When I began taking the psychology class, I remember thinking to myself that it was going to be extremely difficult and I will probably not learn much in there. But my thought changed after doing the very first assignment. We were asked to talk about what it was that made us want to be teachers. I never really thought about it, but when I did, I began to realize more and more that it is my passion and that I want to do all that I can for the students and those who I will meet, which meant that I needed to change my attitude about succeeding in psychology. And strangely enough,
that would be a concept that we would learn later on, changing what was previously learned and adapting it to what is currently being learned. And so from day one I paid close attention to what was being taught and I tried to implement what I learned in my daily life. (my poor husband must be tired of me stating what form of learning I am in) And now I feel like my theory, which is still in a growing process and probably will be till the day I day, is a basic and understandable theory.
What?
After re-reading all my posts and taking the lovely final, I feel that students really need a greater sense of who they are and what their capabilities are. Everything we learned seemed to me to be based on that theory, which was from chapter 10 our very last chapter that we studied. From Piaget's theories to basic behaviors, it was a demonstration to where the child was inside. Meaning Piaget talked about how students progress from stage to stage. The stages were built on where they were cognitively which was in relation to previous learning and growth. When they became firm in their stage, or when they were able to progress showed a strong sense of how they viewed themselves and what they were able to do. Behaviors were the same. Most students behave better when they are confident with their surroundings and with their strengths. Although they might test the waters, they are still willing to shape up and get focused again. Another example is shown with any learning opportunity. From taking tests, to social environments, to the basic acceptance of others is largely shown in the confidence of the individual.
So What?
After I wrote down the reason as to why I wanted to be a teacher, then I needed to step up to the plate now, rather than waiting until I am a teacher and I'm in the classroom. So, noticing that a lot of the students success is based on efficacy and self-esteem of the individual, then I need to learn all that I can on how I will be able to build this in my class. I can't be a passive teacher, but rather, a teacher that is there for the students and not for herself. It is about the future and about learning and growing for me as well. The students need the experience to learn and to grow, not me. Even though I am sure it will happen.
What now?
Seeing this connection, I want to be able to build an atmosphere where this can be developed and where the students feel the freeness of doing so. Now, I'm not talking about the overly wow we're so amazing type of atmosphere, but rather one built on the principles of honesty, learning, and a lot of the theories that were learned in our Psych class. Where I can use RAD effectively and where I can help out with racism if there is some. A place where learning and understanding can develop and where students can achieve what they can imagine. I need to continue to learn and to grow and to always remember that this is what I wanted to do and that I need to do it my very best so that I will be able to leave my students better than what I found them.
Homework #2
And the saga continues… part II
What?
The continuation of drama, ‘Homework or no homework that is the question’. Mr. Orson Scott so eloquently put it, “Kids are going to drive when they're sixteen. So do we make them spend an hour a night pushing pedals and turning a steering wheel for ten years prior, so they'll be "used" to it?” He has a point. In this episode he addresses the why we give homework in more details. I believe the “what” to this article is that he really wanted to make sure that we understood that homework is always not the best idea. That there are other ways to teach and to have the students become more interactive with their learning. I liked his rules and feel as though I can apply some of them to my own teaching. Homework is not evil, but rather, if used correctly, an opportunity for learning. But he is right, most of the time it is not used correctly.
So what?
I feel like this portion is a little redundant to what I said for the first article, but really, so “what” is that we, as teachers, really need to consider the why we give homework or anything for that matter. Not like we need to think about it time and time again, but that we need to consider what we are doing and if it will benefit the kids or if it will make it worse for the kids. I think if we really consider the why then we can measure if it is effective and it probably will help us out too.
Now what?
Well, I think I might use some of the rules that he set forth to have little to no homework for children under the grade of 6th and to have no homework over holidays to help the students to relax some. I feel that all teachers should do that last one. But really, he does have a point, if it is really about the students then we need to do all that we can to make sure that their learning is being as effective as possible. We want them to succeed and we need them to succeed. I mean that is why we become teachers, right? Well, it was a fun article to read. Crazy man though.
What?
The continuation of drama, ‘Homework or no homework that is the question’. Mr. Orson Scott so eloquently put it, “Kids are going to drive when they're sixteen. So do we make them spend an hour a night pushing pedals and turning a steering wheel for ten years prior, so they'll be "used" to it?” He has a point. In this episode he addresses the why we give homework in more details. I believe the “what” to this article is that he really wanted to make sure that we understood that homework is always not the best idea. That there are other ways to teach and to have the students become more interactive with their learning. I liked his rules and feel as though I can apply some of them to my own teaching. Homework is not evil, but rather, if used correctly, an opportunity for learning. But he is right, most of the time it is not used correctly.
So what?
I feel like this portion is a little redundant to what I said for the first article, but really, so “what” is that we, as teachers, really need to consider the why we give homework or anything for that matter. Not like we need to think about it time and time again, but that we need to consider what we are doing and if it will benefit the kids or if it will make it worse for the kids. I think if we really consider the why then we can measure if it is effective and it probably will help us out too.
Now what?
Well, I think I might use some of the rules that he set forth to have little to no homework for children under the grade of 6th and to have no homework over holidays to help the students to relax some. I feel that all teachers should do that last one. But really, he does have a point, if it is really about the students then we need to do all that we can to make sure that their learning is being as effective as possible. We want them to succeed and we need them to succeed. I mean that is why we become teachers, right? Well, it was a fun article to read. Crazy man though.
Homework #1
What?
First, the gentleman who wrote this article I feel has a deep issue of homework and has been bruised by it ever since he was a little tike and is determined to make sure no one has to feel the pain that he felt so many years ago. Although, in short I partially agree, I feel that it really all depends on what the purpose behind homework really is. Also, I would agree about the tests, it is all about the tester, not really what you know. However, as his article continued, I began to see more and more as to where he was coming from. He would like to see that students are learning what they need to learn or even what they want to learn rather than doing busy work and homework just to say you did homework. That homework needs to be thought through so that it can build the student rather than make them hate their beloved subject or loath the idea of homework all together.
So what?
Well, I think that I’m going to have to consider what he is saying for a moment. Although I think he just has anger problems, I do see his point. I think that he does present a decent argument. He addresses the fact that homework can take up a lot of time and energy for it to just be an activity to keep the student busy. Pointing out that doing homework only raises the score on tests only a little bit shows how homework really isn’t where students are learning from.
Now what?
And if students are not learning much by doing homework, then really, me as a teacher, needs to consider the why behind any assignment that I give. I don’t think that homework is evil. It prepares the students for college and for what they will be doing to gain further education. But, if it isn’t useful then I would agree with the gent who wrote the article, Orson Scott Card, and then it shouldn’t be used. So, my pledge is to make homework useful and not to drive my students to a deep hatred to learning and to a subject that they love so much. We will see how that goes and if it works.
First, the gentleman who wrote this article I feel has a deep issue of homework and has been bruised by it ever since he was a little tike and is determined to make sure no one has to feel the pain that he felt so many years ago. Although, in short I partially agree, I feel that it really all depends on what the purpose behind homework really is. Also, I would agree about the tests, it is all about the tester, not really what you know. However, as his article continued, I began to see more and more as to where he was coming from. He would like to see that students are learning what they need to learn or even what they want to learn rather than doing busy work and homework just to say you did homework. That homework needs to be thought through so that it can build the student rather than make them hate their beloved subject or loath the idea of homework all together.
So what?
Well, I think that I’m going to have to consider what he is saying for a moment. Although I think he just has anger problems, I do see his point. I think that he does present a decent argument. He addresses the fact that homework can take up a lot of time and energy for it to just be an activity to keep the student busy. Pointing out that doing homework only raises the score on tests only a little bit shows how homework really isn’t where students are learning from.
Now what?
And if students are not learning much by doing homework, then really, me as a teacher, needs to consider the why behind any assignment that I give. I don’t think that homework is evil. It prepares the students for college and for what they will be doing to gain further education. But, if it isn’t useful then I would agree with the gent who wrote the article, Orson Scott Card, and then it shouldn’t be used. So, my pledge is to make homework useful and not to drive my students to a deep hatred to learning and to a subject that they love so much. We will see how that goes and if it works.
Math Investigations
My mom started teaching here in Utah when they switched their math learning to investigations. I remember walking in on their meetings and hearing her and the other teachers talk about how they were going to incorporate them in their teaching. They would come up with visual aides and other tools that would help them help the students understand what they were doing. I now only realize that they had no idea what they were doing themselves and they were trying all means to gain a better footing on the material. 4 years of teaching math by investigation my mom would now stand by the benefits that it can bring to the learning within the classroom.
I know that not many liked the idea at first. But who likes switching from what they use so commonly to using something that seems foreign and strange. Investigations are another way to look at math. It gives the student a chance to apply their learning more constructively. So if they are studying a concept like fractions, they have learning hands-on experiences that help them learn that concept and retain it better. Most of Alpine liked it, if you talked to the ones that wanted to have it in the classrooms, but as far as teachers go, it wasn’t too accepted. But everything new that isn’t your idea to start with is normally not welcomed with signs and banners. It takes time of using it to really test out what it can do before welcomed signs are even starting to be thought of.
Now investigations are becoming used more and more and they are starting to see some outcome to them. Or at least the teachers are starting to be more open to them. My mom has been talking to me about them and how they can be useful and helpful to the teacher and student within and outside the classroom.
I know that not many liked the idea at first. But who likes switching from what they use so commonly to using something that seems foreign and strange. Investigations are another way to look at math. It gives the student a chance to apply their learning more constructively. So if they are studying a concept like fractions, they have learning hands-on experiences that help them learn that concept and retain it better. Most of Alpine liked it, if you talked to the ones that wanted to have it in the classrooms, but as far as teachers go, it wasn’t too accepted. But everything new that isn’t your idea to start with is normally not welcomed with signs and banners. It takes time of using it to really test out what it can do before welcomed signs are even starting to be thought of.
Now investigations are becoming used more and more and they are starting to see some outcome to them. Or at least the teachers are starting to be more open to them. My mom has been talking to me about them and how they can be useful and helpful to the teacher and student within and outside the classroom.
Ferile Minds
Reading this article was rather fascinating. I have always believed that the first year was essential to a child's learning and growing. Although, many disagreed with me, it was fun to read in the article that they agreed with me. I liked how they talked about the simple ways to show love and to help your child grow is nothing new. They said, "The importance of hands-on parenting, of finding the time to cuddle a baby, talk with a toddler and provide infants with stimulating experiences" is what should be happening for children, but since not all are born under such favorable conditions, Preschools/day cares need to provide opportunity for the brain to expand in the same manner. I liked how Dr. Harry Chugani said that there "is no excuse for ignoring the environment's power to remodel the brain. We may not do much to change what happens before birth, but we can change what happens after a baby is born." I liked that because it lays it out. It is the responsibility of all of us to take care of our young ones and to help them be as effective as possible. After this point in the article they lost me. As they went into the importance of genes and all things that could help the development of the brain. I was basically lost, but then I was found toward the end when they started talking about 'windows of opportunity'. I hope that I will continue to apply what they taught. They the window for learning does not close abruptly, but rather it can open and if we are continuing in our teaching and learning we enable the brain to continue to be active and open for learning and improving. I really thought the article was effective and that it gave me a different understanding to what the brain really is all about.
Piagetian Tasks
Piagetian Tasks
All the tasks I did were to my nephews (for this task I did a 5 year old). I did it unknowingly to them in hopes to get a better understanding as to where they were on the Piaget’s stages. The first one that I did was with a cup of milk. I actually had two glasses of milk. One was in a larger glass, the other in a smaller glass. I drank the smaller and then poured the larger one into the larger glass. I asked if there was a lot in the smaller glass, they said no. Then I poured the milk from the smaller glass into the larger glass. I asked if there was now more milk in the larger and you could probably guess what they said… yes. Amazing. This shows that their stage is at the preoperational stage. I saw that they understood what was being asked, and then they hesitated on their reasoning and thought about it for a second before responding. Which is why I come to the conclusion that they are in the beginning stages of preoperational stage because although they thought there was more milk now in the larger glass than the second, they still hesitated to say something until they were sure about it, which means that they are slowly moving into the preoperational stage rather than being strong in the sensorimotor stage.
The other task that I did was with cars. This one I used my 3 year nephew. We were playing with cars and I lined the cars up in 2 rows so that they would be even. I had my nephew look at them and I asked which one was longer, he just looked at me dumbfounded and continued playing with the cars. I then scooted one row up so that it would appear longer. After doing so I turned to my nephew and asked him which one was longer, he pointed to the row that I just moved. Interesting. This showed to me that he is in the preoperational stage too. He stopped to think about what I was asking, but in the end logic was not the issue. Rather it was how it looked and appeared and beyond that to him of course the longer row would be longer. I also found it interesting that he was content with what he saw and he never second guessed himself. It was as he saw it.
The last task I did was with my 1 month old nephew. With him I had to be a little more creative, but I really want to test out Piaget’s theory and stages and so I thought, why not? It was fun to do it on him. I had him looking at me, really glaring at me, and while I had him staring I asked my husband to come over to try to distract him from looking at me. It took a few minutes for the little guy to glance over at my husband. His focus was completely on me and what I was doing. I was so pleased with my observation. It proved that Piaget really does know what he is talking about. My nephew would be in the sensorimotor stage. He remained in the moment and could do nothing else until he was satisfied with looking at me. He was completely focused on the here and now situation rather than what was happening around him. So, my conclusion with Piaget is that he is correct about the stages and what happens within each stage.
All the tasks I did were to my nephews (for this task I did a 5 year old). I did it unknowingly to them in hopes to get a better understanding as to where they were on the Piaget’s stages. The first one that I did was with a cup of milk. I actually had two glasses of milk. One was in a larger glass, the other in a smaller glass. I drank the smaller and then poured the larger one into the larger glass. I asked if there was a lot in the smaller glass, they said no. Then I poured the milk from the smaller glass into the larger glass. I asked if there was now more milk in the larger and you could probably guess what they said… yes. Amazing. This shows that their stage is at the preoperational stage. I saw that they understood what was being asked, and then they hesitated on their reasoning and thought about it for a second before responding. Which is why I come to the conclusion that they are in the beginning stages of preoperational stage because although they thought there was more milk now in the larger glass than the second, they still hesitated to say something until they were sure about it, which means that they are slowly moving into the preoperational stage rather than being strong in the sensorimotor stage.
The other task that I did was with cars. This one I used my 3 year nephew. We were playing with cars and I lined the cars up in 2 rows so that they would be even. I had my nephew look at them and I asked which one was longer, he just looked at me dumbfounded and continued playing with the cars. I then scooted one row up so that it would appear longer. After doing so I turned to my nephew and asked him which one was longer, he pointed to the row that I just moved. Interesting. This showed to me that he is in the preoperational stage too. He stopped to think about what I was asking, but in the end logic was not the issue. Rather it was how it looked and appeared and beyond that to him of course the longer row would be longer. I also found it interesting that he was content with what he saw and he never second guessed himself. It was as he saw it.
The last task I did was with my 1 month old nephew. With him I had to be a little more creative, but I really want to test out Piaget’s theory and stages and so I thought, why not? It was fun to do it on him. I had him looking at me, really glaring at me, and while I had him staring I asked my husband to come over to try to distract him from looking at me. It took a few minutes for the little guy to glance over at my husband. His focus was completely on me and what I was doing. I was so pleased with my observation. It proved that Piaget really does know what he is talking about. My nephew would be in the sensorimotor stage. He remained in the moment and could do nothing else until he was satisfied with looking at me. He was completely focused on the here and now situation rather than what was happening around him. So, my conclusion with Piaget is that he is correct about the stages and what happens within each stage.
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