Moody: EDAT 6115

  Chapter 11 discusses effective learning environments.  Classroom management can help with behavior and scholar engagement.  There is also some level of time management that comes into play when we are in charge of a whole classroom. “Providing an effective learning environment includes strategies that teachers use to create a positive, productive classroom experience through a process that is often called classroom management.” (Slavin, 2021, p. 280) One of the first things that comes to mind is that all the things that make the classroom a positive and productive learning environment are dependent on the scholars and the teacher. The environment, rules, expectations, and norms of the classroom are set up and maintained by the teacher.  Time management for teachers can be the time spent on actual teaching content but also the time given for assignments. It also can account for the time that is spent on behaviors. Figure 11.1 in Chapter 11 shows that scholars were o...

Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 in Slavin's book Educational Psychology discusses direction instruction and student-centered instruction. The book discussed them as individual and independent strategies. However, I think there are benefits and drawbacks for both.  I think teachers should use a combination of the two teaching methods.  Maybe this is because my scholars require both strategies on a constant basis.  My scholars need to have direct instruction on what they need to learn but also need to have some individualization of the how and pacing of the material.  Direction instruction focuses on the teacher and what the teacher does.  There should be clear expectations, objectives, and structured lessons that allow scholars to be actively engaged. Teachers should have it all planned out. Scholars should be completing tasks that ensure they are actively learning. Direct instruction uses scaffolding to help the scholars become independent in the learning process. Lesso...

Reading chapter six, peer discussions and other information made me think about how we process information.  There was a slew of information in the chapter that was useful and that tied into my daily classroom experiences.  However, how exactly does some information make it into our long-term memory that we will never forget? While other information we forget seconds after we were exposed to it.   This was one of the major topics on my mind. The book and peer discussions talked about using the first minutes of class to expose important information, using hooks to draw them into the information, using all the five senses to tie the information together, as well as doing ext tickets (tickets out the door) to tie all the information together.  Using hooks can help by tying other senses into the information, using exit tickets can help tie the information together, and using all the senses can help in how the information is stored and processed.  Working memory is f...

For some scholars, simply stating expectations is enough to encourage the desired behavior. However, others may have been conditioned over time to develop necessary skills. The ultimate goal is for these behaviors to be generalized across different settings to foster long-term success. To achieve this, Teachers must identify what motivates each scholar, as their motivation serves as a reinforcer for learning and behavioral growth. Most of my scholars respond to and need extrinsic motivators, some scholars develop intrinsic motivation over time. How they are motivated determines what strategies I use in my classroom.  IF/THEN cards, behavior contracts, and badge collection systems to help students self-regulate, however, it has to be for the right type of reinforcer. Allowing them to earn rewards in exchange for completing difficult or undesirable tasks encourages perseverance. The concepts related to aggression stood out to me, particularly after this school year. I had a scholar i...

  This week's reading was on Cognitive Development.  Several well-known psychologists and their theories are mentioned in this reading.  Piaget believed that each individual goes through stages based on age from birth through adulthood.  If you are not that old, then you can’t do whatever is in that stage, and if you are that old, then you should be able to do it.  I have found in personal experience and my classroom that the age of the person does not dictate whether they can or can’t do something.  This makes me wonder if my scholars sometimes need lessons to be tailored based on these stages, even though their ages match, are they stuck on a prior stage? Do they get stuck and need help getting to the next stage? What happens if we never master a stage? Can you master a stage at a different age? The assignments, activities, and teaching I do in my classroom may look different if I pay attention to stages and not abilities.  Vygotsky believed that you...