Reflection Blog Entry 2 Week 3 - Behavioral Learning Theories and Social Learning Theory

Description

The focus for EDAT 6115 this week was on behavioral learning theories and social learning theory. In Chapter 5 Slavin defined the concepts of learning and described the principles of behavioral learning theories with the implications for practice in the classroom. Slavin also described social learning theories and their implications for classroom practices. Slavin explained how these theories can influence intentional teaching.

Analysis

            Slavin opens this chapter by using several quotes to describe or define learning. At the core, learning is when a change takes place after an intentional lesson or activity where a child, student, or person has most likely made a permanent change in thoughts or abilities. (Slavin, 2020) Slavin goes on to discuss Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner and behavioral learning theories. Pavlov was known for the classical conditioning theory. He used dogs and a bell to condition the dog to salivate at the sound of the bell because he introduced the food with the bell at the beginning. The unconditioned stimulus would have been the food, the unconditioned response was the salivation. The conditioned stimulus becomes the bell. (Slavin, 2020)

            Skinner was known for the operant conditioning theory. Skinner “proposed that reflexive behavior accounts for only a small proportion of all actions” (Slavin, 2020, p. 103). In this theory, Skinner believed that if a person’s behavior was rewarded with pleasure, the behavior would occur more frequently. (Slavin, 2020) This is used often in the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system in many schools where students receive immediate rewards for positive behaviors.

            There are ore some specific principles of behavioral learning that apply. Consequences that are positive will enhance and create reoccurrence of the desired behaviors. Consequences that are negative or unpleasant will create a weakening of the occurrences of the non-desired behaviors. (Slavin, 2020) Reinforcers can be used to increase the frequency of a desired behavior. There can be positive and negative reinforcers. The Premack principle is “we can promote behaviors by making access to something desirable contingent on doing something less desirable” (Slavin, 2020, p. 106). Intrinsic reinforcers would be internal rewards. Extrinsic reinforcers would be external rewards such as stickers, candy, etc.

            Punishers are those types of consequences that are intended to reduce undesired behaviors, but hey may does not have that result. If a student wants your attention, they may be willing to seek the negative attention right along with any positive attentions. A presentation punishment is when a student is scolded, a removal punishment is when a child loses a privilege or is removed from the situation. (Slavin, 2020)

            Consequences must occur immediately for them to shape behaviors. If the positive or negative consequence is not immediately given, the child will not associate the consequence with the behavior that is desired or not desired. Extension is when the behaviors eventually disappear by withdrawing the reinforcer. (Slavin, 2020) Slavin continues on to give examples of schedules of reinforcement, maintenance, antecedents and their roles.

            Albert Bandura is known for developing Social Learning Theory. Bandura introduced modeling the behaviors as well as observational learning which involves attentional, retention, reproduction, and motivational phases. (Slavin, 2020) Slavin lists these phases with their definitions in chapter five. In short, attentional is paying attention, retention is imitation, reproduction is matching, and motivational is imitating because of reinforcement. (Slavin, 2020) Vicarious learning is where one student decides to behave because they see another get a reward. Self-Regulated learning is when we make self judgements on our own successes and failures and learn from them.

 

Reflection

I feel that the behavioral and social learning theories do apply to teaching well. I use the PBIS system in my classroom and reward students for doing as they are asked or even going above and beyond. This helps promote positive behaviors in the classroom. This is significant in my classroom because when I have had to react or respond to negative behavior, I have also noticed that the reactions are not as great as when I am able to give rewards for positive behaviors.

I will used what I learned to become a better and more intentional teacher by letting my students know the classroom expectations in advance. I will also work with them to create those expectations so that they are more aware of the rewards and consequences associated with the expectations. I will also continue to use real life situations to connect students to the context of the lessons being taught to reinforce the learning. I will also work with my students to set goals for learning and behavior and conference with them weekly about those goals that they set.

 

 

 

Reference

Slavin, R. E. (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (13th ed.). Pearson Education. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088HBVY4X/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Reflection Journal Entry 1 Week 2 - Cognitive, Language, and Literacy Development

 Description

Paper contained a describe section that contained who, what, when, where, and how. The focus for EDAT 6115 this week was on cognitive, language, and literacy development and its implications for daily classroom practice. In Chapter 2 Slavin discussed Piaget’s theory of human development with his four stages of development, Vygotsky and Bronfenbrenner’s theories of development, stages of language and literacy development, and knowledge of how cognitive, language, and literacy development can inform intentional teaching. Slavin relates how each of these theories and developments can have an impact on teaching and classroom practices. One theme that ran through the chapter repeatedly is to plan and develop lessons based on the knowledge of these developmental stages.

Analysis

Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky have had major influences on teaching and education practices. Both developed theories of cognitive learning that are used to influence how the teacher teaches at the various grade levels.

In the classroom environment teachers play a key role in the development and influence on the child. Parents also play a key role in the development of children within the home environment. No mater the natural or inborn abilities a child has through their genes, the adults and others in their inner circle have a great deal of influence. In fact, at this point in our history, most believe that a combination of nature and nurture influence the development of a child and their successes. (Slavin, 2020)

Jean Piaget, who was born in 1896, based many of his findings and theories on his observations of his own children rather than a larger sample size of children. Piaget felt that there were four stages of cognitive development. Piaget believed that “young children demonstrate patterns of behavior or thinking called schemes” (Slavin, 2020, p.24) Piaget also felt that as development happens children adapt, assimilate, or accommodate according to the new information from trying out old schemes on new objects. Piaget also believed that the testing of schemes can create a state of disequilibrium, imbalance, and that as most people tend to not like being unbalanced, they will seek to create a state of equilibrium, balance. (Slavin, 2020) Piaget would be considered a constructivist, where the cognitive development is viewed as a process and as the stages develop the child will actively build systems that help them understand meaning of their world. (Slavin, 2020) Piaget believed there were four stages of cognitive development. Sensorimotor, birth to age 2, is where babies and toddlers use their hands and mouths to explore their world. By the end of this stage, they are planning more than just accidentally discovering. Preoperational, 2 to 7 years old, is where the child can use more symbols to represent objects in their world. They are still more egocentric and self-centered in their thinking since they believe everyone thinks as they do. Concrete operational, 7 to 11 years old, is where children begin to think more logically. Their thinking becomes less centered as they realize that everyone does not view things the same way they think. Formal operational, 11 years to adulthood, is where children can think more abstractly. Children at this stage begin to think more like adults and can use more systematic experimentation to solve problems. (Slavin, 2020)

In today’s time, many of Piaget’s principals have been challenged. Research is ongoing, and this research shows some contradictions in Piaget’s key ideas. Slavin pointed out several examples of research that contradict Piaget with regards to tasks can be taught earlier than the established stages, children can consider points of view, infants can demonstrate object permanence, children are more competent, and there is doubt about the broad stages set forth by Piaget. (Slavin, 2020)

Slavin points out that Piaget’s theory has had a great influence on education. Developmentally appropriate education, “an education with environments, curriculum, materials, and instruction that are suitable for students in terms of their physical and cognitive abilities and their social and emotional needs” (Slavin, 2020, p. 32), is a term that one hears often in the world of teaching. Piaget has also been influential in education where “constructivist models of learning” are concerned. (Slavin, 2020)

Lev Vygotsky and Piaget were working in the same time period; however, they may not have ever met one another. Vygotsky believed that “intellectual development can be understood only in terms of the historical and cultural contexts children experience” (Slavin, 2020, p. 33) He also believed that childhood development was influenced by the sign systems that the child would group up with in their own environment and culture. (Slavin, 2020) Vygotsky was different than Piaget. While Piaget thought children developed at predetermined stages, Vygotsky believed that children would learn and then develop based on that learning. Vygotsky believed in private speech, the sone of proximal development, mediation, scaffolding, and cooperative learning. Each of these principals of development are heavy influencers of education today. (Slavin, 2020)

Urie Bronfenbrenner, 1917-2005, believed in a multi-system type of development. The figure on page 37 can be described as follows. In the center, microsystem – child only, inner ring, mesosystem – includes family, school, church, neighborhood, peers, and doctor, middle ring, exosystem – extended family, friends of family, media, neighbors, legal services, schoolboard, community services, and workplace, and the outer ring, Macrosystem – Broad ideology, laws, customs of culture, subculture, or social class. This theory can be considered as building on Vygotsky’s views of sociocultural factors. (Slavin, 2020) In education, the implication is that we can have an influence on the child’s development as part of their sociocultural factors.

Language and literacy development are also key factors that will heavily influence educators in the teaching of their students. Oral language is one the first areas of language development. Reading early in elementary is important. Students will develop reading skills in five key areas: phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. (Slavin, 2020) Writing and mathematics also follow key developmental stages as the children are learning in school. An intentional teacher will “use what they know about predictable patterns of cognitive, literacy, and language development to make instructional decisions” (Slavin, 2020, p. 41)

Reflection

I feel that Piaget and Vygotsky have had a key influence on education. As I have planned out my lessons this year, I have tried to keep in mind the ages of my first graders as I teach the standards. I have tried to be a more intentional teacher as I have planned the lessons. In the context of my classroom, these theorists and the ideas of developmental stages have heavily influenced my planning. My students were learning phonics in first grade. I had to keep in mind that at the beginning of the school year, many of them could not read at all. Now, all of them are reading at a level based on their own assessment scores. I have planned small group and individual conferences with that in mind.

I will use what I learned to become a better teacher as I intentionally plan more opportunities for my students to collaborate with one another. I got frustrated the first few times I tried to use “turn and talk” so I didn’t do it as much. Now, I know that I need to plan that better from the start. I need to include my students in the development of the rules surrounding “turn and talk.”

Reference

Slavin, R. E. (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (13th ed.). Pearson Education. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088HBVY4X/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title