Week Five Learning Styles Blog

              

  This week we focused on different learning styles in education. We completed Keirsey’s Temperament Sorter, to discover our personalities and the potential personalities of our students. We also read two articles in Cauley and Pannozzo’s text Educational Psychology Edition 12/13. Article 26 was titled Classroom Assessment and Grading to Assure Mastery by James P. Lalley and J. Ronald Gentile and article 27 was titled Backward Design: Targeting Depth of Understanding for All Learners by Amy Childre, Jennifer R. Sands, and Saundra Tanner Pope. These articles discussed the importance of assessment and planning to suit the needs of all learners and ensure mastery of content.

                The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is a test of 50 questions of two choices. The results categorize people into four groups, guardians, idealists, artisans, and rationals. This is a good tool to give you a general idea of what your personality is and the career paths that you might choose. As educators, almost every student was categorized as a guardian. Guardians are very people-friendly and often times work in service careers like teaching and healthcare. The tool is a good one for self-reflection and can be used to help you deal with the many different personalities your will encounter as a teacher.

                In article 26, Lalley and Gentile discuss the importance of assessment in education. They found that there are four critical errors many schools make in assessment “(a) demonstrating mastery is conceptualized as the endpoint rather than the initial phase of the learning/memory/application process, (b) mastery tests and activities are limited to the knowledge/comprehension of the thinking curriculum, (c) there is no requirement or grading incentive for going beyond the initial mastery and (d) assessment of student achievement remains embedded in a competitive or norm-referenced grading system” ( Lalley and Gentile, 2009). In order to overcome these pitfalls there are four targets for quality assessment.

1.       Clearly stated and published objectives. Students must be aware of the requirements expected and how they build upon those objectives.

2.       A sufficient high standard for demonstrating mastery. Teachers should set high standards of competency for their students. Students should be functioning at the top levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and be able to create based off knowledge acquired.

3.       Multiple forms of criterion referenced tests with corrective exercises and retesting. Students should be assessed based off criteria dictated in the beginning of the unit. Students should also be retested to minimize loss of knowledge. And

4.       Grading incentives to encourage reaching beyond initial mastery. In education we should go beyond the test. It is great when a student passes with a high grade; however, much of that knowledge is lost if not utilized. As educators we must encourage our students to pursue deeper levels of thinking.

Ultimately, if we can achieve these four benchmarks our students will have a deeper understanding, enjoy their education, and pursue more long-term educational goals.

                In article 27, Childre, Sands, and Pope focus on a four step approach to targeting depth of understanding for students a various learning styles.

1.       Step one is to identify classroom needs and individual student needs. Teachers should also be aware of any circumstances that could affect the group such as socioeconomic status and previous education.

2.       Step two is to identify curricular priorities. Teachers should consider setting goals for the class and posting them for all to see. Previously taught skills should be scaffolded and educational goals should be clear.

3.       Step three is to design assessment framework. Provide students with various assessments that target all skills. A good mix of presentations, quizzes, and informal assessments that target different learning styles should be used.

4.       Step four is to create learning activities. Engage students with stimulating lessons and activities. Utilize technology when possible and allow students to make real life connections.

By installing a backward design it keeps your goals in the forefront and allows teachers to create more meaningful activities with a solid end goal in mind.

                Ultimately, it is our job as educators to get the pulse of the classroom. We must target all learners by using a variety of instruction and assessment. If teachers teach with their students in mind they are more likely to make an impact on a student’s life.

Resources

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill

Lalley J.P. and Gentile, J.R. (2009) Classroom assessment and grading to assure mastery. Theory Into

Practice, January pp. 28-35.

Childre, A., Sands J. R., Pope, S.T. (2009) Backward design. Teaching Exceptional Children, May/June pp.

6-14.

Week Four Technology in Education

            This week’s content focused on the role of technology in education. Technology is constantly emerging and changing our society. Technology is also important to incorporate into education to keep our students on pace with the rest of the world. Week four contained one video, Digital Media: New Learners of the 21^st Century, and four readings: What is Technology Education? A Review of the “Official Curriculum”, Plagiarism in the Internet Age, Transforming Education with Technology, and Assessing Middle School Students’ Knowledge of Conduct and Consequences and Their Behaviors Regarding the Use of Social Networking Sites. Week four discussed the importance of technology, while minimizing the potential negatives that accompany technology in the classroom.

            The negative aspects of the increase of technology in our students’ lives are high cost of technical devices, over ambitious and hard to calculate goals of technology education, increased opportunities for plagiarism, cyberbullying, and internet predators. With the exception of the high cost of devices, most potential problems with technology can be solved with thorough supervision and proper education of acceptable use. As educators we must be willing to incorporate technology in the classroom, and properly educate our students as to the advantages and potential dangers that the internet poses.

            The goal of educational technology is “produce students with a more conceptual understanding of technology and its place in society, who can thus grasp and evaluate new bits of technology that they might not have seen before” (ITEA 2000, 4 cited in Brown & Brown, 2010). It is broken into five categories: nature of technology, technology and society, design, abilities for a technical world, and designed world. The nature of the overriding goal is hard to quantify, yet important to strive for in order to create well-rounded individuals.

            There are many befits to technology in the classroom. Technology provides a teacher with an opportunity to create an environment for students where they are in charge of their learning. Students that can relate to what they are learning are more willing to learn and try new things. Technology gives us the opportunity to inspire our students to strive for success. The internet allows for information to be distributed at a rapid pace. IPads, smart phones, smart boards, laptops, etc. should be looked upon as instructional devices, rather than potential distractions. Innovative teachers can use these technologies to inspire learning initiatives.

            Overall, the damaging potentials of technology are dwarfed in comparison to the positive aspects of technology. When using technology educators must teach of the dangers that technology can cause. Proper use of technology can develop a love of learning for our students, and is something that should be seen as a positive rather than a negative aspect in education.

Resources

Brown, R.A., Brown J.W. (2010) What is Technology Education? A Review of the "Official Curriculum". The Clearing House pp. 49-53.

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill

 

Week Three Blog

            Unit three discussed the individual differences among learners. Part A discussed exceptional learning needs, part B discussed servicing the gifted and talented, and part C discussed diversity. I chose to read and elaborate on part B. As a teacher in a private K-8 elementary school, I come across a lot of exceptional learners. I have been blessed with the opportunity to educate some extremely bright children. I have chosen this section because it is most relevant to my profession and at the time I was curious as to which articles Cauley and Pannozzo would choose for the subsection. I read many article and have taken many classes that highlight the importance of inclusion and special education in schools. I cannot recall one instance of undergrad education the highlighted the needs of gifted students. This made this particular reading very interesting to me.

            Article 17, How Can such a Smart Kid Not Get It?, discussed ‘twice-exceptional” students and gifted students with disabilities (G/LD). This article struck a chord with me as it pertains to a student whom I have taught for the past three years. To explain this I will reference a prior article that we have read in this course titled, Inspired Responses by Carol Steele. In this article Steele states, that educators go through four stages unaware, aware, capable, and inspired. When I first began my teaching career I was in the unaware stage. Each day was an adventure from which I gained much pedagogical knowledge. I labeled this student as a problem child. He had a bad attitude, a distain for school, and a demeanor that I resented. I was in the unaware stage when I first met this student. After reading Yssel, Prater, and Smith’s article How Can Such a Smart Kid Not Get It?, I realized how I jumped to conclusions about this students before taking the chance to get to know this student. As this student progressed throughout school and I matured as a teacher I gained a new respect for him. This student was labeled with a learning disability and had an accommodations checklist, but as we formed a connection I truly saw how bright this student was. The student I reference thrives in certain areas, especially social studies. He is a history buff and can answer any question about American history. I suggest you try to stump him, you will be impressedJ. Yssel et al. discuss how we often look at gifted students with disabilities and only treat them for their negative qualities, rather than their strengths. I wonder if we could have made a difference by picking up on this student’s strengths and cultivating them instead of medicating him for his disabilities. As a third year teacher, I reflect on my first year and realize how I was unaware. I would be naive to say I have progressed through Steele’s four stages but I feel I have at least matured through the first stage and into the aware stage. My hope is that I can progress further from here.

            Article 18, The Relationship of Perfectionism to Affective Variables in Gifted and Highly Able Children, studies the effects of perfectionism on gifted children. This article hypothesized that perfectionistic tendencies in children left them as a risk for depressive behaviors. This article analyzed two separate cases of perfectionism, self-oriented and socially-prescribed. Ultimately, it was found that children do experience more depressive behaviors underneath socially-prescribed perfectionism. This study also posited that anxiety would be higher in perfectionist; however, the study found no proof of this. One problem I foresaw with this article was that all of the test and findings were based off of self-evaluation. This is an issue because children may have filled out what they thought would be the right answer, or may have filled untruthfully.

             Article 19, Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: Straight Talk, discusses the need to develop gifted children in schools. It is important to identify these children and challenge them to achieve to the best of their ability. Author, Tracey L. Cross, states the importance of moving from an “entity model, meaning [giftedness is] something that one is born with, to a phenomenon that is incremental in its development” (Cited in Cross, 2009). Tis mean that as educators we are in charge of the gifted. We have a unique position to develop the minds of many that can go on to make a difference in the world. It is this gift that inspires me to go in to work each day, knowing I can make a difference and inspire a child to make the most of himself/herself.

References

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Yssel, N., Prater, M., Smith D. (2010) How can such a smart kid not get it? Gifted Child Today, Winter, pp. 54-61.

Christopher, M.M., Shewmaker, J. (2010) The relationship of perfectionism to affective variables in gifted and highly able children. Gifted Child Today, Summer, pp. 20-30.

Cross, T.L. (2009) Social and emotional development of gifted children: straight talk. Gifted Child Today, Spring, pp. 40-41, 65.

Week Two Blog

                This week’s content discusses the cognitive, moral, social, and emotional development of children and adolescents throughout their childhood and school aged years. As educators it is important to have a firm grasp on the perspectives of development of our students so we can prepare and understand these stages in hopes to cultivate our students into successful adults.

                Article six, Play and Social Interaction in Middle Childhood, by Doris Bergen and Doris P. Fromberg discusses the value of play in a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. “…during play children practice their power to self-direct, self-organize, exert self-control, and negotiate play with others” (Bergen and Fromberg, 2009). Play allows children to be in control and socialize with other children. The open nature of play allows children to develop creativity and socialization skills that will serve as building blocks for further development. I work at a K-8 elementary school where the students are given a half an hour recess. As a physical education teach I can appreciate the value my school puts on unorganized play. This half hour allows the students an opportunity to express themselves and release the stresses that a long school day can put on a student. As teachers we have a role to facilitate play by allowing the children facilities to play, providing them with tools to play, and encouraging play amongst students.

Image from www.friendsofquinn.com

                Article seven, It’s All in the Game, by Kathleen M. Collins et al. describes the role that board games can play to foster communication and social skills. School is one of the many places that aid children in developing communication and social skills. Many students come off as extremely shy and introverted. The use of games, like board games, can help engage a shy child and offer them an outlet to express one’s self. The article provided the details of an idea of creating a large classroom sized board game. The students were able to make cross-curricular connections, work collaboratively, practice engaged research, and “express themselves through all of their available expressive, communicative, and cognitive languages” (Edwards, Gardener, and Foreman 1998, p. 7-cited in Collins 2011).

                As a Physical Education teacher, article eight Why We Should Not Cut P.E. by Stewart G. Trost and Hans Van Der Mars really struck a chord with me. Studies have shown that P.E. correlates with better grades and higher standardized test scores. Since its implementation in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act has placed an emphasis on Reading and Mathematics, causing schools to cut classes like P.E., music, and art. Although the research is limited to conclude for certain the P.E. allows for greater academic performance, no studies have proven that taking away P.E. correlate with better scores. With the growing rate of childhood obesity and heart disease, we are in need of inspiring P.E. programs geared towards getting students active for a lifetime.

                Article 9, Adolescent Brain Development and Drugs, by Ken C. Winters and Amelia Arria, links aggressive and impulsive behavior to brain development in adolescents. The article describes the development of the brain, specifically how the limbic area of the brain develops before the pre-frontal cortex region. The limbic area of the brain is associated with emotions and memories, whereas the pre-frontal cortex is connected with reasoning and regulating impulses. This development allows for greater risk taking behaviors, such as drug use and unsafe sex. This information is relevant for both teachers and parents, who should take every opportunity to describe the negative effects that these types of behaviors can have on a person. The best way to prevent a person from these behaviors is to fully educate them, model responsible use, and openly communicate with them.

                Article ten, Adolescent Decision Making, by Bonnie Halpern-Felsher is closely related to the previous article. Decision making is a very important process that oftentimes gets overlooked. There are many views of the process of decision making, but all have very similar characteristics. Assess the situation, weighing positive and negative consequences of your actions, willingness or ability to carry out actions, influences to make decisions, and making the decision. As in the previous article, this article discusses brain development and its role in decision making. As educators we must provide guidance to students in times of need, introduce healthy decision making practices, and provide appropriate consequences to the inevitable times where students make inappropriate decisions.

                Article eleven, Peer Contexts for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students, by Stacey S. Horn and Katherine E. Romero specifically deal with the acceptance, relationships, and attitudes towards individuals with different sexual interests. Students that experience attractions to the same sex can often feel alienated and alone. Both male and females tend to ostracize these individuals with the fear that embracing them will cause others to mistreat them. Adolescents often view being gay as wrong, yet they know it is wrong to exclude an individual that is gay. The older a person is the more willing they are to accept a person for being gay. The social environment that a student belongs to often molds their attitudes toward situations that deal with a student of a different sexuality. As educators we must do our best to convey to students that it is not wrong to be gay and that it is not a choice. Schools with groups in place to bridge the gap between gay and straight students often have a higher acceptance rate. Educators should teach of the differences amongst students and promote acceptance, even amongst issues like that that often cross religious backgrounds.

                As a health teacher, I enjoyed article twelve, What Educators Need to Know about Bullying Behaviors, by Sandra Graham. Bullying has become very widespread and is an extremely important issue in schools today. Bullying takes many forms, direct, indirect, through the internet, and amongst peers. This article dismissed many of the myths about bullying. These myths did not surprise me, but it was rewarding to hear that I was on the same page with this article when teaching students about bullying. In my experience, bullies are often popular and bullying often happens in groups. One myth that I found interesting me was the myth that zero tolerance policies reduce bullying. Instead of a zero tolerance policy, one method that I recently adapted is the restorative justice method. In this process I allow the students involved in the altercation to engage in a discussion amongst themselves with myself as the mediator. One process I have found that works is allowing the students to choose the punshiments for themselves in a group discussion. Many times these problems and misunderstanding get hashed out in the meeting; however, sometimes further actions are needed. Overall, educators need to teach the many forms bullying takes and the roles of individuals such as the bully, bystander, upstander, victims, and witness. Students should be aware of the consequences of bullying and appropriate actions should always be taken in bullying cases.

                Article thirteen serves as the summarizing article in Unit 2. The Bridge to Character by Will Damon discusses the four building blocks of character, “empathy, fairness, self-control, and obligation” (Damon 1992, 1999; Kochanska, Murray, and Harlan, 2000; Thompson, 1998; Wilson, 1993 cited in Damon, 2010). Teachers must mold students’ morals as they progress through their school aged years. Appropriate punishment for violations, character education, and encouraging students to consider others feelings will go a long way in developing a students with a good moral fiber. Teachers should pinpoint good examples given by students, and encourage students to help others. You can encourage community service, or giving to the poor. It is also beneficial to provide students with a worldly view and discuss real life models of character in society.

                Overall, there are many connections one could make with education and psychological development. Teachers who are aware of the development of their students and are inspired to practice their craft will make the greatest impact on their students. Encouraging play, collaboration, acceptance, and good morals will provide students with the building blocks in order to become successful and healthy adults.

References

 

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill

Bergin D., Fromberg D.P. (2009) Play and social interaction in middle childhood. Phi Delta Kappan,             pp.    426-430.

Damon, W. (2010) The bridge to character. Educational Leadership, pp. 36-39.