Assignment #1 - Richard Mayer's Learning and Instruction (2003) Chapter 7 and SKEP: Rules and Consequences are Used to Shape Student Actions
Mayer, Chapter 7
1. (Page 239) I wonder if the chapter will outline the differences
between negative and positive feedback, and, how to turn something
negative into a positive.
2. (Page 242) I wonder, how many different cats were used for this
experiment? Were these results typical? How many trials were performed
and with how many felines?
3. (Page 243) I wonder how this experiment compares to negative
reinforcement, such as the “shocking” used on wrong answers
in the psychic scene in
Ghostbusters. How would the results compare?
4. (Page 247) I wonder about the effectiveness of timeouts. I often
make students move when disrupting behavior occurs as opposed to
saying, “Stop that” (which Mayer says does not work,
anyway). The moving of students has worked fairly well in my classroom.
5. (Page 247) I wonder about the effectiveness of the
“student/teacher contract”. From the survey taken in the
class introductions, I am a rules and authority teacher. Can this be
appropriately blended with contracts in the classroom?
6. (Page 251) I wonder how long the token system would work for in the
classroom. I find that students grow weary of certain activities,
methods, etc in the classroom – how long before the students
would “tune out” the tokens?
7. (Page 254) I wonder if expected rewards for activities that
weren’t of the highest “student interest” would still
have a negative effect after the reward period ended.
8. (Page 256) I wonder how a contract with students may work when you
ask the student, “What challenging goal would you like to meet,
and, how would you like to be rewarded for it?”
9. (Page 257) I wonder what the benefits of practice are to students who give themselves self-feedback.
10. (Page 265) I wonder about feedback with writing – what types
of feedback promote the most positive changes? Written or oral, or both?
11. (Page 269) I wonder about the difference between Apples and PCs. If
skill learning does involved general strategies, can teaching on a
Apple or a PC still translate to the other operating system?
12. (Page 272) I wonder how my feedback differs from student-to-student
and how it is always changing? If it truly is the learner’s
interpretation that changes the behavior, how well do I adapt to each
learner in the classroom?
SKEP: Rules and Consequences are Used to Shape Student Actions
13. (Introduction) I wonder if these snapshots are adequate glimpses
into each classroom. Who is to say the secondary teacher doesn’t
have cooperative learning assignments and uses positive reinforcement?
Not every activity in the classroom involves students walking around
and working together.
14. (Assertive Discipline – Canter & Canter) I wonder why
Canter and Canter felt that teachers were losing authority in the
classroom at this time (1976). Was this a result of the liberating
decade of the 1960s? Was this in all grade levels?
15. (Assertive Discipline – Canter & Canter) I wonder about
the use of positive phone calls. I use this in my classroom to let
parents know about great/positive achievement in the academic sense,
but haven’t used them to reward positive behavior in the
classroom.
16. (Positive Discipline – Frederic Jones) I wonder how long it
would take Jones to use a punishment. It sounds as if it should be a
last resort, so, as a student misbehaves do you simply remain calm and
discuss the choices the students make? Then, when that behavior
changes, do you then reward that student?
17. (Conflicts between Dewey and Thorndike) I wonder why Dewey is on
the “outskirts of education” (as the entry claims). My
school is grossly involved with cooperative learning, as well as my
alma mater, Augustana College. I suppose the difference can be in what
schools promote, yet, still having to test the students per government
mandate? Is this the conflict?
18. (Curwin/Mendler) I wonder if the “choice theory” would
translate from behavior to academic measurements. If students think
critically about their own behaviors, it stands to reason this critical
thinking and “choosing” to make the right decisions could
be transferred to their studies, as well. The choice of wanting to
learn and be productive could truly turn around a student that is
struggling academically.
19. (Alfie Kohn) I wonder if Kohn sees the world as one that
doesn’t always reward you for a job well-done; oftentimes,
motivation and reinforcement needs to come from within. I can relate
this to someone toiling in a job with very little “rewards”
for performing adequately – are many jobs in the United States
not like this? Don’t American workers need to find motivation
from inside themselves, not simply externally?
20. (Alfie Kohn) I wonder how more successful companies would be if
they rewarded their employees more often. Employee of the Month and
preferential parking notwithstanding, do some companies go to great
lengths to recognize and promote positive behavior in the workplace?
Are there studies that highlight the increased productivity of
companies that utilize positive reinforcement?
Assignment #2 - Richard Mayer's Learning and Instruction (2003) Chapter 4 and SKEP: The Psychology of Writing
Mayer, Chapter 4
1. I wonder, could this “retelling the story
activity” be successfully adapted into a middle school language
arts classroom? My students struggle at summarizing, although mostly
due to them giving an overabundance of details instead of sticking to
the point. Perhaps this activity could be combined with a summary to
work on various reading strategies? (Mayer 115)
2. I wonder, how successful students would be at every level if
teachers took great care with the planning process? In my middle school
classroom, my students spend an inordinate time planning writing
pieces. Is this a common practice in high schools, and how much would
it help students? (Mayer 116)
3. I wonder, how effective is self-editing? My students struggle with
this, and they never seem to want to change anything they have written.
What are some more effective strategies for getting students to better
edit/enhance their work? (Mayer 117)
4. I wonder, if having students practice think-alouds during the
writing of compositions will result in improved scores? Will the
students be more self-aware of the process and produce more quality
work? (Mayer 118)
5. I wonder, if the focus should be more on the process, how come
students are generally graded on the product? I try to grade the
“brainstorming” and planning process as much as I can,
rewarding and guiding students towards better-finished products. Mayer
also mentions spelling, punctuation and grammar – I was recently
at a workshop where we were instructed not to grade students on
spelling and grammar (on the final paper), and instead solely on the
6+1 traits of writing. The reasoning was that it is a “finished
piece” and should not be marked up with a red pen by an
instructor. It technically belongs to the student. (Mayer 119)
6. I wonder, would planning be beneficial to all students? As a student
and later on as a journalist, I was a constant “write
on-the-fly” type of person. I would “mentally” plan
out a piece and would plan while I would write. Is this laborious
planning procedure beneficial for students like this? Would I be a
better writer if I more meticulously planned out my pieces? My initial
thought is yes, I would. (Mayer 123)
7. I wonder, what is the best way to teach students to continuously go
back and check their thinking and their work? My students are notorious
for wanting to get things done in a hurry – how could the
translation process be improved? (Mayer 126)
8. I wonder, what are some effective cues to have students continue
writing? The “that is great, write some more” can
definitely help, but is there a proven set of ongoing cues that would
help students for any piece of writing? I am thinking about
Mayer’s topic of questioning and how ongoing questioning in
reading can greatly enhance comprehension. Is this true in writing? I
imagine that for each piece the instructor should adapt cues that would
encourage more thorough, thoughtful writing. (Mayer 129)
9. I wonder, how much doe daily writing prompts improve the quality of
writing? The prompt Mayer mentions, “A man leaves his house. His
body is found the next morning,” is fantastic. Would responding
to prompts like these on a daily basis improve students’ quality
of writing? (Mayer 129)
10. I wonder, what is the average quality of writing in adults? Mayer
cites the fact that revisions is almost totally absent in adult
writing, even one-page business letters! I find this incredible. I
heavily scrutinize nearly everything I write, but obviously this is not
the norm. If I was in the business of reading applicant letters for a
company, would I be appalled at the quality of the writing? (Mayer 133)
11. I wonder, in the environmental mode, if students should choose
topics are have topics assigned to them? If I have five writing topics
and had the students rotate through them, would this be beneficial? I
love small groups, but what is the best way to get everyone started on
the same page? I imagine instruction on planning, use of graphic
organizers, and detailed instruction on the individual writing
assignment should be enough to send students off and running.
Personally, when I meet with small groups of five, the students seem to
be much more engaged with the curriculum. (Mayer 139)
SKEP: The Psychology of Writing
12. I wonder, is the “educational interest” in SKEP a bit
understated? Writing is the one of the pillars of the real world, and
if students can write functionally there is the possibility for greater
advancement in society and the workforce. I believe educators need to
connect with students exactly how writing will affect their futures.
(SKEP – Educational Interest)
13. I wonder, how beneficial is focusing at least part if instruction
on spelling and grammar? Mayer seems to be against that practice, but I
feel as if my students have gotten minimal practice at sentence
structure/spelling/grammar. I think too much attention is being placed
on the process, and the 6+1 traits, and greater balanced needs to be
achieved. (SKEP - Writing Instruction; Then & Now)
14. I wonder, can digital creativity improve writing ability? Because
students take more ownership over their product, will there be more of
a conscious effort in quality of writing? (SKEP - Digital Creativity)
15. I wonder, how much negative effect has instant messaging, emails,
and text messaging has had on student writing? Often, my
students’ writing is littered with poor grammar and
sentences/words that are more commonly a part of digital communication.
Are there any studies that show the negative effect of these mediums on
the quality of student writing as a whole? (SKEP - Digital Divide)
Assignment #3 - Richard Mayer's Learning and Instruction (2003) Chapters 5, 8, & 12 and SKEP: The Psychology of Learning and Teaching Mathematics
Mayer, Chapters 5, 8, & 12
1)
I wonder, what is the basis of relational statement problems? Is it too
much information about too many different topics? My reading students
struggle picking information out of texts that contain a plethora of
information – I wonder if this is an adequate comparison? (Mayer
153)
2) I wonder, are problem solvers simply more proficient at breaking
something down step-by-step, yet still never losing sight of the main
goal? (153)
3) I wonder, what is the purpose of these sometimes over-complicated
story problems? If students work regularly on these, will their problem
solving skills improve? (158)
4) I wonder, if students often make mistakes in problems with
misrepresenting “key words”, how do teachers work with
younger students to correct this problem? I worked in an elementary
school for 6 months, and in math the focus was always on key words. How
can teachers better break down the material for students so they know
the appropriate way to use the key words? (166)
5) I wonder, what is the benefit of providing students with
mathematical formulas as opposed to having students memorize them? Math
seems to be mostly about application, in which case, what are the
benefits of consistently allowing students to use notes on exams? I
suppose a drawback would be simply copying examples and then plugging
in the new numbers to an outlined example, but is there a way around
this? (276)
6) I wonder, is visualization a drastically underutilized strategy in
education? If students learn greatly through doing, visualizing, and
concrete representation, how can all subjects better incorporate these
into their curriculum? In subjects such as writing and social studies,
concrete visualizations and enactive representations seem greatly
underutilized. (279)
7) I wonder, how do identifying misconceptions come into play with
concrete methods? Mayer discusses how the effectiveness of concrete
methods has to do with discussion, practice, and reflection. Should
misconceptions be taken into account here, as well? (283)
8) Furthermore (and this is a ramble based off of #7, I apologize), I
wonder, how often does a teacher need to specifically confront
misconceptions in learning? I particularly enjoy the long, drawn out
methods of students discovering misconceptions, analyzing them,
learning new skills, applying these skills through guided practice,
applying these skills independently, and then reflecting on their
abilities. This works wonders for me, but it simply takes so much time
(albeit, time well spent). How should educators budget their time with
so many successful ways to implement strategies, strategies that are
time consuming yet all-encompassing? (284)
9) I wonder, how long it takes a teacher to fully hone his/her craft?
After reading about guided discovery vs. pure discovery, I can’t
help but think how crucial the role of the instructor is in providing
hints and leading students along a path – nevertheless, the
guiding must stop at some point, and can’t go for too long. I am
constantly self-reflecting about my methods and how well I work with
the students as far as “discovery” is concerned. I never
wish to become an “expository” teacher – I’m
sure we all see those at our schools. (288)
10) I wonder, is expository instruction ever beneficial? Mayer remarks
how it uses less learning time, but “does not encourage the
learner to actively think about the rule but does ensure that the rule
is learned” (291). Every teacher has to use expository
instruction at some point, but can a magic number be pinpointed that
says how much to use? I try to steer clear of note-taking as much as
possible, but even when it is necessary (such as with the Illinois
Constitution unit, for example), I still try to accentuate all
information with as much guided discussion as I can.
11) I wonder, how come we don’t hear as much about Head Start
anymore? NCLB seems to dominate the discussion; however, if Head Start
could indeed “benefit from research and theory in meaningful
learning,” what exactly is the problem? (401) If it is, in fact,
so important, how come we aren’t pumping our money and resources
into this program today?
12) I wonder, what would the benefit of “thinking aloud” be
across the curriculums? With these wonderment assignments, it is pretty
close to a think aloud, and it really gets me thinking about the
material. If think-alouds were implemented in all classes, in a running
journal, per say, would this ultimately result in improvement in
processing and problem solving? (408)
13) I wonder, how much of an advantage does a child that comes from a
“interpretative” environment has over a child that comes
from a “mediationally deprived” environment? That example
about buying the milk fascinates me – if a parent simply explains
and gives relevance to simple tasks, then his or her child may have a
greater opportunity to achieve success. Wow – I don’t plan
on having children for a couple of years, but this short passage is
something that I will remember. ☺ (419)
SKEP: The Psychology of Learning and Teaching Mathematics
14) I wonder, does McGraw-Hill have research to back up its
“Myths about Math” analysis? I couldn’t help but
chuckle at the “Men are better in math than women”
explanation, in which the company attacks this theory by claiming
“men are reluctant to admit they have problems” and women
“are often too ready to admit inadequacy”. Way to go,
McGraw-Hill, you have just rebuffed myths by perpetuating sexist
stereotypes. (SKEP – The Psychology of Learning and Teaching
Mathematics)
15) I wonder, besides the math journals proving that students
“have logical understanding of concepts”, did
students’ achievement scores improve? (SKEP – The
Psychology of Learning and Teaching Mathematics)
Assignment #4 - Richard Mayer's Learning and Instruction (2003) Chapters 13 & 14
1. I wonder, is it commonplace in math class for students to
come up to the board and do problems? I enjoyed this immensely as a
student, but I’m curious as if this is considered
“acceptable” anymore? In the example, Sarah is a volunteer,
but is requiring students to put themselves in front of the class still
considered proper in math? (430)
2. I wonder, when the students learn how to proper multiply fractions,
are they aware that this is a real-world applicable skill? Was Sarah
aware of the relationship between the “method used in
school” and the “method used out of school”? (431)
3. I wonder, how much do my students gain from class discussion? It is
difficult to get everyone to participate, but is listening to the
discussion a part of social collaboration? How much class discussion
should be used? (432)
4. I wonder, should math teachers openly discuss “street
mathematics” as a way to confront misconceptions? Also, why
should students take to the “school procedure” when street
math may suit them perfectly fine? (435)
5. I wonder, how did these children wind up as street vendors? Is it
normal for 9 year-olds to have these types of jobs in Brazil? (436)
6. I wonder, is Mayer suggesting that teachers teach in a cultural
context, depending on the area? It is impossible to predict the many
different vocations students will have. I suppose this agrees with the
theory that school is helpful, but when you get a job out of a college
you are trained all over again depending on your vocation. (437)
7. I wonder, how much modeling and practice is necessary before the teacher can turn group-control over to a student? (441)
8. I wonder, is the “crow” example truly reciprocal
learning? It seems to be a standard classroom discussion being led by
the teacher, not one particular student. (443)
9. I wonder, why haven’t I ever thought of the term
“competition classroom” being the opposite of a cooperative
classroom? It makes perfect sense, and I can also see how some students
would be humiliated by other students’ corrections at a math
board. (444)
10. I wonder, is mixing the extremely high students with low students
the right thing in all subjects? At our reading workshops, we have been
repeatedly told not to do this, yet not group by similar ability level
either. What class would the improvement-based quiz scores work best
in? (445)
11. I wonder, do students in the individual learning group feel they
were cheated by not being in the cooperative learning group? Do they
see the results of Slavin and Karweit’s analysis and think that
their scores suffered for being in the “wrong” group in a
psychological study? (447)
12. I wonder, is wanting to succeed to please others a large motivator?
Surprisingly, Mayer does not include this in his three roots of
motivation. I feel a lot of motivation comes from the home, whether
students wish to please parents or simply not disappoint them.
Personally, I felt a great desire to please my parents and obtain their
blessings. (459)
13. I wonder, do I do all that I can to cater to students’
interests? Some subjects are easier than others, such as reading and
writing, when much of the curriculum is based on student choice.
However, I then look at a subject like social studies and think how
some students can’t stand history at all. I struggle to make it
meaningful to the students, and I wonder if my efforts are paying off
at all. (462)
14. I wonder, how much does instructor praise has to do with
self-efficacy? I really try and go as overboard as I can with
compliments and encouragement to students without having it sound hokey
or over-the-top. I work hard to maintain genuineness, and truly believe
my students respect me for it and achieve more. (470)
15. I wonder, are the self-assessment reasons Mayer cites
(“Everything is going great for me this morning”, for
example) constantly running through my students’ heads? The
possible student justifications Mayer brought up are terrific, and
after reading them I do agree that my students ask themselves the same
questions everyday. I sometimes forget (and I shouldn’t) all the
different self-assessment thoughts running through my students’
heads. Sometimes I need to stop and take a look back at my
students’ thoughts on their own attributes. (475)
Assignment #5 - SKEP: Classrooms where Active Listening and Student Empowerment are Essential
1. (Introduction) I wonder, how will this article attempt to
prove that all students’ needs and intents are “good”
and productive? I suppose when students lash out, and our make negative
choices, there are underlying needs there – reaching out, per say.
2. (Abraham H. Maslow) I wonder, how does being a professor of human
sexuality affect a marriage? I have always wondered what the married
lives of psychologists are, and was Maslow always analyzing everything
to death and presume that he had all the answers? What did his wife
think about this – was it difficult?
3. (Maslow) I wonder, what was Hitler’s depravity? What was his
lack of “gratification of needs” that facilitated the
suppression of his positively good, mental core?
4. (Carl Ransom Rogers) I wonder, would it be possible to allow
middle-school students to drive a course and its content? Our reading
and writing workshops somewhat allow this, by allowing student choice
in novels and types of writing.
5. (Rogers) I wonder, how does having a religious background shape
one’s educational beliefs? I grew up fairly religious and still
do practice, and feel that religion has in fact helped me with general
feelings of acceptance, kindness, and understanding – just to
name a few.
6. (Concept of Learning) I wonder, does a student truly understand the
core of a behavioral problem? I am all for talking things out with
students; for example, a student of mine showed up fifteen minutes late
to class today. He admitted that he was in the bathroom and then
chatting with friends. After a long talk with me after class, he
finally admitted he simply wasn’t in the mood to come to class,
and we both agreed it was an act of defiance. Still, does he really get
it? I see the core of the problem, but will the young student really
remember this “breakthrough” and confront his feelings
differently in the future?
7. (Approaches used) I wonder, even though Alfie Kohn resents the
punishment and rewards theory because it creates competition, would he
concede the point that competition is inevitable? We live in a
competitive society – from classrooms to seeing whose yard is
greener in the spring. This will never change – I wonder if Kohn
would agree.
8. (Approaches used) I wonder, are universities training teachers in
the “open classroom” theory? I certainly was, and the
constructivist classroom seems to be the new wave everywhere –
why is it, that when I read about it, it seems comes across as
non-mainstream? My college has been training students in that way for
years, and the districts in my area see the “teacher as the
facilitator” as the norm.
9. (Advantages of Active Listening) I wonder, how many students are not
motivated by grades? I considered myself a positive kid growing up, a
team player that was an active member in the classroom and community. I
enjoyed “empowerment” – but I still worked hard to
get that A. That was my goal. I’m not sure I can a time when
students are not motivated by grades – it is the nature of
society.
10. (
Leal School Rights and Responsibilities) I wonder, what led the
school district to adopt these rights in 1974? What was the climate of
the district like before this, and, how did these rights and
responsibilities help?
11. (
Combinational Approach in Singapore) I wonder, how would Kohn
react to the combination of counseling and discipline strategy? Would
he find this acceptable?
12. (
Play Mountain) I wonder, with such great evidence and success
stories of the humanistic approach in education, how come more
districts don’t adapt to these trends? Perhaps I am not aware
– I know I have never gone to a “conflict management
training” – I am sure I would find it most effective.
13. (
Sudbury Valley School) I wonder, how does a parent to determine to
send his or her child to an independent school like Sudbury? What types
of factors go into this monumental decision to enroll a child in a
school that seemingly allows the child complete, educational freedom?
According to the website, “students of all ages determine what
they will do, as well as when, how, and where they will do it.”
What are the proven benefits of this “organic” style of
learning (as one student put it? With such little structure, what about
the entering a workforce that runs on structure?
14. (
Project Grad) I wonder, is it true when the site states,
“Almost all the jobs that pay enough to support a family now
require higher levels of literacy”? I would love to see the
statistics on this – but what exactly is a “high
level” of literacy? I wish it was defined on the site.
15. (
Puget School) I wonder, what do colleges think when they have an
applicant from an “independent” school? Are they even
transcripts to supply to these universities? The Puget School site
states that, “students interested in going to college work
closely with staff members to develop a strategy for getting into a
college program that interests them. This may include working to earn
credits to satisfy college entrance requirements, preparing for and
taking the SAT or other admissions exams, and preparing a portfolio of
work to send to college admissions offices.” This sounds like it
may suffice, but are these students operating out of some kind of
disadvantage when they apply to college?