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Lesson 1 - Behaviorism |
Lesson 2 - Assertive Discipline |
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Lesson 3 - Use of Punishment |
Lesson 4 - Jones' Approach |
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Lesson 5 - Wondering about Ch. 1 in Mayer |
Lesson 6 - Procedural Knowledge |
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Lesson 7 - Computers and Building Lessons |
Lesson 7 - Mnemonics |
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Lesson 8 - Phonics vs. Whole Language |
Lesson 8 - Website Analysis |
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Lesson 9 - Metawriting |
Lesson 10 - Wondering about problem solving |
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Lesson 11 - Misconceptions |
Lesson 12 - Needs of Students and Teachers |
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Lesson 13 - Wondering about Glasser |
Lesson 13 - Classroom Meetings |
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Lesson 14 - The Gang Scene |
Lesson 14 - Story Analysis |
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Lesson 15 - Cognitive Apprenticeship |
Lesson 15 - Priming Student Motivation |
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Lesson 2 - Talking Forum / Revision |
Lesson 4 - Talking Forum |
Research the use of "contracts", or contracting, in the classroom. Why is the use of contracts thought to be a behavioral technique? Have you used it? How well did it work?
According to a behaviorist view, classroom management techniques automatically change classroom behaviors but according to cognitive theories, classroom management techniques serve as information that the learner interprets and uses for building useful mental representations of the situation. (Mayer p. 246-247) Contracts then are a behavioral technique in that they help the student interpret or see the "cause and effect" that leads to either a positive or a negative consequence. Behavioral techniques are meant to shape the personality of the subject by using reinforcers. These can be spelled out in a contract with the student and his/her parent, thus allowing the student to recognize the "cause and effect" pattern. It was Thorndike that discovered this law of effect. According to him "the law of effect could explain all of human behavior in terms of the development of myriads of stimulus-response associations." (Operant Conditioning-An Historical Outline) It has become an important part of behavioral contracting.
Classroom management plans in general are a type of informal contract. As teachers, we address our management plan with the students at the beginning of each year by letting the students know what the rules are and what the rewards or consequences of following or not following them will be. Though they are not spelled out on paper for the student and parent to sign, they are clearly discussed and posted. So in a sense, most teachers are using contracting as a form of behavioral technique, at least, informally.
Personally, I have also used a formal contract. While teaching band in the Springfield Catholic Grade Schools (1990?), I had, one year, a particularly unruly group. I was having difficulty with students who continually "practiced" or "visited" with each other while I was trying to explain a musical concept. I was spending far too much time trying to quiet the group and having to raise my voice to be heard. I chose to draw up a contract for the entire group, rather than just for the repeat offenders, that stated what behavior I expected from the students. It also stated what the consequences would be if the behavior was not satisfactory and it was required that both student and parent were to sign the contract. While somewhat effective, it did not have the desired effect of bringing the group under control. Looking back now, perhaps individual contracts with the most disruptive students would have worked better.
In today's classroom, I have witnessed several behavior contracts succeed. As a classroom music instructor, I have students that are working with a contract drawn up by the PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies) team to help them work through particular behavior problems. These contracts are usually specific to one area of difficulty for the child and rewards are spelled out for that child. I have also seen them fail. If the contract does not provide tangible rewards that the child cares about or is not supported by the parent, it is doomed to failure. I do agree, however with Mayer's (pg. 252) statement "It is difficult to establish a program that works. Students may come to rely heavily on external rewards as a guide to how they should behave." This, I feel, is always a danger in offering rewards to students for acceptable behavior. It seems I hear too often "What do I get if I do it?" Students have come to expect a reward for going that extra mile, and often won't do so unless they know they are getting one. This is evidence that behavior contracts can be "...counterproductive in that they reduce intrinsic motivation..." (Charles) I have also always felt that rewarding acceptable behavior through contracting with a disruptive child "punishes" students who do follow the rules, as they do not get rewards for their acceptable behavior. What is this teaching the disruptive child?
Do behavior contracts work? Yes, if carefully constructed and not used too frequently. As with all things, more is not always better.
REFERENCES:
Charles, C.M. (1999). Building Classroom Discipline. Sixth Edition New York: Longman.
Mayer, Richard (2003). Learning and Instruction. New Jersey: Pearson Education.
Langellier, Dia. (1991?) Springfield Catholic Grade Schools.
Operant Conditioning and Behaviorism--An Historical Outline http://blackboard.cites.uiuc.edu:80/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_2590_1&frame=top
The thinking of many behaviorists would lead you to believe that assertive discipline (after Lee and Marlene Canter) is a simple and direct extension of Thorndike's law of effect. In what ways is assertive discipline a reasonable extension?
But, Mayer (chapter 7) has a different twist on the Law of Effect. If Mayer's modified Law of Effect is reasonable, does assertive discipline still make sense as a "meaningful" way of changing student behavior?
Thorndike's law of effect as stated in Mayer, is summarized as follows: "Of several responses made to the same situation, those which are accompanied or closely followed by satisfaction...will, other things being equal, be more firmly connected to the situation, so that, when it recurs, they will be more likely to recur; those which are accompanied or closely followed by discomfort...will, other things being equal, have their connections with the situation weakened, so that when it recurs, they will be less likely to occur. The greater the satisfaction or discomfort, the greater the strengthening or weakening of the bond." Lee and Marlene Canter believe that teachers and students alike have basic rights. Teachers have a right to maintain an optimal setting for learning, a right to expect appropriate behavior, and the right to expect help and support from parents and administrators. (Allen) Students have the right to have teachers who help them develop by helping them limit self-destructive and inappropriate behavior, the right to have appropriate support from their teachers for their appropriate behavior, and the right to choose how to behave with advance knowledge of the consequences that will logically and certainly follow. (Allen) This last line I think, illustrates an important connection between Thorndike's law of effect and Lee and Marlene Canter's theory of assertive discipline. The Canters' suggest that teachers post and go over with their students, a list of behaviors that are expected and the consequences that will follow if these rules are broken as well as positive consequences that can take place when they are followed. This clearly is an example of the law of effect. Students know precisely what a consequence will be for specific behaviors and for the most part, will avoid those behaviors in order to avoid punishment. In addition, the Canters' consider positive consequences to be very powerful as well. (Charles p. 35) They advocate integrating positive support into the lessons being taught and believe that the most effective way to encourage positive behavior in students is to offer praise. (Charles p. 40)
The Canters' assertive discipline model is an extension of the law of effect, but it is not simply an application of Thorndike's law. There are additional facets to their theory as well. They believe in establishing as sense of trust between the teacher and student. This is done by taking a personal interest in each student; taking the time to call them by name, learn their birthdays, their interests, etc. (Charles p. 37) They advocate positive repetitions-repeating directions as positive statements to students who are following the posted rules. (Charles p. 35) These are not law of effect examples, but are a vital part of the Canter model.
Mayer's modified law of effect states: "It is not the feedback that changes behavior, but rather the learner's interpretation and understanding of that feedback." (Mayer p.272) Mayer then has a more cognitive approach to discipline than Thorndike. He believes that it is the learners interpretation of the rules and consequences that causes him/her to behave. The Canters' model, while appearing to be a S-R motivated plan, actually recognizes this idea as well. The Canters' stress that to make a discipline plan work, teachers must actually take the time to teach the plan, not just display it. (Charles p. 40) Though Mayer concerns himself with helping the student interpret rewards and punishments in ways that increase motivation, the Canters' do not seem to worry about transfer. Does this mean that their method is not a "meaningful" way of changing student behavior? I don't think so. It is a means to an end that can be used quite successfully. While Mayer wants to motivate students to want to change their behavior the Canters' are concerned with providing a good learning environment. Everyone has a right to learn, and everyone has a right to have that learning take place in an appropriate setting without distracting behaviors from other students.
REFERENCES:
Mayer, Richard E. (2003) Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Allen, Thomas H. Ph.D. Developing a Discipline Plan for You. http://blackboard.cites.uiuc.edu:80/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_2590_1&frame=top
Charles, C.M. (2002). Building Classroom Discipline (7th ed.) Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Describe some ways that you use punishment to control the actions of students? How are they effective? Are there alternatives that don't require the use of aversive stimulation?
Wilcox School has a very active PBIS team (Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies) that, of course encourages positive intervention over the more negative assertive discipline. I agree with Misty however, that "occasionally I am inclined to use punishment as a disciplinary action due to its desired effect or my crabbiness." (Mapes) I think I would not be inclined to believe someone who insisted that they never meted out punishment because they lost their temper. As human beings, it is a natural impulse that we continually fight; some more successfully than others. As a teacher, I feel it would be irresponsible to rely on this type of behavior control. "Punishment is a last resort to curb misbehavior in students who know what to do but refuse to do it. Punishment is called for in response to repeated misbehavior, but even with repeated misbehavior, it should be avoided if students are trying to improve." (Anderson)
Most of the discipline that occurs in my classroom consists of "reminders" to follow the rules. I remind them to be quiet, keep their hands to themselves, turn around, pay attention, raise their hand, etc. Sometimes all it takes is a "look," a shake of the head or calling the student's name. I also praise those that follow the correct procedures. For example: "I like the way Mary is raising her hand and waiting patiently to be called on." This usually has the desired effect of everyone else quieting down and raising their hands. These techniques fall under the category of "withitness" or being aware of what is going on all over the classroom. (Ch. 3, Charles) However, other methods are sometimes required.
My biggest hurdle when it comes to classroom discipline is rude disrespectful behavior. As a music teacher, I see every student in the school (except kindergarten) whether they want to see me or not. And, lets face it, some children really dislike music. These students will show their displeasure at being in music class by acting up. When corrected, they often tend to be rude to the teacher. If I cannot successfully correct their behavior by reminding them to be respectful, I send them to the Principal's office for a discussion with the Principal and then file a behavior report during my free period. They are punished through the use of aversive stimuli. Usually they return to future music classes with a better attitude. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 trips in a row before this attitude adjustment is apparent.
I have also called parents as a form of punishment. My biggest success story this year is with a 3rd grade class that was wildly out of control at the start of the year. The class has numerous "difficult" children and nothing I was doing seemed to bring them even mildly close to being in control. It was common to not get halfway through the lesson plans that the other 3rd grade class finished with ease because when I corrected one behavior issue, 2 more would flare up across the room. In frustration one day, I finally told them that I would be calling their parents that night, if I had to correct them for anything, even once. I quickly gathered a long list of names and assured them that they should expect a phone call from me that night. The next time they had music, the list was considerably shorter. By the third class, my list consisted of one name. Now, they come in to my room in an orderly manner and usually are fairly quiet and respectful. When they start to show signs of returning to old habits, I simply remind them that I can reinstate this "no warning" rule and they settle down.
On the other hand, positive reinforcement can be a great motivator. Each music class has a chart that receives a sticker if the class has been well behaved and attentive that day. When they accumulate 10 stickers, they have a reward day in which they get to play a game or choose the songs we sing that day. When the class gets disruptive or noisy, all I have to do is ask them if they think they will get a sticker that day, and they usually quiet down.
I think that a successful classroom will have to employ a number of different strategies. The trick is to find a good balance among them--with as little actual punishment techniques as possible.
REFERENCES:
Misty Mapes, Using Punishment in the Classroom, http://blackboard.cites.uiuc.edu:80/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_2590_1&frame=top
Anderson, Tom. (n.d.). Commentary. Lesson 3&emdash;Punishment. http://blackboard.cites.uiuc.edu:80/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_2590_1&frame=top
Charles, C. M. Building Classroom Discipline (5th edition), Chapter 3, New York: Longman.
Dia Langellier. Wilcox School. 2002-2003.
The major parts of Jones' system are his, limit setting, PAT, and PPL (praise, prompt and leave). Select, describe and critique ONE of these parts. Unfortunately, the Charles textbook gives a rather poor description of them, so you'll have to locate a more thorough version.
Early in my teaching career, I was very critical of any type of incentive program. I felt that students should not need to be "bribed" to behave or do an assignment. I still feel that way...however, that is probably only feasible in a perfect world. Though they should not need this type of motivation, many students do. I have expressed my dissatisfaction with rewards before. In lesson 1, I pointed out that in rewarding a difficult child for good behavior, the "always well behaved" children are somehow punished for always doing what they should. (Langellier par. 4) In Fredric Jones' PAT system however, all are rewarded for their team effort at behaving or getting an assignment done in an efficient manner.
Preferred activity time (PAT) is an amount of time that is set aside for an activity that the students would prefer to do over the usual class time lessons. This time can be earned in a variety of ways. Mr. Jones is quick to point out though, that these activities should have educational value. (Charles p. 59) How does a teacher justify spending 30-60 minutes every friday on a popcorn and movie party? I once knew a teacher that did just that, and I was appalled. (Langellier 1999?) It is just this type of misinterpretation of PAT that most people object to.
As Misty pointed out in her essay, quoting Jones: "there are two different types of PAT which deal with two different types of motivation in the classroom. One is for instruction, and the other is for discipline." (Mapes) I would like to talk only about discipline, as I teach in a music classroom and don't have to deal with homework assignments and seat work. For thirteen years, I was teaching band exclusively and didn't have nearly the discipline needs that I do now. Last year I went back to teaching general music, where you have students with various levels of motivation and cooperation. It was at this time that I decided to give PAT a try, though at that time I didn't know what it was called. I hung charts for each music class on the wall and put stickers on them each time the class had a good day. It had been explained to the students that in order for the class to earn a sticker each day, there had to be very little talking out of turn and goofing off. Once the class earned 10 stickers, a preferred activity such as the "bag of fortune" game could be played. These preferred activities always had some educational value--the students were learning while having fun. I have to say, that it worked very well for most classes and I continued to use it this year.
Misbehavior disrupts teaching and learning and needs to be dealt with. 80% of this misbehavior consists of talking without permission and 19% of goofing off. (Jones' Positive Classroom Discipline) I found that PAT is an easy and effective way for me to deal with these two problems in a music classroom. When reminded that the class will not receive a sticker if the class doesn't quiet down and focus, most of the time they quiet down. Unfortunately, one unruly student can cause the loss of PAT for the entire class. It may not be fair to punish the entire class for the misdeeds of 1 or 2 students, but the idea is to "bring peer pressure to bear against misbehavior." (Charles p. 60) We can't always be fair and still control the classroom. While I find it difficult to reconcile the unfairness or rewarding one difficult child when he/she follows the rules, (to encourage obedience) I find PAT a little more acceptable simply because it is a team effort and all are rewarded when the rules are followed.
Another objection that people have is that constantly rewarding students causes them to come to expect compensation for everything they do. It is frustrating to hear students ask "what will I get for doing this?" and then hear them say..."if I'm not getting anything, then I'm not doing it." Misty points this out as well in her essay.(Mapes par. 5) But, should we never give students rewards? Even as adults, we like and respond to rewards. I look forward to getting coupons for free items from the grocery store as a reward for spending a certain amount of money there. I think what we as teachers need to be careful of, is how we balance our incentives in order to not train students to always expect a reward. This is important if we don't want to raise students to become a bunch of lazy unmotivated adults. Used in moderation, I think PAT can be a useful tool for most teachers.
REFERENCES:
Charles, C.M. (2002). Building Classroom Discipline (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Jones' Positive Classroom Discipline. Retrieved 1/25/03 from http://campus.kcc.edu/faculty/dfyffe/jones.html
Langellier, Dia. Lesson 1 Retrieved on Jan. 25, 2003 from http://blackboard.cites.uiuc.edu:80/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_2590_1&frame=top
Langellier, Dia. 1999? Springfield Catholic Grade Schools.
Mapes, Misty. The Legitimacy of Preferred Activity Time. Retrieved 1/26/03 from http://blackboard.cites.uiuc.edu:80/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_2590_1&frame=top
Discuss some procedural knowledge that you teach. How do you teach it? What are the important IF conditions? Are there some competing IF-THEN bundles that sometime confuse students, and you have to help them discriminate among them?
As a band director, one important piece of procedural knowledge that I teach comes to mind immediately. Early in the first year of learning an instrument we encounter key signatures. At first, flute players only know how to play an "a", but then comes the day when they learn a-flat. At this point, checking the key signature becomes an important procedure that needs to be done before starting to play the song. Before they know how to play both "a" and a-flat, I merely teach them that the key signature tells them which notes to play flat throughout the whole piece of music. In fact, we determine that they cannot play the notes wrong because they don't know both the flat and natural version of the note. Then once they have learned both versions of the note, we discuss the importance of reading the key signature first. We go over the order of the flats first (BEAD) so that they will know which notes are flat just by looking at the number of flats in the key signature. I then give them several "If-then" scenarios to consider. For example, if there are 3 flats in the key signature, do we play "a" or a-flat? If there is only 1 flat in the key signature, is "a" natural or flat? If there is only 1 flat in the key signature, what note is flat? Etc. I then make sure to point out that there must be at least 3 flats in order for "a" to be played flat. Each time we begin a song from this point on, I will remind them to look at the key signature and ask them whether they will play "a" or a-flat; at least for a couple of weeks. After that, I will continue to ask them periodically for several months. As they begin making less and less mistakes with the key signature, I stop reminding them and will only bring up the subject when mistakes do occur.
There are some competing if-then bundles that do occur that can confuse the students though. One of these is simply when they have also learned both "e" and e-flat. Now they two sets of notes that require making a decision about whether to play flat or natural. This sometimes causes them to get confused about which one is affected by the flat signs. Is it "e," "a," or both? This often requires a "refresher course" on the order of the flats and what that means. Another confusing if-then bundle that comes up is the addition of accidentals. If there are 3 flats in the key signature, then we play a-flat. However, if there is a natural sign placed in front of one of the "a's" in the song, the flat is canceled for that "a" and all others following in that measure. This is often confusing to students because they have been drilled so much to follow the key signature that they will forget to apply the natural to the note, even though it is right there in front of the note. It seems that one if-then bundle can lead to a string of them being linked to each other. In this case the two if-then bundles together become an "if-then-except-if-then."
REFERENCES
Langellier, Dia. District 186-Iles School. 2002-2003.
What is your disposition on the usefulness and effectiveness of mnemonics, and what do they contribute to classroom learning? Do you teach any mnemonics to your students? Why or why not? Do you teach students how to construct mnemonics? Do you remember any that you learned when you were a student? How does the use of computers in the classroom affect mnemonics as a learning aid?
Finally, contribute some mnemonics that you teach, have learned and/or have heard of.
In Chapter 11 of Mayer's "Learning and Instruction" three learning strategies are explained. I have used each of the three successfully in my learning career and I firmly believe there is a time and place for each of them. No one strategy works for all occasions. Mayer himself recognized this when he states "The appropriateness of strategy training also depends on the teacher's goals. When the goal is to help students memorize paired associates as in foreign language vocabulary, mnemonic strategies are warranted." (Mayer p. 395)
There are some mnemonics that I can remember being taught as a child that are still with me. For instance, Roy G Biv has served me well. So well in fact, that I get bugged every time I see a rainbow drawn wrong! However, sometimes, the mnemonic is just as hard to remember as the material it is supposed to help you recall. For example, I had to look up the mnemonic for the planets: My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. I remember learning it, but I always had a hard time remembering it. Perhaps it would have helped if I had come up with one myself.
I do use some mnemonics in my teaching but not a whole lot. And I don't teach students how to make their own. I do suggest that they are welcome to come up with their own mnemonic if they wish, but because I was never successful at that kind of thing, I find it difficult to teach it. Besides, I don't have need to use them very often, so spending time teaching students how to create their own is probably time that could be better spent.
Being a music/band teacher I use several of the variations of the note reading mnemonic. The one I use most often is the Every Good Boy Does Fine and FACE combination for the lines and spaces of the treble clef music staff or Great Big Dogs Fight Animals and All Cows Eat Grass for the lines and spaces of the bass clef music staff. I use these extensively in the general music classroom because the students, while needing to learn how to read notes, do not get enough opportunity to use the knowledge to the point where recognition is automatic. In band however, I only mention these particular mnemonics when they are beginners, if they are struggling with the note reading. It really is not helpful for band students beyond jarring their memory when they get stuck, because, by the time you count up the lines of the staff and recite the mnemonic to come up with the note name, the rest of the class is 2 measures ahead of you. Note reading has to flow quickly. It is not practical to use regularly.
Another mnemonic that comes in handy is BEAD Go Call Fred. This one can be used quite effectively in the band room. This tells students the order of the flats in the key signature. Unfortunately, though there is one for the order of sharps, I don't use it because I can't remember it. I had to look this one up too: Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds. (Mnemonics-music) Because students must check the key signature before playing a song, they have time to mentally run through the mnemonic to discover what sharps or flats they should be playing.
When one thinks of mnemonics, the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph are what comes to mind. However, the keyword method mentioned by Mayer (p. 365) is something that I often find myself using. I was unaware that this was a form of mnemonic strategy. I use both acoustic and imagery links when teaching the tempo words to music students. When learning what largo means, for example, I tell students to imagine a "large" animal such as an elephant and think about how it moves--slowly. This helps them to remember that largo is a slow tempo.
Computers can be a great source of mnemonics for the classroom. I discovered today when trying to recall a forgotten mnemonic that there are many lists available on the internet. These could be used by teachers and students alike who need help creating a mnemonic. I would think that even message boards could be useful. Those of us not creative enough to come up with our own mnemonics could enlist the help of others more creative. And computers themselves employ the use of mnemonics. For example HTML or hypertext mark-up language and RAM or random access memory are just two of hundreds of mnemonics found in computer language.
The usefulness of mnemonics in the classroom is debatable. It is very useful for certain things and not for others. Those who are looking for one learning strategy to apply universally are on the wrong track. However, for things such as a list of the 5 Great Lakes, or for dyslexic students, mnemonics are quite effective. "Management of dyslexic/dyspraxic difficulties should have strategies to compensate for poor memory, motor, perceptual and organizational skills, e.g., the use of mnemonics, work timetables, flow charts." (Dyslexia: a student's guide) Mnemonics work for dyslexics, probably because they force the learner to think actively about the material they are trying to remember and they help to organize it. (Mnemonic Instruction) I have found the use of mnemonics in my classrooms to be quite effective, when used in appropriate situations. I think is is very important to consider what type of learning strategy best fits a situation before deciding what kind you will use.
REFERENCES:
Dyslexia: a student's guide. Retrieved on 2/8/03 from: http://www.dyslexia-adults.com/a41.html
Mayer, Richard E. (2003) Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Mnemonic Instruction - How Does it Work? Retrieved on 2/8/03 from: http://www.people.virginia.edu/~fjb9a/web_class/mnemonics_project/How_Work.html
Mnemonics-music. Retrieved 2/8/03 from: http://www.frii.com/~geomanda/mnemonics/music.html
Assuming that Mayer's conclusion is reasonable, and maybe even true, what role might computers play in building lessons that teach meaningful learning using concreteness, activity and familiarity. If you can't find some lessons to illustrate your points, design and explain the rudiments of a computer lesson that is consistent with this type of meaningful learning instruction.
I am a very visual learner. I have always had difficulty grasping a concept that I couldn't visualize first. Computer-based visualizations can be extremely helpful to students such as myself because they provide the needed concrete evidence that is so hard for some to imagine. Mayer touches on this when he states: "In comptuer-based microworlds, the student is able to relate general principles to more familiar objects by manipulating simulated objects on the computer screen." (p. 287) In Archeology, for example, I could never understand how deductions were made about a society based on a few pieces of broken pottery and tools. Computer technology, however has now made it possible to reconstruct archaeological sites and monuments into 3D simulated environments. (Interactive Computer Simulations) These environments can be manipulated to form and test theories in a way in which you are actively participating in the simulation.
Similarly, computers can be used to bring mathematical concepts from a level of memorized formulas to a level of logical understanding. A lesson that I found to demonstrate this involved the concept of half-life and radioactive decay in the mathematical study of exponential functions. (Computer Simulations and Modeling) The students are taken through a simulation in which they are divided into groups in which they are pretending to be atoms and roll a die to determine when they will "decay." When all finally have had their number turn up on the die and all have decayed, the groups are reformed and the students simulate the decay of ten atoms in ten smaller groups. At this stage a worksheet is given to students with ten squares in a row. Each square represented an atom and for each square in the line of ten the die is rolled once. If it comes up with a six that particular atom has decayed in that year and can be crossed out. The die is rolled again for each of the remaining atoms for the next year. The students continue rolling until all the atoms have decayed. The teacher, to show what happens to one hundred atoms then combines the ten groups of results. At this stage there is surprise at the range of results in the groups particularly as some took twice as many years as others to decay their atoms. The same process of each group watching the decay of ten atoms is repeated and combined and graphed on the board. It soon becomes clear that the graph takes on the classic shape of an exponential curve.
Now, the computer enters the scene. A simulation can be set up using a model of radioactive decay. Students can then use information determined in the simulated classroom activity to determine how many years it will take Plutonium 239, a waste product of nuclear reactors, to decay. The computer manipulation "powerfully illustrates the concept of radioactive decay and half-life in a way no standard textbook explanation could ever do." ( Computer Simulations and Modeling)
This lesson demonstrates, I believe, meaningful learning using concreteness, activity and familiarity. Without use of the computer, how many students would come away from a simple exponential function lesson in the mathematics classroom understanding how they apply to real life? Or be able to transfer that information to the incredibly slow decay of nuclear waste material? I studied a lot of math in high school but I think the thing that prevented me from majoring in mathematics, was the fact that I couldn't visualize how these formulas related to the real world. A lesson such as the one I just described might have made a tremendous difference.
REFERENCES:
Computer Simulations and Modeling in Mathematics Education http://216.239.57.100/search?q=cache:s7arP5lhAvUC:math.unipa.it/~grim/SiHardiker.PDF+computer+simulations+in+education&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Interactive Computer Simulations for Research and Education in Archeology http://www.design.chalmers.se/projects/virtual_heritage/caa/
Mayer, Richard E. (2003) Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Do you think the phonics vs. whole language debate in the "learning to read" process, is relevant when thinking about how students read from the computer screen?
Phonics vs. whole language is a debate that I've heard discussed often in my years as teacher and parent, though not much in the last 5-10 years. It seems to me that, just as in the discussion of the best discipline methods, no one approach is appropriate for all children. This idea seems to be supported by "the increasingly widespread view that each approach has a different but potentially complementary role to play in the effective teaching of reading. Many educators now look for ways to use phonics as part of whole language instruction, striving to teach meaningful phonics in the context of literature." (Cromwell) As to whether one is better than the other in reference to reading from a computer, we must look at some difference between computerized and printed text.
At Ohio State University, an experiment was conducted in which students were given an article to read. Some were given the printed version and others were given the exact same article on the computer. Students that read from the computer screen found the essays harder to understand, less interesting and less persuasive than those on printed paper. This seems to conflict with the idea that computers make learning more interesting and exciting. I would keep in mind however, that these were adults, not children in the experiment. It also seems to indicate that students may need to be trained in different processing abilities when they are attempting to read computerized text. (Murphy) The web is still so new that conventions have not been established yet. In traditional print, we all know how to navigate, how to use the index, etc. On the web however, readers need to devote energy and attention to processes that are usually automatic in traditional print. (McEneaney) This can lead to many students becoming "lost in hyperspace." This can lead to confusion and frustration. I can honestly say, I experienced this myself when I first began the CTER program. It is only through much experience and experimentation that I have learned to navigate the web without getting lost. (Langellier)
The web, or computers in general, provide us with many opportunities to enhance the written word. As pointed out in Mayer, organizational and explanative illustrations aid comprehension as well as aid in transfer. (Mayer p.354) "Multimedia environments allow for the addition of visual and auditory information to a text in order to improve comprehension." (Chun;Plass) Because it can be used to add so much to what we read, computers would seem to be more relevant to a whole language approach. As Misty stated in her essay, students are encouraged to become familiar with the computer environment as well as read what is on the computer in the whole language approach. (Mapes) This would appear to be very necessary in light of the Ohio State experiment mentioned previously. This is not to say that phonics are not important in learning to read as well, but would seem to be a much smaller part of the picture in reference to reading from a computer screen.
RESOURCES:
Chun, Dorothy; Plass, Jan: RESEARCH ON TEXT COMPREHENSION IN MULTIMEDIA ENVIRONMENTS Retrieved 3/3/03 from: http://polyglot.cal.msu.edu/llt/vol1num1/chun_plass/default.html
Cromwell, Sharon: Whole Language and Phonics: Can They Work Together? Retrieved 3/3/03 from http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr029.shtml
Langellier, Dia. CTER program 2002.
Mapes, Misty. Reading from Computers: Phonics vs. Whole-Language Learning. Retrieved 3/3/03 from: http://blackboard.cites.uiuc.edu/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_2590_1&frame=top
McEneaney, John: Learning on the Web: A Content Literacy Perspective. Retrieved 3/3/03 from http://www.readingonline.org/articles/mceneaney/index.html
Murphy, Karen: TEXTS ON COMPUTER SCREENS HARDER TO UNDERSTAND, LESS PERSUASIVE Retrieved 3/3/03 from: http://www.osu.edu/units/research/archive/comptext.htm
Locate 2 web sites of suspected differences in quality that purport to teach and inform the audience about some topic or other. Analyze the web sites using quide lines that you construct from principles discussed by Mayer, e.g., those having to do with the use of questions, signaling, etc. You may need to develop some additional guidelines to analyze a web page, since Mayer's discussion focuses primarily on text and textbooks.
I chose to evaluate two websites based on "Learning on the Web" because one of these I read for a previous assignment and was intrigued by it's setup. In "Learning on the Web: A Content Literacy Perspective" by John McEneaney the outward structure is clear as it is also in "Active Learning on the Web" by Bernie Dodge. Both use titles and headings or "typographical cues." (Mayer p.341) I've found in my web wanderings, that this is pretty typical of a majority of websites. Dodge's website contained many structural devices as mentioned in Mayer, Chapter 10. He began with a couple of adjunct questions (Mayer p. 338): Why active learning? and What is active learning? (Dodge par.1) This helped the reader focus in on some key points of the essay. He also used several signaling devices (Mayer p. 341) that were statements of key information that was to follow, such as "the goal...", as well as summary statements beginning with "the results..." (Dodge par.2) In addition, his summary statement at the conclusion of the essay included some thought provoking meaningful questions. In all, though not a long article and not very detailed, I thought it was well structured.
McEneaney's essay also contained some of these same structural devices. He was very big on signaling, using pointer words (Mayer p. 341) such as "clearly" and "fortunately" and statements of key information to follow such as "the objective of this article," "the important idea," and "the critical issue." (McEneaney p.2 path) McEneaney did not use adjunct questions as Dodge did, but both he and Dodge included some enumeration (Mayer p. 331) in their essays.
What I found intriguing about both sites was the structural set up that is unique to the web. Dodge included a lot of graphics but they were mostly decorative. (Mayer p. 354) He also included links to pages that provided further explanation and even more graphics. It was a fairly typical web article with links to click on if you wish but with plenty of visual appeal due to the pictures.
McEneaney's article on the other hand, provided three different choices of structure for the reader to follow. One was the typical web article with links to click on if you wish scattered among the words of the essay. Another was a downloadable pdf file that prints out just like a term paper. And finally, the other choice was a "path." (McEneaney)This was my favorite form, because it led you through the article without allowing you to become distracted by links that might cause you to lose track of where you are and why you are there. While this may not be a structural device that typically would aid a learner reading an article in print, I found it to be very helpful in electronic media. Many people have a tendency to get "lost in hyperspace" (McEneaney p. 3 path) when they click on a link and begin to wander aimlessly, unable to find their way back to the original page or to what they were originally researching. This kept the reader focused on the subject matter at hand and edged out the Dodge article in use of structural devices. Of the two articles, I found McEneaney's easier to read and absorb because of its unique structure created especially for use on the web. Isn't it logical that some special considerations will have to be taken when looking at articles on the web because they are so different than the standard printed article?
RESOURCES:
Dodge, Bernie. Active Learning on the World Wide Web. Retrieved 3/4/03 from http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/Active/ActiveLearning.html
Mayer, Richard E. (2003). Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
McEneaney, John E. Learning on the Web: A Content Literacy Perspective. Retrieved 3/4/03 from http://www.readingonline.org/articles/mceneaney/index.html
Explain metacognition. Use what you know about the writing process and about meta-anything, and develop a parallel concept called, metawriting, and relate it to the type of writing that your students perform.
How did this concept development exercise go? Are there parts of the writing process that did not lend themselves to a meta-notion?
Meta cognition is defined as "knowledge and awareness of one's own cognitive processes." (Mayer pg. 100) Being aware of one's own thought processes, I would think, would tie in very closely with knowledge and awareness of one's own writing process, or metawriting. As a young student I was taught some limited form of the writing process. I can remember being made to create outlines in high school courses, before beginning to work on a paper or essay. Unfortunately, it was never explained how this was going to help me with my paper. I didn't see it as helping me to organize my thoughts, but rather a time consuming exercise in futility. How could I make an outline of what I was going to write, when I had no idea yet what that was? Now, doing grad school work, I find myself making working outlines frequently, although rarely putting them down on paper. Rather, I keep them in my working memory. This seems to work well for me. If I write the outline down, I get too involved in the organizational process and feel locked in--like I can't change my mind and move an idea to a different spot in the essay.
The three subprocesses related to the planning stages of writing an essay, generating information, organizing, and goal setting, I find to be quite difficult. (Mayer p. 116) If writing about a subject that I am unfamiliar with, such as teaching the writing process, I spend a lot of time taking notes from as wide a variety of sources as I can find. I then mentally organize how I want to present the information and try to figure out just what it is that I want to say. "When I write, I write to learn what I know because I don't know fully what I mean until I order the words on paper. Then I see ... and know." (Graves) It is this process that not only provides the audience with knowledge but the writer him/herself. Often I am amazed at what I learn just through the process of putting thoughts down on paper, or computer screen, as the case may be. Writing about a question, a problem, or an issue can help us clarify our thinking about the issue, or help us define the problem. (Johnson)
I have developed a system of writing over the years, that is similar to that described by Mayer, although, I can't say that I was taught to do this. Being a child of the '70's, the quality of my education probably wasn't the best. The only instruction in writing I can recall receiving is "you must write a paper" and "you must start with an outline." (Langellier 1970's) Perhaps if I had been instructed in metawriting, it would have helped my writing abilities as well as my confidence level. I have never been a confident writer. Every word put on paper is the result of a grueling mental process. I don't necessarily think that I am a bad writer, just not a good one. I've always felt this way; however, as we grow older, writers go through a doubting game about the text that they produce. We learn to read better and become aware of the discrepancy between our texts and our actual intentions. (Graves) Can this be avoided if properly instructed in metawriting? After reading about the writing process, I am much more aware of what I am doing and feel a little more comfortable writing this essay, but it is really too early to tell if that is coincidence or the result of metawriting.
The final two steps of the writing process, translating and reviewing, come a little easier for me, but are still a struggle. (Mayer p 117) My tendency is to mix the two steps together. As I write, I am constantly reviewing and editing at the same time. By the time I finish an essay, I have probably read it twenty or more times. This is a style unique to the computer age. With the advent of word processors, it has become easier to move text around and "edit as you go." However, it could be that this preoccupation with getting it right the first time or attempting to create a final draft in one try, is holding back my creative abilities. "The low-level aspects of writing such as spelling and punctuation can interfere with higher-level planning." (Mayer p 127) However, I have become too impatient with the writing process and don't want to go through several drafts before reaching a final product, so I find myself continuing to do this, even with this essay. As they say "no one likes change except a wet baby." (Johnson)
REFERENCES:
Graves, Donald H. All Children Can Write. Retrieved 3/12/03 from http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/writing/graves_process.html
Johnson, Valora M. Integrating Composition in Math, Science and Engineering Courses. Retrieved 3/12/03 from http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/fie95/3b4/3b44/3b44.htm
Langellier, Dia. Schooling in the 1970's. Quincy Junior High School and Quincy Notre Dame High School.
Mayer, Richard E. (2003). Learning and instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
The processes of learning and teaching science often involve analyzing "misconceptions". What are some misconceptions in the content areas (including teaching students about computers) that you teach which must be analyzed in order to provide a more effective instructional plan? How can misconceptions be overcome? Is it easy to do so?
One of the most frustrating misconceptions that I deal with as a band instructor is the belief that good musicians must have a lot of talent. All too often I see talented musicians lose interest and drop out of band when they finally reach the point where they can no longer ride the wave of their talent and progress without putting in the practice time. On the contrary, some of my students that worked hard for everything that they were able to achieve musically, have gone the farthest in their musical careers. How does this misconception spread? People have been talking about how "talented" musicians are since the beginning of music as we know it. I'm guilty of it myself. This leads to the impression that there is no work involved. But the truly great musicians (or basketball players, or whatever) have always gotten where they are by working hard. Beethoven himself was made to practice 6 hours a day from the time he was very small. (Lane)
This is a misconception that I have found difficult to overcome. I have put a great deal of effort into coming up with a solution but with little success. Students need to be taught a work ethic from the beginning of their instrumental career. I have used practice charts and incentives to encourage students to make a habit of practicing. (Langellier) I also try to keep them challenged, so that they will need to practice even if they are "talented." This is quite a challenge for me this year especially. With budget cuts in our district, I now have larger classes with a wider range of abilities. How does one challenge the quick learners without losing the slower ones?
Another type of misconception I have to deal with is really more of a result of misinformation. I often get flute students who have started with other teachers who come into my class fingering b-flat incorrectly, for instance. (Langellier) Because they were taught this fingering by their first teacher, whom they trust, I usually have a tough time convincing the student that, though their former teacher may have been a good musician and trumpet teacher, they were not a flute play by trade and have mistakenly taught them an alternate fingering. This also happens with general music teachers who have misinformed students about musical terms. I usually need to show the student the correct information in their music book in order to convince them that they will have to make a change.
My most recent brush with student misconceptions occurred at the beginning of this school year. The previous band instructor allowed the band students to write in the names of notes in their music so that they could play the music easier. Students believed that they could not play without doing this. In truth, they could not play the music with the notes written in, because they weren't looking at the music. They were looking at their own handwriting! I used a slightly less scientific form of POE (predict-observe-explain) to correct this misconception. (Mayer p. 202) I asked what would happen if they named the notes aloud 5 or 6 times before playing the song every time they wanted to play it. I told them that in less than a week, they would be able to play songs without writing in the notes and play them as well as they did when they had to write in the note names. Most didn't believe me. I instructed them to try my system and report the results at the next weeks lesson. Those that did try it were able to report success the following week. The doubters didn't bother to try this method until a few weeks passed and they were able to see their classmates successfully reading notes without writing them in first. I explained that when notes are written in above the music, our eyes follow this writing and don't look at where the notes are on the staff. Therefore, we never make the clear connection between the placement of the note on the staff and it's corresponding name and fingering. (Langellier 2002)
This last example has been my most successful correction of misconceptions. However, it even has some drawbacks. I still have one student, after 5 months, that chooses to resist learning how to properly read notes. What does a teacher do with a stubborn student, the doubters? Sometimes I wish I could follow them home to make sure that they practice the new method. Unfortunately, there is only one of me.
REFERENCES:
Lane, WIlliam. Beethoven the Immortal. Retrieved on 3/21/03 from: http://www.lucare.com/immortal/childhood.html
Langellier, Dia. Band Teacher for Springfield Catholic School System. 1988-2001.
Langellier, Dia. Band Teacher for Iles School in Springfield, IL. 2002-2003.
Mayer, Richard E. (2003). Learning and instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Describe some productive ways to think about the needs, or goals, that students and teachers have? Under what conditions are these two need systems supportive, and where are they conflicting with each other? Glasser, in Lesson 13, also has some things to say about needs.
The goals of students and teachers often seem to be in conflict with one another. I can remember vividly, in High School, the students in my geometry class had one goal-to divert the teacher from the subject at hand, to anything else. (Langellier) Unfortunately, we were often successful, to the detriment of our education in geometry. The teacher's goals on the other hand should have been to take us through as much knowledge of geometry as possible. I'm not sure how dedicated he was to this goal, since he was so easily distracted from it.
William Glasser lists five basic student needs: survival, belonging, power, fun and freedom. (Charles p. 126) As a band director, I find it less likely to experience conflict between the student and teacher goals. Most if not all band students are in band because they choose to be. They are looking to learn how to play an instrument and have fun, as well as to belong to a group. As the teacher, I am also looking for them to have fun as they learn and to learn to work together as a group. This type of teamwork promotes the "family " atmosphere so prevalent in bands. The biggest conflict of goals comes in the definition of "fun." Band students often want band to be a social hour. They have joined with their friends to have fun, and for them that means goofing around, talking, and playing whenever they want to. The teacher's idea of fun is to learn to play well, as a team as well as individually, so that we can enjoy the satisfaction of being able to play difficult songs well. This cannot be done in the chaotic situation just described as being the student's idea of fun. My job as the band director is to direct their energy to becoming the best player they can be and thus we will be the best sounding band we can be.
My attempts to reconcile this apparent conflict begin with providing a warm, supportive classroom climate. (Charles p. 127) Students must be clear on the fact that we are working as a team and that support and cooperation are very necessary for success. Each semester, I choose at least one song to work on that the students really want to learn. (Langellier) This makes them feel like they are an important part of the team and not like the teacher is totally in control. This also inspires them to work harder at learning the tune and putting it together in group band. Usually, by the time we have successfully performed one concert, the students begin to realize that the fun truly does lie in being able to perform the music well, especially for an audience. Often, I will have less of a struggle getting them to work together instead of socializing, once they have tasted that success. The end product becomes the motivating "fun" factor. Where once we had similar goals that didn't mesh together, we now have come to realize that we want the same thing and must cooperate to get it.
REFERENCES:
Charles, C.M. Building Classroom Discipline. 7th edition. Allyn and Bacon 2002.
Langellier, Dia. Quincy Notre Dame High School. 1976-77. Band Director. 1988-2003.
I wonder why, if we are only a victim of our past if we choose to be, that so many choose to be victims of their past. Is it because it's easier to lay the blame somewhere other than on our own shoulders?
I wonder why Glasser is not considered a behaviorist. It sounds to me as if many of his ideas could be applied to classroom discipline.
I wonder why Glasser's principles are not more obvious to everyone. Common sense tells us that students choose to act the way they do and should be made responsible for their choices.
I wonder if he was first to point this out because others weren't able to figure it out or because others weren't brave enough to point it out. It takes guts to say that the choices you make don't have to be affected by your past. It 's much easier to blame poor choices on past bad experiences.
I wonder if it is possible to meet all students needs. It seems there is often a conflict between one students needs and anothers.
I wonder if and when school districts are going to realize that in order to teach everything in the curriculum, teachers can only scratch the surface of some subjects. In depth teaching is often sacrificed.
I wonder if Glasser is thinking of student self esteem when he refers to "no competitive grading." So much focus has been put on self esteem in recent years that real learning is sometimes sacrificed.
I wonder if Glasser realizes that students will recognize a grade of "*" as a failure, or an "F."
I wonder how Glasser would describe me. I am not a Boss teacher, but I am not a Lead teacher either. Is there something in between? I think I lean more toward being a Lead teacher.
I wonder if it is feasible to have "up to 45 minute" class meetings daily at the elementary school level. Aren't teachers already pressed for time in fulfilling curriculum requirements?
I wonder if it would be a good idea to incorporate class meetings into other subjects, like the problem solving discussed in chapter 12 of Mayer.
I wonder what the consequence should be if a student still fails to turn in work along with the plan for how to avoid late assignments in the future. Is there ever a point at which punitive punishment should become a necessary evil?
I wonder why it is human nature to make excuses when we break rules.
I wonder if teachers had time to follow through on all of Glasser's ideas, if they would work effectively. I still believe that a mix of various behavioral theories is probably the best way to go.
I wonder why it isn't obvious that in order to eliminate discipline problems, students need to be kept from getting bored. I figured that out early in my teaching career. I guess what is "plain as the nose on my face" is sometimes the hardest to see.
Glasser is a big proponent of the class meeting and was one of the first model builders to discuss its use in detail (Glasser, The Quality School, 1990).
Describe the class meeting. Do you, or someone you know, use the class meeting as part of your classroom procedures, or your family procedures, perhaps? How does it work?
Does the asynchronous properties of networked computers offer students and teachers a way to use "cyber" class meetings in some creative ways?
Because I don't teach in a conventional class setting, I have not been able to experience the traditional class meeting. (Charles p.122) I have worked as a general music teacher and as a band director and thus only see my students for 30 minute periods, once or twice per week. I have used family meetings at home with my children, however. Sometimes these are to discuss family chore divisions, fire safety, or stranger safety., Most recently, it was to discuss the upcoming family vacation. These usually begin with my husband and I making a statement about what is going to be discussed and voicing some thoughts of our own. This usually gets the discussion started but the children usually need to be prompted to contribute. Often they are reluctant to voice their opinions, fearing I guess, that we will not seriously consider what they have to say.
I can't say that our family meetings would be considered a success. They seem to usually end up with the parents doing much of the talking. Our recent meeting about the family vacation was a productive one though. The boys gradually opened up and actually contributed enough to the conversation for us to determine that the vacation we had been planning really wasn't going to work well for any of us and we were able to come up with an alternative plan. During this meeting, I continually prompted the children with questions to try to get them to tell us what they really wanted out of the vacation. This was a lot of work, but considering that vacations, at least in our family, are few and far between, we wanted to be sure that time and money was not wasted on a vacation that didn't satisfy everyone's expectations.
Computers offer an interesting alternative to the traditional class meeting just as they offer an alternative to traditional education. My experience with the CTER program at UIUC, for example has allowed me to work out of my home and continue my post graduate education without the disruption of having to attend scheduled classes. In most of the courses taken so far, weekly chats were scheduled via AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). Though not intended as "class meetings" per se, the opportunity for this intent is there. Through the faceless chat room, often times, students are more willing to contribute the conversations that they normally would just sit and listen to passively. The teacher as moderator can lead the discussion how he/she sees fit by prompting students with questions. I felt that for the most part, these CTER chats have been successful. One exception was a chat held last summer in which the teacher required the entire class to attend. The conversation was so crowded and moved to fast that many of us were left frozen at the keyboard, unable to type fast enough to contribute. When using technology, I think special consideration needs to be given to circumstances such as this that might arise. Because we are moving in uncharted waters, teachers will have to be willing to experiment with class sizes, etc. and work the bugs out, so to speak.
REFERENCES:
Charles, C.M. Building Classroom Discipline. Seventh Edition. Allyn and Bacon.
Langellier, Dia. Family Meetings 2003.
Langellier, Dia. CTER Program. University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana. 2002-2003.
Locate a story and analyze some of the conflicts in it. Children's stories are good sources. Use the schemes described by Anderson to help decide whether the conflict(s) are interpersonal, intrapersonal, intergroup, and/or intragroup. Also, describe how each of the conflicts was resolved.
Hint: first look for signs of incompatibility, or perceived incompatibility. Then, determine the source(s) or causes of the incompatibility. This should help you decide the type of conflict. However, when the forces of nature are involved, like an earthquake, flood, etc. then my conflict schemes don't seem to work very well.
Either submit the entire story, or give an executive summary of it so that your readers will have a reasonable idea of what's happening.
I chose to analyze "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig" by Eugene Trivizas, my five year old's current favorite story. The story is based on the old classic "The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf" but in reverse. The mother wolf decides it is time that the three little wolves move out on their own but warns them to beware of the big bad pig. So the three set out together and build a house of bricks. The big bad pig comes along and tries, unsuccessfully to blow the house down. He then uses a sledge hammer to knock the house down and the three wolves build a new house of concrete. When the big bad pig fails to blow this house down, he resorts to a pneumatic drill. The wolves then build an even stronger house of barbed wire, iron bars, armor plates and heavy metal padlocks. The big bad pig again tries to blow the house down but this time must rely on dynamite to do the trick. By this time, the three wolves realize there must be something wrong with their building and decide to try something different. Their next house is built of many different kinds of flowers. Very flimsy, but also very fragrant. When the big bad pig comes along this time and threatens to blow the house down, he takes a big breath and smells the flowers, and it is wonderful. He takes another breath, and another and his heart grows tender. He soon realizes what a bad pig he has been and decides to become a big good pig. The wolves at first are worried that it is a trick but soon realize that the pig has changed, so they begin playing games with him and even eventually invite him to stay with them where they live happily ever after.
First and foremost there is either an interpersonal or inter-group conflict, depending on how you look at it. It can be an interpersonal conflict between the pig and each of the wolves or a conflict between pigs and wolves as groups. In either case, the pig is the aggressor for whatever reason. He has some type of grudge against the wolves and continually harasses them. Basically, he appears to be the "schoolyard bully" type. The wolves deal with this by fortifying their place of residence and then running away when it is attacked and begins to give way. They do not confront the pig, nor do they attempt to work out an understanding with the pig. Running and/or hiding seems to be what they have chosen as their way of dealing with this adversary.
In addition, the pig seems to also have an intra-personal conflict. He never seems to be happy and spends his time picking fights with the wolves. Yet in the end, he discovers the fragrant beauty of the flowers and a change comes over him. Perhaps, there has been something missing in his life that caused him to be angry all the time. Maybe a little beauty and some affection were missing elements in his life. These two animals could have benefitted from some mediation earlier in the book. With a closer look at the pig's intra-personal conflict it might have been discovered that he was jealous of the wolves close knit relationship all along and what he really needed was a friend.
REFERENCES:
Anderson, Thomas H. A Treatise on Conflicts in the Classroom. 1999 Retrieved 3/27/03 from: http://blackboard.cites.uiuc.edu/bin/common/content.pl?action=LIST&render_type=DEFAULT&content_id=_94528_1
Trivizas, Eugene. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. 1993. Scholastic, Inc.
Locate information on the internet and from your school district (and local police dept.) that describes the gang scene in your school, school district, community or city. Determine the names, symbols, garments, gang structure, its effect on your school, and on you.
How do you plan to interact with gang 'wannabe's' or members in your school, classroom or laboratory? How has the use of computers in the school contributed to the "conflict" caused by gangs?
According to Dictionary.com, gangs can be defined two ways:
1. A group of criminals or hoodlums who band together for mutual protection and profit.
2. A group of adolescents who band together, especially a group of delinquents.
The Illinois State Police, however have a more detailed description of gangs. "Street gang" or "gang" means any combination, alliance, network, conspiracy or understanding, of 3 or more persons with an established hierarchy; that through its membership engages in a course or pattern of criminal activity. (740 ILCS 147/10). Drug distribution, assaults and weapons-related offenses are typically associated with established street gangs. (Street Gang Awareness Brochure)
Here in Springfield, there are no established hard core gangs, but there are some "pocket gangs" or spin offs of big city gangs from Chicago or East St. Louis. (Williamson) In the early 90's gang activity was escalating here with violence increasing and graffiti becoming more prevalent. There were several cases of shootings and retaliations a few days or a week later by an opposing gang. During this time, big city gangs were trying to establish a foothold here to gain drug territory. Since this time, gang activity has dwindled. Officer Williamson speculates that these hard core gangs have moved on to Decatur Illinois to try to establish boundaries there. Most of the present gang activity here is tied to the drug trade, with small local gangs forming to sell drugs. However, it is estimated that it is a small percentage of youths ranging in age from 13-21 years of age.
Though presently there does not seem to be a gang problem in District 186 Schools, there has been some problems at the middle school level in the recent past with gang "wanna-be's." (Williamson) Gang "wanna-be's" can often be the precursor to establishing a hard core gang. "Usually, a group of juveniles create a loose association that begins to mimic the culture of an established hard-core gang. These so called "wanna-be's" are rarely well organized. Their criminal activity is usually limited to petty thefts, vandalism, and nuisances which are sometimes minimized or ignored by the community." (Street Gang Awareness Brochure) At my son's basketball game last year, an LD teacher from Franklin Middle School told me of incidences at her school where students were selling marijuana. (Johnson) According to Officer Williamson, this was just one of several incidents of local neighborhood gangs that included threatening to beat up other students and shaking them down for lunch money and pocket change.
Clothing is another issue that teachers need to be aware of in reference to gangs. In addition to the baggy clothing, which is convenient for hiding drugs, professional team sportswear is also popular among gang members. (Street Gang Awareness Brochure) It seems the team colors often match up with gang colors and sometimes even symbols, such as the L.A. Kings hats, match up with a gang such as the Latin Kings. For this reason, District 186 has a strict dress code meant to prevent students from wearing much of the gang related clothing. District 186's dress code is as follows:
* Dress and grooming shall neither present a risk to the health, safety or general welfare of students or others in the school nor interfere with or disrupt the educational environment or process.
* Dress and grooming shall not be contrary to curriculum goals and/or educational objectives or advertise, promote or picture alcoholic beverages, tobacco, illegal drugs or illegal or violent behavior.
* Dress and grooming, including accessories, shall not display lewd, vulgar, obscene or plainly-offensive language or symbols, including gang symbols.
* Hats, caps, bandannas, sweat bands and sunglasses shall not be worn in the buildings.
* Pierced jewelry, other than earrings worn in the ear, shall not be worn in the buildings; neither shall spiked apparel and accessories or chains that can be used as weapons.
* Shoe laces should be tied.
* Coats and jackets should not be worn in the building without principal permission.
* Clothing with holes, ragged hems or cut-off hemlines, or made of transparent or fishnet fabric, or clothing that exposes the chest, abdomen, genital area or buttocks, undergarments or the legs above mid-thigh, shall not be worn in the buildings.
* Properly-fitting clothing is to be worn. Oversized, extremely baggy clothing or improperly-fitted clothing is not allowed. Pants, shorts or skirts must be worn at the waist; sagging is prohibited.
* Tattoos that, by their content, violate any of the provisions of the Student Dress Code must be covered at all times while students are on school property and/or in attendance at school sponsored activities.
Computers bring an interesting new twist to the gang scene as I see it. It is much easier to communicate among gang factions for one thing. It is also easier to find information on illegal activities such as making drugs or bombs. Where once this information had to be passed on verbally among gang members, it is now easily accessible on the web.
As far as how I plan to interact with gang "wanna-be's" in my school, I don't think that is really relevant at this point. I teach in two grades schools where I am positive there is no gang activity of any sort. The closest thing to gang "wanna-be's" at either of these schools is the children who dress in baggy clothing and try to pull their pants down below their hips. Not many of them even try to "walk the walk" of the gangsters although, sadly, I witnessed a 2nd grader imitating this walk just last week. I'm not sure I'm even qualified to try to treat them any different. With all my students I try to help them see that making good choices will benefit them in the long run. This is all I feel qualified to do - guide and care for them. Maybe it will be enough to make a difference in their lives.
REFERENCES:
Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 4/1/03 from: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=gang
District 186 Student Dress Code. Retrieved on 4/1/03 from: http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/about/dress.html
Johnson, Shannon. LD teacher at Franklin Middle School in Springfield, IL. 2002.
Street Gang Awareness. Illinois State Police. Retrieved on 3/27/03 from: http://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/gangstrt.pdf or http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:D5W6x7F6AqQC:www.isp.state.il.us/docs/gangstrt.pdf+gang+symbols+Springfield,+IL+&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Williamson, Greg. Springfield Police Officer. 2003.
Design and explain an instructional program based on an apprenticeship model of instruction. Include the use of computers, networks, and distance learning, but little, if any, face-to-face interactions. Can technology work well in this type of instruction or is this just a pipe dream?
I think an ideal instructional program taught through distance learning could be a class on web page building. I'm sure this would work well because, through the CTER program, I have learned how to build a web site, when previously I had little knowledge of computers other than to email or use the word processor. (Langellier) Students could be paired up with professionals who work in this area daily, acting as their mentors and tech helpers.
First, students would need to acquire a little technical knowledge. This could be done through either personal contact with their teacher and/or tech helper or through a powerpoint lecture. Some web building programs even have step by step tutorials that the students could work through to build a web page. After following step by step instructions, students would need to build a web page of their own choosing so as to encourage them to experiment with the things they have learned. I personally have trouble retaining information I have acquired until I use it a few times. This would also be more relevant to each student, since they choose their own project, also helping with transfer.
The next step would be to have the student visit a variety of web sites and analyze what makes the site(s) good or bad. There are some good sites available that can help students determine what to look for in a good web site. With this knowledge, they can then rebuild their practice web site to make it better. They could even perhaps, evaluate each other's sites. Input from the mentor/tech helper would be particularly valuable here since they work in this area daily.
Finally, the mentor/tech helper would assign the student a real life web building project. Students would be required to design and build a web page or site for a real client, with a real deadline. It is important, since a client is involved, that at this stage of the class, the mentor/tech helper make frequent checks on the work of his/her student. He/she would be able to make suggestions and steer the student down the path to a successful learning experience. This could be done through email and Instant Messenger.
I have always felt that apprenticeship is a method of learning that Americans could benefit from exploring more extensively. While used a great deal in other parts of the world, here in the United States, book learning is highly emphasized. While I feel book learning is important as well, I think I would have benefitted more from a full year or more of student teaching with a really good mentor. I entered the classroom almost 20 years ago, far from ready to meet the challenges of teaching. I learned much more in a few years of teaching under the guidance of an excellent principal, than I did in 3 1/2 years at college. Food for thought...
REFERENCES:
Langellier, Dia. CTER program at UIUC. 2002.
Mayer, Richard E. (2003). Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
On pp. 481-2, Mayer lists 3 strategies for motivating students: 1. Create situations that mesh with the interest of the students so that they can see some personal value in learning the material. 2. Create situations in which students can observe their peers succeeding and also experience success themselves, and 3. Create situations in which students can learn that their academic successes and failures depend on their effort rather than solely on their ability.
How can the use of computers in the instructional classroom facilitate motivation, as described by Mayer. Select a content area, perhaps one that you teach, and illustrate your responses within that context.
One of the most valuable assignments I can remember from my high school career came in Home Economics class. (Langellier 1979?) For this assignment, we were assigned a monthly income and we were supposed to plan our purchases based on what money we needed for housing and food. Even though the assignment was poorly thought out, it was something that we all found personal value in because we knew that we would all be on our own within a period of a few years, and having to budget our money around necessary expenses.
What if this lesson were taken a few steps further? Students could choose a job-perhaps one in a field that they are already thinking about entering, and research what the average salary would be. This would make the assignment more personal to them, since they would be determining their career choice and budgeting around the salary that goes with it instead of using a predetermined amount for everyone in the class.
Once they have determined their income, they could then house hunt online. Everyone has an idea of what kind of house they hope to own one day, and this could be a real eye opener. They could also determine the average cost of utilities for their new home and could use the web to determine their average grocery bill on some supermarket web sites. With whatever money is left, the student can figure the cost of clothing, gas, insurance, car maintenance, medical expenses, etc. Of course, this would not be complete without also figuring in the cost of a spouse and a child or two, just in case. By doing this last, students can see the difference financially between being single and having family obligations.
Next, the students would post their results on a discussion board such as Blackboard. They would be required to list the sources of information that they used and in addition, would be required to read and comment on at least 5 other student's entries. In the CTER program, this method of instruction has been used a few times this past year, and I have found it to be quite a rewarding experience.(Langellier 2002-03) In reading other students assignments, I am inspired to think of ideas I didn't know I had and develop a kind of self confidence in my ability to do the assignment that sometimes was lacking previously. Reading fellow students comments about my work also reinforces my self efficacy. (Mayer p. 469) I've learned more from this method of instruction than an any traditional course taken previously. While this would not be a good method of instruction for elementary school children, I feel it would be an excellent way to stimulate discussion among high school students, allowing them to see and participate in each other's successes.
REFERENCES:
Langellier, Dia. CTER Program--University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana. 2002-2003.
Langellier, Dia. Quincy Notre Dame High School Home Economics class. 1979?
Mayer, Richard E. (2003). Learning and instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.