Educational Psychology: Module 3 Blog
Module 3
January 29, 2022
Module 3 Reflection
I enjoyed discussing the topics in this weeks module. Seeing a teacher talk to his students like that is a very sad and uncomfortable thing. I think that this is something we all should keep in mind when we are teaching our future students. We cannot take things personally and shouldn't treat our students that way regardless of the situation. Secondly, talking about the reward system argument was a great way for us to get ideas and see what everyone has gone through with their teachers. The reward system argument is something that will be debated for a long time.
Chapter 7 Overview
In chapter 7, Woolfolk discusses the general definition of learning that we use for the opposing views of "different theoretical groups". These groups include the behavioral theorists and in chapters 8 and 9, the cognitive theorists. Woolfolk also talks about the four behavioral learning processes: contiguity, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. Another thing Woolfolk talks about in this chapter is the Ethical Issues that we see on a day to day basis. One strategy Woolfolk talks about punishment and if it is a reliable strategy. Woolfolk also talks about applying considerations for this strategy. For example, if the student is a good student then reports sent home are usually good things, but if they are a "bad" student they get bad reports sent home.
Chapter 7 Reflection
I think this chapter is a great read because it talks about contingency contracts and the different reinforcements that can be used. It really talks about how a classroom can be ran from the mental side of teaching. For example, using group consequences and individual consequences. This really had me thinking about how I want to go about classroom management when I start teaching. This is a very big idea that applies to teaching and classroom management was one of the last things on my mind. Learning the different strategies that we can use to work with our students is crucial and this gives me a good base idea of how I want to handle students and situations.
Chapter 8 Overview
In chapter 8, Woolfolk starts talking about the cognitive perspective of the classroom. We now get to talk about the approach of learning and memory. Woolfolk talks about the processing of information and modeling of memory. Woolfolk also talks about the brain and cognitive learning. "Observing and visualizing support learning because the brain automatically responds to these types of stimulation, (Woolfolk 300). Woolfolk goes in depth about how complex the brain is and how it learns and retains information. Understanding this can help us improve our students experience in the classroom.
Chapter 8 Reflection
Working memory is something that caught my attention in this chapter. Working memory is "the small amount of information that can be held in mind and used in the execution of cognitive tasks, in contrast with long-term memory, which is the vast amount of information saved in one's life" (2014, p. 197). It really just puts in prospective how incredible and complex the human brain is. When we teach our students making sure they retain information and enjoy the process is important. I also really enjoy this quote in the textbook about working memory, "unlike sensory memory or long-term memory, working memory capacity is very limited-something many of your professors seem to forget as they race through a lecture while you labor to make sense of their words and PowerPoints," (Woolfolk 309). I have had a lot of professors that would lecture for hours on end and these were some of the classes that I had the most trouble in.
Chapter 9 Overview
In this chapter Woolfolk talks about the complex processes that lead to understanding. "Understanding involves appropriately transforming and using knowledge, skills, and ideas," (Woolfolk 339). Woolfolk talks also talks about the individual differences in metacognition. The difference of metacognitive abilities will lead to developments and adaptations. One thing that Woolfolk makes clear about metacognition is that not all abilities have to do with age or maturation.
Chapter 9 Reflection
I think the section talking about metacognition is important and just shows how important treating each student as an individual is important. Not all students will learn the same and will understand and learn at different rates and in different ways regardless of maturation or age. I want to make sure that my students all are comfortable and learn in a way that they get the most out of the lesson for that week/day. A lot of philosophers talk about metacognition and how we can thinking about our thoughts. I feel that Woolfolk makes it more understandable in this chapter and gives us a better way to understand the deeper thoughts that our students may have and how different they all think and react to the lessons.
Hi Matt,
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to classes where professors just lecture for hours. I have been in one class where the lecture lasted for 3 hours straight. I honestly to not remember anything. This is something to keep in mind when we are teachers. So often teachers forget what it was like to be students. They do not remember what they struggled with and replicate the same mistakes their teachers made. We need to understand how are students are feeling and be careful not to overload their working memory. We have the tools to do this, thanks to Woolfolk.
Hi Matt,
ReplyDeleteI liked the quote that you pulled out about very fast-paced lectures---I've been in a lot of classes where the instructor moves through the PowerPoint before anyone has a chance to read it, or gives a lot of extra information verbally that is never written down anywhere. We really do have a limited capacity for processing information and retaining it in the short-term, so trying to listen, participate in the discussion, and take notes all at the same time is very overwhelming. In my experience, the most effective lectures are those that have a slower, steadier pace, with dedicated time for taking in the lecture information and taking down notes, and then expanding on that information through discussion, application, and connection. I think, too, that sometimes when teachers or professors assign a reading with the same information beforehand, they assume that their students "know" the information, even though robust knowledge requires repetition and use to form.
I think that the connections you drew between metacognition and effective learning are spot-on, but I think there's another layer to it, as well. In addition to showing us as teachers how to help our students learn and tailoring our teaching to their individual needs, showing students how to think about their own thinking equips them to take charge of their own learning. Analyzing how we think, and tracing our reactions, assumptions, and approaches to their roots opens up our ability to think more creatively and more critically. I think that your comments on how this ties into philosophy speaks to this, too; in my classes that discuss gender norms, socialization, and our understanding of the self, we've looked critically at our own thinking, and at group thinking, to identify where different ideas come from, and make decisions about what we choose to think. I believe that this kind of practice empowers students to be better and more independent thinkers, and sets them to navigate a messaging-driven world with the tools to unpack those messages with awareness.