Reflection Journal EDAT 6115

Chapter Eleven Reflection Description Effective behavior management strategies allow teachers to maintain control of the behavior in their classrooms and allow for learning to take place. Analysis      Knowing proper techniques to manage behavior in the classroom is a vital tool that educators need. It is important to have strategies in place when responding to certain behaviors. Keeping students interested and engaged helps to prevent misbehavior. "The most effective approach to classroom management is effective instruction.  Students who are participating in well-structured activities that engage their interests, who are highly motivated to learn, and who are working on tasks that are challenging yet within their capabilities rarely pose any serious management problems" (Slavin, 2015). It is more important to consider engaged time and how that time is used  than the actual time on the clock.  The allocated time in a school day should be used ...

Chapter Nine Reflection Description      Effective instruction should include differentiation in instruction in order to meet the multiple learning needs of students. This differentiation accommodates high level learners as well as at risk learners. Analysis      It is important for teachers to be able to adapt instruction to meet the different levels of learners. Educational psychologist, John Carroll, published an articled titled "A Model of School Learning". Slavin adapted the model to one he calls the QAIT model. The model stands for quality, appropriateness, incentive and time. Each element must exist in order for effective instruction to occur. In order to accommodate the differing abilities in learners, research has proven that "in class" grouping has more positive effects than between class grouping that segregates the low level learners from the high achieving learners." Accommodating instruction to student differences, or heterogene...

Chapter Eight Reflection Description      Constructivist learning is a student centered form of instruction that provides critical thinking opportunities where students have to solve problems and perform tasks. These opportunities are student led and the teacher only serves as an assistant. Analysis      It is important for students to not just learn from memory but be provided with opportunities where they must construct knowledge on their own. "For students to really understand and be able to apply knowledge, they must work to solve problems, to discover things for themselves, to wrestle with ideas" (Slavin, 2015, p.190). Constructivist theories of learning are based on this premise. This theory is based on findings from Piaget and Vygotsky. Children are expected to work together to solve problems and test rules. Although they might be working slightly above or below their level, it is within their zone of promial development and proven to be be...

Chapter Seven Reflection Description      Direct Instruction was the focus for this chapter. This is a form of teaching where the teacher presents clear, concise lessons that are structured and full of examples and visual prompts. Analysis         "The term direct instruction is used to describe lessons in which you transmit information directly to students, structuring class time to reach a clearly defined set of objectives as efficiently as possible" (Slavin, 2015, p.162). This type of instruction is found to be most effective when teaching specific skills that a student needs to master rather than exploration type learning. Most researchers agree that an effective direct instruction lesson follows the same sequence; "I Do, You Do, We Do". The type of structure that the lesson follows is dependent on the age of the student. With older students and more advanced skills, the lesson may take several days to teach. With younger stud...

Chapter Six Reflection Description This week's reading introduced the different theories of information processes. There are different types of learning and ways to process information. This chapter discusses brain research and how to make classroom knowledge meaningful to students. Analysis Brain research has led to discoveries that certain parts of the brain process certain types of information. Humans have information entering our minds constantly throughout every day. Some information is rapidly forgotten where other information stays with us our entire lives. Learning theorists have researched the brain and have many theories regarding the reason we forget things and why we retain things. The dominant model of learning processes is Atkinson–Shiffrin model of information processing. This model has three main components: sensory register, working (short term) memory, and long term memory. Working memory is what is considered to be the "thinking" portion of...

Chapter Five Reflection Description      This week's reading and discussion was from Chapter Five. The focus for this week's reading was on Behavioral and Social Theories of Learning. Learning depends on experience and feedback from the environment. Productive teachers will adapt these theories in their classroom to produce adequate learners. Analysis      "Learning is usually defined as a change in an individual caused by experience"(Slavin, 2015 p.100). Learning can be intentional or acquired through experience. It is a process that occurs daily and in many ways.      In the late 19th century, researchers began studying how people and animals learn. One of those researchers was a Russian scientist named Ivan Pavlov. Through the study of the digestive process in dogs, Pavlov developed the theory of classical conditioning. This theory discovered unconditioned stimulus where a response occurred automatically witho...