Chapter 10 Learning Log

What?

Social Cognitivists believe that learning is an internal process tha tmay or may not lead to a behavior change. This is expands upon Behaviorism, in that Behaviorists believe that an outward observable behavior must be exhibited in order to ensure that learning has taken plac.e In social cognitivism, this is not the case.
People learn by observing others and in the process begin to assume control over their own behaviors.

The visual metaphor presented in class was a video camera that records and plays back, just like the mind of a student. As they observe something, they play it back in their own behavior.

Reciprocal causation is an important component of Social Cognitivism. It is a model suggesting that motivating beliefs and values are interconnected with environmental factors and behavior. These three things relate to one another in a multi-directional cycle.

So What?

Social cognitivism is important to understand because if you are interracting with your class and you present them with new behavior, even if they do not show outward response, they may be recording information internally. If your students appear attentive, you have good reason to believe that perhaps they really are recording something up their in those heads.

Reciprocal causation is essential to be aware of as a teacher. Because of the interconnectedness of these three factors: 1. Environment, 2. Behavior, and 3.Motivating beliefs, values, emotions, and meanings, we must be constantly observing the tri-interaction within our students. It is of utmost importance that we model good behaviors for our students, as well as create an environment conducive to the behaviors we desire out of our students. We also must be familiar with the individual beliefs, values, and emotions of our students so that we may know the best possible way to adjust one of the 3 factors for the best possible outcome.

Now What?

As a future educator, I am feeling the importance of modeling good behavior and self-efficacy to my students. I am beginning to realize how essential it is that I display complete self-efficacy in my subject areas; health, anatomy, and biology. If I do not display my own confidence in my ability to complete and understand these subjects, my students will not trust the information I am presenting them.

Also, it is important for me as a teacher to build self-regulatory behaviors into my curriculum and assignments. It is very important for students to learn how to self-regulate, self-instruct, self-evaluate, and self-reinforce. If they do not learn how to do these things, it will reduce their productivity later in life. It will make their higher-education experiences much more difficult, not to mention real-world job experiences. I know as an educator I have the opportunity to help my students learn these skills by creating assignments that require them to slow down in their process and self-regulate.

Chapter 7 Learning Log

What?
Constructivism is an offshoot of the cognitive theory. Constructivists’ definition of Learning is an active process where learners construct their own meaning based on prior knowledge and experience. They believe that prior knowledge creates a shooting-off point that allows new knowledge to branch out (like a root system).
Schema is a filter through which each student learns and sees the world. Individual students each have very different schemas based on their own their own personal experiences and ideas.
Concepts are the most basic unit of constructivism. A concept is a defined category that we fit new information and experiences into. Teaching concepts to different schemas can require some guidelines to get the best reception. We must teach correlating features, examples, non-examples, defining features, exemptions, and definitions of concepts.
Misconceptions are beliefs that are inconsistent with commonly held beliefs or validations. Correcting misconceptions can be a sensitive process. Doing so sensitively will create more openness for absorption and understanding for your students. You can do so by:
-presenting evidence students cannot explain with their current ideas and schema.
-Motivate students to learn correct explanations.
-maintain self esteem.
-monitor what students say and write for persistent misconceptions.
Discovery learning is student centered learning that takes the teacher out of the primary role and makes them into a guide to help students learn and discover by themselves. Learning this way helps students build their own problem solving skills. Students make their own meaning by making their own experience-based knowledge.
The Five E’s of discovery learning are:
1. Engage
2. Explore
3. Explain
4. Elaborate
5. Evaluate (self-evaluation)

So What?
Based on the constructivist theory, knowing where your students are coming from is very important. Knowing how students are approaching a situation with prior experiences can help you tailor your lessons and concepts in order help your students get the most out of your lessons. There are exercises that can be used in your classroom in order for you to better understand your students. Taking advantage of these exercises can help you understand a little better how your students are comprehending the information and concepts presented.

Now What?
This is an example lesson plan idea using the Five E’s of Discovery Learning.
Using the Five E’s, students will be discovering how water temperature affects the respiration of fish. Students will be provided with cold, lukewarm, and warm water in which to put the fish. They are also provided with fish which to observe.
The only instructions given will be a demonstration of how to observe the respiration rate of the fish visually.
They then will be provided with the materials needed in order to explore in groups of 4 to experiment in ways to measure the respiration rate in connection to the temperature of the water.