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.