Assignment 1 Module 4

KellyRainey.blogspot.com

Those of us who work in the field of disabilities and learning difficulties do so for a wide variety of reasons – ranging from deeply held convictions about equity and equality of access to education, to the effects on us personally of family experiences of disability, through to the need to make a difference or even it was the only job available when I applied. Personally, as I continue to pursue my Ed.D I hope to discover ways to help children with disabilities who attend public schools as inclusion students in general education classrooms. I believe that assistance begins with the teachers who work with them. Therefore, it is important to create professional development opportunities that address differentiating curriculum.

Although teaching is often described and experienced as important, rewarding and satisfying, those who actually do it rarely describe the work as ‘cushy’. A teacher’s daily experience is one of high expectations, challenging demands and considerable scrutiny, with recent policy focus on the performance of individual teachers and assessments on student performance. Student diversity is a particular challenge and students with learning difficulties, disabilities and/or social disadvantage require considerable, skilled input to achieve or approximate current benchmarks and standards. In today’s context therefore, teachers are advised to adopt practices that are effective with a diverse student’s and are of course sustainable.

I have enjoyed reading the blogs of my classmates, in particularly Novellete and Leigh Sparks. I learned a great deal from reading the perspectives of Novellete's experiences working with young children in Jamaica. I hope to further explore topics in Education in terms of general education teachers who work in inclusive classrooms. I hope to gain their perspectives on what strategies they use to differentiate the curriculum for these students, and what professional training's they are exposed to, to help these students. I am also interested in further exploring brain development in young children, as parents need to be aware of the importance of working with their children to advance them academically from birth.

References

Brotherson, S. (2009). North Dakota State University Extension Service. Understanding Brain Development in Young Children. Retrieved from: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/famsci/fs609.pdf, September 25, 2016.

Hargreaves, A. (2001). The emotional geographies of teachers' relations with colleagues. International Journal of Educational Research, 35: 503–27.s

Brain Development

“Perhaps no aspect of child development is so miraculous and transformative as the development of a child’s brain. Brain development allows a child to develop the abilities to crawl, speak, eat, laugh and walk. Healthy development of a child’s brain is built on the small moments that parents and caregivers experience as they interact with a child. A number of factors influence early brain development. These important factors include genetics, food and nutrition, responsiveness of parents, daily experiences, physical activity and love. In particular, parents should be aware of the importance of furnishing a healthy and nutritious diet, giving love and nurturing, providing interesting and varied everyday experiences, and giving children positive and sensitive feedback. In the past, some scientists thought the brain’s development was determined genetically and brain growth followed a biologically predetermined path. Now we know that early experiences impact the development of the brain and influence the specific way in which the circuits (or pathways) of the brain become “wired.” A baby’s brain is a work in progress. The outside world shapes its development through experiences that a child’s senses — vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste — absorb” (Brotherson, #4, pg2, paragraph 1).

This is an important analogy that I read that helps bring understanding to the importance of brain development: “Imagine that a child’s brain is like a house that has just been built. The walls are up, the doors are hung. Then you go to the store and buy electrical wiring, switches, a fuse box and other electrical supplies. You bring these supplies to the new house and set them on the floor. Will they work? Probably not. You first must string the wiring and hook up all of the connections. This is quite similar to the way our brains are formed. We are born with as many nerve cells as stars in the Milky Way galaxy. But these cells have not yet established a pattern of wiring between them — they haven’t made their connections” (Brotherson, #4, pg 3, paragraph 2).

Parents and educators can easily and enjoyably promote brain development by talking, reading, singing, and playing with their child. Lots of warm and loving smiles, singsong-like vocal inflections that draw out sounds, as well as touch and laughter when working with young children. Early experiences affect the development of brain architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health. Just as a weak foundation compromises the quality and strength of a house, adverse experiences early in life can impair brain architecture, with negative effects lasting into adulthood.

Parents also need to be educated on the importance of  actively interacting with their young children rather than passively watching them grow.  All too often parents chose to allow their children to interact with technology, and television, rather than create meaningful opportunities to interact with their children.  The brain develops at such a rapid pace in the early years of a child’s life, so it is vital that parents are aware of strategies they can use to foster positive growth and development. The science and literature of brain development can be quite extensive so I would create flyers of information that are in simplified terms so that the information could be understood by all.  I would have these pamphlets available to be dispersed with the early intervention specialist’s in the county that I work in, and also with the health department. I would also send these flyers home along with opportunities the community (hospitals) might offer for further parental education classes. It would also be effective to have them available at pediatrician's offices to inform all new parents. As an advocate for Early Childhood it is important to engage in conversation with doctors, social workers, and other professionals that work with families to get the information out and available to all.

Brain development is an important topic to me, as my son was born extremely prematurely.  He was born at 27 weeks gestation, and was hospitalized for 10 weeks before coming home. I was always so concerned that he would fall behind in his developmental milestones due to this, that I did research to determine what might be the best strategies I could implement in his life to ensure that he did not fall behind. I read that reading to infants and singing to them were vital aspects in their language development. I read several articles that showed research on the correlation between brain stimulation and piano lessons, Early Intervention services, etc. As my son is now 17 years old and has never fallen behind in is development I feel that these strategies helped him a great deal. It is important to me to share my own experiences with families so that they can also understand the importance of their child’s brain and overall academic development.

References

Brotherson, S. (2009). North Dakota State University Extension Service. Understanding Brain Development in Young Children. Retrieved from: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/famsci/fs609.pdf, September 25, 2016.

Discussion 2 connecting history and theory

Discussion 2

The contemporary figure that I would add to the Early Childhood Education History and Theory Powerpoint based on his contributions to the field of early childhood is John Keller.

    John Keller is a professor of instructional systems and educational psychology at Florida State University, and has been since 1985. His main area of expertise is in the motivational design of learning environments. He created a theory called the ARCS Model for Motivational Design that lists and describes 4 steps for facilitating and perpetuating motivation in learners (The ARCS Model Approach, 2016).

According to John Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design Theories, there are four steps for promoting and sustaining motivation in the learning process: Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction (ARCS).

ARCS Model of Motivational Design (Keller)

1. Attention

• Keller attention can be gained in two ways: (1) Perceptual arousal – uses surprise or uncertainty to gain interest. Uses novel, surprising, incongruous, and uncertain events; or (2) Inquiry arousal – stimulates curiosity by posing challenging questions or problems to be solved.
• Methods for grabbing the learners’ attention include the use of:
• Active participation -Adopt strategies such as games, roleplay or other hands-on methods to get learners involved with the material or subject matter.
• Variability – To better reinforce materials and account for individual differences in learning styles, use a variety of methods in presenting material (e.g. use of videos, short lectures, mini-discussion groups).
• Humor -Maintain interest by use a small amount of humor (but not too much to be distracting)
• Incongruity and Conflict – A devil’s advocate approach in which statements are posed that go against a learner’s past experiences.
• Specific examples – Use a visual stimuli, story, or biography.
• Inquiry – Pose questions or problems for the learners to solve, e.g. brainstorming activities.

2. Relevance

• Establish relevance in order to increase a learner’s motivation. To do this, use concrete language and examples with which the learners are familiar. Six major strategies described by Keller include:
• Experience – Tell the learners how the new learning will use their existing skills. We best learn by building upon our preset knowledge or skills.
• Present Worth – What will the subject matter do for me today?
• Future Usefulness – What will the subject matter do for me tomorrow?
• Needs Matching – Take advantage of the dynamics of achievement, risk taking, power, and affiliation.
• Modeling – First of all, “be what you want them to do!” Other strategies include guest speakers, videos, and having the learners who finish their work first to serve as tutors.
• Choice – Allow the learners to use different methods to pursue their work or allowing a choice in how they organize it.

3. Confidence

• Help students understand their likelihood for success. If they feel they cannot meet the objectives or that the cost (time or effort) is too high, their motivation will decrease.
• Provide objectives and prerequisites – Help students estimate the probability of success by presenting performance requirements and evaluation criteria. Ensure the learners are aware of performance requirements and evaluative criteria.
• Allow for success that is meaningful.
• Grow the Learners – Allow for small steps of growth during the learning process.
• Feedback – Provide feedback and support internal attributions for success.
• Learner Control – Learners should feel some degree of control over their learning and assessment. They should believe that their success is a direct result of the amount of effort they have put forth.

4. Satisfaction

• Learning must be rewarding or satisfying in some way, whether it is from a sense of achievement, praise from a higher-up, or mere entertainment.
• Make the learner feel as though the skill is useful or beneficial by providing opportunities to use newly acquired knowledge in a real setting.
• Provide feedback and reinforcement. When learners appreciate the results, they will be motivated to learn. Satisfaction is based upon motivation, which can be intrinsic or extrinsic.
• Do not patronize the learner by over-rewarding easy tasks”

(Keller, John M. no. 3 (1987): 2-10).

I have only recently discovered this model, through my research for this course, but I believe that these methods can be applied to both traditional, and alternative educational settings. The ARCS model will help me to instill self-directed learning experiences for my students.

The historical figure that I would add to the Early Childhood Education History and Theory Powerpoint based on his contributions to the field of early childhood is Benjamin Bloom.

    Benjamin Bloom (February 21, 1913 - September 13, 1999) was an American educational psychologist who made significant contributions to the classification of educational objectives and the theory of mastery learning. His research, which showed that educational settings and home environments can foster human potential, transformed education. Bloom developed a "taxonomy of educational objectives" which classified the different learning objectives and skills that educators set for students. Bloom divided educational objectives into three "domains:" Affective, Psychomotor, and Cognitive. It is hierarchical, like other taxonomies, meaning that learning at the higher levels is dependent on having attained prerequisite knowledge and skills at lower levels. Bloom intended that the Taxonomy motivate

educators to focus on all three domains, creating a more holistic form of education

(Anderson, Lorin W., and David R. Krathwohl, 2000).

I believe that “Bloom’s message to the educational world was to focus on target attainment and to abandon a horse-race model of schooling that has as its major aim the identification of those who are swiftest. Speed is not the issue, he argued, achievement or mastery is, and it is that model that should be employed in trying to develop educational programs for the young. Mastery learning was an expression of what Bloom believed to be an optimistic approach to the realization of educational goals. When well implemented, approximately 80 percent of the students in mastery learning classes earned As and Bs, compared with only 20 percent in control classes” (Anderson, Lorin W., and David R. Krathwohl,2000).

Some of the effects that I have found in implementing Bloom’s Taxonomy in my classroom are increased student self-assurance, reduced competition and encouraged cooperation among students, students were enabled to help one another, assessments were viewed as learning tools rather than official grades, and a second chance at success for students.

 

References

Anderson, Lorin W., and David R. Krathwohl (eds.). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing—A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Allyn & Bacon, 2000.

Keller, John M. Development and use of the ARCS model of instructional design. Journal of instructional development 10, no. 3 (1987): 2-10.

Motivational Design for Learning and Performance: The ARCS Model Approach (2010,2016). Retrieved from: https://learning-theorists.wikispaces.com/John+Keller

Discussion 1 #2

The contemporary figure that I would add to the Early Childhood Education History and Theory Powerpoint based on his contributions to the field of early childhood is John Keller.

    John Keller is a professor of instructional systems and educational psychology at Florida State University, and has been since 1985. His main area of expertise is in the motivational design of learning environments. He created a theory called the ARCS Model for Motivational Design that lists and describes 4 steps for facilitating and perpetuating motivation in learners (The ARCS Model Approach, 2016).

According to John Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design Theories, there are four steps for promoting and sustaining motivation in the learning process: Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction (ARCS).

ARCS Model of Motivational Design (Keller)

1. Attention

• Keller attention can be gained in two ways: (1) Perceptual arousal – uses surprise or uncertainty to gain interest. Uses novel, surprising, incongruous, and uncertain events; or (2) Inquiry arousal – stimulates curiosity by posing challenging questions or problems to be solved.
• Methods for grabbing the learners’ attention include the use of:
• Active participation -Adopt strategies such as games, roleplay or other hands-on methods to get learners involved with the material or subject matter.
• Variability – To better reinforce materials and account for individual differences in learning styles, use a variety of methods in presenting material (e.g. use of videos, short lectures, mini-discussion groups).
• Humor -Maintain interest by use a small amount of humor (but not too much to be distracting)
• Incongruity and Conflict – A devil’s advocate approach in which statements are posed that go against a learner’s past experiences.
• Specific examples – Use a visual stimuli, story, or biography.
• Inquiry – Pose questions or problems for the learners to solve, e.g. brainstorming activities.

2. Relevance

• Establish relevance in order to increase a learner’s motivation. To do this, use concrete language and examples with which the learners are familiar. Six major strategies described by Keller include:
• Experience – Tell the learners how the new learning will use their existing skills. We best learn by building upon our preset knowledge or skills.
• Present Worth – What will the subject matter do for me today?
• Future Usefulness – What will the subject matter do for me tomorrow?
• Needs Matching – Take advantage of the dynamics of achievement, risk taking, power, and affiliation.
• Modeling – First of all, “be what you want them to do!” Other strategies include guest speakers, videos, and having the learners who finish their work first to serve as tutors.
• Choice – Allow the learners to use different methods to pursue their work or allowing a choice in how they organize it.

3. Confidence

• Help students understand their likelihood for success. If they feel they cannot meet the objectives or that the cost (time or effort) is too high, their motivation will decrease.
• Provide objectives and prerequisites – Help students estimate the probability of success by presenting performance requirements and evaluation criteria. Ensure the learners are aware of performance requirements and evaluative criteria.
• Allow for success that is meaningful.
• Grow the Learners – Allow for small steps of growth during the learning process.
• Feedback – Provide feedback and support internal attributions for success.
• Learner Control – Learners should feel some degree of control over their learning and assessment. They should believe that their success is a direct result of the amount of effort they have put forth.

4. Satisfaction

• Learning must be rewarding or satisfying in some way, whether it is from a sense of achievement, praise from a higher-up, or mere entertainment.
• Make the learner feel as though the skill is useful or beneficial by providing opportunities to use newly acquired knowledge in a real setting.
• Provide feedback and reinforcement. When learners appreciate the results, they will be motivated to learn. Satisfaction is based upon motivation, which can be intrinsic or extrinsic.
• Do not patronize the learner by over-rewarding easy tasks”

(Keller, John M. no. 3 (1987): 2-10).

I have only recently discovered this model, through my research for this course, but I believe that these methods can be applied to both traditional, and alternative educational settings. The ARCS model will help me to instill self-directed learning experiences for my students.

The historical figure that I would add to the Early Childhood Education History and Theory Powerpoint based on his contributions to the field of early childhood is Benjamin Bloom.

    Benjamin Bloom (February 21, 1913 - September 13, 1999) was an American educational psychologist who made significant contributions to the classification of educational objectives and the theory of mastery learning. His research, which showed that educational settings and home environments can foster human potential, transformed education. Bloom developed a "taxonomy of educational objectives" which classified the different learning objectives and skills that educators set for students. Bloom divided educational objectives into three "domains:" Affective, Psychomotor, and Cognitive. It is hierarchical, like other taxonomies, meaning that learning at the higher levels is dependent on having attained prerequisite knowledge and skills at lower levels. Bloom intended that the Taxonomy motivate

educators to focus on all three domains, creating a more holistic form of education

(Anderson, Lorin W., and David R. Krathwohl, 2000).

I believe that “Bloom’s message to the educational world was to focus on target attainment and to abandon a horse-race model of schooling that has as its major aim the identification of those who are swiftest. Speed is not the issue, he argued, achievement or mastery is, and it is that model that should be employed in trying to develop educational programs for the young. Mastery learning was an expression of what Bloom believed to be an optimistic approach to the realization of educational goals. When well implemented, approximately 80 percent of the students in mastery learning classes earned As and Bs, compared with only 20 percent in control classes” (Anderson, Lorin W., and David R. Krathwohl,2000).

Some of the effects that I have found in implementing Bloom’s Taxonomy in my classroom are increased student self-assurance, reduced competition and encouraged cooperation among students, students were enabled to help one another, assessments were viewed as learning tools rather than official grades, and a second chance at success for students.

 

References

Anderson, Lorin W., and David R. Krathwohl (eds.). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing—A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Allyn & Bacon, 2000.

Keller, John M. Development and use of the ARCS model of instructional design. Journal of instructional development 10, no. 3 (1987): 2-10.

Motivational Design for Learning and Performance: The ARCS Model Approach (2010,2016). Retrieved from: https://learning-theorists.wikispaces.com/John+Keller

Discussion 1

An Early Childhood Educator consists of someone who creates activities and/or experiences that are intended to affect developmental changes in children prior to their entry into elementary school. An Early childhood program includes any type of educational program that serves children in the preschool years and is designed to improve later school performance.

Academic achievement, of course, is one of the main benefits of early childhood learning. Children who attend early-learning programs demonstrate higher levels of school achievement and better social adjustment than those who have no formal early education. They’re less likely to repeat a grade or be placed in special education classes, since learning issues can be identified and mediated early. Children who have had formal early-learning experiences are also more likely to graduate from high school.

“There’s an explosion of activity in the first five years of life, more profound than any future years,” says Rhian Evans Allvin, executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. “If we can capitalize on that and maximize the support and learning opportunities, then we really stand a good chance of setting young children on a trajectory of success” (Skarda,2014).

“Research has shown that much of what you need to succeed in life is established before you enter kindergarten. During that time, the human brain undergoes rapid development; it’s a period when a child builds cognitive skills — the foundation for reading, math, science and academics — as well as character skills, social-emotional growth, gross-motor skills and executive functioning, which includes everything from impulse control to problem solving” (Skarda, 2014).

References

Skarda, E. (2014, July). Ask the Experts: How Can We Fix Early Childhood Education? Retrieved from http://nationswell.com/ask-experts-can-fix-early-childhood-education/#ixzz4IlGGq0nc