1. The information on technology provided in Chapter 9 of How People Learn goes along with what we've learned about mental images to an extent. Images provided through technology can help with mental images created such as a propositional code. Technology can be used to help students who have a mental set to help them get out of the rut and get a new perspective on the topic they are learning. Finally, it relates to creativity and can help to be a motivation for students to do the work because sometimes the use of technology can make education fun for them. Overall, technology can help with creativity by providing new projects for students to try and for reinforcing information that the students are learning in a new and different way.
2. One thing I'd like to know more about is how teachers who are not technologically savvy can learn to use the technology that they need to teach their students or the technology their students already know about. I keep thinking to myself "what is twitter?" I want to know more about twitter. This type of thing is something the students may already know about before I even learn. Students know how to use computers so efficiently that some teachers may be behind.
3. To apply this to my own work as a school counselor someday, I would like to create a website that students can use to find out about college information or about trade schools. Then, I'd like to create a time line that they could use to know where they need to be at a certain point in the year with applying and financial aid. Also, I'd like to list resources that the students could use if they were experiencing problems at home or with their friends. There are many help lines that can benefit students that they do not even know about.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
How People Learn Chapters 6 & 7
1. The information from Chapter 7 regarding effective teaching uses information learned about problem solving and decision making that we previously learned in Cognition. Also, the two chapters discuss a variety of different perspectives used in order to teach specific information to students. This is similar to all the different memory strategies we learned in Cognition, included cognitive maps, imagery, mnemonics, creativity, etc.
2. I am a little unclear on why community centered approach is so popular. I do realize it is very beneficial when used appropriately. This would be allowing students a safe environment with peers where they can ask questions and feeling comfortable learning. The part that I do not understand is that it seems like this approach may create a more competitive atmosphere where some students don't feel comfortable asking questions or answering them in fear of being wrong. Why would we want students to feel this way?
3. I would use this information in my classroom to bring the positive aspects of all the approaches into the classroom for students to learn in the best possible environment they can.
2. I am a little unclear on why community centered approach is so popular. I do realize it is very beneficial when used appropriately. This would be allowing students a safe environment with peers where they can ask questions and feeling comfortable learning. The part that I do not understand is that it seems like this approach may create a more competitive atmosphere where some students don't feel comfortable asking questions or answering them in fear of being wrong. Why would we want students to feel this way?
3. I would use this information in my classroom to bring the positive aspects of all the approaches into the classroom for students to learn in the best possible environment they can.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
week 13/chapters 10 & 13
1. With language, I think that we use our working memory a lot because we have to process what others are saying and them formulate what we are going to say. We also must store all of the words we know in our memory to retrieve them later. General knowledge also goes into communicating with others, such as with common ground. Finally, creativity is a large part of writing.
2. I am still a little confused on how the demonstration "collaborating to establish common ground" is an example of common ground. To me, common ground is the knowledge that someone has that makes them able to communicate about something. To me, this seems like a different idea all together. I guess if both people are being presented with the knowledge at the time, then they would still be able to communicate.
3. One way I could use this information in the future is if I work in a middle school as a counselor. If that school offers foreign languages, I can encourage students to take them in middle schools rather than waiting. They may be more successful if they take them when they are younger. The other information regarding language would probably be more beneficial when working with younger children.
2. I am still a little confused on how the demonstration "collaborating to establish common ground" is an example of common ground. To me, common ground is the knowledge that someone has that makes them able to communicate about something. To me, this seems like a different idea all together. I guess if both people are being presented with the knowledge at the time, then they would still be able to communicate.
3. One way I could use this information in the future is if I work in a middle school as a counselor. If that school offers foreign languages, I can encourage students to take them in middle schools rather than waiting. They may be more successful if they take them when they are younger. The other information regarding language would probably be more beneficial when working with younger children.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
week 12/chapter 9
1. Chapter 9's topics of language comprehension ties into a lot of information from earlier chapters because in order to understand language, we must recognize words and sounds (Chapter 2). Our working memory allows us to process the information that we are receiving and then determine if it needs to be placed in the long term memory. The information we store in our long term memory can show up again in conversation as background or previous knowledge.
2. The whole-word approach does not make complete sense to me. I understand that we can recognize a whole word when we are reading, but it usually is a word we already know. If we come across a word that we haven't seen, who do we learn it if we don't sound it out? I'm not sure how the whole-word approach can be an appropriate method for teaching students to read for the first time.
3. The information on comprehension is very helpful because it allows me to understand what issue may arise in conversation. I can apply this to my work as a counselor by changing the way I phrase sentences or present information to a student. Also, I can make sure the student understands what I am saying before they leave my office. That way, I'm not sending them on with incorrect information. I also like the idea of dual-route hypothesis, which I can use now as a teachers assistant. I can help students with poor reading skills to either recognize words they previously learned with direct-access or use indirect-access to help them translate words through sounds.
2. The whole-word approach does not make complete sense to me. I understand that we can recognize a whole word when we are reading, but it usually is a word we already know. If we come across a word that we haven't seen, who do we learn it if we don't sound it out? I'm not sure how the whole-word approach can be an appropriate method for teaching students to read for the first time.
3. The information on comprehension is very helpful because it allows me to understand what issue may arise in conversation. I can apply this to my work as a counselor by changing the way I phrase sentences or present information to a student. Also, I can make sure the student understands what I am saying before they leave my office. That way, I'm not sending them on with incorrect information. I also like the idea of dual-route hypothesis, which I can use now as a teachers assistant. I can help students with poor reading skills to either recognize words they previously learned with direct-access or use indirect-access to help them translate words through sounds.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
week11/chapter12
1. Along with working memory, we can use ideas and general knowledge to process information about situations and to make decisions. This information furthers our knowledge of what our working memory is doing when it is processing all the information that we take in before and while we are making decisions. Availability heuristic and representative heuristic along with how we perceive a situation affect our decision making as well our working memory is also used to process the info that goes into decision marking.
2. Propositional calculus is a complex topic in the text. Affirming the antecedent, affirming the consequent, denying the antecedent, and denying the consequent can all be confusing. After reading it multiple times, it is still a little unclear. Also, I would like Demonstration 12.4 (in the 2005 edition) to be explained further.
3. This information is very helpful in understanding the decisions that students are making. We can use the specific heuristics and their previous decisions to understand what techniques they are using and to help them understand their decisions. I like the idea of using examples like Demonstration 12.8 to help students understand the difference that background information can make because sometimes they leave out important information when making decisions. Also, using demonstration 12.9, framing effect and wording would be useful to help students realize how specific wording affects their beliefs about a topic or how they understand an example. This could help students realize how wording affects their decision making. This would be useful when students are learning about politics and their views about political issues.
2. Propositional calculus is a complex topic in the text. Affirming the antecedent, affirming the consequent, denying the antecedent, and denying the consequent can all be confusing. After reading it multiple times, it is still a little unclear. Also, I would like Demonstration 12.4 (in the 2005 edition) to be explained further.
3. This information is very helpful in understanding the decisions that students are making. We can use the specific heuristics and their previous decisions to understand what techniques they are using and to help them understand their decisions. I like the idea of using examples like Demonstration 12.8 to help students understand the difference that background information can make because sometimes they leave out important information when making decisions. Also, using demonstration 12.9, framing effect and wording would be useful to help students realize how specific wording affects their beliefs about a topic or how they understand an example. This could help students realize how wording affects their decision making. This would be useful when students are learning about politics and their views about political issues.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
week 10/chapter 11
1. Functional fixedness fits in with what we have learned about consciousness. Consciousness is the awareness we have of the things around us, the images, thoughts, memories, etc. Being about to be aware of things around you can make it easier to avoid getting stuck in a rut as in mental set of functional fixedness. The hill-climbing heuristic and creative cognitive maps seem to go together because we can create a mental map to lead us to the best path to reach our goal. Finally, I felt like the means-end heuristic and a script are similar because we use subproblems to create doable tasks and scripts are set tasks that we do in an appropriate order.
2. I am unsure on how to help the problem of situated cognition. I understand that it happens all the time, but what can we do to help these students? Although I understand extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, I would have liked to learn more about that topic and what ways to help students find internal motivation.
3. I would use this information when helping students to problem solve and in understanding how they solve problems currently. Means-end heuristic is very helpful with students who have trouble organizing their work or who need to have it broken down in order to be less anxious and more productive. In the alternative school I work in, most of our students will not dive into something on their own. By breaking it down in class, we are teaching them a beneficial ways to problem solve (and hopefully someday they will realize it). I will use the information in the book about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, examples I have thought of, and examples that others in this class that given to help the students I work with. Again, since I work in the alternative school, many students are not motivated. I need to be able to use this information to help them to be motivated.
2. I am unsure on how to help the problem of situated cognition. I understand that it happens all the time, but what can we do to help these students? Although I understand extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, I would have liked to learn more about that topic and what ways to help students find internal motivation.
3. I would use this information when helping students to problem solve and in understanding how they solve problems currently. Means-end heuristic is very helpful with students who have trouble organizing their work or who need to have it broken down in order to be less anxious and more productive. In the alternative school I work in, most of our students will not dive into something on their own. By breaking it down in class, we are teaching them a beneficial ways to problem solve (and hopefully someday they will realize it). I will use the information in the book about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, examples I have thought of, and examples that others in this class that given to help the students I work with. Again, since I work in the alternative school, many students are not motivated. I need to be able to use this information to help them to be motivated.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
week 8/chapter 8
1. Semantic memory is our general knowledge about the world. Three approaches to semantic memory focus on categorizing information into lists or into the categories that the new information best fits. The fourth approach focuses on information being placed into a web and then retrieved by triggers from other information. Scripts are a sequence of events that is associate with a common activity. This common activity's frequency allows it to become part of the memory.
2. We have learned about the parts of our memory, imagery, and recall. This information ties into how we remember information and how we store information. We are now learning how we store this information in categories to be more successful with remembering and recalling information.
3. I'm still a little unsure about schemas and inferences. I'm unsure how we can solve this problem or what we can do to prevent ourselves from drawing conclusions about information that may not have occurred.
4. In one of the discussion questions, I talked about how being able to access 10 nodes can be a problem for me because I am easily distracted or sidetracked. I need to keep this in mind because when I am presenting information, I need to stay focused on the information that is important. In the classroom, I let the students get me sidetracked and then I might get the teacher sidetracked. I need to work on not allowing this to happen and controlling the use of my memory web.
5. Again, the author provides many studies that help to make this information valid. I find that reading studies is not enough information on its own. The more important thing is being about to take that information and compare it with experiences we have had. As I said in #4, the network model is very clear to me because I often get side tracked from being able to store 10 nodes at one time. Providing these studies with examples that let us compare the information to our own memories and experiences is how this information becomes valid.
6. Again, this helps to prove that we do experience what the author is telling us. The approaches of semantic memory are a good example of using examples to show us the things that we are experiencing but may not realize.
7. When working with students, I think the semantic memory approaches will help to explain to them how they are categorizing information and why. Until now, I didn't realize their were ways to explain why I was categorizing information or how. Scripts can be used to teach younger students or students with disabilities how to complete sequenced tasks.
8. A better way to organize this information would be helpful. Their is so much information in this chapter and it is ironic that it is on memory because I have to keep going back to reread parts of it. I think that a chart discussing the similarities and differences of the approaches to semantic memory would be easy to create, but help to explain the information better.
2. We have learned about the parts of our memory, imagery, and recall. This information ties into how we remember information and how we store information. We are now learning how we store this information in categories to be more successful with remembering and recalling information.
3. I'm still a little unsure about schemas and inferences. I'm unsure how we can solve this problem or what we can do to prevent ourselves from drawing conclusions about information that may not have occurred.
4. In one of the discussion questions, I talked about how being able to access 10 nodes can be a problem for me because I am easily distracted or sidetracked. I need to keep this in mind because when I am presenting information, I need to stay focused on the information that is important. In the classroom, I let the students get me sidetracked and then I might get the teacher sidetracked. I need to work on not allowing this to happen and controlling the use of my memory web.
5. Again, the author provides many studies that help to make this information valid. I find that reading studies is not enough information on its own. The more important thing is being about to take that information and compare it with experiences we have had. As I said in #4, the network model is very clear to me because I often get side tracked from being able to store 10 nodes at one time. Providing these studies with examples that let us compare the information to our own memories and experiences is how this information becomes valid.
6. Again, this helps to prove that we do experience what the author is telling us. The approaches of semantic memory are a good example of using examples to show us the things that we are experiencing but may not realize.
7. When working with students, I think the semantic memory approaches will help to explain to them how they are categorizing information and why. Until now, I didn't realize their were ways to explain why I was categorizing information or how. Scripts can be used to teach younger students or students with disabilities how to complete sequenced tasks.
8. A better way to organize this information would be helpful. Their is so much information in this chapter and it is ironic that it is on memory because I have to keep going back to reread parts of it. I think that a chart discussing the similarities and differences of the approaches to semantic memory would be easy to create, but help to explain the information better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)