Personal Learning Theory

(There were a few I didn’t write about
because we didn’t learn about it)Thanks:)

Likes and Dislikes:
• Piaget's Cognitive Development:
Likes and Dislikes: The first thing that I like about Piaget’s Cognitive Development was that it was a lifelong study. He didn’t just come up with his ideas overnight. Also, I liked that he put an age group on his stages. I like this because you can say well I have a seven year old he should be in this stage but he is actually advanced and is in concrete operational stage. Etc I like the terms that he labels in each stage like conservation for example. You can literally test a student on this subject to see what stage they are in. The thing that I do not like about Piaget’s Cognitive Development was that it was confusing for me to pinpoint students in certain stages. This may be my own personal problem rather than a flaw in his theory. Though the ages are interesting to note it can be confusing. Especially if I have a student his is seven in the formal operational stage. The idea can be misleading.

• Vygotsky's Cognitive Development:
Likes and Dislikes: I liked the Zone of Proximal Development. It makes sense to me the ZPD is what the learner can successfully do with the assistance of more capable others. We want our students learning to stay in this stage. Then I like the Beyond Zone of Potential Development which is what the learner cannot successfully do, even with the assistance of more capable others. As teachers we want to stay away from having our students be in the BZP. Then there is the Actual Development Zone which is what the learner can successfully do without assistance. Overall, I liked that Vygotsky’s theory made sense. Also, I like the term Internalization: the appropriation of the language and culture of one’s community. The idea that I did not like was self-talk. I have always related talking to yourself as weird or crazy. But I realize as I become a teacher that this is a skill that will help students remember ideas. Also, Vygostky theory can be flawed because some may feel that he has underestimated children’s natural ability to learn.

• Erikson's Psychosocial Development:
Likes and Dislikes: I loved this theory because I could literally relate to several of the stages. For example, in the stage intimacy versus isolation I noticed that at one point in my life I had experienced failure at this stage which will result in a sense of isolation and the feeling that one is incapable of achieving intimacy with others. After I read about this stage I felt like celebrating because I have made it through it and developed an affectionate relationship. I also really like that the stages start from when you’re born and go until you are ready to die. The stages go in order which makes it less confusing. I also like how in the text it gives advice how to help students successfully get through or accomplish a particular stage. For example, in the stage Initiative versus Guilt it says teachers can promote initiative by presenting many opportunities for children to try new things. What I don’t like about Erikson’s Psychosocial Development is that he does fail to consider the role of culture in shaping individuals’ personal development.

• Kohlberg's Moral Development:
Likes and Dislikes: First I like how Kohlberg’s Moral Development is broken down. For example in the stage Conventional Reasoning there are subsections. Per say nice girl/good boy, this makes it easier to understand. I like that I now understand those people who never break rule no matter what. I can say, “Oh you’re in the Conventional Reasoning Stage I will try and understand.” For example, the other day I bought a phone and it was giving me major trouble. I went back to get a different one two days later and they were like sorry it is policy you talked more than sixty minutes. I said, “Well I had to talk those sixty minutes to figure out the phone was giving me trouble.” I was able to get over it by simple thinking “you think a rule is rule.” I like how we help students with their moral development. We don’t tell them what to believe we give them scenarios and let them decide. I don’t like that Kohlberg said, “most men progressed to stages 4 and 5 whereas most women “stayed” at stage 3. I don’t believe this.

• Information Processing:
Likes and dislikes: I like that in the beginning of the chapter information processing can be compared to a computer. The human mind is analogous to a computer in that new information can be input, processed, stored, and later retrieved. Also, the diagram made this theory make a lot more sense. It starts with the incoming stimuli, sensory memory, attention and perception, working memory, storing and encoding, and long-term memory. The thing that I really like about this model is that it has made me realize what is required to get information into long-term memory. (I want the information I am teaching students to be processed and stick in their minds) This theory makes me want to continually be refreshing information or reviewing information when I can with students. For example, if I were to teach my students about the writing trait, ideas, after I taught the lesson doesn’t mean I never bring it up again. I compare it to the new information we are learning. Etc. The thing that I don’t like about this theory is it is really confusing. It is complicated. It is hard for me to visualize this theory as a whole. (Though the example in class was helpful)

• Knowledge Construction and Higher-order thinking:
Likes and dislikes: I like several things about knowledge construction. I like that there are several ways for students to construct knowledge. For example, I think about all of the different verbs on blooms. There are so many—evaluate,draw, analyze, judge, and classify to name a few. What I like about higher-order thinking is blooms taxonomy. In blooms taxonomy gives many examples to help teachers know how to help students synthesis and evaluate ideas. The thing I don’t like about these ideas that they were confusing to first learn. But overtime I have understand them a lot better.

• Behaviorism:
Likes and dislikes: The thing that I like about the behaviorist is that they are concerned with the study of human behavior rather than with the study of the human mind. This is something I like because I am worried about my students behavior. For example, how am I going to get thirty seventh graders to listen to me? Therefore, I like some of the ideas such as token economies and contingency contracting. I also like this theory because it teaches you how to discipline. For example, in class we decided that giving out of school suspension is not successful. This is not a punishment it is a reward to some students especially the ones that hate school. The thing that I don’t like about behaviorism is that some of the terms are confusing. They make more sense after class discussion but for example negative reinforcement is confusing. It is not what it sounds like.

• Social Cognitivism:
Likes and dislikes: I like the definition of sociocognitive theory: A theory that focuses on learning that is the result of observing others or observing the consequences of the behaviors of others. I always learn best by observing others which makes me like this theory. Also I like the term self-efficacy which is the belief about one’s capability to perform or achieve a certain goal. I want my student to have or gain a high self-efficacy in my class. The thing I don’t like about this theory is I do believe there are more way to learn than just from observing others.
What?
This section should include your the results of the quiz and your review of each of the theories:
• • Piaget's Cognitive Development: There are four stages of cognitive development through which people progress between birth and adulthood, namely, sensorimotor, preopoerational, contrete operational, and formal operational stages. Piaget argued that humans have a need to organize and adapt to the demands of the physical environment to find equilibrium. Cognitive development results from the interaction of maturation, activity, and social experiences, which help children adjust their existing schemas through the processes of assimilation and accommodation.

•Vygotsky's Cognitive Development: Cognitive skills develop through social interactions and the use of language. It is by means of social interactions with more-capable others that children learn the ways of thinking and behaving of their community. Assisted learning takes place within children’s zone of proximal development.

•Erikson's Psychosocial Development: Erickson’s psychosocial theory, personal and social development occurs in stages, with each stage being marked by a psychosocial challenge or crisis. Positive resolution of the crises from birth through the elementary school years results in students who are trusting, autonomous, willing to take initiative, and industrious. Individuals who resolve later-year crises have strong identities and the ability to achieve intimacy, generativity, and integrity.

•Kohlberg's Moral Development: Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is based on individuals’ response to moral dilemmas. He argues that moral development has three main levels: Preconventional reasoning, conventional reasoning, and postconventional reasoning, with each level being subdivided into two stages. According to Kohlberg, the force that drives moral development is internalization, the change from externally controlled behavior to internally controlled behavior.

•Information Processing: Information can be held in working memory indefinitely by using maintenance rehearsal, which is rote repletion of the information. Information can be stored in long-term memory by using rote methods (rehearsal) or can be encoded in long-term memory with meaningful methods (elaboration, organization), which consist of linking the new information to related information already stored in long-term memory.

•Knowledge Construction and Higher-order thinking: Complex Cognitive Processes. Which are those that require using or transforming previously acquired knowledge and skills, such as when students engage in conceptual change, thinking, and transfer. It talks about learning ideas and categorizing. For example, prototype: is the best representation of a certain category or class.
o Bloom’s taxonomy helps teachers write lesson plans promoting students understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation skills
o Cooperative Learning. It gives specific suggestions to teachers who use cooperative learning. For example, Positive interdependence, individual accountability, Face-to-face interaction, social skills, and group processing.

• Behaviorism: A perspective that psychology should be concerned with the study of human behavior rather than with the study of the human mind. Behavioral learning theories define learning as a relatively enduring change in observable behavior that occurs as a result of experience. Early classical behaviorist research on learning studied the effects of presenting stimuli on reflexive behaviors. The goal is to decrease undesirable behaviors. Differential reinforcement, extinction, removal punishment, time-out, detention, in-School suspension, and response cost. It also goes into detail about effectiveness of different reinforcement schedules.

So What? And The Now What

So What? First, I believe that people learn from each other or students learn from their peers. Therefore, I am an advocate for things like Cooperative learning: is a method in which small groups work together to make sense of new information or solve a new problems. I see myself using cooperative learning in my classroom because this is how I believe people learn. The Now What? For example, I see myself getting students into groups of four and talking about a book such as The Outsiders. I would give my students prompts or questions that they could answer together. Students will have light bulbs come on—for instance their peer may say something that they never thought of before. The Now What? I plan to let my students have individual accountability—I will ask them to write a reflection after they work together. Therefore they will be able to evaluate themselves and their group members. Also, questions will include--what did you learn through the help of your group members. Etc. So What? Also, I believe in information processing. Therefore, I want to use meaningful learning in order that my students can remember what I have taught them. I feel students need meaningful learning to remember. The Now What? For example, I plan to continually talk about concepts I have already talked about in the past. (Maintenance rehearsal) For instance, I see myself going over verbs on several occasions. (Mini reminders throughout other lessons) So What? I am also an advocate for Vygotsky's Cognitive Development. I want to teach in my student’s zone of proximal development. I believe that people should not be overwhelmed in learning. You can’t give students to hard of ideas that is out of the ball park if this makes sense. The Now What? When I teach I plan to give my students pre-tests to help me in evaluating their zone of proximal development. I plan to teach seventh grade—I plan to use self-talk with my students. For example, I could be teaching a spelling word of the day. I could say, “Students say premonition with me….premonition then I want you to repeat the definition out loud to yourself closing your eyes.” So What? Overall, I believe in a lot of things but I feel that I am a somewhat of behaviorist. The Now What? For example, I plan to use a token economy in my classroom. I see myself having class goals—for example one the class has twenty cotton balls in the jar my class can have party. Each cotton ball can represent good behavior or a time where exceptional learning took place in my classroom. So What? Lastly, I believe in giving my students dilemma and I plan on doing so. Students will learn from other people’s dilemmas. The Now What? As we have talked about in class I plan to let my students take their own personal stance on the dilemmas I give them.

•I would have liked to been able to learn about motivation. I will have to study this chapter in the summer. Also, I feel sometimes I struggle with seeing the overall picture of the ideas we have talked about in class and studied outside of class. I feel this has improved but it is a weakness of mine. The theory that I struggle with most is probably the information processing one. I struggle seeing the larger picture in this instance but the model that was done in class for this chapter was helpful.