1. Describe an episode in the case study that demonstrates disequilibrium. Justify your response. Describe an episode that demonstrates assimilation. Justify your response.
Disequilibrium is the state of cognitive conflict that arises when one's thinking is not consistent or when our current schemas are not confirmed by our experiences with the world. Disequilibrium occurs in this case study when Amy and Lucy realize Ringo is dead. Amy's schema recalls back to last summer when her grandfather died. She remembers her grandfather went to heaven and did not come back. She was confused as to why Ringo was still on earth if he had died. She then questions whether or not Ringo went to heaven because she can still see him. This shows Amy connecting what had happened in her own life to what is now happening to the class fish.
Assimilation is a cognitive process that takes place when an individual uses their existing schema to make sense of the events in the world. They relate something new to their existing knowledge. Amy indicates she is using assimilation when she is connecting what happened to her grandfather to what is now happening to Ringo. She is recalling a specific event, which in return will hopefully help to make sense of what is happening to Ringo. She connects since her grandfather went to heaven, so did Ringo. Another example is when the girls are discussing what happens in heaven. They are trying to connect what they know on earth to what they think heaven will be like. They conclude by implying, we all do the same things in heaven that we do here on earth, however, since we already went potty we won't have to do that again.
2. Identify a possible instance of preoperational egocentrism in the case. Justify your response.
Preoperational egocentrism is the inability to see a situation from another's point of view. An example of this in the case study occurs when the two girls are walking home from school after discovering Ringo is dead. They are talking about what happens in heaven and they both assume each of them have the correct answer as they are taking about eating and going potty in heaven. Lucy asks about having the need to go potty in heaven and Amy rolls her eyes, as if there is only one simple answer and replies, "of course not, silly...make us go potty before we go anywhere." And then at the end Lucy laughs and said, "oh, yeah, I forgot." This indicates Amy was being very egotistical as she wondered how Lucy could have thought there was any other way. Amy thought she was right and nothing was going to change that.
3. How might a Vygotskian theorist suggest Ms. Bowman address the death of the class pet?
Vygotskian theorists believe in sociocultural, so they would most likely analyze the situation and find out what the children know about death. They would also look at if the children had any personal experiences happen. After discovering their knowledge, Ms. Bowman would explain the situation and what had happened. Amy struggles with the idea about death and the fact that she can still see the fish. Vygotskians would guide her through this process just as Ms. Bowman did and ask Amy if she wanted Ringo to go to heaven. Her reply was yes and the teacher smiles and states, "well, then, I bet he'll go there just as soon as he possibly can." Ms. Bowman is showing how Vygotskian theorists would react to a situation like this. I also noticed ZPD and Scaffolding happening as Amy collaborates with Lucy as well as gets support and guidance from Ms. Bowman.
4. How might taking care of pets in the classroom promote students' cognitive development?
Taking care of pets in the classroom would promote students' cognitive development by teaching them to recognize and identify how to care for a pet or any other living thing. They start out with little knowledge, if any, about how to care for a pet. As they grow and develop, just as Piaget and Vygotsy believe, at the end their thinking process will change and mature. It will make sense of the world around us, which would include the animals. The teacher can give them problems and they will have to use their ZPD and come up with an example of why something is happening. For instance, if the class was to have a snake as a pet, and the teacher was to ask what they eat and how they digest their food, the students would have to think about their schemas and use problem solving skills to come up with an answer. They would use a lot of Vygotsky's theories.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Course Contract Review #1
What are you doing well?
I am doing well with my assignments and really trying to understand the key points on the study guides. I am also doing well with using my calendar. I am writing down my assignments and marking when they are due. I have also designated a box to check off when it is finished.
What are you not doing well?
I am not doing well with working with different study strategies. I have already noticed myself going back to my normal routine because I don't have enough time. I am not making flash cards. I am also only using a calendar to record my assignments. I have not used the time table calendar.
Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?
I feel I am making progress on my goals just taking it one step at a time. I am allowing time to do my assignments and am achieving them all because of my calendar.
List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals.
Although I am doing well with some of my goals, there are still some that I am struggling with. Specific things I need to change is taking better notes. I am still highlighting and doing my study guides, but I am not using the studying strategies for everything I read. I also need to designate more time for this class to work on my assignments and read.
How is your motivation? Are you focusing on mastery or performance goals? Does anything need to change?
My motivation was great at the beginning of this class and although it has only been two weeks, I am already seeing my motivation go down. This week was a hard week due to personal problems and I really noticed that it had an affect on my motivation to get things done. I didn't allow as much time as I should have to do things in this class. I didn't space out my study time but did do it all at once. I am still focusing on mastery goals because I want to understand and improve. I need to prioritize my schedule better. Since I am not fulfilling my motivation to the fullest, I think I should try and use extrinsic motivation to get me started.
I am doing well with my assignments and really trying to understand the key points on the study guides. I am also doing well with using my calendar. I am writing down my assignments and marking when they are due. I have also designated a box to check off when it is finished.
What are you not doing well?
I am not doing well with working with different study strategies. I have already noticed myself going back to my normal routine because I don't have enough time. I am not making flash cards. I am also only using a calendar to record my assignments. I have not used the time table calendar.
Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?
I feel I am making progress on my goals just taking it one step at a time. I am allowing time to do my assignments and am achieving them all because of my calendar.
List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals.
Although I am doing well with some of my goals, there are still some that I am struggling with. Specific things I need to change is taking better notes. I am still highlighting and doing my study guides, but I am not using the studying strategies for everything I read. I also need to designate more time for this class to work on my assignments and read.
How is your motivation? Are you focusing on mastery or performance goals? Does anything need to change?
My motivation was great at the beginning of this class and although it has only been two weeks, I am already seeing my motivation go down. This week was a hard week due to personal problems and I really noticed that it had an affect on my motivation to get things done. I didn't allow as much time as I should have to do things in this class. I didn't space out my study time but did do it all at once. I am still focusing on mastery goals because I want to understand and improve. I need to prioritize my schedule better. Since I am not fulfilling my motivation to the fullest, I think I should try and use extrinsic motivation to get me started.
Educational Neuroscience
What?
I chose to research Willy Wood's perspective on attention. Willy is currently researching the impact distraction has on teenagers. He is researching the different types of attention and what can help students stay focused. He is observing teachers in a normal classroom and taking notes of what impacts distractions and what keeps the students attention.
So What?
Attention is one of the key factors in education. Willy Wood states the role of attention and learning is attention is considered to be the gate keeper. It is the starting point which later leads the student into the processing stage. In order for children to learn in the classroom, they have to first pay attention to what is being taught. Wood also states, better attention equals better learning. Wood states we as teachers need to be the managers of the flow of attention. We need to give away information and in return get it back. Wood mentions three types of attention, arousal, stimulus driven, and control. Each of these types of attentions will affect education and the learning process.
Now What?
I really enjoyed listening to Wood's presentation on attention. He gave a lot of valuable information to help attract my students to learning. A key point I liked was the fact we don't learn while teachers are talking or reading. The attention should not always be on the teacher. We as teachers need to give our students more time to process and less time on input. Teachers give too much direction at one time. Another tool he suggested was using novelties. He said they need to be balanced with routines. The last tool I would use in my future classroom is the affect music has in the classroom. He said music can be good if used in the right way. If playing music during class, look at the situation and make sure the beat is at the right pace as well as the volume. I really enjoyed his presentation and took great notes on what to do in my classroom to get my students attention.
I chose to research Willy Wood's perspective on attention. Willy is currently researching the impact distraction has on teenagers. He is researching the different types of attention and what can help students stay focused. He is observing teachers in a normal classroom and taking notes of what impacts distractions and what keeps the students attention.
So What?
Attention is one of the key factors in education. Willy Wood states the role of attention and learning is attention is considered to be the gate keeper. It is the starting point which later leads the student into the processing stage. In order for children to learn in the classroom, they have to first pay attention to what is being taught. Wood also states, better attention equals better learning. Wood states we as teachers need to be the managers of the flow of attention. We need to give away information and in return get it back. Wood mentions three types of attention, arousal, stimulus driven, and control. Each of these types of attentions will affect education and the learning process.
Now What?
I really enjoyed listening to Wood's presentation on attention. He gave a lot of valuable information to help attract my students to learning. A key point I liked was the fact we don't learn while teachers are talking or reading. The attention should not always be on the teacher. We as teachers need to give our students more time to process and less time on input. Teachers give too much direction at one time. Another tool he suggested was using novelties. He said they need to be balanced with routines. The last tool I would use in my future classroom is the affect music has in the classroom. He said music can be good if used in the right way. If playing music during class, look at the situation and make sure the beat is at the right pace as well as the volume. I really enjoyed his presentation and took great notes on what to do in my classroom to get my students attention.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Motivation
I am in the teacher education program because I love children and I want to make a difference in their lives. I think teachers are one of the most influential people in a child's life and I find that to be important. When I look back on my childhood, I can recall those who have made an impact in my life and many of those people are teachers. I believe learning is one of the most important tools and I want to give my students the motivation to achieve that. I want to help them realize how important learning really is. I am in Educational Psychology because I am here to learn. I am here to learn how to be a great teacher. I am here because I want to learn important tools for success, not only for my students, but also for myself. I do not know everything and this class will give me insights and extra knowledge, such as, learning styles, communities, behaviors, etc. This will be helpful as I work with my students. I am at UVU because I heard this is one of the best schools. I chose UVU because I heard the staff was great to work with and they have excellent teachers to learn from.
What motivates me is seeing people happy and seeing progress made. Learning motivates me. Other people also help motivate me. I seem to do better when I know others have faith in me, which in return gives me faith in myself.
I succeed because I study hard and work for what I want. I am a perfectionist and I have to finish everything I am assigned to do. I do not give up. I fail because I doubt myself. "Attribution Theory suggests that students attribute academic success and failure to four main factors: ability, effort, luck, and task difficulty." (Pg 342) Some children develop learned helplessness and believe they cannot change and they are destined to fail. They doubt their ability, which leads to lack of effort and the clear distinction of difficulty. I can relate to this because there are times when I have low self-esteem and believe I cannot accomplish something. That is why what motivates me is seeing people happy and making progress. I would never want a child to feel helpless when learning.
I would say my course contract reflects mastery goals because my goals focus on improvements and increased understanding. As a teacher, I do not think you ever come to an end result because there is always something new to learn or something to improve on. I want to remember what I worked on rather than passing something off and forgetting about it soon after. I believe what this says about me is I work for myself to feel happy. I know I am not perfect and I do not know all of the answers so I am working to improve for myself. I am going to be a teacher and therefore need to constantly increase my understanding and remember it.
What motivates me is seeing people happy and seeing progress made. Learning motivates me. Other people also help motivate me. I seem to do better when I know others have faith in me, which in return gives me faith in myself.
I succeed because I study hard and work for what I want. I am a perfectionist and I have to finish everything I am assigned to do. I do not give up. I fail because I doubt myself. "Attribution Theory suggests that students attribute academic success and failure to four main factors: ability, effort, luck, and task difficulty." (Pg 342) Some children develop learned helplessness and believe they cannot change and they are destined to fail. They doubt their ability, which leads to lack of effort and the clear distinction of difficulty. I can relate to this because there are times when I have low self-esteem and believe I cannot accomplish something. That is why what motivates me is seeing people happy and making progress. I would never want a child to feel helpless when learning.
I would say my course contract reflects mastery goals because my goals focus on improvements and increased understanding. As a teacher, I do not think you ever come to an end result because there is always something new to learn or something to improve on. I want to remember what I worked on rather than passing something off and forgetting about it soon after. I believe what this says about me is I work for myself to feel happy. I know I am not perfect and I do not know all of the answers so I am working to improve for myself. I am going to be a teacher and therefore need to constantly increase my understanding and remember it.
I need to change my motivations and mindset for this class by being positive about everything that comes my way. I need to look forward to the reading and doing all the assignments and not just look at it as another thing to do. I also need to focus on what is happening now rather than looking towards the future and wishing that to come more quickly. By doing all of this, it will help me to become a better teacher.
Hidden Assignment #1 Goals
My goals for this class are first, to go to class everyday and participate in the lectures. I am normally quiet in class because I am afraid I might say the wrong answer. My goal is to not be afraid to say what is on my mind and to ask questions and to join in on the discussions. Next, I will read all of the material required and use different note taking strategies to help me understand the text better. I do not know what type of learner I am so I would like to figure that out while I am in this class by using the note taking strategies found on the website you gave to us in the first class session. I want to really understand the content given and therefore my goal is to work hard and to not settle with the easy route. Last, my third goal is to use my calendar. I am a very organized person but for some reason when I have a calendar, I never use it. I tend to have a difficult time following through in doing the items I have scheduled. My goal for this class is to actually use a calendar and follow through with what I have written down. I want to use two different calendars; one with just the days and another with times to schedule specific studying periods. This will help me organize my time so I am less stressed and it also allows me to see what assignments I have and what I have completed.
I will set up a plan that will not set me up to fail. I plan to arrange at least 30-45 minutes a day to study the material from the text and work on assignments. I bought a notebook calendar that I can carry around with me so I can automatically see what needs to be done. I will also use my Google calendar and arrange specific times for this class.
I plan to use different study strategies. A few of those strategies include, scheduling time to study, using the 4R's and either take notes on what I read or make a map. I will also highlight what I find important. I will ask more questions and place boxes in my text to stop and reflect on what I have just read. I plan to use flashcards for the definitions and connect that word with something that has meaning to me.
I know there are going to be several times when I will not understand a topic so my plan is to first research and try to find the answer on my own. If I cannot figure it out, then I will ask someone for help, whether I ask a classmate or an outside source. We are designing a Facebook account for our Cohort so that will be beneficial for quick responses. My last resort would be to ask my professor (Dr. Cox) for help.
I will reach my goals in this course by working hard and being organized. I will try hard to understand every subject and not do things just to get by. I will reach my goals by being an over-achiever.
I will set up a plan that will not set me up to fail. I plan to arrange at least 30-45 minutes a day to study the material from the text and work on assignments. I bought a notebook calendar that I can carry around with me so I can automatically see what needs to be done. I will also use my Google calendar and arrange specific times for this class.
I plan to use different study strategies. A few of those strategies include, scheduling time to study, using the 4R's and either take notes on what I read or make a map. I will also highlight what I find important. I will ask more questions and place boxes in my text to stop and reflect on what I have just read. I plan to use flashcards for the definitions and connect that word with something that has meaning to me.
I know there are going to be several times when I will not understand a topic so my plan is to first research and try to find the answer on my own. If I cannot figure it out, then I will ask someone for help, whether I ask a classmate or an outside source. We are designing a Facebook account for our Cohort so that will be beneficial for quick responses. My last resort would be to ask my professor (Dr. Cox) for help.
I will reach my goals in this course by working hard and being organized. I will try hard to understand every subject and not do things just to get by. I will reach my goals by being an over-achiever.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Introduction
Hello, my name is Angie Bake! I am just starting UVU's Elementary Education program and have mixed emotions. I am really excited yet really nervous. I have lived in Utah my entire life and am the youngest of 6. I love all sports especially basketball. I am a big fan of the Jazz and just recently went to a game and sat in the suites. It was awesome! I also love the outdoors and all the activities involved with being outside (camping, hiking, boating, etc.). I have 8 nieces and nephews and one more niece on the way. I love playing with them. I love children and can't wait to teach them!
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