1. What are you doing well?
I am doing well with keeping track of my assignments and setting apart time to accomplish them. I am writing in my calendar and have started to use a time tracker to help me really schedule time to work on Ed Psych. I am also really understanding the information presented in class and am connecting it to things I have learned before. I am also doing well at attending all class meetings and making my learning meaningful.
2. What are you not doing well?
I am still struggling with not reading the entire chapters and if I do read the chapters it is still crammed in right before a test. The study guides really help me so at times if I am running short on time, I will focus on reviewing the study guide only and not reading all the material to help me.
3. Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?
I feel I am making sufficient progress with my goals. I have done well on all of the tests because I have really tried to succeed in this class and take more time to prepare for it. I have been using tools to help me remember the information which in return I have seen the outcome. I have learned that my calendar is my new best friend. I am very lost without it and I would not know what to do or where to start without it. This class and taught me that. Time management is key and that has also helped me to progress with my goals.
4. List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals.
I would still state that I need to change my reading habit and patterns. I need to not let things bombard me or push out what is important. I am planning on reading the chapters ahead of time as well as review the past chapters. I know our last test is comprehensive so in order for me to meet my goals I will have to dedicate and manage my time better. I will also continue to use graphic organizers because I believe those help me the most.
5. How is your motivation? Are you focusing on mastery or performance goals? Does anything need to change?
I feel my motivation is still strong and very much still there. I really want a good grade in this class but most importantly really want to understand and retain what I learn in this class. That has been a huge motivation to me as I attend class, study, and prepare for my tests. I have seen what we have worked with and I know that I will witness these theories and problems in the classroom. I have really enjoyed the case studies because it gives me real life situations and pushes me to use what I have learned over the course of time. That is motivation to me. I would say I am still working on mastery goals but at times see myself looking at the performance goals because it is closer. I can see the end. I would say that is what I need to change is not looking forward to the end but focusing on how I feel when I truly understand a concept and put it into action.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Constuctivism Case Study
1. Describe two similarities between the traditional lesson and the constructivist one as described above. What are two differences?
Two similarities among the two different forms of teaching are first, they were both learning about measurements and measuring a large object whether it was a whale or a boat. Another similarity was that both lessons were interesting and entertaining. The teachers were able to keep their students attention as they were doing the measurement activities. Both teachers also allowed their students to work as a class, not individually or in small groups but all together.
Two differences were the way in which the teachers taught the measurement lessons. The traditional teacher told the students what to do and what measuring device to use wherefore the constructivist teacher allowed her students to figure it out on their own. They were practicing discovering learning. Another difference between the two teaching styles is one felt very defeated and knew her students didn't come out of the lesson learning anything. The constructivist saw a rewarding and successful outcome. After her students worked hard to understand and come up with the measurement answer they all were able to recognize what should be used when measuring and the impact it makes on the answer.
2. What are two benefits and two drawbacks of the constructivist approach as described above? Why? In your opinion, are the benefits worth the costs? Explain your response.
Two benefits of the the constructivist approach was one, the students really had to teach themselves and others by working together. They learned how to communicate and were open to all ideas. Another benefit is they were using real-life experiences by using themselves as the measurements. They were able to reason what could fit and what could not.
Two drawbacks of the constructivist approach was, the students sometimes got frustrated and doubted if they could accomplish this task or not. Also, those students who are shy are not going to participate but will sit back and not do anything and thus the teacher can not assess them and the progress or their understanding of the subject. Another is the misconceptions that happened, for example, when they measured using Mark's hands they thought they definitely had the answer. If the teacher would not have asked Sue to measure the other side they would have never known that what you use to measure makes a difference.
I think in order to be successful you have to take risks and try different things. The benefits in this case allowed the students to take those risks and in return was learning more than they would have if they wouldn't have taken those risks or if they would have done it alone. Communication is an essential tool in succeeding and they practice using this tool and achieved in doing so. The students are drawing personal connections from experiences and retrieving prior knowledge they had learned from before. Also, using real-life authentic activities makes it more meaningful to the students and they are able to connect to their learning better. It draws on their emotions, which in return allows them to achieve things they may have not been able to do without it.
3. How does the constructivist lesson described above promote critical thinking? Give specific examples of critical thinking from the case study and include a definition of critical thinking to support your response.
Critical thinking is the process of systematically examining available information and coming up with conclusions that are based on evidence.It promotes critical thinking because they are having to think outside the box. It presents a problem and then the students individually as well as together explore all the different options and steps they need to take. They are not having any guided instruction on what to do and so they are having to come up with ideas and theories on their own.There were many examples of critical thinking for instance, each student that came up with a different idea of how to measure the boat was using their critical thinking skills. When Tom was brave enough to state what he thought and what he knew to be true, it allowed every student in the classroom to understand and therefore really think about how to come up with the right conclusion. They all visualized it in their head and from that came up with different ideas to test their solution. For example, Mark suggested using his hands, Al suggested using feet, and the rest of the class worked off of their initial ideas. Each example tested their process and showed evidenced by physically being the measurement device.
4. Would the constructivist activity be considered an authentic activity? Why or why not?
This would most definitely be an authentic activity. An authentic activity is learning by doing (real-life experiences, problems, or activities). It is also not something that comes out of textbooks. The students are working with measurements which is something we do in real-life. They are also using solutions that involve working with the information they knew such as Tom knowing the boat was bigger than him and he was just measured at four feet. They were also able to connect that using the same object to measure, such as a hand or foot, will produce different outcomes because nobody is exactly the same size.
This would most definitely be an authentic activity. An authentic activity is learning by doing (real-life experiences, problems, or activities). It is also not something that comes out of textbooks. The students are working with measurements which is something we do in real-life. They are also using solutions that involve working with the information they knew such as Tom knowing the boat was bigger than him and he was just measured at four feet. They were also able to connect that using the same object to measure, such as a hand or foot, will produce different outcomes because nobody is exactly the same size.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Cognitive Psychology/Information Processing Case Study
Case Study 1
1. After participating in this activity, what do you think the students will remember? How might those memories differ from those students would have if they only read about the Civil War in their textbook?
The students will have a clear understanding of the civil war and the events that happened, which leads to remembering a lot of information. The students are re-enacting the Civil War which allows them to participate in cooperative learning. They are physically role playing the war and the events which allows them to make connections. The students that read the textbook will not remember as much information because the textbook loses their attention and does not build interest. The students are not able to make as clear of connections as those that are acting it out and making it a personal experience by wearing the clothing and participating in the events.
2. How does Mr. West’s use of a Civil War re-enactment engage students’ emotions? What is the relationship between emotions and learning?
Mr. West engages his students emotions by re-enacting as it brings an emotion of appreciation and admiration for those that fought in the war. It allows them to feel something they may never have felt before or it may recall past experiences which brings along the emotions felt during that time. When the students re-enact, they are able to focus and connect to the stories and situations which are real life. Emotion plays a huge role in the way people learn. If someone is having a hard time in life, they are going to struggle with remembering or having interest. If someone is happy and positive, those emotions will allow the learning to be easy because their brain is not "foggy" or unclear. They can focus on what is important. People need to be conscious of what is happening around them as well as what is happening deep within. Each of these situations can cause different emotions that can either hurt or help someone to succeed and learn.
3. Based on the principles of dual-coding theory, what activities would be effective for Mr. West to use as a follow-up to the re-enactment?
Some activities that would be effective would involve both using visual objects as well as verbal. These are both great ways to assess his students. For visual activities, he could have his students make posters or draw something they got out of the Civil War. Both pictures would have to include something that was meaningful to them. As for the verbal activities, he could have his students get into groups and discuss what they learned and what they found to be important. As his students are discussing, this would be a great opportunity for him to walk around and listen to their conversations. He would get a better understanding on whether his students learned anything from the re-enactment.
Case Study 2
4. Who do you think provides better instruction for his students? Support your answer from an information processing perspective.
I think Mr. Richards is a better instructor because he is teaching his students in different ways so all would be able to understand. Even though his students may not know what is happening in class the day before, they do know what is expected of them and what will be happening the minute they get in the classroom and read the board. Mr. Richards keeps learning active and entertaining which will help hold the students attention longer. He is also teaching with different processing perspectives by using role-playing, lectures, videos, group projects and demonstrations. These help the students gain a clearer understanding in the best form they learn in. He also assesses his students by giving a standard format on all the tests. The students also know what that format is.
5. How would you expect the students’ learning outcomes to differ depending on which teacher they had?
If Mr. Dunkin had all linguistic learners in his classroom his outcomes and scores would be greater but then we look at reality and that is all students are different and learn differently. I would say Mr. Dunkin would benefit from reading books together but it still would not come close to the outcome Mr. Richards students would have. Mr. Richards students would be well prepared, eager, and ready to learn. They would understand and remember what happened in class and what information was important to recall at another time. Mr. Richards is helping his students have positive transfer by using what was learned in the past to learning something now. He is also working more with a constructivism idea where his students actively use their knowledge from personal experience with others and the environment. Mr. Richards gives motivation to his students by making learning fun!
1. After participating in this activity, what do you think the students will remember? How might those memories differ from those students would have if they only read about the Civil War in their textbook?
The students will have a clear understanding of the civil war and the events that happened, which leads to remembering a lot of information. The students are re-enacting the Civil War which allows them to participate in cooperative learning. They are physically role playing the war and the events which allows them to make connections. The students that read the textbook will not remember as much information because the textbook loses their attention and does not build interest. The students are not able to make as clear of connections as those that are acting it out and making it a personal experience by wearing the clothing and participating in the events.
2. How does Mr. West’s use of a Civil War re-enactment engage students’ emotions? What is the relationship between emotions and learning?
Mr. West engages his students emotions by re-enacting as it brings an emotion of appreciation and admiration for those that fought in the war. It allows them to feel something they may never have felt before or it may recall past experiences which brings along the emotions felt during that time. When the students re-enact, they are able to focus and connect to the stories and situations which are real life. Emotion plays a huge role in the way people learn. If someone is having a hard time in life, they are going to struggle with remembering or having interest. If someone is happy and positive, those emotions will allow the learning to be easy because their brain is not "foggy" or unclear. They can focus on what is important. People need to be conscious of what is happening around them as well as what is happening deep within. Each of these situations can cause different emotions that can either hurt or help someone to succeed and learn.
3. Based on the principles of dual-coding theory, what activities would be effective for Mr. West to use as a follow-up to the re-enactment?
Some activities that would be effective would involve both using visual objects as well as verbal. These are both great ways to assess his students. For visual activities, he could have his students make posters or draw something they got out of the Civil War. Both pictures would have to include something that was meaningful to them. As for the verbal activities, he could have his students get into groups and discuss what they learned and what they found to be important. As his students are discussing, this would be a great opportunity for him to walk around and listen to their conversations. He would get a better understanding on whether his students learned anything from the re-enactment.
Case Study 2
4. Who do you think provides better instruction for his students? Support your answer from an information processing perspective.
I think Mr. Richards is a better instructor because he is teaching his students in different ways so all would be able to understand. Even though his students may not know what is happening in class the day before, they do know what is expected of them and what will be happening the minute they get in the classroom and read the board. Mr. Richards keeps learning active and entertaining which will help hold the students attention longer. He is also teaching with different processing perspectives by using role-playing, lectures, videos, group projects and demonstrations. These help the students gain a clearer understanding in the best form they learn in. He also assesses his students by giving a standard format on all the tests. The students also know what that format is.
5. How would you expect the students’ learning outcomes to differ depending on which teacher they had?
If Mr. Dunkin had all linguistic learners in his classroom his outcomes and scores would be greater but then we look at reality and that is all students are different and learn differently. I would say Mr. Dunkin would benefit from reading books together but it still would not come close to the outcome Mr. Richards students would have. Mr. Richards students would be well prepared, eager, and ready to learn. They would understand and remember what happened in class and what information was important to recall at another time. Mr. Richards is helping his students have positive transfer by using what was learned in the past to learning something now. He is also working more with a constructivism idea where his students actively use their knowledge from personal experience with others and the environment. Mr. Richards gives motivation to his students by making learning fun!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Brain Awareness Proposal
I am working with Kellie Anjewierden, Janelle K, and Katie G. We have decided to do our project on Neuroplasticity. We have decided to look at Neurplasticity in a general aspect and research deeper into the subcategories associated with it, such as how it works, including what genre of music can cause synaptic changes, how we're never too old to learn, and how the brain can restore and rebuild new information after a brain injury. We are still discussing how we would like to present our project but a few ways could include posters or a tri-fold.
Special needs Case Study
1. What classic symptoms of learning disability does Nathan exhibit?
He seems to have the symptoms of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) focusing on inattention disorder. Those symptoms include, fails to finish tests or quizzes, rarely completes written exercises, easily distracted, frequently loses or misplaces homework, and has trouble staying organized.
2. What accommodations has Nathan received in the past?
They discovered Nathan had a learning disability when he was in the second grade. He received special attention by being placed in the resource room away from the other students. He was also placed on drugs to help calm him down. It also seems to me that they set Nathan up on an IEP.
3. What strategies would you recommend to help Nathan work with his learning disability? Why?
Some strategies I think would benefit Nathan would be to first communicate with other teachers and schools. This is where I believe an IEP may help. It would help each teacher have the same understanding and would also help Nathan set goals and reach to achieve them. With Nathan, it is important to plan ahead and include Nathan in the process. Listen to what he has to say and work with him closely. Another strategy that could work is to develop a behavior plan that incorporates a reward system. Third, limit distractability by seating Nathan away from doorways, windows, pets or other distracting things. This will help Nathan to stay focused more on the important things. Incorporate movement into the lessons, don't just have writing activities. Allowing movement will help Nathan to have enjoyment as well as allows him to physically get his wiggles out. Write down specific tasks or information so he can easily see it and reference back to it in case he forgets or needs reminding. Allow frequent breaks. Divide assignments into little chunks instead or working on it all at once. When Nathan doesn't get breaks, he becomes not interested and doesn't care if he finishes something or not. Last, help Nathan become organized with his homework. We could get a folder to place his finished homework in, color code homework or any lose papers, and use checklists. Another thing that may help is to set specific times and places of when he can work on his homework. Be consistent! This will help him see what he has to get done and will also allow a place to put his homework when finished. All of these strategies will help Nathan become productive and not be so bored. These strategies will also teach him discipline and allow him to work on fixing his problems.
4. How many students like Nathan will you likely have in your classes? Justify your response by summarizing the information from a link or reference (include the link/reference).
Dr. Russell Barkley states, in a classroom containing 30 students, 1-3 students will have ADHD. He also expresses boys are diagnosed 3 times more than girls. Children with ADD will
affected emotional development and will slow them down to match children that are younger. One-fourth of those children with ADHD will suffer serious learning disabilities. He also states, some children who have ADHD will exhibit problems with people who have authority. They will also be likely of skipping school more frequent, dropping out of school, or having to repeat another school year. (http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/1443/13716/addadhd-statistics/)
He seems to have the symptoms of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) focusing on inattention disorder. Those symptoms include, fails to finish tests or quizzes, rarely completes written exercises, easily distracted, frequently loses or misplaces homework, and has trouble staying organized.
2. What accommodations has Nathan received in the past?
They discovered Nathan had a learning disability when he was in the second grade. He received special attention by being placed in the resource room away from the other students. He was also placed on drugs to help calm him down. It also seems to me that they set Nathan up on an IEP.
3. What strategies would you recommend to help Nathan work with his learning disability? Why?
Some strategies I think would benefit Nathan would be to first communicate with other teachers and schools. This is where I believe an IEP may help. It would help each teacher have the same understanding and would also help Nathan set goals and reach to achieve them. With Nathan, it is important to plan ahead and include Nathan in the process. Listen to what he has to say and work with him closely. Another strategy that could work is to develop a behavior plan that incorporates a reward system. Third, limit distractability by seating Nathan away from doorways, windows, pets or other distracting things. This will help Nathan to stay focused more on the important things. Incorporate movement into the lessons, don't just have writing activities. Allowing movement will help Nathan to have enjoyment as well as allows him to physically get his wiggles out. Write down specific tasks or information so he can easily see it and reference back to it in case he forgets or needs reminding. Allow frequent breaks. Divide assignments into little chunks instead or working on it all at once. When Nathan doesn't get breaks, he becomes not interested and doesn't care if he finishes something or not. Last, help Nathan become organized with his homework. We could get a folder to place his finished homework in, color code homework or any lose papers, and use checklists. Another thing that may help is to set specific times and places of when he can work on his homework. Be consistent! This will help him see what he has to get done and will also allow a place to put his homework when finished. All of these strategies will help Nathan become productive and not be so bored. These strategies will also teach him discipline and allow him to work on fixing his problems.
4. How many students like Nathan will you likely have in your classes? Justify your response by summarizing the information from a link or reference (include the link/reference).
Dr. Russell Barkley states, in a classroom containing 30 students, 1-3 students will have ADHD. He also expresses boys are diagnosed 3 times more than girls. Children with ADD will
affected emotional development and will slow them down to match children that are younger. One-fourth of those children with ADHD will suffer serious learning disabilities. He also states, some children who have ADHD will exhibit problems with people who have authority. They will also be likely of skipping school more frequent, dropping out of school, or having to repeat another school year. (http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/1443/13716/addadhd-statistics/)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Course Review #2
1. What are you doing well?
I am doing well with writing down what I need to do. I am doing well at keeping record of what is done and what still needs to be accomplished. My organization skills have gotten better. I am doing better at studying the material and finding connections to help me remember what I have learned. I am doing well with using graphic organizers to help me remember what I read and what I have learned about in class.
2. What are you not doing well?
I am still having trouble finding time to read everything in the chapters. I am seeing myself save the reading for the last minute because I do not have any time.
3. Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?
I feel I am doing pretty well at accomplishing my goals. I am going to class every day, I am actually taking a step in my learning by really paying attention, and working hard to understand the material presented. The goal that I feel I am doing the best in is using my calendar to help keep me better organized.
4. List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals.
Specific things I feel needs to be changed in order for me to meet my goals more accurately is setting a time where I read the chapters. I need to start reading the chapters earlier on rather than saving it right before the test. I have noticed it is more overwhelming. Another thing I noticed I need to change is my mind set on the study guides. I need to focus and really think about the thought questions. I have notice this helps me on the test and so I need to work harder to answer them with more detail.
5. How is your motivation? Are you focusing on mastery or performance goals? Does anything need to change?
I would say I still have good motivation. I am really enjoying this class and so my self-motivation is helping a lot. I have interest in what we are learning about and the activities we do in class have a lot to do with my interest in the subject. I am wavering more to focusing on my mastery goals. I know I struggle with the mind frame of getting something done and then I do not have to worry about it anymore. However, after taking this last test, I really got to see how well I did by taking the information I learned and studied into doing well and remembering it forever. For me to still do well with my goals, I need to review them more frequently and remind myself what I want to get out of this class and what I need to do better in on doing that.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Social and Moral Development Case Study
1. The second paragraph lists a number of strategies that Ms. Knowles and Ms. Brophy have tried to teach social skills. Which one do you think might be most effective and why?
I think the most effective way to teach social skills is demonstrated by the first example where the outgoing child asks the more reserved child to play. I think this is the most important because it is working with two different type of students. One child is very social and does not get intimidated or scared to ask another child to do something. The other child is shy and is nervous about what others think of him or her. With the more outgoing child asking the reserved child to play, it will give them more confidence that someone does like them. This situation is similar to working with children in the classroom. As teachers, we often place the more advanced students with the less advanced due to getting the assignment done and learning from the other person, overcoming fear, having the motivation to succeed, and developing a friend. They work together well because they are there to help each other. They also learn well from each other because each has something different to offer.
2. The teachers occasionally use storybooks to promote discussions about social skills and making friends. How might children's literature also help them resolve one of Erikson's stages of psychosocial development?
Children connect well with storybooks because they can visually see what is happening. They see the different situations and they see the ending result. They are also entertained and involved in the storybook because it is enjoyable and fun. Children's literature would help resolve a child's problem with Trust v. Mistrust. In the story they see how a child may be feeling and at first they may mistrust the situation or the person. The children can recall and connect their past experiences as well as their feelings at the moment. As they continue to read the story, they can see the steps the character in the book took to overcome mistrust. They realized in order to trust, the environment must be safe and that their needs will be supported by others. Children learn by observing others. In a way the character in the book is like a real person. The child observes what is normal and what is the best way to go throughout life. They notice by trusting people, they can succeed and they will be able to accomplish tasks. If they do not trust, they will digress and their progression in class, or the in situation, will be limited.
3. How might children's literature help them develop moral reasoning?
Children's literature helps them develop moral reasoning by using question and answers on what moral reasoning is. A good example of this would occur after reading a story to the class. The teacher would then have a discussion with her students and ask them how they felt throughout the story. They would also bring to attention important situations such as cheating in school, lying, stealing and ask them what is the right thing to do. The teacher recognizes what the character in the book did and then asks her students if that was the right thing to do or was there another way this could have been handled. The teacher is helping her students develop moral reasoning by helping them identify what is right and wrong. After seeing the situation and answering the question, the students then take what they have learned into real life and practice what they have learned.
4. The teachers read the children a letter they claim has been written by their friend Mr. Stone. What are potential cognitive, social, and moral advantages of this strategy? Incorporate ideas from Chapters 3 and 4 in your response.
This is a great strategy because it brings in an account of a real life experience. Although the story may not be true, it does happen frequently to children in school. The children in the class can relate to Mr. Stone's daughter and can see what they can do to change the way they are feeling. As they discuss this subject they grow a bond that connects them as a class as well as friends. They are able to answer the questions honestly and those that are shy or scared are able to connect and recognize what it is the other students in the class expect or what they believe. Everybody in the class feels included and important and that is one of the most important skills to develop in a classroom. The potential cognitive advantages are the children are able to process the problem and think of the conclusions. They are able to think about what it is other students want or feel and in return are able to fix the situation. The advantages of social is the children see what it is that their other classmates do not accept. For example, Liam is too much of a bully and is does not have many, if any, friends. The teachers connected this to the letter they read to the students. They point everybody is working on something. They mention that Liam is working on how to make friends. This letter was a good stepping stone for the children to recognize that Liam wants to belong and have friends as well as gives Liam an opportunity to socially connect with his fellow classmates. Some moral advantages are the students can see bullying is not right. They are also seeing that belonging is something everybody wants. This strategy allows the students to see that although another student may have problems with socially connecting with others, doesn't mean that they do not have the tendencies to do good. They see that morally being rude is wrong but they also realize that that person may be working on their problem. All of these examples show Erickson's theories. People do go through different stages in life and we all have the same goal in the end.
I think the most effective way to teach social skills is demonstrated by the first example where the outgoing child asks the more reserved child to play. I think this is the most important because it is working with two different type of students. One child is very social and does not get intimidated or scared to ask another child to do something. The other child is shy and is nervous about what others think of him or her. With the more outgoing child asking the reserved child to play, it will give them more confidence that someone does like them. This situation is similar to working with children in the classroom. As teachers, we often place the more advanced students with the less advanced due to getting the assignment done and learning from the other person, overcoming fear, having the motivation to succeed, and developing a friend. They work together well because they are there to help each other. They also learn well from each other because each has something different to offer.
2. The teachers occasionally use storybooks to promote discussions about social skills and making friends. How might children's literature also help them resolve one of Erikson's stages of psychosocial development?
Children connect well with storybooks because they can visually see what is happening. They see the different situations and they see the ending result. They are also entertained and involved in the storybook because it is enjoyable and fun. Children's literature would help resolve a child's problem with Trust v. Mistrust. In the story they see how a child may be feeling and at first they may mistrust the situation or the person. The children can recall and connect their past experiences as well as their feelings at the moment. As they continue to read the story, they can see the steps the character in the book took to overcome mistrust. They realized in order to trust, the environment must be safe and that their needs will be supported by others. Children learn by observing others. In a way the character in the book is like a real person. The child observes what is normal and what is the best way to go throughout life. They notice by trusting people, they can succeed and they will be able to accomplish tasks. If they do not trust, they will digress and their progression in class, or the in situation, will be limited.
3. How might children's literature help them develop moral reasoning?
Children's literature helps them develop moral reasoning by using question and answers on what moral reasoning is. A good example of this would occur after reading a story to the class. The teacher would then have a discussion with her students and ask them how they felt throughout the story. They would also bring to attention important situations such as cheating in school, lying, stealing and ask them what is the right thing to do. The teacher recognizes what the character in the book did and then asks her students if that was the right thing to do or was there another way this could have been handled. The teacher is helping her students develop moral reasoning by helping them identify what is right and wrong. After seeing the situation and answering the question, the students then take what they have learned into real life and practice what they have learned.
4. The teachers read the children a letter they claim has been written by their friend Mr. Stone. What are potential cognitive, social, and moral advantages of this strategy? Incorporate ideas from Chapters 3 and 4 in your response.
This is a great strategy because it brings in an account of a real life experience. Although the story may not be true, it does happen frequently to children in school. The children in the class can relate to Mr. Stone's daughter and can see what they can do to change the way they are feeling. As they discuss this subject they grow a bond that connects them as a class as well as friends. They are able to answer the questions honestly and those that are shy or scared are able to connect and recognize what it is the other students in the class expect or what they believe. Everybody in the class feels included and important and that is one of the most important skills to develop in a classroom. The potential cognitive advantages are the children are able to process the problem and think of the conclusions. They are able to think about what it is other students want or feel and in return are able to fix the situation. The advantages of social is the children see what it is that their other classmates do not accept. For example, Liam is too much of a bully and is does not have many, if any, friends. The teachers connected this to the letter they read to the students. They point everybody is working on something. They mention that Liam is working on how to make friends. This letter was a good stepping stone for the children to recognize that Liam wants to belong and have friends as well as gives Liam an opportunity to socially connect with his fellow classmates. Some moral advantages are the students can see bullying is not right. They are also seeing that belonging is something everybody wants. This strategy allows the students to see that although another student may have problems with socially connecting with others, doesn't mean that they do not have the tendencies to do good. They see that morally being rude is wrong but they also realize that that person may be working on their problem. All of these examples show Erickson's theories. People do go through different stages in life and we all have the same goal in the end.
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