(click the link to see all Behaviorism posts)
Behaviorism Blog Post 1
- What are the big ideas of this chapter, in your own words?
- Discuss at least one question, confusion, or something you wonder about after reading the chapter (when commenting, look for these questions and answer them).
- (Choose one)
- What things are appropriate/effective to teach through Behaviorism? What are not appropriate or possible to teach in this way? (Why?)
- How does a behaviorist define learning?
- “Change the environment, change the behavior”—explain this statement. How could you use this as a teacher?
Behaviorism Blog Post 2
Mr. Gates has chosen Behaviorism as a way to think about his teaching, and how to design his classroom. IMAGINE the Gates classroom (use your imagination to pick a content area that he teaches), and describe THREE specific things that you might observe in his classroom (as evidence of his learning theory).
Information Processing Blog Post 1
Referring to the model of memory below, describe a scenario of how a chid might learn (and retreive!) SOMETHING (you fill in this part) in detail. Make sure you trace through each stage and element of the model.
Social Cognitive/Sociocultural Theories
NOTE: Make sure you're answering the questions by connecting responses to theory, and not just your opinion.
Information Processing Blog Post 1
- Reflecting on what you've read, what are the big ideas of this chapter, in your own words? Don't just list topics! Try describing it this way:
- If you had to share the useful information of this chapter to a practicing teacher who is curious what this theory has to offer, what would you say?
- After you've read the chapter, sit back away from the book for a minute. Then, try to start typing out what you remember from the chapter as it comes to you.
- Discuss at least one question, confusion you have after reading the chapter. Even if you THINK you don't have a question, ask one. It's a good method of reading critically (when commenting, look for these questions and answer them).
- According to Information Processing Theory, what is learning? What is ONE implication for teaching?
- CHOOSE ONE:
- Why is it that you can hear your name in a crowded room, even when you were previously having a separate conversation?
- Explain why people forget things.
- Why isn’t repetition the best way to remember something?
Information Processing Blog Post 2
Referring to the model of memory below, describe a scenario of how a chid might learn (and retreive!) SOMETHING (you fill in this part) in detail. Make sure you trace through each stage and element of the model.
Social Theories Blog Post 1
- After you've read the chapter, sit back away from the book for a minute (don't look at it! close your eyes if that helps). Then, try to start typing out what you remember from the chapter as it comes to you.
- Discuss at least one question, confusion you have after reading the chapter. Even if you THINK you don't have a question, ask one. It's a good method of reading critically (when commenting, look for these questions and answer them).
- According to Social Cognitive Theory, what counts is learning? What is ONE implication for teaching?
- How do other people (an individual person or on the larger scale of culture and society) affect the way that you (or someone) learn? How might they affect what counts as learning or intelligence?
Social Theories Blog Post 2
The Bobo Doll Experiment:
In 1961 Bandura investigated the effects of modelled aggressive behaviour on children.
See the video to find out the results. Not mentioned, children were found to be more influenced by models of the same sex.
Also not mentioned in the video, the results also supported the hypothesis that boys are more likely than girls to display aggressive behaviour. Bandura also concluded thatthe environment (society) considers and supports males being aggressive and boys are raised to be more aggressive; girls are less confident expressing physical aggression. The girls matched the boys in measured verbal aggression and Bandura concluded that this reflects respective cultural strengths of male and females in terms of verbal and physical expression (verbal aggression for females is more acceptable?).
- Watch this video. This is an experiment by Bandura (the main guy in Social Cognitive Theory!) a LONG time ago. It's old and a bit ridiculous.... Keep that in mind.
- How might this relate to classroom instruction when thinking about modeling (Social Cognitive Theory)?
- What makes a model most effective? (In this video or in another situation)
- Who or what could count as a model in your classroom? (You, obviously, but anything/one else?)
- How might society and culture influence learning? (and how would that relate to classroom instruction)
- The boys were more likely to show (have learned) physical aggression toward the doll because of a cultural factor. The cultural 'model' of a man is typically pictured as the more aggressive individual. How might large scale cultural factors influence your students' learning?
- You will be creating a smaller 'classroom culture' for your students. Your classroom will have lots of unspoken rules and expectations (similar to cultural factors). You will also decide what counts as learning, participation, 'good' and 'bad' behavior, andwhat it means to be a member of your classroom. Discuss one distinguishing factor that might be a component of your own (designed) classroom culture and how that would be visible in daily activity.
