Social Cognitive Theory

Which of the learning activities/skills can you think of that lend themselves to learning through modeling?

I believe that both academic skills as well as interpersonal behaviors lend themselves to learning through modeling. I like the idea of verbal, descriptive explanations. While I am explaining, for instance, a math problem, I would model a very clear thinking process so that my students could see that led to success, and wish to copy the same steps. I might also talk out how I used the context clues in a reading to allow me to figure out what a challenging word meant. If students are able to interpret these processes as the road to success, hopefully, they will willingly choose to model these steps, and in turn raise their self efficacy. I believe by modeling acceptable and wise actions, students will respect that, and choose to imitate. In this way, they would be gaining a sense of what a respectable person looks like and acquiring much needed interpersonal skills.

How might self-efficacy and self-regulation contribute to the intervention plans you use in your case study?

Sometimes by having someone other than yourself (the teacher) explain why certain behaviors are beneficial, professionals in their field are inspiration enough to raise students’ ways. In my case study, Lisa is extremely disruptive in her group, and will not allow work to get done unless she gets the job she wants. I think the idea of having a respectable person everyone is familiar with would be a great idea to raise my students (and in particular, Lisas) self efficacy, but I know that will most likely be possible. So, I would probably search the web for a good video of a famous person that emphasizes only by working together, and setting productive goals can we become successful. In this way, she would not just be hearing these words from me, but someone who seemed larger than life. This would hopefully allow her to redirect her behavior toward productivity. Once her self-efficacy increases, we could work on self-regulation skills and how to make her a student that is more in line with her success based on strategies she can do for herself.

Behaviorism Simplified

In order to better understand Behaviorism I researched more and found an imformational site provided by the University of Georgia. It is very straightforward but I like it because it is very simplified and touches on reinforcements, conditioning, and behavior modifications. Basically, it explains things that we will most likely apply to our own classroom models. The following link will provide you with a great wealth of information about Behaviorism: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Behaviorism


Next, I found this diagram to compare and contrast a Behaviorists thinking with that of a Cognitive Psychologists. Notice how different the thinking is and how one relies on prior knowledge while the other focuses on reinforcement of behavior to produce the desired effect.

Chapter 9- Behavorist Learning

How would you define successful mastery of your lesson objectives from a behavioral view of learning? Well, I think in any lesson the take away is for them to understand the content thoroughly and be able to apply it. For example, if I had a vocabularly lesson I do not want them to just take away the spelling and meaning of the word for which they can simply memorize. I want my students to apply what they know and create sentences to show they understand the words in different situations and contexts. In this instance I might propose rewards for mastery at the end of the unit to teach students delay of gratification and also give them something to work for. I hope to create an environment that has air of competition, but does not intimidate students where their response is to let the high learners win the prize. Consider your CSEL intervention case study. Are there tools from a behaviorist view for either encouraging productive behaviors or discouraging undesirable behaviors that you could apply to the case? What are they? I am not crazy about behavioristic approaches, but I think their are important and useful behavior techniques for the classroom in the form of reinforcement. In order to increase positive behaviors I may have a group goal available. In order to encourage students sitting in their seats, I will offer the reward of extra free time at the end of class. This will hopefully spark an interest since it is giving students the option to move around a lot at a later point. I will most likely use social reinforcers as well to discretely give praise while not giving too much attention to certain students. I might just smile often and give a thumbs up for good work, or a student that models good behavior, or I might even praise aloud in order to recognize, and feel as if he is really a star student.

Project Based Learning Success Story

This high school in Manor, Texas uses a project based learning style to give their students hands on and interactive experiences, and to constantly keep material interesting and fresh. Statistically, the school has consistently outstanding graduation rates and students appreciate what their teachers are trying to do. Teachers create many activites with the hopes of applying the materials to real-world experiences. The link below shares more about their goals and the 5 steps they follow in order to reach them. They are: 1. Start with the State Standards
                                    2. Entry Event: Define Learning Goals
                                    3. Assess and Adjust Throughout
                                    4. Critical Friends (Teachers)-Peer Feedback
                                    5. Asses on Multiple Learning Outcomes

http://www.edutopia.org/stw-project-based-learning-best-practices

Chapter 8: Metacognitive Processes

Chapter 8

Consider a lesson plan you might use.  Which metacognitive skills/abilities are involved as students gain facility/knowledge in this domain?

I think I would create a lesson on purposes of writing and narrow in on opinion pieces. This would be intended as a writing activity for a fourth or fifth grade classroom. We would discover the differences between fact and opinion through powerpoint, then view different pieces and talk about what context clues point to it being an opinion. I would require students to try and takes notes to follow along, possibly giving them a diagram to organize their thoughts and be able to write out their evidence and reasoning. I think I would incorporate probing questions to see what they know and their opinion about opinions. I think it is important to convey that there are not wrong opinions, incorporating ideas of acceptance and tolerance. I would then have students participate in an authentic task by writing an opinion paper/article to the school newspaper about an issue they have a strong opinion about (i.e. changing school dress code).

Think of an activity or lesson component that explicitly teaches one or more metacognitive and one or more problem solving skills.

 I would use a geometry lesson for third grade students. Based on the angles previous learned, I would create different scenarios where the student must use their previous knowledge to measure areas, perimeters, distances and angles. (i.e. of the backyard of a house) In order to answer the mathematical problem students must use an algorithm to find the correct solution(s). A strategy I would implement is drawing a model on a smaller scale with very simple numbers and writing the possible solutions in order to gain understanding of the concept itself. After they begin to catch on, I would draw my own model on the board and call on students to walk me through the procedure.

Chapter 7: Knowledge Construction

  Make a list of the sequence of skills necessary for ultimate mastery of the content of your lesson through a constructivist approach.

As I was thinking about a constructivist type of lesson I could teach, I first wanted to decide on a subject that really challenged students’ minds to open up and reach far, so I settled on Science. Next, I thought what grade do I want to teach? So I settled on the fourth grade since I am drawn to upper elementary classes. One standard for fourth grade Science is to focus on life science and how cells work. This can be a difficult topic to be introduced to. I really want them to gain a conceptual understanding of the material, and I believe this can be done by relating the jobs of each part of the cell to jobs in real life or even to the functions of a city. (e.g.  lysosomes could be the military or police). As a class we would discuss the parts of a cell and how they are very important to help them operate maybe relating it to body parts or car parts and how everything plays a special role. I would allow them to discuss this and in table groups write down ideas for how they might remember each part and its function. Because the Endoplasmic Reticulum is the transporting system one might compare it to a mailman.  My main assignment I would incorporate in this lesson would be a project based lesson where they would have to be creative and on a poster or 3D model construct a cell with its parts and make a chart of how its function related to something they could connect with (some ideas could come from group brainstorming). The final part of the project would be to write a letter to the cell describing the students’ favorite cell structure and why. I think authentic activities are a great for classroom use. I am not completely sure if this would help with a real world experience, but I feel like the assignment in the least teaches them to think in a more sophisticated manner they will encounter in the real world. I think a good sequence would be to ensure students were gaining a conceptualized understanding my focusing on main points as a whole and connecting them former knowledge and personal links. Next, would be group work, followed by the project.

Which of these learning activities/skills lend themselves to student’s individual or group construction?  How might you structure learning activities that lead students to discover these skills/these principles?

The part of the activity that requires students to collaborate with their table groups is a form of group construction by means of classroom dialogue, as students lean on another to for each other’s interpretation.  The second part of the lesson requires an individual constructivism, where students must use what they know and their personal ideas to connect cell jobs to whatever they choose. I would leave this open to gain an understanding myself of hoe they construct their own ideas. One way I think I might use to help discovery of constructivist methods is scaffolding. I would not want to use it all the time, but use it mildly to guide students in the right direction. I merely want to be a helpful tool in their learning process.

Chapter 6: Cognitive Learning

What are the essential skills and/or learning outcomes you want your students to know and be able to do that relate to cognitive learning?

 

The definition that best explained cognitive learning for me personally was “the procedures we have for manipulating information “in our heads.” I think of the ways I process and interpret the information I receive in the form of written words, sounds, and visuals. The items that stick are most likely because I connected them to previous knowledge or they instantly appealed to my interests. Thus far I like the idea of children constructing knowledge rather than absorbing. Because of this, I really like the idea that students receive these streams of educational information and go on to interpret it based on former knowledge and the way in which they view the world. I want to teach my students (no matter the grade) to learn to think for themselves both critically and analytically. I like the idea of open discussion. I know in my experience I remember more based on a flow of ideas within a group rather than reading from a textbook. It also helps me evaluate and choose what I agree with and what I want to challenge. I want my students to be open minded and realize they create knowledge.

Because people are naturally selective of what they choose to mentally process due to the overflow of information, I do not want to bombard them with textbook work. I want to encourage group work, debate, and problem solving. One thing I found in the text that I definitely want to employ within my own classroom is meaningful learning because it “involves recognizing a relationship between new information and something already stored in long-term memory.”  I believe ways that contributes to capturing things in my long term memory were visuals, songs and mnemonic strategies. I want to teach things to my students that will be sure to stick!

 

 

How might your knowledge of the memory processes guide your instructional decisions?

 

My knowledge of memories has enhanced tenfold since I was presented the two teacher projects on cognitive processes and memory. I know the sensory register holds information in basically its original form, but I know that is for a short time and can change over time. I know just like the game telephone, students are not going to save everything just the way they hear it. Any key words or information that they can relate with will likely stick better in one’s minds. This was pointed out in the first teacher project. It was stated that if a visual appealed to your interests, you were more likely to make a connection and store that image. As a teacher I want to do my best to create activities that are relatable since the long term memory “is interconnected.”  What I do not want to do is encourage rote learning which attached no meaning to itself. This was so often my experience in elementary school that I feel like I missed out on some very valuable knowledge.

 I want to use a variety of methods to help information file itself away in the long term memory. I want to utilize mneomnic devices which has always proven helpful for my own remembering. I am also a big fan of remembering through song and rhyme and other creative measures. For example, I remember that the element Gold is Au on the periodic table due to this joke: Silver walks up to Gold in a bar and says, "AU, get outta here!"  My biggest tip to my students will probably be cues through association. I think these things most easily come back to our minds because we can so quickly identify with them. I want to use fun and catchy tios like these that are fun and interactive ways that can be repetitively used in the classroom.