Social Cognitivism Case Study - Elementary

1. The strategies that Mr. Corbet uses to teach his students appropriate school behavior are most consistent with which two theories/theorists that we have learned about so far this semester? Justify your response.

I noticed that Mr. Corbet used Kohlberg's preconventional reasoning as well as Behavioral theory. As for Kohlberg, his students are showing little internalization dealing with their moral values. The kindergartners obey all of the rules. They are always in search for pleasing the teacher and is tyring to stay away from being punished. When Mindy broke Jonathon's crayon, he thought it was something that she should be punished for. He did not know the difference between an action that needs punishing and actions that do not. He was following the theories idea of "following the laws".

I also think classical conditioning is being used by Mr. Corbet which is behavioral theory. He uses a whistle to get the attention of the students. He is trying them to behave the way he wants and with this is teaching his students classical conditioning. If his students hear the whistle, it means they are doing something wrong. Another thing that follows this theory is when the students hear about recess, they automatically get excited and behave the right way. Many teachers use similar strategies, so the students had prior knowledge and experience of the whistle and recess.

2. Describe one incident in the case study that represents vicarious reinforcement. Explain your reasoning.

The students use vicarious reinforcement when they are to get in line to go outside. Mr. Corbet encourages his students to walk to the line instead of running. When the students are being called to come to the line, Mindy observes the behavior she should be using. Also, the students all notice which tables got to line up first because of their behavior. This would be considered positive reinforcement. These students that were able to line up first are more likely to show this behavior again because they know what happens if they do and they are also pleasing their teacher.

3. Describe one incident in the case study that represents vicarious punishment. Explain your reasoning.

An example of this type of punishment happens when Mindy observes the teacher blowing the whistle at some students misbehaving. From Mindy's observation, she is less likely going to misbehave on the playground because she saw the consequence of the students misbehaving by getting talked to by Mr. Corbet. She doesn't want that to happen to her.

4. Do you think Mindy has low or high self-efficacy with regard to appropriate kindergarten behavior? Justify your response with examples from the case.

I think that Mindy has a low self-efficacy regarding to her kindergarten behavior. Mindy didn't know what was happening in the class and would follow the behavior of her classmates to react to something. She only know what recess was by observing others. The class showed excitement about recess so in return Mindy became excited and curious of what caused this enjoyment. In order for Mindy to do something is follows what others are doing. She is unsure of what is really happening and what she is suppose to do. This comes in handy for her by having an understanding of how not to act. She noticed in order not to get the whistle blown at her, she has to be good and stay out of trouble.

Behaviorism Case Study

1. Is Haley's fear of men most likely due to classical or operant conditioning? Justify your response (yes, it will all be hypothetical as we do not have enough information in this case) using terminology, definitions, and examples.

I would say that Haley's fear of men is most likely due to classical conditioning. Haley's reaction is an emotional reaction any time she is around men or has thoughts of men. Haley's conditioned stimulus is she is afraid of men. Her conditioned response is she becomes hysterical. Her unconditioned stimulus is also she is afraid of men and her unconditioned response is she will not go to violin lessons (or anywhere she knows there will be a man there).

2. How might you explain Meredith's aggressive behaviors from the perspective of operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning is voluntary and so with that said, Meredith knows the outcomes of her behaviors. So when she becomes aggressive she knows what will be the ending result. Meredith always beats up on Haley and she continues to do that because she knows that Haley will do whatever she wants her to do. She has the control. Another example, is when she was throwing a fit because she wanted to wear her pop star outfit. Her mother gives in and will not say no, so again by acting out, Meredith gets her way. Growing up, Meredith has observed in order to get what she wants she has to act out and misbehave. She has learned and realized nobody will stop her and so she will always get her way.

3. What strategies from Behavioral theory might a teacher use in working with Haley? Be specific and describe how each strategy could be used.

Haley is a very complex girl and is experiencing a difficult situation. One of the best things that would work for her is shaping. Since this is a difficult task we are working with we would want to take baby steps instead of trying to solve this problem at full force. I also think the positive and negative reinforcers could work. I would try the token economy for the positive reinforcer. When she accomplishes a goal or a task she would get rewarded. For instance, you could mix that in with negative reinforcement by taking away a part of an assignment if she goes to her violin lessons. In this case we are taking away something she doesn't want to do which is negative and encouraging her go to her music class. Haley and her teacher could also fill out a contingency contract where Haley and her teacher will sit down and Haley will agree on certain behaviors, which the teacher agrees with and then the teacher will agree to provide what is necessary. There are several different roads you could experience with Haley.

4. What strategies from Behavioral theory might a teacher use in working with Meredith? Be specific and describe how each strategy could be used.

I believe Meredith is lacking something in her personal life, maybe the feeling of love. Some children act out because there is something missing and they are trying to replace it or get noticed. This pertains to Meredith. I believe the best strategy that would work for Meredith is following the schedule of reinforcement. I would start out with continuous reinforcement by smiling at her and letting her know when she is doing something right. This will allow her to feel good about herself. I would then gradually change the schedule. Meredith likes having her way and so she would eventually realize this is something she wants and she will seek for that approval.

Another thing that may work with her is a contingency contract. I would do both a group contract as well as a individual contract. This will allow the class to show management and will place more pressure on the students to do what is right. As for the individual, this is great because Meredith likes having what she wants. The teacher and her will be able to sit down and come up with tasks she is willing to work on and the teacher can put that into action. This will allow her to feel a part in her development and will help the teacher to hopefully see change.

Course Contract Review #3

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.

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.

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!

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/)