What is Learning: I thought this weeks ideas were exciting. I think it is better for the students if we can get their attention and present them with a challenge that they can receive an intrinsic satisfaction from. I enjoy learning new things so I already have an intrinsic value in what I have to do. I know that it is sometimes not fun if the task is too hard like some math (for me) or if I have to rush to get the assignment done. In either of those cases I am not sure if I learn the material or just complete the assignment. As a society we will have accomplished a great task if we could instill in all students an intrinsic value for learning.
How is Learning best effectuated by a teacher: According to this weeks readings we need to get the attention of the students or arouse their curiosity. I try to do that with an anticipatory set. I liked the ARCS +V model presented by Keller. The material we present needs to be relevant to their lives. I use guided practice to help the students to have the confidence they can do the work. I have slacked on the satisfaction area. I use to have a place where I would display a perfect paper. I need to start that again because I think it made the students feel good when their paper was on the board. Most students at the secondary level will not take the work home to their parents even if you encourage them to do so. I like the idea of volition. It seems to me that today some kids leave it up to the teacher to make sure they are doing their work or making up what they miss when absent. I think each student needs to track their own progress in learning. I think this year I will use a blog for each type of class I teach, and I will blog each day what we did. Maybe then the kids will just look for themselves get what they need and take a little responsibility for getting their work done.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Week 6
What is Learning: According to Piaget learning is different from cognitive development. Kids will go through four stages of development until they are able to think in abstract terms around age 11-12 years. Learning is "provoked by situations", meaningful and applicable situations.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher: Of course you have to realize the development stage of the students you are trying to teach. Piaget also stated that there are three types of knowledge: physical, social, and abstract. I work with junior kids who love to be social. It works well to have students work together in pairs, or team teach one another. It also helps to add the physical action of completing a task in what you are learning. I love what Piaget said, "to know is to act on it". We want our students to act on what they are learning in our classes and transfer that knowledge to other areas in school or in their lives.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher: Of course you have to realize the development stage of the students you are trying to teach. Piaget also stated that there are three types of knowledge: physical, social, and abstract. I work with junior kids who love to be social. It works well to have students work together in pairs, or team teach one another. It also helps to add the physical action of completing a task in what you are learning. I love what Piaget said, "to know is to act on it". We want our students to act on what they are learning in our classes and transfer that knowledge to other areas in school or in their lives.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Week 5
What is learning: I really enjoyed the reading on the restaurant and shopping schema more so than the prison/wrestling, or music/cards experiment. It is true that people have a mental image of what a place is suppose to look like and what goes on there. In a kitchen we would assume that there would be pots, pans, plates, and forks, unless of course it belonged to a 18 year old just starting out in life. I know that I learn better when I incorporate new information into a cognitive image that is already there.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher: What I tried to do in this weeks lesson was to have the students get an mental image of the topic I was going to address, and used an exploration exercise to get the students to incorporate the new topic into the old. I used tools that the students were already familiar with and showed them were they are in the new environment. I hope my lesson will be useful to orientate my students to the Office 2007 working environment.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher: What I tried to do in this weeks lesson was to have the students get an mental image of the topic I was going to address, and used an exploration exercise to get the students to incorporate the new topic into the old. I used tools that the students were already familiar with and showed them were they are in the new environment. I hope my lesson will be useful to orientate my students to the Office 2007 working environment.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Week 4
What is learning: Learning is transferring rote (new) learning into our cognitive structure. What we learn depends on our mental state, what we know, and our observation strategies. Young children learn quickly by observation. New knowledge that is incorporated depends on our effort, quantity, and quality of cognitive structure. I agree with the author that some of it depends on our effort to learn the new material.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teachers: The article by Novak mentioned using advanced organizers such as the knowledge Vee and concept maps. Teachers need to use such tools to help students avoid learning faulty information. I liked the statement Novak made on page 554, that "hands on is not enough...need minds on". Three pages later Novak goes on to say that only the learner can choose to learn meaningfully, to consciously and deliberately reconstruct his/her framework(p. 557).
Near the end of the Novak article he states that a good teacher does not remediate faulty misconceptions. He describes his course for remediation:
1. Progressive differentiations
2. Subsumption - new info builds on old
3. Superordinate - several cpncepts recognize subconcepts
4. Integrative reconciliation - similiar or differences of knowledge
One thing I know for sure is that it is very hard to unlearn faulty information and relearn the correct information. I have seen this many times with bad keyboarding techniques. Generally these students are not willing to give up the old to learn a better way. It is best if we can help them learn correct information from the start.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teachers: The article by Novak mentioned using advanced organizers such as the knowledge Vee and concept maps. Teachers need to use such tools to help students avoid learning faulty information. I liked the statement Novak made on page 554, that "hands on is not enough...need minds on". Three pages later Novak goes on to say that only the learner can choose to learn meaningfully, to consciously and deliberately reconstruct his/her framework(p. 557).
Near the end of the Novak article he states that a good teacher does not remediate faulty misconceptions. He describes his course for remediation:
1. Progressive differentiations
2. Subsumption - new info builds on old
3. Superordinate - several cpncepts recognize subconcepts
4. Integrative reconciliation - similiar or differences of knowledge
One thing I know for sure is that it is very hard to unlearn faulty information and relearn the correct information. I have seen this many times with bad keyboarding techniques. Generally these students are not willing to give up the old to learn a better way. It is best if we can help them learn correct information from the start.
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