Final Learning Log

What?

It's hard for me to declare a theory of how kids learn when I have just been introduced to all of the theories and theorists. What I do find extremely interesting is how each theory plays a role in one's learning. I don't think that someone learns strictly the way the Behaviorists or Cognitivists believe, because I think that it takes a little bit of everything to complete the learning cycle. Without memory you can't repeat a behavior, or without social/peer interaction you can't develop your own ideas and concepts. I do feel like one of the most important things that was included in most of the theories is group work. We need to teach our students how to learn from each other and how to teach each other as well. But, while this is important, there are many other aspects of learning that has to come into play. It seems like the whole point of this class was to show us how each theory plays an essential role in our students' learning processes. Each theory has its pros and cons, but they all have important areas that offer an idea of how learning truly takes place. 

So What?

In order for me to be a great teacher, I need to understand how my students learn. Whether it be through the multiple intelligences, behaviorism, or social cognitivism, all of my students will be learning in a unique yet similar way. It will be vital for me to be able to change and adapt for different learning styles and to try different ways of teaching. I want to be able to reach as many students as I can and show them that learning can be fun if they know what works best for them. I also want to show students that they can learn a lot from each other so they will experience plenty of group/peer interaction in my classes.

Now What?

Educational Psychology really intrigues me and I want to continue to study and learn more about how psychology plays a role in our students' learning and education. One of the things that I really want to learn more about and improve on is how to incorporate the multiple intelligences into my teaching. I think our students would be much more successful and motivated if we are using different strategies and different teaching styles to meet all of our students' needs. It is going to be really hard at first, but with more knowledge and experience, I will be able to really utilize what I have learned in this class and what I will learn with further studying.

Group Differences Learning Log

What?
In this chapter we learned about how different types of groups learn differently. We discussed the common myth about gender differences impacting learning in many areas. As far as cognitive ability, language, etc., there are no differences in regards to gender. The only area where there is a slight difference is spatial/visual reasoning, in which typically boys are slightly better. We also talked about socioecomic status and how that can have an impact on learning as well. There were many stressors that were associated with lower economic status: exposure to violence, depression, instability/chaos, watch more TV, fewer books in the home, crowded living space, exposed to crime and street danger, and poor healthcare. In order to help these students, we need to help them identify with their schools and try to find ways to motivate and engage them with their schoolwork.

So What?
If we are going to become effective teachers, we have to be able to understand all of our students. There are many things that we can do to help students be successful in our classes, but learning about the different groups and how we can help them individually/specifically is going to be vital to their success.

Now What?
As I was reading about the different stressors that fall on students who are from a low socioeconomic status, I realized that school is one of the only safe places that they have. If they feel like you really care about their well-being, they will be more willing to learn and make an effort in your classes. As teachers, we have the opportunity to be a positive influence on students who may not have a chance otherwise. It may be unrealistic to think that we can "save" every struggling student, but we sure better try.

Individual Differences Learning Log

What?
In studying Chapter 5 in class this week, we learned about individual differences in education, including special needs and multiple intelligences. We discussed IDEA and the benefits that this act provides to students that need additional assistance. It addresses each student on an individual basis with an IEP and the classroom teacher uses the student's accommodations to help encourage their success in the class. We also talked about the different kind of intelligences that there are and how we can use many different types of strategies to help reach our students that learn in different ways. In Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, there are 8 different types: linguistic, logic/math, spatial/visual, music, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. By using differentiation to incorporate the different types of intelligences, we can better assist our students through the learning process. Another interesting theory about intelligences was developed by Sternberg. He believes that Environmental Context, Prior Experience, and Cognitive Processes all influence how we learn. It wouldn't matter if we were a linguistic learner or a spatial learner, we would still need all three of these components in our learning process.

So What?
In a classroom with 30+ students, there are bound to me many different types of learners. We must understand each type of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences so we can differentiate our curriculum to better fit the needs of our students. The more differentiation we use, the more our students will take away from the lesson. Also, it is important to remember that inclusion is going to be taking place in our classrooms, so we need to be familiar with the IDEA and our individual students' IEPs in order to be a more effective teacher. We can help all of our students succeed if we are willing to put forth the effort that it will take.

Now What?
In class we answered the question,"How do you feel about the movement toward inclusion in today's public schools?" I find myself hesitant and concerned, mainly because I don't feel like I know enough to be able to help those students. With further education on different types of disabilities and how to work with students that have the disabilities, I think that I would be much more comfortable with the idea of inclusion. I think that it is very important for us to teach our students how to be more compassionate and caring towards others that have disabilities, and inclusion is a good way to start the process.