Chapter 9 Learning Log

What?
This week we studied Behaviorism and how we could use it in the classroom. The definition of learning, according to Behaviorists,is a semi-permanent change in behavior. They focus more on the outward manifestation of learning through the behavior. If you have learned, than you will exhibit the behavior. We talked about the differences between classical conditioning (Pavlov) and operant conditioning (Skinner). Both theories are very unique, but I will probably use more operant conditioning in my own classroom, which is using reinforcers to create behavior. We talked about the different types of reinforcers that could be used in the classroom, such as a token economy, activity reinforcement, self-reinforcement, social reinforcers, etc. Another important topic that we discussed was the misconception of what a "negative reinforcer" is. All reinforcers INCREASE behavior. It doesn't matter whether it is a positive or negative, it still should increase the behavior. A "punishment" is meant to DECREASE behavior. An example of a negative reinforcer is the seat belt noise that dings until you put your seat belt on.

So What?
This is an important topic because we will continually be trying to help get our students motivated in our classroom. It's really interesting to look at all of the different types of reinforcers and see which one is something that I can see working. Because our students have been trained to be "rewarded," we will need to help them see WHY they are doing what they're doing and how it can apply to the real world. I liked the example of the inner-city school token system that Dr. Cox gave us in class because it was applicable to real life and the students could see the link between the two.

Now What?
Now I have to decide what kind of reinforcers I want to use in my own classroom. I think if I'm teaching in a younger grade, such as 7th or 8th, I wouldn't mind using a modified token economy. I think it could be turned into something that would make them motivated to learn but it could also teach them about life in general. I will be sure to be careful about over-reinforcing because I think that can be detrimental to their learning. As long as we keep the students' learning as a priority, reinforcers can be used positively and productively.