Course Contract #4

What are you doing well?

I feel that at this point, I did much better keeping up with assignments and staying organized. I felt much better at the end of the semester when I had all of my "required" work completed before the due date.

What are you not doing well?

Though I kept everything organized on paper, I don't personally feel that I kept everything "organized" in my head. Or probably better said, my automaticity on the things that I have learned I feel needs much work. Example, our final test, I studied for it, then I freaked and blacked out on the final. Where as, if I worked on staying and keeping organized mentally, I probably would have felt more comfortable while taking the final.

Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?

I feel that with my overall goals from the start of the semester that I did make sufficient and worthwhile progress. Though, I feel that I am only hitting the tip of the iceberg,

List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals

As I continue with my education and go on to teaching, I feel it imperative to continue working on the goals that I have imposed on myself. Even retailoring them to other classes and my profession. I need to continue to learn about educational psychology so that I will better understand my students and which stages they are going through and so forth. The better that I understand the psychological mind set of my students, the better I will be able to educate them and help them become more effective learners.

Personal Learning Theory

What?

According to the results of my test, my learning theory is more like Bruner. Whom talks about a "Community of Learners."

• Piaget's Cognitive Development -
• Vygotsky's Cognitive Development -
• Erikson's Psychosocial Development -
• Kohlberg's Moral Development -
• Goleman's Emotional Intelligence
• Information Processing
• Knowledge Construction and Higher-order thinking
• Behaviorism
• Social Cognitivism
• Group and Individual Differences
• Motivation

So what?

This is a tougher one than I thought it was going to be. I believe that people learn from what is around them, their culture and family settings. I would have to say that I am in agreement with Bruner & Vygotsky. People learn from what they experience in their lives. Everyone is different. My views and they way I learned things growing up is totally different from the guys next to me. This could be argued that this is some type of cultural lens, though, doesn't our culture have a great effect on the way we learn? I know that it had effected the way I learn. At the same token, looking at it through a different perspective, I am a person that learns through modeling, and watching somebody do it first. Then I follow. Again, everyone learns differently, though I strongly feel that a person's cultural influence effects the way that they learn and view different aspects of life.

Now what?

(1)How will your theory translate into teaching strategies in your future classroom?

I feel that the way that I view how people learn will benefit my students greatly. By understanding where they come from and by knowing that everyone learns differently will help me better realize my students strengths and weaknesses. What might be easier for one student, might very well be difficult for another, in this instance I would need to realize that I would either have to teach the concept a different way, or help that student individually. At the same time, I need to stay on my toes and continue to educate myself in my field. The more that I know as an educator, the more effective I will in teaching, and adapting my lessons to cater to different learning styles.

(2) What are the next steps for you to take in including topics in Ed Psych that you would like to learn more about and areas in which you need to improve

Even though I have learned a great deal about Educational Psychology, I know that I still have much more to improve on. I would say that my next step would be to actually make a list on this aspects that I would like to improve on, once this is done, I would like to actually implement a plan on how I could use it either in my daily activities or in my future classroom and then put them into practice. I feel that one of the best ways to learn and retain something is to actually do it & put it into practice.

Multiple Intelligence Project

According to Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Survey, my strongest intelligence is Music. Which I was hoping would be the outcome since I am a musician. To integrate this with my Multiple Intelligences Project, I decided to use a little bit of technology and create a Jeopardy game which would incorporate questions covering material that a music class would typically cover. I like this project because in a classroom setting, I strongly feel that it would encourage collaborative learning. To play this game, which could easily be used as a review for whichever unit you are doing, the class needs to be split into two different groups. As the groups take turns, and are presented a question, they would need to collaborate to decide on an answer. This helps with retrieval or distributed practice if using this for a review of some sort. Hopefully, it would also help with the automaticity of the students knowledge. In short, I believe that this is a fun, yet very effective way to review material with your students and get away from the every day monotonous rigors of classroom life.

Course Contract #3

What are you doing well?

Well, up to date I feel that I have caught up with my assignments. Which I feel is a very good thing & a huge weight off of my shoulders! I have been doing so much better about getting my reading done & staying a bit more organized. It is so much easier to get things done when you are organized!

What are you not doing well?

Even though I am doing better at staying organized, I am not doing that great of a job of sticking to the study plan that I set up for myself at the beginning of the semester. Eventhough I am getting things done, it is not done on the days that I said it would happen,thus.... I find myself playing catchup. Like today, it is a Saturday & I am here with a list of things to do playing catchup. When in retrospect, many things on my list should have already been completed.

Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?

I feel that yes I am making progress. Sufficient progress? I would say sufficient but not significant.

List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals

- Now that I am staying a bit more organized, I now need to stick to my schedule.

- I need to stop letting myself get behind,

Chapter 10 Case Study Analysis

1. Which teacher in the scenario demonstrates vicarious reinforcement? Justify your response with an example from the case study.

I would say that Ms. Yamashita demonstrates vicarious reinforcement. The reason I say this is that she praised Robin when she found out about her concept map. By doing this, the other students pick up that doing concept maps are good & the teacher like them. This could very well encourage the other students in the class to follow suit.

2. Is Mr. Kessinger considering reciprocal causation in his class? Explain your response, including all aspects of reciprocal causation in your reasoning.

I don't believe that he is. First of all, reciprocal causation entails environment, behavior, & personal variables. By yelling at Robin about creating a concept map & wanting to learn, he is creating a bad learning environment, not only just for her, but for other students as well. He is teaching them that if they take notes, they will get in trouble. Now, don't we as educators want our students to take notes & create such things as concept maps? This would be a good behavior, this is what we want our students to do. He is essentially disciplining his students for having good behavior. Also, by doing this he is really affecting Robin's & his students self efficacy, (personal variable)

3. Which self-regulated learning process is Robin engaging in when she creates her concept maps? Explain your reasoning.

This one I feel could probably go a couple of different way. Though for this question, I am going to go with Solicitation of outside help when needed. Robin is not trying to do everything on her own. She realized that she needed help so she makes a concept map & takes notes on what other students are saying. She wants their input to help her complete her goals of learning the material. She is not afraid to listen to others to help learn the material any which way she can.

4. How do you think Robin's self-efficacy has been affected by this experience. Be specific about which self-efficacies have been affected and justify your response with examples from the case study.

Her self efficacy in my opinion has been affected greatly. Before she had the run in with old man Kessinger, I believe that he self efficacy was at a high level. She is studying, doing well & learning. Though, after the run in, he pretty much shoots down her confidence & even though she did something good (concept map) & demonstrated good behavior, she was punished. Now, when she goes to her other class & the teacher praises her for her good behavior, she still thinks that she did something terribly wrong & took off crying. So even her resilience of self efficacy has been effected. She is having trouble completing successful tasks after experiencing a serious set back.

Chapter 3 Case Study Analysis

1. From a social development standpoint, how might we explain Laura's preoccupation with her appearance? In particular, consider this statement by Laura: "I don't want people to think I'm a geek!" Include information from Erikson's theory and social development in general in your response.

From where I stand, it seems like Laura is in the "Identity vs Role" stage in Erickson's theory of psychological development. She seems to be very self conscious about her appearance not wanting to be considered a "geek." She spends the time in front of the mirror making sure every last hair is in place, etc. She is still trying to find out who she is and where she fits in.

2. In suggesting that Laura join the debating class, Ms. Watkins is hoping to pique an interest in classroom subject matter by capitalizing on Laura's desire to be the center of attention. What two other strategies might the school faculty use to motivate students who seem to be more interested in social matters than in academic pursuits?

Well, one thing the faculty could do is encourage the students to serve on the student council. Here, the students have a voice where they can be heard. Another thing that could be done is they could encourage the students do participate in athletics. Here, the students are at the center of everyone, all eyes are on them. Plus, as they participate in athletics, they need to keep their academics up, so this could also be used as a motivator.

3. From the perspective of Kohlberg's theory, in which stage of moral development is Laura? Justify your response. How might Mr. Marcalescu help Laura to advance her moral reasoning?

I feel that Laura could very well be in stage 4 of Kohlberg's theory. The Law & Order stage. You see, Laura knows that there are rules that govern society. There is a right & a wrong. She know's that essentially, pollution is bad for our society. So by making everyone walk everyone, there is no pollution from automobiles. So her solution? Take away everyone's car. Then nobody can drive & problem solved. Though she neglects to look at the needs of our society. One way Mr. Marcalescu could help is that he could help her realize the needs of our society and how we could still have laws that could help the pollution problem, but also fill the needs of our society.

4. In what ways might a debating class contribute to students' cognitive, linguistic, social, and moral development?

A debating class definitely stretches the cognitive abilities of the students. It makes them think at a fast pace. In the linguistic sense, it also gets there mind going at a quick pace to thing of the right words to say to be able to get their point across. As far as their social and moral development go, debating with other students promotes social development. Talking and debating different topics with their opens up their minds to other points of views that they might not have thought of before. By doing this, their moral views on different subjects could be shaped and become more mature.

Chapter 9 Case Study Analysis

Chapter 9 Questions:

1. Does Mr. Kessinger's class represent a community of learners as defined in Ch. 7? Why or why not?

Mr. Kessinger does not represent a community of learners in his classroom. In a community of learners, the teacher & the students work together to help one another learn. Kessinger doesn't really seem to want to help at all. Instead of yelling at Robin about her notes, he should encourage her & want her to share with the class.

2. Does Mr. Kessinger utilize presentation punishment or removal punishment with Robin? Justify your response.

This one made me think. Though, I would have to say that he utilized presentation punishment. He scolded Robin for using a concept map. This in turn lead to a reduction in her behavior & her confidence. I say this because after she was scolded, she went from being presumebly happy & taking her notes to just putting her head down & not doing anything the rest of the class period. Plus, when she went to her other class, she was very unconfident when the teacher asked her a question to the point where she left the class crying.

3. Explain Robin's reaction in Ms. Yamashita's class from the perspective of classical conditioning.

Robin's reaction was greatly affected by the way old man Kessinger got after her. She is now association Kessinger towering over her desk & yelling at her with fear & that she has doing something wrong. Now, when another teachers comes over to her desk, it doesn't matter what the teacher is asking, she immediately associates that with fear & that she has done something wrong.

4. How might Ms. Yamashita encourage Robin to create concept maps in the future? Include behavioral concepts such as shaping, reinforcement, etc., in your response.

Well, she could let Robin know that by creating a concept map, it helps her as a student organize her thinking, this being able to learn more effectively. This could be considered as shaping, by positively reinforcing this, this could very well help Robin decide to continue to create concept maps to help her study more effectively throughout her educational career. She could also encourage her by letting the class know that they could learn from Robin's idea to create a concept map.

Chapter 6 Case Study Analysis

Case 1: Mr. West wants his students to truly understand Civil War battles. He engages the help of a local Historical Re-enactment Society and assigns each of his students to the Union or Confederate side. His students join the re-enactors from 7:00am-7:00pm for a full day of activities which include a long march (complete with rudimentary battle gear), setting up camp, cooking over campfires, scouting territory, and engaging in a historically representative battle.

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?
After participating in this activity, I feel that the students will remember much more than the students who just read a text book. When one simply reads a text book, you are only getting one of the senses involved, & more than likely you would want to use some type of learning method to help one learn & remember the concept being learning. Such as, rehearsal, visual imagery, elaboration, etc. Thought, the student participating in the activity in a sense are actually "doing." They are getting themselves involved actually doing what the soldiers did. This in my opionion gets more of the senses involved & more of your motor skills. Your brain is more likely going to remember something you actually did, vs something you just read in a book. Not to say that reading the text is band, though actually "doing" when at all possible I feel would be more beneficial.
2. How does Mr. West’s use of a Civil War re-enactment engage students’ emotions? What is the relationship between emotions and learning?
Well, it invokes the process of meaningful learning, As the students are able to recognize something that they may already know about the subject. Once they begin to do the reenactment, they are able to relate to things. Though, if they feel something for the subject at hand, if it touches them in a way or if they can relate it to something, they would be able to grasp that information better. Because once they have a connection to something, they are more likely to be more interested in it, thus wanting to learn more about it. It peaks there interest, which is always a good thing.
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?
As a follow up, you could quite possibly have the students do their own re-enactment. Or quite possible have them interview a family member, or someone they know that has been in a war and present their finding to the class. Or, have the interviewed person come and speak to the class.

Case 2: Mr. Dunkin and Mr. Richards, teachers at the same school, are debating in the teacher’s lounge about who provides the best type of organization for the students’ learning. Mr. Dunkin lectures and assigns reading and chapter problems Mondays through Thursdays. On Fridays he gives a short answer exam. In Mr. Richards’ class the students never know what will take place on any given day until they arrive in class and look at a detailed outline of the hour’s activities on the chalkboard. His class engages in mix of role-plays, lecture, videos, group projects and demonstrations. Mr. Richards occasionally gives surprise quizzes and his unit tests can include true/false, multiple choice, short answer, or essay.

4. Who do you think provides better instruction for his students? Support your answer from an information processing perspective
I feel that Mr. Dunkin provides the better instruction. I only say this because I feel that the students would be better organized. During their cognitive processes, they would be better able to form categories, identify certain things and be able to find things better in their memories. Versus the other class who doesn't really know what to expect. When put on the spot, they might not be able to locate certain things in their memory since they wouldn't be as organized as the other students.
5. How would you expect the students’ learning outcomes to differ depending on which teacher they had?
I would dare say that Mr. Dunkins students would have learned better. They would be more organized and would probably be able to locate certain things in their memory much quicker, versus Mr. Richards class. Though, now that I think about it, I feel would have been a little bit more of a rote learning style. They don't really know what is going to happen, though when they get to class, they get a topic and they attach meaning to something without making sense to it first. Though, if they would have had time to prepare, they would know ahead of time, what they are attaching the information to.

Multiple Intelligence Project

I've realized that I never submitted my proposal!

For my multiple intelligence project, I would like to create a trivia game. It would be along the lines of "Jeopardy." I plan to create about 5 or so categories with about 5-10 questions (I have decided yet) in each category progressively getting hard as the possible points gets higher. The categories would be musical concepts, music history, music theory, etc. Things that we have discussed as a class. The class would be split into two groups, so that they can caucus together the possible answer, if they get the answer right, they get to take another turn. If they answer incorrectly, the other team will have a chance to answer the question for the points. This will essentially go on till all the questions have been answered. This could be used for a review for a test, or just a good way to lighten the mood in the classroom after a tough day, but still be going over the material.

Course Contract Review #2

What are you doing well?
I feel that I have been doing well with keeping up with most of my assignments. I have been trying not to get behind. Though, I feel that I have gotten behind a little bit. One thing that I do feel that I have been doing good at is asking my classmates questions when I do not understand a specific topic. Which I feel has helped me out a great deal.

What are you not doing well?
For one, I feel that I have gotten behind just a little bit with some assignments. It doesn't feel good to get behind, at all! You know that ugly feeling that you get when you know something hasn't gotten done? That would be the one. I have been good at reading, but I have lacked with the SQ4R study method that I have chosen. Also, I feel that I am not doing well at finishing my homework in a timely manner.

Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?
I do believe that I am making progress. We could say "sufficient" progress is being made, though I know that I could be doing much better.

List specific things you need to change in order to meet your goals.
- I need to get back on the SQ4R study method.
- I need to finish my homework in a timely manner.
- It is very important to not allow myself to get behind with assignments.
- Being better with my study habits overall to do better on my tests. Because I know I can do better than I did on this past test.
- I need to make these changes in order to accomplish what I want & need to in the class.

Ch 2 Case Study Analysis

1. From the perspective of Piaget's theory, in which stage of cognitive development is Laura? Justify your response.

I feel that Laura is currently in the Formal Operations Stage of Piaget’s theory. There are a couple of reasons why I say this.

In this stage of Piaget’s theory, adolescents have the ability to think of ways to make recommendations to change things that may seem very logical. Though in reality, they are very unpractical. For example, Laura thinks that getting rid of gasoline in our society and having everyone walk is a good idea. It seems very logical, but as Mr. Marculescu pushes, it is not very practical. Especially with elderly people or single mothers as he as pointed out.

Also, Piaget says that in this stage of development, that adolescents thoughts reflect formal operational egocentrism. Which is an inability to separate one’s own logical thoughts from the perspectives of others. Hence, her not being able to see eye to eye to Mr. Marculescu thoughts, she stated that he was being unreasonable.

2. How is Laura's reasoning affected by her knowledge base--that is, by what she does and doesn't know about pollution?

Well, Laura knows that pollution is indeed not a good thing. I feel that her reasoning is good in the sense that her heart is essentially in the right place with trying to reduce pollution by getting rid of gasoline. She realizes this as a problem, Though; she lacks the knowledge, or reasoning that this idea is not very practical. Though, in her mind it is the only way to go and she is a bit close minded in this sense. Her logic is correct and everyone else is being unreasonable. She’s being a bit ignorant in my opinion. At the same time, I feel that this also might be because of the stage of development she is in according to Piaget.

3. By posing a series of questions, Mr. Marculescu continually challenges Laura to reconsider her thinking about the pollution problem. What are potential benefits of this strategy? Use terminology from Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories in your response.

By Mr. Marculescu asking Laura questions, this has many benefits. For example, with Vygotsky, you can bring in the zone of proximal development. By her being challenged by these questions, it helps develop her learning and problem solving abilities. It challenges her and promotes her cognitive development. With Piaget, I would dare say that it would reflect formal operational egocentrism. This means that the adolescent has the inability to separate their own logic from the perspectives of others. The adolescent only begins to adjust their logic with reality with experience. Laura being challenged per say by her teacher makes her think about her own logic. By doing this, it gets her mind going and gives her that experience.

4. How does this scenario represent Piaget's and Vygotsky's conceptions of play?

Well, Piaget’s theory is all of what an adolescent should be able to do depending on what level of development he is in. Not necessarily what he can do, but what he should be able to do. So, according to Piaget, he shouldn’t technically be able to do something per say, till he reaches a particular stage of development. Though, with Vygotsky’s theory of play, he states, “In play a child is always above his average age, above his daily behavior, in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.” With his theory, children are able to stretch their minds cognitively. This allows them to grow. They are not contained to just being able to do depending on where they are according to Piaget. With Vygotsky’s, they can grow depending on what they are doing and the circumstances and type of environment that they are in.

Course Contract Review #1

What are you doing well?

With the goals that I have set for myself in the class, I feel that I have been doing well with a some of them. I have been doing well with using the SQ4R study method. This has helped me out tons! Also, if I haven't understood something, instead of just brushing it off, I normally contact a friend in the class to clarify. Plus, I feel very comfortable in the class because I feel like I haven't fallen behind, I have been keeping up with my assignments.

What are you not doing well?

One major thing that I am not doing well at all is sticking to the day by day study plan that I made at the beginning of the semester. I find myself not doing my work till 1 or 2 days before our class meets. This is working ok for me, but I know that if I spread out the work a little bit & not stress myself out by cutting it close, that I could learn & remember so much more.

Are you making sufficient progress on your goals?

I feel that I am making sufficient progress with my goals, though I know could still do better.

List specific things you need to do in order to meet your goals.

- I need to do a better job of sticking to my day to day study plan that I had planned out.

-I need to not wait till the day before to complete my homework, hence sticking to the day to day plan.

Cool Brain Research

What?
Joseph LeDoux: His research is focused on understanding the biological mechanisms of emotional memory. More so in how or memories store, form and retrieve fear. The lab that he works out of at NYU focuses their studies on animal research to get a better grasp or understanding on anxiety and the pathological fear in humans. He believes that the amygdala is an essential part of the brain that forms fear. Depending on what we've experienced in our lives, one situation may bring feelings and emtions from something similar earlier in our lifetime. From what I understand, the amygdala is essential for these feelings to happen. This is because it is "hard wired" to respond to this that are or have been dangerous to people. It's wired to motor and sensory systems of the brain. It's all connected somehow, it's very interesting actually.

So what?
The way this effects education is probably not something I think that crossed my mind right away. By thinking about it though, if we can understand better how the human mind works, what makes it tick, you very well might be able to get through to a student that you may have not been able to get to before. Understanding how a person's emotions work would obviously also help us better understand our students.

Now what?
I feel that this might be able to help me in my classroom more than I would think. It would help me be a little bit more sensitive to my students needs and how to help them. One of my students might have some emotional problems or fears that need to addressed. Though, to be able to first help them, you need to know how fear, or emotional feelings work. LeDoux is doing this, he is going in there and finding out more everyday on how this work. We can apply his research in the educational classroom to better help our students that do have emotional issues.

Webquest Step #3 - What? So What? Now What?

What?
Descriptive Study – Describes certain situations. It could be described as research studies that give information about the teachers, students, etc. This way, the can get a better idea on the way things are in the “current state of affairs.” It could also be said that this is some what of a statistical study.
Correlational Study – This is a type of research study that explores possible relationships among different things or subjects (different variables) This way, you can make predictions about one variable by knowing the status of the other.
Experimental Study – This is a more of a cause and effect study. It happens by taking one variable and manipulating it in such a way to see how it would react or have an effect on another variable.
Action Research - This is when a teacher or an educator undertake some type of research study to improve their teaching. This takes place in the actual classroom, though the research goes on in the background of the actual educational setting.

So what?
The only way to improve education, is to study it. As educators, we are teaching the future of our world. A world that is always evolving progressing in technology, etc. We must keep up with the changes in order to better server our students. As teachers, we must continue to educate ourselves. In order to do this, we must know what we are dealing with, a great way to do this is through research. Depending on what you are looking for specifically, might help you decide on which type of research to carry out. Each particular field of study brings something different to the table, you can stick to one particular type of research or colloborate them to tailor the research you want to do. Research is important no matter how you look at it, to better ourselves as educators to better serve the students we teach.

Now what?
I know that there is still much more that I need to learn about educational research. I feel like I have only touched the surface of what educational research has to offer. This section has opened up my eyes to the different types of research and which each particular method is used for. Using the research in my career would greatly benefit my skills and make me a better educator overall. I can greatly benefit from the research of others as I study and look for ways to better my teaching. Though, by actually doing the research myself, I could tailor the research to my specific needs and the specific situation that I am in. It would probably be more beneficial, if I did my own research.

Hidden Assignment

List 2-3 specific goals you have for this course:

- To better the way that I learn. Hopefully by adopting one of the note taking stratagies. By doing this, I hope to be able to learn more effectively, hence - being able to retain more information & becoming a better student.

- To be able to learn different ways to enhance the learning of my future students & others.

- Through studying & understanding the course content, being able to adapt the curriculum to my course content to become a more effective educator for the future.

Describe your weekly preparation plan. Be specific. What will you do each day of the week to prepare for this course.

First of all, I do not want to get behind - most importantley, plan to stay on task!

-Thursday (day of class) I plan to not miss a single class. Throughout the class period, do my best to stay focused & learn everything that I can from the lecture. After class & throughout the week, ponder about what we have gone over in class & see how I could fit the things we have learned into my core curriculum.

-Friday, plan to begin the reading assignment. I really feel that this is an important time in my study. Knowing that I need to be focused & ready to learn.

Saturday, plan to have the study guide completed along with any other assignments given for the week.

-Tuesday: plan to have my blog completed along with any other assignments that I might have looked over.

-Wednesday - prepare myself for the upcoming class by reviewing my notes & what I have read during the week.

Outline the study strategies that you will use to understand the material.

Currently, I am planning on using the SQ4R reading method. I believe that a great deal of information is lost when you are reading the text & you really do not undertand it. Though, you keep reading it anyway. Which I admit, I have been guilty of in the past. There is more to reading than just "trying to get through the chapter." The SQ4R method helps you just take a step back & focus a little bit better.

Explain the process you will follow if you do not understand a topic.

If I do not understand a topic, I plan to stop & think about what I just read. More than likely, read it again & check to see if I might have missed something. If I am still have trouble understanding, I will more than likely contact someone else my content area and ask them what they understand about the topic. If I am still unsure, I will contact Dr. Cox for help.

I will reach my goals in this course by doing my very best not to fall behind. If you fall behind, that is pretty much educational suicide. It is very important that I am in each & every class. Also that I am prepared & focused for every class. Along the lines of preparation, making sure that all myassignments have been completed, such as reading, study guides, etc. It is my responsibility that I do everything in my power to be a responisble & well educated individual, which in turn, would greatly better my skills & knowldge to help me become the best educator that I can be.