilingual students were forced into regular English classes. I recall feeling scared and intimidated. My teacher was African American she did not speak nor comprehend Spanish; it was difficult for me to communicate with her and as a result my grades and self –esteem suffered. As I was reading chapter one it was interesting to learn that today 22% of children under the age of 18 are Latino and that by 2050 Latinos will compromise about one quarter of the U.S population (pg. 4).  The number of Latino students is rising which makes me think of the amount of bilingual students who will need help with their studies, will they receive the proper education in American classrooms? I highly doubt it, not unless we prepare future teachers to teach in diverse classrooms. Chapter one made me reflect on the type of teacher I want to be. I want to be able to represent the Latino community. I plan to earn an ESL endorsement. I also want to strengthen my Spanish vocabulary so that I can better communicate with both students and parents. This chapter also helped me identify the attributes of a good teacher. According to Woolfolk, a good teacher is a great coach. Teachers must be able to use a range of strategies, possess management skills, and adapt to the students needs (pg9). I learned that becoming an exceptional teacher takes time and experience.

       In chapter two I was re-introduced to the theories of Piaget, Vigostki, and Erikson: individuals who explored the psychology and development of the human mind. Their research and theories became the foundation and building blocks on child development. Piaget believed that children learned through play and experimentation (pg. 43). Based on the learning theory of Piaget a classroom should be mostly kinesthetic. Children should be give assignments that are hands on. Vygotsky’s believed that human activities must be understood in their cultural settings. He also emphasized that language was critical for cognitive development. The zone of proximal development became one of his most well distinguished concepts. I work with pre-k students and Vygotsky’s theory is more appropriate in this classroom setting. Scaffolding is a tactic I use everyday, I truly believe it helps students learn the task at hand. In the future I plan to teach 5^th grade so the type of environment I want to create would be based on Piaget’s learning theory.

            Chapter three on the self, social, and moral development was my favorite reading. It was fascinating to learn about the overall development of a child; as I was reading the material I was thinking of my son and the type of parent I aspire to be. Children go through many changes physically and emotionally, which can be overwhelming for students, teachers, and parents; gaining insight on such a complex subject gave me a sense of understanding and confidence. This weeks reading was very rewarding. I was able to reflect and think about the type of teacher I ultimately would like to become.